Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2009, Page 217

Description:	All yearbooks are different, but at their core, they are all the same.At first glance, the 1909 Gothic yearbookseemed to be a far cry from its moderncounterpart. The two were separatedby 100 years, 98 other editions of TheGothic, and coundess changes in theway the book was created. But beneaththe faded string-bound cover of the firstedition of The Gothic, the essence of thebook was just the same as the 100thedition.The heavy use of technologychanged the yearbook process themost. In earlier years, yearbook stafferspasted together master spreads to besent to the publisher, filling their pageswith hand-developed photographs andhand-typed copy. However, the developments of computers greatiy changedthe process, both in photography anddesign.Of course, through technology,some advantages were lost, somethingMr. Kendall Reeves knew well. Mr.Reeves, former Gothic and Optimistphotographer, was a professional commercial photographer. He had been inthe photography business throughoutthe transition from print to digital, starting in print and then making the switchto digital. And although it was the satisfaction of watching his own print comeup in the tray that first attracted him tophotography, he eventually chose digital for all of his work, both professionaland personal. He said this was becausethe benefits of using a digital cameraclearly outweighed those of using filmfor his purposes.Bloomington South photographyteacher Ms. Staci Jennings, on theother hand, worked with and taughtboth print and digital photography.She knew well each of their limits andpurposes. While she appreciated the instantaneous nature of digital photography, she saw the value of the beautifulblack and white print. All beginningphotography students at South startedin print photography, as this requiredthem to learn the central concepts ofphotography. Anything you do - videos, film, you have to understand thebasics of composition. Jennings saidthat when the students transition intodigital photography, they carry overthe basics they learned in Photography1, improving the overall quality of theirwork.Former Gothic adviser Ms. MarilynKelsey had similar sentiments aboutyearbook. She suggested that the yearbook stay in touch with modern trends,but dont forget the basics of good yearbook design. Kelsey said that this approach contributes to a timeless book.It has to be a book that can be pulledoff the shelf 20 years later and tell thestory of that year. Thats the philosophyof a good yearbook - whether its 1960or 2000.Certainly, the yearbook staff changed,and the book changed, but the heartof the Gothic remained the same. The100th edition might have been a brandnew book, but it told the same old story. -CAITLIN ADAMSAbove: Kendall Reeves poses with an antique camera ondisplay in his studio, photo by caitlin adamsLeft: Kendall Reeves prepares to photograph a product with a12 mega-pixel digital camera. Reeves began in print photography but then switched to digital, photo by caitlin adamsthen and now I 1 00th ANNIVERSARY I 217
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/8239
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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