Student photographers at Lowell grow their craft
Fisher Lyons is one of many LHS photographers that take photos, edit, and post them for all to see.
At Lowell High School, student photographers are developing their skills not just through classes and personal projects, but by doing real work in actual athletic events, music performances, and media days. From those media days where teams and even the marching band get in front of the bright lights with the fog, to Friday night football games, these students are learning the technical and creative demands of photography by doing the work firsthand.
Sophomore Bryce Craycraft discovered his interest in photography through something simple. He found himself constantly taking photos on his phone before realizing how much more control and quality a camera could offer. One of his most memorable experiences came during a soccer media day, where he enjoyed the team’s energy and creativity. “The soccer team was pumped and very excited to be there,” Craycraft said. “One thing I really liked was when they did their group pyramid picture.” Football has become his favorite sport to photograph because it brings together multiple groups in one night. “You get the football team, cheerleaders, and band all at once,” he said. Like many young photographers, Craycraft finds motion to be the biggest challenge.
Senior Reece Schroeder took a less direct path into photography. His interest traces back to childhood, when he began recording fire apparatus responding. While he documented moments casually for years, it was not until junior year that he began taking photography seriously and launched his own Instagram page. Before that, photography served mainly as a way to preserve memories. Reece primarily shoots fire trucks and first responder vehicles.
Junior Pyper Gordon has been drawn to photography since childhood, starting with a LeapFrog camera and later using her mom’s old Canon to photograph spring flowers. At fourteen, her interest reignited, and by the fall she had saved enough money to purchase her first DSLR. She began offering free photoshoots to friends to gain experience, eventually creating an Instagram account and website to share her work. In August, Gordon participated as a second shooter during a Lowell High School cross country media day. The experience allowed her to learn the workflow of a full team photoshoot and helped expand her portfolio beyond portrait photography. Gordon says opportunities like these are especially meaningful for younger photographers still building trust and experience.
Senior Eleanor Osmar credits her early interest in photography to her mother, who encouraged her to explore cameras from a young age and gave her her first real camera at age twelve. Entering high school, Osmar knew she wanted to join the yearbook staff and was accepted her sophomore year. She later served as yearbook editor, a role that deepened both her leadership skills and her understanding of photography. A darkroom and photography class further broadened her experience by introducing her to a style of image making she had not previously explored.
Through yearbook, she has photographed a wide range of sports and activities, each presenting its own challenges. Football and cheer are her favorite sports to photograph because of the emotion displayed by athletes and the energy created by the crowd. Osmar believes the biggest challenge in sports photography is building confidence to work close to the action while adjusting to lighting and mastering camera settings in fast paced environments.
Eleanor Osmar took on the most challenging photography environment in high school sports, the dark dual assembly.
Sophomore Taryn Genovich began her photography journey through inspiration from her stepmother, who loved taking pictures and seeing the happiness they brought to others. Media days have played a major role in her development. “Shooting a media day is such a great way to gain experience,” Genovich said. “It makes you learn to adjust to different lighting to capture the picture for each athlete.” Wrestling has become her favorite sport to photograph, especially because of the strong community support surrounding Lowell wrestling. Of course, Genovich is a wrestler herself, so no bias there of course!
She finds adapting to lighting and weather conditions to be the most difficult part of sports photography, but also one of the most enjoyable challenges. Genovich has participated in photoshoots alongside her friend Lily Dyer, and shares their own photography page T&L Shots. Both photographers took part in taking pictures at graduation last year.
Sophomore Fisher Lyons was introduced to sports photography through an opportunity at a volleyball game, where he was able to try shooting for the first time. What started as a short trial quickly turned into a growing interest under the guidance of teacher and photographer Heather Eveland. Since then, he has continued learning, describing the process as becoming “a bit of an apprentice,” which has helped him better understand both the technical and creative sides of photography.
An iconic photo to say the least from Sophomore Fisher Lyons.
Football has become Lyons’ favorite sport to photograph because of the access and intensity it provides. “The shots are so cool looking, and I get to be right next to the action,” he said. Covering football playoffs this past season stood out as a defining moment, giving him the chance to experience high pressure games, interact with players, and capture the emotion of big moments like that Zeeland West win.
Together, these students are just a few of the examples of student photography at LHS which has exploded in recent years. Not just yearbook, but through digital photography classes, and even just doing it on their own. We’ll be highlighting student photography work more as we continue!
