By James Nwankpah/ne news editor
It’s not often students get the opportunity to travel out of town, let alone out of the country.
But thanks to photography associate professor Patricia Richards, students have traveled internationally as a part of her study abroad program. The fruits of their labor have turned into Point of View, a photography exhibit currently showcased in College Hall (NCAB 1111) on NE Campus.
Richards has been taking photography students out of the country with her since 2002 on trips that allow them to broaden their cultural tastes as well as hone their photographing skills.
In her most recent expedition, Richards took students on a 10-day trip to the independent nation of Malta in the Mediterranean.
“The Malta group also went to Milan, Italy, and there was another group that went to southern Spain,” she said.
The photographs hanging in the exhibit were taken not only by students from both trips but by Richards as well. NE student Caitlyn Gore traveled with the Malta group this past March.
“It was definitely cool getting to see how they live over there,” Gore said. “Everything is so different over there, from the restaurants to the houses. They don’t even have front yards. It’s all just houses in buildings built on top of each other.”
Gore’s favorite shot is titled “Lake Como, Italy” and is of a sailboat sitting on the lake’s surface with the Italian mountains in the background. She was happy to know her favorite shot made it into the College Hall exhibit.
David Morgan was another of Richards’ students who went on the three-week summer trip to Spain.
“I would highly recommend the trip to anyone looking for credit not only in photography but in Spanish as well,” said Morgan, who received three hours toward his photography credits and one for his Spanish credits.
Not only did Morgan gain experience in his Spanish-speaking, but thanks to the constant assignments, night presentations and encouraging critiques of his shots from Richards, his photography skills also improved, he said.
“Everything I went to became my new favorite part of the trip,” he said. “It’s hard to pinpoint one thing from all the diverse sights and cities, so I’m not sure I had a favorite part. I just laid back and enjoyed everything.”
Morgan’s picture “#5 Vino” was taken using the available light of a Spanish winery to capture the storage of wooden wine barrels and grasps what they do inside that winery, Morgan said.
Point of View will run through Dec. 4. A reception for the artists will be 5-7 p.m. Nov. 20 in College Hall. At the reception, calendars containing shots from the trips for each month will be for sale.
“Proceeds will benefit the students,” Richards said. “We hope to have a workshop next semester.”
