Teens Progress Through View from Behind the Lens at the Library

Submitted by the Downers Grove Public Library.

Lights, camera, action! Teen participants of the Downers Grove Public Library View From Behind the Lens course are making quick progress in their photography knowledge.

Over the last four weeks, teens learned camera basics, took walking tours around town, and began taking their own photographs. The course, taught by College of DuPage photography professor Michael Taylor, will continue through Dec. 16 as teens learn to edit the photographs they took using Lightroom software.

Teen Services Coordinator Lynette Pitrak modeled this program after a successful documentary creation class held last fall. She’s impressed with the students’ ability to improve their understanding of things like shutter speed, lighting, and subject framing, as well as their execution of using the camera. “They are really developing their own styles and personal ways of looking at the world. Two students can be standing next to each other taking pictures, and the final images will turn out completely different!”

Work by the View From Behind the Lens participants will debut at a Downers Grove Public Library art gallery exhibit beginning February 1. Meet the teens responsible for the artwork at a reception in the first-floor lobby on Sunday, February 28 from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.