JCU Art and Design Department Hosts Street Photography Exhibition
The JCU Department of Art and Design organized a Digital Photography show, on December 1, 2022. It was held at the Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, a church in the center of Rome dedicated to St. John the Baptist and the city’s Florentine community. Due to the church’s ongoing renovations, the exhibition was installed on the outside scaffolding walls. The exhibition was coordinated by photography Professor Federica Valabrega and featured the work of 52 students from four different digital photography classes with a strong street photography perspective, and an emphasis on photo editing and photo collage in photoshop. The Art and Design department offers courses in a range of disciplines, including drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, and video art.
Street Photography Exhibition
“Street photography is an informal type of photography that uses natural light, usually outdoors, that takes advantage of spontaneous discoveries,” said Professor Valabrega. Students worked inside and outside the classroom to create their own personal photo essays approaching people, objects, or landscapes with their own views.
“This form of photography is a branch of both fine art and journalistic photography. It often involves candid shots of people going about their business in the bustle of urban life,” Professor Valabrega added.
Students were able to develop their own original photo stories in the streets of Rome. The show was held in a public space because the professors wanted the art produced by students to be readily available to everyone interested.
“The art of photography is a very subjective one. Yet, the rule of thumb for what makes for a remarkable image is whether it drives and elicits emotions in the viewers. Usually, this is achieved with good lighting, great framing, and interesting subject matter. Aspiring photographers should learn how to convey emotions before clicking away with their cameras,” said Professor Valabrega.
Federica Valabrega received her Bachelor of Science in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006 and her Master of Arts from American University in Washington, D.C. in 2008. Her photographs have been published in: The New York Times Magazine, TIME magazine, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, LA Times, Npr.org, Vanity Fair Italy, Vogue Italy, M Le Magazine du Monde, La Repubblica, L’Espresso, La Stampa, and Il Corriere della Sera. She joined JCU’s Department of Art and Design in the Fall 2022 semester.
