Science and mathematics are the underpinnings of photography. The Flash Drive program teaches the history of optics and alternative processes in photography through a variety of hands-on activities that require problem solving, teamwork and creativity.

After students learn about a photographic process and its significance to the history of photography, they are introduced to a diverse group of contemporary artists that incorporate the techniques in their studio practices today. The curriculum builds a critical bridge from STEM to STEAM, stimulating the multidisciplinary, creative thinking necessary to compete in today’s workforce. 

Students begin the program with a memorable experience in the Flash Drive, HCP’s mobile photography education unit. Housed in a repurposed ambulance, the Flash Drive is a working camera obscura—an optical device developed in the 9th and 10th centuries used by scientists, artists, and architects to observe and record images of their environments.

Visitors to the Flash Drive are invited to observe the environment through a larger and smaller camera obscura, learning about the science and history behind the development of the camera as we know it today. From daguerreotypes to pinhole cameras, subsequent projects teach the history of photography through age-appropriate, experiential learning. 

Goals

• Teach the history of optics and alternative processes in photography;

• Provide hands-on activities that require problem solving, teamwork and creativity;

• Encourage safety and environmental awareness through proper disposal of chemicals;

• Build a critical bridge from STEM to STEAM, stimulating the multidisciplinary, creative thinking necessary to compete in today’s workforce. 

Outcomes

• Learn how light travels;

• Understand how and why photography was invented;

• Broaden vocabulary by using key terms in math, science, art and photography;

• Use science and math skills to aid in the creative process.

Questions?

Please contact Lindsay Sparagana | Director of Community Engagement

Email: lindsay.sparagana@hcponline.org

Phone: (713) 529-4755 x105

Learn more today!