GREENFIELD — Though a hospital is often a place where patients and their families arrive feeling at their worst amid medical problems, Franklin County Technical School’s Camera Club is providing a way to brighten the days of visitors.
The Camera Club, led by English teacher Jason Butynski, was approached by Volunteer Coordinator Katie Caron from Baystate Franklin Medical Center about an opportunity to showcase the photography skills the students learned throughout the year.
“We’ve had sort of a small group of kids,” Butynski said. “But we’ve never really had a project to work on, which is something that I had desperately wanted for them.”
While the club has existed for several years, having photos on display at Baystate Franklin marks the club’s first major public exhibit, which will come to a close on June 30. The opportunity gave students a goal to work toward and a chance to see their work displayed outside the classroom.
“We were hanging some of our art around the school,” Butynski added, “but without there being an end goal, it wasn’t a challenge.”
In preparation for the exhibit, students spent months developing their skills and taking photos. The group took field trips, including to Northampton and to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, allowing them to practice finding interesting photo composition in natural environments as well as cityscapes.
Among the students whose work is featured is 16-year-old Northfield resident and Camera Club President Ren Gradoia. Since joining in her freshman year, Gradoia has enjoyed photographing nature, animals, flowers and cityscapes. She also has a particular interest in black-and-white photography.
In Gradoia’s opinion, photography is less about expensive equipment and more about perspective. The club emphasizes creativity over technology and welcomes photographers of all experience levels. While some members use cameras, others can use their phones.
“Anybody can join, and anybody can start doing photography,” she said. “It’s very inclusive.”
The exhibit at Baystate Franklin represents how far the club has come. When Gradoia first joined, the group consisted of three members. As membership grew, students began sharing ideas, learning from one another and developing their own artistic styles.
“We were a very small club,” she said, noting that there are now nine members. “But everybody likes putting in equal effort in their photos.”
According to Butynski, the project is another way that Franklin Tech students can contribute to the broader community.
“We talk all the time about having high school kids volunteer in the community,” he said. “For these kids, it was a project that they worked on for several months.”
Beyond technical skills, Butynski said he believes photography teaches students to look at the world differently.
“I think the kids did a pretty great job of starting to see more art in the world around them,” he said.
He also sees photography as an opportunity for students to slow down in an increasingly fast-paced world.
“Everything’s so fast-paced in the world today,” Butynski commented. “It’s kind of a nice opportunity for them to slow things down and spend some time with the environment around them.”
That perspective is especially important at a time when nearly everyone carries a camera in their pocket. While smartphones have made taking pictures easier than ever, Butynski believes photography remains valuable because it encourages students to observe their surroundings more carefully. Whether students were searching for butterflies at Magic Wings or looking for interesting angles in downtown Northampton, the goal was not simply to take pictures, but to learn how to notice details that others might overlook.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to see the world in a different light,” Butynski said.
The exhibit also creates a broader goal. While hospital patients and visitors may only spend a few moments looking at the photos, both Butynski and his students hope those moments can make a difference and help ease stress.
“I feel very glad that our photography can put some people at ease,” Gradoia said.
