The Photography Class Goes on an Expedition

[From Eric Demattos]

Every two years an event almost as rare as the bloom of the moonflower happens at NIC. It is an expedition set out upon by the Nature Photography class which is only offered every other year. This year the destination was Glacier National Park. Besides the ravenous man-eating bears so touted in the media, the park also offers some fantastic vistas, perfect for a class of photographers just learning the ropes. The trip is a four-day adventure that begins with sack lunches in a school van on Thursday and ends in much the same way on Sunday with the exact same type of sack lunches. However between those two van sack lunches are experiences that students will never forget! 

The Communication and art department rents five cabins where student bunk with classmates they wish they had gotten to know better before the trip began. The outing not only includes taking photographs but hiking for miles on scenic trails until the perfect vista point is found. One of the highlights is a night photography exercise where student practice taking long exposures of stars over Lake McDonald. Every evening there are discussions back at camp about lessons learned and how to toast a marshmallow over a fire without burning it to a crisp. One of the challenges that students face is the lack of internet or cell signal. “This forces students to do some things they don’t often do in their lives back home” says instructor Eric Demattos, “for example they go to this one high spot at camp, stand on their tippy toes and try to reach one bar of cell signal. It also makes them unplug and focus on the nature around them, but only after trying that first thing.” 

The result is an immersive educational experience where students put what they have learned to the test, create some great images, and even better memories. If this sounds interesting to you, look out for the next adventure planned for 2025. An intro to photography course is the perquisite and getting bear spray is a good idea also. Don’t forget, experiences and memories last a lifetime so don’t miss those opportunities when they come around.