Student photographers continue creating despite pandemic
Cover Art
June 26, 2020
With the abrupt closure of the campus due to COVID-19, professors and students for classes such as COMM 1316/1318, News Photography 1, and COMM 1317/1318, Photography 2, scrambled to adapt. Final projects for these classes are typically displayed in the library foyer the last few weeks of the semester. Because students were unable to display their work in person, The Courier is providing a virtual space for their work.
Brookhaven students Tyana Danae and Lamarius Doyle said their first reaction to the campus closing was centered on retrieving class materials left behind in student lockers. As the class shifted gears, they channeled their energy into the new assignments.
Danae said she took the class to learn more about the discipline of photography. YouTube and Pinterest advice abound, but she said she wanted to learn more. In the process Danae said she discovered her own style – storytelling.
Because of the pandemic, the inability to leave her residence and limited activities, the remaining photography assignments came with new challenges. “The quarantine assignment allowed me to tap into a more creative side,” Danae said.
Doyle said he initially took the class because it was part of his degree plan. “I never took photography as a true artform before this class,” he said. “I am glad I could expand my mind and the way I think with this class.”
Because of the modified assignments, given the circumstances brought on by the pandemic, Doyle said, “It forced me to do more staged photography.” Overall, he said, the class has helped him with his other artistic endeavors.
Like many spring semester students, the pandemic closures cheated them of valuable face-to-face class time as well as lab hours. Questions still remain as to when they will be able to retrieve their materials, but art marches on. The Courier celebrates those students who continued to produce art despite the circumstances.
Tyana Danae
Lamarius Doyle
Xochitl Gonzalez
Matthew Brown
