Many Frames Make Light Work

What’s better than kicking off a new school year in a new space? AOS Architects and W. S. Cumby Construction hired me to photograph a renovated student union building at the Delaware County Christian School. The school had brought in AOS Architects to design the conversion of an aging gym into a new student union and cafeteria.

For a shot like this, I combined several frames to preserve the best poses of the bunch.

In the foreground of the previous photo, I selected frames where the students looked more engaged. This produces a more energized, activated final photograph.

In the upper left corner of the same picture, I added a few students walking up the stairs to fill up the empty space.

Construction on the interior wrapped up just as the school year was ending, which meant that we had a limited period of time to take pictures of students using the new space. When I shoot with so many people in the frame, I lock the camera down on a steady tripod and then take multiple shots. In post-production, I select parts of each frame to compile the best poses in the final images, and I may also add more people to fill in areas that need figures. Collaging is a critical tool for this work.

The new student union at the Delaware County Christian School has two levels.

The lower level features round tables that are great for snacking and studying alike.

The mezzanine level offers a more informal space for students to gather.

In addition to comfy seating, the mezzanine area offers leisure amenities, like the whiteboards and ping-pong table pictured here.