Menlo Photography
Gallery of Student Photos

The Photography Program began in 2000 as a small club that met weekly to talk about photography. In 2001, the Powlen family made a generous donation for the construction of a fully equipped darkroom. The first photography class of 8 students exhibited in the spring of 2002 and wowed the Menlo community. The number of photography students more than tripled the following year. The current program consists of 3 beginning classes, 1 advanced class, and 2 photo clubs under the direction of Mary Carlsson and Kerry Rodgers. The beginning classes study black & white film and print development, mechanics of 35mm SLR cameras and the history of photography from its inception to the early 1900’s. The advanced class extends its study of black and white photography to include large and medium format cameras during the first semester. In the second semester, topics include color processes with both traditional C-prints as well as digital printing. The history component of the advanced class focuses on mid-20th century to contemporary photographers.

MARY CARLSSON studied photography at U.C. Berkeley in 1989. Her photographs have exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S., including the San Diego Art Institute, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, and the Laguna Gloria Art Museum. Her work became internationally known through her collaboration with the writer Lily Hsueh with whom she co-authored the visual novella, Letters from the Floating World, (Unitas Publishing Co., Taipei).

KERRY RODGERS formerly taught drama at Menlo, and is now back teaching photography. Her interest in photography began as an undergraduate at Stanford University, where she studied art and philosophy. She is a professional photographer when she is not teaching, and paints in her spare time. Her paintings have been in numerous exhibitions in the San Francisco Bay Area.