Photography Club welcomes new members

UMD+student+Naomi+Seiler+poses+for+a+photography+club+photo%2C+taken+by+Humnah+Ibrahim.

Humnah Ibrahim

UMD student Naomi Seiler poses for a photography club photo, taken by Humnah Ibrahim.

The photography club has taken an exciting new approach to photography this school year due to social distancing.

Junior club president Sammi Kimbis has loved being a part of organizing the club the last few years. Even though the club has yet to meet this year, they’re planning meetings and a picture scavenger hunt. Key parts of the club that are emphasized by the group organizers is communication and unity. “I loved getting to meet new people with similar interests,” Kimbis said.

Kimbis took on the role of being the club manager after her sister Kelly Kimbis graduated in 2020. Kimbis rushed to the opportunity to become a leader and learned lots of valuable lessons. “One of the biggest things I learned was leadership and communication are key when forming a community,” Kimbis said.

Sophomore Tori Miller joined the club this year and loves being part of the photography community. Being new to photography, Miller felt welcomed and received a lot of helpful advice from all of the members. “It was the best club I joined at Wootton and it really helped to improve my skills as a photographer,” Miller said.

Miller said she plans to join next year and encourages her friends to join. She said her favorite part of the club so far has been the friends she has made.

Even though the club is filled with talented photographers who have been practicing for years, the club welcomes beginners who would love to learn. A couple of the most popular things they photograph include nature, food, everyday household items and the photographers themselves. Members are encouraged to expand their horizons and take pictures of themselves even if that is something that they have never done before.

One of the favorite projects from last year included the “flat lays” where photographers would lay everyday items flat on a table and take a picture standing right above them. This project had the majority of members challenged but overall seemed to be one of the favorite ones they did. Not only did this project take about three weeks but it also was the project that the photography club chose to frame and hang. This was done outside of the club but members were encouraged to take pride in their work and frame it and hang it somewhere in their house or hand it over to the school where it can be acknowledged.

If anyone is interested in joining the club or just want to learn more about it, the quickest way to find information is to email Kimbis.