The Chroma Factor: Mr.Youngblood's Photography Students' Exhibition

Haoua Saley

On Friday, April 1st, 2022, Mr.Youngblood’s photography students held their opening event, Coffee and Connections, for their photo exhibition, The Chroma Factor, at The Chamber of Commerce. The exhibition highlighted amazing photography that the students have worked this school year. The photos were based on Hagerstown and the photos were also grouped and based upon their colors. There were groups of photos based on the overarching color of the piece that also led to the connotation of the piece.

After the opening event, I was able to ask a few of the students the “how and why'' behind their pictures. “We would take like an hour long walk, kinda just going, like, out and about. We would go to, like, the vinyl store, the little, like, convenience store in the corner, and just try to get pictures of people like in real life, and, like, kinda just [in] Hagerstown —what it's like to be a Hagerstonian, what it feels like, stuff like that,” said Patricia McCarthy, a senior photographer.

With the new addition of the photography and cinematography department at BISFA it is important to note the difference between the visual artists and the photo and cinema students. The photo and cinema department focuses on capturing moments and putting them together as a film, while visual artist photographers focus on a specific moment and let that tell the story. While they both use photography to tell stories, the way that it is portrayed is what makes the difference.

Some specific photos highlighted things that both you and I wouldn't necessarily focus on in Hagerstown. A piece by Benjamin Hamman, a senior photographer, titled A Note Of Compliance focuses on a person walking their dog through an alleyway. While both you and I may pass this scene in person without a second glance, when you focus in and take a little more time to carefully watch the scene, you will see that the person walking their dog is walking in the same direction that a One Way sign is pointing to.

“With my photos, I really try to think about how a professional photographer would see the world. Like, I kinda think about what colors or shapes look nice together,” says Hamman.

Everyone was welcome to attend the opening event, but many commerce members used the experience to network and focus on the art. One commerce member said, “This art truly is amazing…these students are really talented…They should all be very proud.”

In a piece made by Phoenix Cardwell, a senior photographer, titled Did You See That?, they highlight an abandoned building in Hagerstown. The piece is also edited to contrast the white color of the house to the sky and to the clouds. The same commerce member pointed to the cloud ring above the house.

Cardwell edited the photo for a while to find the perfect contrast to highlight the clouds. “For a lot of my photography, I just look for things that look like something else could be going on…which also helps me title them.”

If you haven't visited the exhibition yet, I highly encourage you all to attend. All the work is astounding and incredibly inspiring. Each student submitted three of their photography pieces and Mr.Youngblood submitted one piece of his own. And all the photographs in the exhibition are also for sale. Each piece is priced at $75 dollars. Please go out and support these amazing artists and their amazing pieces, and make sure to congratulate them on their hard work!