Ullapool High School pupils demonstrate ‘impressive’ photography skills in ‘popular’ subject
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BUDDING photographers at a Ross-shire secondary school have been showcasing their talents through a school project.
Photography has proved to be a popular course at Ullapool High School with enthusiastic pupils showcasing creative imaginations and putting into practice what they have learned.
Lesley Strachan is the school’s teacher of both art and design, and photography. Over the past five years, she says photography has become a popular subject choice for senior pupils at the Wester Ross school, where skills including using SLR cameras and photo editing are taught.
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Pupils from the photography class have shared some of their favourite snaps from this year’s coursework.
Photography pupil Rafael Paszczyk shared a personal insight into his own self-expression through the medium of photography.
Rafael said: “We were on a walk around the pier and as we descended from the bustling port above I saw the still emptiness of the underneath, ever repeating with no one to see it.
“In a way I feel that this represents me and how I am forever repeating the same mistake, but instead everyone can see it.”
As well as digital camera skills, the pupils also learn to work in response to a photographic brief. One of these briefs, as UHS pupil Laura Sears explains, was Mini Worlds.
Laura said: “We set up different scenes and used the small people to make it look like real life, then we used our best photos to create a book cover.”
Teacher, Lesley Strachan said: “Photography has been a popular option for senior pupils at Ullapool High School for the past five years.
“Each cohort has responded really positively to the challenges and opportunities of the course, which includes aspects such as getting to grips with digital SLR cameras, working creatively in response to a photographic brief, using different settings and locations, and navigating digital editing platforms.
“This year, students have explored surface, texture and colour on Ullapool’s working harbour, found beauty and atmosphere on dreich winter days, experimented by ’painting’ with light and found inventive uses of digital editing.
“They have used their photographs to create book and album covers, card collages and 3D sculptures.
“This is a subject which gets students out of the school building and connecting with the environment and the community. We think it generates some really impressive results too!”
Ullapool High School’s art department also proved its ability to encourage creative minds to flourish, with up-and-coming artist MK Thomson beginning her journey in the school’s art room.
MK, who has now scooped a first-class fine art honours degree, an award for prestigious painting skills and her own exhibition, was taught by Lesley Strachan in high school and encouraged her to grow her passion for the subject.
