Point, shoot and have a club to help you do it

If you have not noticed already, expect to see an increasing number of students using cameras around Eastern’s campus.

A collective interest in photography among some students has developed into a new addition to the campus: The Eastern Photographic Society.

Sophomore Joe Webb and first-year Mason Morehart started the group.

In an email interview, Webb said, “At first we were tossing around the idea almost as a joke, but it ended up becoming a reality after I wrote the constitution and went through the necessary steps to make it legit.”

The news of the club spread via Eastern’s Facebook network. The Facebook group titled “Eastern Photographic Society – Who’s interested?” sparked curiosity, and the first meeting was held on March 1.

The meetings are a time for photographers to evaluate techniques and to accept both positive and negative remarks about their work. The group meets on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in HHC 222, and they give assignments to focus on in between each meeting.

Eventually, EPS may include a photography contest to promote the club and create a challenge for the members.

“There might be a competition next semester that could offer a substantial prize,” Webb said.

The level of experience varies among the members of EPS. It does not matter if you are simply interested in photography and just use a basic “point-and-shoot” camera or if you have years of experience.

“Anyone who is passionate about photography should join,” Webb said. “There are really no prerequisites, but we want all of EPS’s members to be serious about their hobby.”

The first meeting included some introductory information, including an explanation of the technique known as the rule of thirds. The color blue was assigned for the theme of the photographs that each member should take and bring for the following meeting.

After the informative part of the meeting, time was spent admiring and discussing a variety of professional and amateur photography projected onto the front screen.

The second meeting, held on March 20, was typical of what can be expected from most meetings in the future. The blue-themed photographs were collected into a slideshow. The group sat in the dark as each photographer explained his or her particular photograph when it was projected on the screen. The others chimed in with praise and constructive criticism for each individual.

Joe Webb is the president of EPS, and his passion for photography is obvious. He has been doing photography for four years, continually learning and advancing to the point where he has found ways of earning money for his work.

He said he was disappointed that Eastern did not offer a group for photographers. So far, the EPS meetings have been attended by about 18 Eastern students. He hopes that EPS will be a way for fellow photographers to join together to learn and to grow.

“The more I learn, the more I love it,” Webb said.