The SHS Camera Club

 

There's some question about there ever being a camera club at SHS.  I don't find any photos of students lined up on steps under the heading, "Camera Club," in any of the annuals for the four years we were at SHS.  There was a "Stamp Club" in the annual for the year we were Juniors.  They have "Office Workers," "French Club," "Latin Club," "S-Club" and all sorts of clubs and activities depicted, but no "Camera Club."  There's a "Camera Club" nowadays, because I saw several posters announcing its activities when I visited the current day SHS.

And, then, there are these photos found in Farley Vaughn's collection.  There were so many, they were so good, and the subjects seemed so familiar, I felt I had to include them on the website.  They seem to depict the activities of a camera club where serious attention to the techniques and technology of commercial photography was being practiced.  For instance, in the photo to the left, the male students seem to be composing the photo featuring the female model on a typical commercial seamless background set. 

The photos on this page seem to show both the nature of the serious learning laboratory that the students enjoyed and the type of photographs they produced.  This page is not intended to emphasize the models, but it does show that our class had a number of beautiful young ladies to perform the role of subjects for these budding photographers.
This panoramic view of the set depicts the use of the "seamless" backdrop, and P. L.'s pose seems to be typical of the glamour photography of the Fifties.
This photo, obviously not the actual formal photo of the two subjects because of the inclusion of set lighting and other parts of the studio, must have been a shot to document the photographic techniques which the budding photographers were learning.
They studied odd angles and used special lighting techniques.  For instance, the shadow of the subject on the back of the bench suggest that the flash or lighting was positioned well to the left of the camera.
This is not your typical snapshot.  It appears to be a professionally posed composition with an attempt to evoke a moody expression of the subject.
Outdoor photography was a part of the club's activities.  This scene appears to depict a fairly fast-running stream (Tennessee River?), perhaps in flood stage--a sort of "Beauty and the Beast" theme.
R. McN. was a popular subject for the camera club, indoors and out.
E. M. was also a frequently photographed model in Farley's series of photographs.

Not every click of the shutter captured the subject in a ready pose, as A. S. demonstrates.
Scenic photography with a good camera can always be enhanced by a lovely lady .
These student photographers used their skills to provide the illustrations for the yearbook.  This photo must have been taken during a dress rehearsal rather than a performance, because, first of all, I don't remember there being any flash photography allowed during performances, and, secondly, the clock over the exit door says "3:55."