Click! Click! Click! Click! Room 233 is full of budding photographers honing their craft.

The WHS Photography Club, a club new to this school year, was created by sophomores Andrew Cicala and Ryan Daly to help students learn more about the art of photography and develop their technical skills with cameras. The club meets every other week in Room 233, where members learn the features of cameras, as well as share and talk about each other’s work.

Cicala, the club’s president, stated,“I wanted to start the club in hopes that I would share my passion and encourage others to enjoy the art of photography.”

Club Advisor and WHS Art Teacher Edward Ruggieri discussed the purpose of the club. He said, “Members receive tips and demonstrations from Andrew and Ryan that will allow them to take more professional looking photographs. They can share and discuss their works, providing each other with feedback to help them grow.”

The club uses Google Classroom as a means to collaborate and share their pictures to the group. Club members can then receive feedback on ways to improve their photography techniques.

Daly, the club’s vice president, said one of their goals is to “be able to publicly display the work of students who put time and effort into their work.”

Cicala shared a favorite photograph of his, the 9/11 Memorial in Liberty State Park where he captured the reflection of a man on the monument’s walls, representing a person who passed awayon that tragic day. Daly’s favorite photograph that he shared, a beautiful beach scene with a crashing wave, dates back to the beginning of his photography journey and it “came out exactly how [he] imagined it to be.”

Cicala emphasized that the club welcomes all students, no matter their experience or what type of technology they are using. Cicala said, “Whether they are using a professional camera, or an iPhone, members alike can participate in the activities.”

While many local high schools, such as Cranford and Scotch-Plains Fanwood, offer photography classes, WHS does not. The idea of adding a photography course is intriguing to Daly, who noted, “[Photography] can offer a very different art perspective to students than they are used to.”

For now, students interested in pursuing the art of photography can join other passionate photographers in the club by contacting Ruggieri or Cicala for information on its next meeting.