Photography

In Middle School, students are first introduced to the fundamentals of photography in the digital age. They learn the basics of composition, contrast, and form, discover the creative possibilities of software like Photoshop, and participate in group critiques to share feedback and develop a discerning approach to the medium.

In Upper School, the course progresses through the more technical aspects of photography, like exposure, digital capture, digital workflow, and printmaking. Additionally, boys learn to utilize the tools and capabilities of a fully-equipped studio, develop long-term, conceptually motivated projects, and write personal artist’s statements. Ultimately, the program strives to inculcate an ingenuity mindset, achieve an elevated sense of visual sophistication, and learn to leverage the medium as a tool for visual communication.

Outside of class, the School offers international photography and visual arts trips that have included destinations such as Bhutan, Argentina, Morocco, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Italy. 

St. Mark's has been named the state's "Top Program" by the Association of Texas Photography Instructors more than a dozen times in recent years. Since 2019, three St. Mark’s photographers have been named Presidential Scholar in the Arts, the nation’s most prestigious arts recognition, awarded to only twenty high school performing and visual artists annually.