RSCO Feature: Photography Club

Bella Lee, Staff writer

Do you like taking photos and sharing them on social media? Do you want to get involved in learning how to improve your photography skills? If the answer to either of those questions was yes, then you might consider joining the Photo Club.

“We mainly focus as a group that works on advancing our knowledge in photography and design as well as trying to incorporate photography into the Mercyhurst community,” said Hannah McCall, senior Graphic Design major and president of the Photo Club. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to meet as much this year, but we are trying to finish the academic year strong with some more meetings in order to prep the newer members for next year.”

Anyone who has a love for photography and has taken Photography I, the intro Photography class, is welcome to join this club. This club is dedicated to expanding interest in photography outside of the classroom and strives to create unique learning opportunities.

“I joined Photo Club when I was a sophomore because it looked like a nice group of people to just hanging around and learn more about photography with,” said McCall. “I do miss the snacks we’d bring in during our pre-COVID19 times. Professor Cardot would bring us Mighty Fine donuts, and if it was someone’s birthday, he’d get a cake at Tops.”

The Photo Club has a variety of events coming up for them, including a darkroom demo for black and white printing on April 9. This event is focused on introducing the club’s members to darkroom techniques and the basics of film photography– which was popular before digital cameras came onto the scene. On April 23, the club is set to embark on a Lightroom and Photoshop workshop. Lightroom and Photoshop are two main software sponsored by Adobe that photographers regularly use when editing photos. This workshop is set to teach club members about tools each software offers. Finally, on May 7, the club is set to wrap up the year with a get-together where each member will have the opportunity to present images he/she has taken over the course of the semester, either independently or in class.

While the spring semester has a few opportunities remaining for the year, the fall semester is heavily anticipated and the club officers and Professor Cardot have been hard at work planning many exciting things. This upcoming fall the club is hopeful to venture to the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, COVID permitting. On-campus, however, the club has plans to create and produce a calendar and stickers to fundraise for post-COVID events such as field trips.

“Photo Club has been a great place for me to go and meet more people with the same interests as me, and I just hope I’m able to give the same impression even during this pandemic,” McCall said.

Photography is something that has been capturing memories for nearly two centuries now, and the Photo Club is just one of many organizations that works to continue the love and appreciation of photography. Be sure to check out this club if you love photography or even want to pursue a career in it.