Photographing the World
Journeying to the other side of the world, 15 Marksmen and five faculty chaperones took their cameras on a photography trip to Bhutan, a small country nestled beneath China. During the trip, students experienced a new culture and got to know the people living in it.
“The academic purpose of these trips is primarily photography,” said photography instructor Scott Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair. Scott organizes St. Mark’s international photography trips. “However, my intent is for the boys to simply use the camera as a catalyst for discovery and a mechanism to connect with people and culture in a uniquely personal way.”
The new setting emboldened the students to step out of their comfort zones and interact with the people of Bhutan.
“In Bhutan, we are more interested in the culture and landscape, as opposed to the culture and landscape we take for granted back in the U.S.,” said Kyle Smith ’19. “Our perspective is forced to change and, therefore, our images do as well.”
Throughout the trip, students learned to step out from behind the lens, which resulted not only in better photos but also in a deeper personal experience.
“Photography was so much more than a way of connecting. It was a way of remembering the connections we made there,” Ryan Norman ’18 said. “The photographs and connections were so much more meaningful if we sat down and talked with the person for ten minutes and then took a photo to commemorate the conversation.”
Highlights of the trip included visits to the Paro Taktsang Buddhist temple high in the Himalayans, Jigme Dorji National Park, the capital of Thimphu, and Bebzur Primary School, where the Marksmen handed out books they had purchased for students.
“These boys are now more than just photographers; they are representatives of their own communities,” said Jason Lange, humanities teacher and Assistant Head of Middle School. “As Americans, as Texans, and as Marksmen, they are embracing their ability to spread a message of optimism, kindness, and humanity. In that regard, they're doing their small part to remind the world that people share more similarities than differences.”
This was the ninth international photography trip led by Scott Hunt. Prior destinations have included Spain, Czech Republic, Argentina, Thailand, Turkey, Cambodia, and Laos.
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“The academic purpose of these trips is primarily photography,” said photography instructor Scott Hunt, Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair. Scott organizes St. Mark’s international photography trips. “However, my intent is for the boys to simply use the camera as a catalyst for discovery and a mechanism to connect with people and culture in a uniquely personal way.”
The new setting emboldened the students to step out of their comfort zones and interact with the people of Bhutan.
“In Bhutan, we are more interested in the culture and landscape, as opposed to the culture and landscape we take for granted back in the U.S.,” said Kyle Smith ’19. “Our perspective is forced to change and, therefore, our images do as well.”
Throughout the trip, students learned to step out from behind the lens, which resulted not only in better photos but also in a deeper personal experience.
“Photography was so much more than a way of connecting. It was a way of remembering the connections we made there,” Ryan Norman ’18 said. “The photographs and connections were so much more meaningful if we sat down and talked with the person for ten minutes and then took a photo to commemorate the conversation.”
Highlights of the trip included visits to the Paro Taktsang Buddhist temple high in the Himalayans, Jigme Dorji National Park, the capital of Thimphu, and Bebzur Primary School, where the Marksmen handed out books they had purchased for students.
“These boys are now more than just photographers; they are representatives of their own communities,” said Jason Lange, humanities teacher and Assistant Head of Middle School. “As Americans, as Texans, and as Marksmen, they are embracing their ability to spread a message of optimism, kindness, and humanity. In that regard, they're doing their small part to remind the world that people share more similarities than differences.”
This was the ninth international photography trip led by Scott Hunt. Prior destinations have included Spain, Czech Republic, Argentina, Thailand, Turkey, Cambodia, and Laos.
St. Mark’s School of Texas
10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000
About Us
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.
