“There has always been a Photo Club, but not anything like it is today,” said Kimberly Venesky, a WJ photography teacher. “It has become what it is today since [Daniel] Kempner has been here.” Kempner is a photography teacher and the sponsor for the Photo Club at WJ.

Photo Club has existed for a long time  but has recently transformed into a more social atmosphere for students. The club is a place for students to unwind get together and practice their photography skills.

“[Photo Club is] really fun; you can make new friends and hang out [and] it is good for social interactions,” said senior Kathleen Branthover, one of the Photo Club officers.

Following in last year’s footsteps, the club’s main project is to produce a calendar featuring photographs submitted by the students. After the calendar is created, the club will distribute it around the school, acting as both a fundraiser and a way to spread the word about photography.

“Photo Club is not very structured. There are a lot of different people with different abilities,” said Kempner.

He adds that there are people in the club who are very talented and more than capable of being on their own and doing their own thing, and then on the opposite side of the spectrum, there are also people starting from scratch learning how to develop film.

Apart from the calendar, other goals this year are to have successful fundraisers and promote photography by showcasing students’ artwork.

“We just really want people to have a good time and socialize as well as kind of learn about photography and participate in the calendar,” said senior and Photo Club President Valerie Segal.

Meeting every Wednesday after school in the photography room G83, the Photo Club has high hopes and high expectations for this year to keep a social, energetic atmosphere where students can learn and pursue their passion.