Meredith Photography Students Profit from Portfolio Suggestions

Students in Photography 3 usually profit from suggestions on their work at school. Earlier this spring, college students within the course additionally gained perception from skilled photographers by collaborating within the ECU Portfolio Throwdown.

“Since Photography 3 is one of the culminating courses for the Photography minor at Meredith, I wanted the students to have an immersive and professional experience in photography as a fine art,” mentioned Professor Shannon Johnstone, who teaches the course. “The ECU Portfolio ThrowDown is a great event for this. In addition to the reviews themselves, the ECU Portfolio Throwdown event also offered students free workshops and 15 different lectures by a variety of artists and educators.”

Students participated in one-on-one suggestions classes with gallery house owners, curators, editors, educators, and artists. Johnstone notes that within the skilled world, opinions might be fairly costly.

Johnstone mentioned in her picture programs, plenty of time is spent “talking about critiquing and how to give and receive quality feedback, since it is a valuable commodity in the photo world.”

Kinley Copeland, ’26, mentioned she appreciated the chance to construct her skilled community and sharpen her communication expertise.

“It pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way,” Copeland mentioned. “I felt more confident sharing my work and engaging in critique beyond what I’m used to in the classroom.”

Sierra Lopez, ’27, mentioned she discovered methods to enhance her model and her technical expertise. 

“This experience has taught me that developing my photography style takes time and persistence. It has built my confidence and emphasized the importance of patience and consistent practice in honing my skills,” Lopez mentioned. “I plan to approach my work with intention, recognizing that progress is gradual while also striving for creative growth to refine my technique and artistic expression.”

In addition to the portfolio evaluate classes, college students additionally participated in workshops and lectures. 

Maya Ryba, ’26, who’s constructing her personal pictures enterprise, loved the suggestions course of and the chance to study from professionals. 

“I enjoyed talking to all of my reviewers, and I gained lots of knowledgeable information on running a photography business, as well as on paying attention to detail,” Ryba mentioned. “I enjoyed attending the various lectures and learning about all sorts of photography forms, both contemporary and alternative.”

Students within the course and Johnstone additionally appreciated the artwork division’s assist of the Portfolio Throwdown expertise.

“I really loved having an out-of-classroom experience to grow and learn,” mentioned Katelin Craven, ’27. “I think there’s something really beneficial in a change of environment and understanding the way other artists practice their craft.”

The artwork division supported the journey “conceptually and logistically”.

“Having departmental support for this experience demonstrates the art department’s commitment to offering unique active and experiential learning for students,” Johnstone mentioned. 

Department Head Emily Howard mentioned it was fantastic to listen to optimistic suggestions from artwork college students about their expertise.

“At Meredith, we pride ourselves on the ‘personal touch’, and this kind of active learning is exactly what makes our community so special,” Howard mentioned. “It’s also a powerful confidence-builder for our students to see firsthand that they are just as prepared (if not more so) than those from larger schools.”