According to the National Institutes of Health, 95% of high school students use social media. For Upper School (US) students, social media use extends beyond life updates. A growing number of student photographers have turned to platforms like Instagram as de facto digital photo galleries.
This trend has allowed student photographers to bring attention to their work and skills, but has also shaped the way that students approach photography as an art form, according to US Photography Teacher Andrew Warren. Student photographers such as Azariah Zewde ’29 use platforms like Instagram to share their work with friends, family and potential clients.
Azariah said his account has helped him gain professional experience as a photographer.
“Social media makes it easier for student photographers to turn their photography into a business. For me, I have found that using Instagram has let me gain tons of followers and clients,” he said.
Posting on social media has also allowed Azariah to make connections with other people and organizations.
“I created an account to spread my name to people in Massachusetts, and creating this Instagram account has been very helpful for me because I am now connected to so many things like colleges, students from other schools, etc.,” he said.
David Hicks ’27 was introduced to photography through the US’s advanced film curriculum. He now takes Advanced Filmmaking II at the US and showcases his work on Instagram.
“I post some of my photos and also send my films to my family,” he said.
Nathan Ma ’27 uses social media as a way to bring his photos to a larger audience.
“Posting work online helps gain some recognition and helps my friends see it,” he said. “Instagram is a good way for your art to get into the hands of a lot of people. I’ve actually gained recognition beyond my friends too. It’s a public account, so a lot of random people follow it and support it.”
Mr. Warren has noticed that because of their exposure to photography on social media, many students enter the school’s photography curriculum with prior knowledge.
“Most students have probably engaged with photographs on a daily basis before they even get to school,” he said. “Many of them arrive with imaging and editing skills they have seen on platforms like YouTube and applied via software like Lightroom.”
Mr. Warren also noted that social media can affect the way students evaluate their own photography.
“In terms of the way they feel about their work, I would imagine that the metric of ‘likes,’ etc. can’t help but be a factor,” he said.
Despite social media’s influence on students’ photography, Mr. Warren’s curriculum focuses more on the basics and craft of photography rather than popular types of photography that might be seen on Instagram or TikTok.
“We do not have the kind of equipment or program that supports technology-specific photography like sports or event photography,” he said. “We do, however, delve deeply into the basics of exposure, composition and personal content that encourages individual self-expression.”
