CTE Month: Josie Mock Jelte, Timpview Commercial Photography

February 28th, 2023 /
Spencer Tuinei /
CTE, News, Programs/Opportunities, Schools, Secondary Schools, Timpview High

It’s the feathered features of a rolling landscape seen through long exposure; it’s the final seconds of the buzzer-beater state game captured in perfect clarity through a thousand blinks of the shutter; it’s every detail of a face in the trimmed depth of field tightened to a blip; it’s Photography. In tomorrow’s digital and image-heavy world, our Photography teachers offer trade skills that will last a lifetime.

Josie Mock Jelte, for example, is Timpview’s High School Photography Teacher, and her class has become an invaluable part of Timpview High School.

Josie’s course provides a creative outlet for students to answer more essential questions about themselves and how they view the world. Through her class, students explore their artistic talents to create meaningful works of art. Whether they are capturing stunning landscapes, experimenting with portraiture, or exploring the art of black and white Photography, students in Josie’s class receive the tools and guidance they need to express themselves through their Photography.

In addition to providing a creative outlet, Josie’s class teaches students critical technical skills. Her class covers various topics, from the basics of camera settings to advanced editing techniques, giving students a comprehensive education in the art and science of Photography. Photography is a complex art form that requires a solid understanding of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO concepts, all of which Josie teaches through accessible lessons for students regardless of starting skill level.

But most importantly, Photography is more than just taking pictures; it requires students to think deeply about their subject matter and the message they want to convey.

Through in-class discussions and critiques, students are challenged to consider their work’s artistic and emotional impact. They are encouraged to think critically about Photography’s role in society and explore how their work can make a difference in the world. During my brief visit, for example, students completed an inter-curricular project: students selected a decade in the 20th and 21st centuries to research culture, literally and figuratively, through a camera lens in their chosen decade.

Students chose a camera from their chosen decade and crafted concept boards gathering and synthesizing cultural events, famous photographic art, fashion, and photographic techniques employed by that decade’s most renowned photographers using similar cameras. Students then staged a photo using decade-appropriate lights and props to advertise their decade’s camera, utilizing their eye for artistry while holding to their decade’s aesthetic. Josie’s classroom was flush with multicolored lights, washing over the eclectic trinket groupings around each student’s given camera. Just as remarkable as Josie’s transformed classroom were the students themselves: measured, focused, and enraptured in their projects.

Through her passion, expertise, and dedication, Josie has created a course that provides students with a creative outlet, technical skills, and critical thinking abilities.