As a teacher and photography enthusiast, I was elated to join Photo Opp as a Board Member. I had recently purchased a SLR camera (which is still begging to be used) and I was experimenting with photography in my 5th Grade Classroom at Columbus Elementary in Appleton. Joining Photo Opp’s board and being involved with connecting education and the arts has been the perfect way to blend two interests of mine!

April 30 is Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. To celebrate, Photo Opp hosted a Pinhole Photography workshop led by pinhole enthusiast Nick Dvoracek. Nick has decades of experience making and using pinhole cameras that are commonly made from simple materials, such as recycled cereal boxes, beer cases, or other cardboard packaging. In place of a glass or plastic lens, pinhole cameras simply have a tiny hole in the front of the camera that exposes the film inside to a tiny amount of light.

Education and career development are two of the foundational pillars that our programming is built on. In 2022, we developed our Mentorship Program to provide mentor opportunities between working photographers and young adults interested in photography as a way to introduce them to real experiences in the profession.

In 2022, we provided 10 local high school/college students with the experience of a professional photography mentorship. To share the impact the mentorship had on our student mentees, we interviewed Olivia, a high school senior, about her experience…

Photo Opp hosts a community Photo Walk at The City Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, in partnership with Appleton Public Library and Murray Photo.

Photo Opp hosts our first community film development night at The Draw.

Photo Opp collaborates with two local nonprofits to give youth the opportunity to ‘develop a superpower’ with an intro to film photography class.