After School Matters - Engineering Wonder

I documented Redmoon's After School Matters "Engineering Wonder" program, capturing high school students learning welding and fabricating large-scale steel set pieces for Redmoon's Chicago Fire Festival. Over several months, I photographed the progression from foundational skills training to final installation of the students' work.

I brought three students from the program on as photography interns, teaching them documentary photography techniques. We covered camera operation, lighting fundamentals (strobes and speedlights), photo editing in Lightroom and Photoshop, and core concepts of composition and form. I also served as a substitute instructor, leading students through Millennium and Maggie Daley Parks to create formal studies of landscape architecture.

The program provided Chicago high school students with hands-on experience in technical arts, STEM skills, and professional mentorship while earning stipends for their work.

Project partners: After School Matters, Redmoon Theater, Chicago Park District