CofC Scholarship Allows Studio Art Major to Pursue Photography

Ever hear of a medium format camera? Known for its high-quality images, this bulky camera takes some time to master. For example, instead of viewing an image directly, the photographer looks down through the camera’s viewfinder.

Learning how to use a medium format camera is one of the many skills photography students learn at the College of Charleston. Offering such a comprehensive photography experience requires an enormous amount of technology, equipment and resources, which is where philanthropy comes into play.

Over the years, donors have generously gifted photography equipment, including cameras and lenses as well as scanners and printers. In addition, financial support to the Department of Studio Art has enabled everything from guest artists to critical supplies.

While the department loans students a variety of cameras and auxiliary equipment, the costs associated with a photography class can be daunting for many students who need to purchase supplies including paper, film and ink. Fortunately, scholarships and awards can help offset these expenses.

One student who benefited from scholarships is Sophie Weinberger, a studio art major and arts management minor. For them (Weinberger’s preferred pronoun), receiving the Marion and Wayland H. Cato Jr. Endowed Scholarship for SOTA came as a pleasant surprise.

“I was so excited because, in addition to giving me a sense of comfort and reassurance, the scholarship meant that the school believes in me and sees my drive and motivation for what my art has to offer,” says the New Jersey native. “I use art to channel my creativity in a way that resonates with my emotions. It’s a way of self-expression that allows me to put on one page what I want to convey.”

Photography was one medium Weinberger had not studied before coming to the College. They found learning the various processes of photography to be humbling. Creating work centered around a specific theme proved to be daunting, and they struggled with the limited hours of the photo lab, as well as the constant competition for access to the scanners and printers.

Still, after two semesters of photography under the guidance of professors Elizabeth Bick and Dylan Beckman, Weinberger has developed a love for photography and how beauty can be captured in an unexpected way. They also discovered how photography could be utilized for paintings and in mixed media pieces.

Weinberger is excited to incorporate their photography experience into their artistic practice, using both graphic design and mixed media.