Nearly five dozen Huntington High School students invaded the greatest city in the world for an on-location photo shoot late last week.
The 58 students are enrolled in three different sections of Introduction to Photography. The field trip was led by art teacher Pamela Piffard, who has headed the high school’s photography program for many years. The 10 adult chaperones that accompanied the students included Huntington Camera Club President Darin Reed, a district parent and member of Huntington’s Class of 1984.
“Small groups of six or seven students were escorted through midtown Manhattan,” Mrs. Piffard said. “While each group visited the same points of interest, they each followed a different map and took a different route.”
The sites included Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Bryant Park, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Plaza and Central Park. “Students were photographing New York City street life and architecture with an attention to detail,” Mrs. Piffard said.
The teenage photographers found their trek into the Big Apple exceedingly worthwhile. “The trip to New York City was a blast,” sophomore Craig Haas said. “Not only did I get to tour the city with my friends, but I got to see the city from a different angle thanks to what I’ve learned in photography this year. I took some amazing pictures that I can’t wait to put into my photography portfolio.”
New York City is a dream come true for any photographer. There is so much to work with within the confines of Manhattan. “I enjoyed seeing all the different people and how they expressed themselves in the city,” sophomore Bella Thompson said. “The diversity made for great photos.”
Mrs. Piffard was thrilled with the opportunity to bring the teenagers into New York City. “This is such an amazing group of young photographers,” she said. “The group as a whole has so much interest and passion for photography. It was wonderful to see them engaged in shooting in the city. I like to tell my students that photography is the art of seeing. If you can see differently and with more attention to detail than the person next to you the results will be magical. These kids have that magic.”
It was a field trip that the high school students won’t soon forget. “I loved the way that I was able to meet all new people just by taking their photo on the street,” sophomore Maddie Reed said.
Participants had plenty to discuss on their way back to Huntington on the Long Island Railroad. “My favorite part of the trip was being able to shoot and see different parts of New York City,” sophomore Elizabeth Dugan said.
