A.J. B. is an accomplished young man! Students who are artistically gifted have frequently been profiled on this web-page.  After you read the article below,  you will agree that A.J.  is one of them! It may not seem fair, but many artistically gifted students also happen to be academically gifted as well. A.J., who is in the honor society and was one of the students chosen to compete in the "Scholarship Challenge,"   is also, obviously, one of them!  In the picture below,  you can see AJ standing with his other team mates in the front row at the far left .

The 2006 Scholarship Challenge Winners from Waverly High School! 2006 Team: Front Row:(L-R) AJ Blakeman, Damian LaRue, Jeremy Bean, Amrish Deshmukh. Back Row: (L-R) Colin McKeon, Yashodhan Chivate, and Kyle Keene. Coaches: Michelle Shaw & Ann Phinney-Foreman  Mascot: Wolve

However,  A.J. is unique, not only for his artistic and academic accomplishments,  but for his integrity as well.  Indeed,  a few years ago,  A.J. was recognized in the local newspaper for his character demonstrated through his compassion for another student who was having a difficult time in school. A.J.'s courage became very much in evidence through his willingness to help this boy when nobody else would. Such kindness and courage to be different are  traits that are not always as abundant as scholastic or artistic achievements.  

A.J. is being featured on the Arts Students in the News page because of his enthusiasm, initiative and talent for photography. Under his art teacher's tutelage (Ron Dixon featured on the Arts Teachers in the News page), he has become adept in both the art and science of making pictures. A.J. states that he started taking photographs "because it was always something he wanted to do."  Mr. Dixon told him about reflective vs. refractive photography and demonstrated how to make a pin-hole camera. This stirred A.J.'s imagination, so he developed an interest in pin-hole photography.  It was something he thought would be fun, but it actually became an obsession and he ended up working two hours per day on this pursuit. According to A.J., "pin hole photography is difficult because the exposure time for pictures is 10 seconds on a bright day,  longer if it overcast!  A smaller hole means less light, so it takes a longer time for the paper to react to light.  If the subject moves at all,  there will be a blur.  It was more difficult working with people using a pin-hole,  but you can also get some really cool effects.  For instance,  you could instruct your subject to stand still for five seconds, then move, as the paper records the background.  This will produce a 'ghost' on the photo paper." 

A.J. adds that "inside the dark room,  you can also manipulate the prints and get various effects,  such as solarization, sepia toning and blue toning.  You can spend two hours per day working with one print.  When the paper is taken out of the camera and is developed it is a negative.  You take this negative into the darkroom and do a contact print."

"To get the photograph,  the photographer places the negative on photo-sensitive paper.  You then hit it with light and it becomes a positive.  That's what can take so long.  Shave seconds off or add seconds to get the effect you want.  If you really work fast,  you can take three or four pin-holes in 40 minutes if it is a nice day.  You can also use pin-hole pictures and regular camera pictures to print on photo sensitive paper to get lots of different effects."

A.J. illustrates the reverse image phenomenon that occurs with pin-hole cameras. Light passes through a tiny hole represented in the middle of the "X" in the drawing into a dark enclosure inside the pinhole camera.  The image of the actual tree on the left then appears upside down on the "wall" represented on the right side of the drawing. 

A.J. took these two photographs using the camera he made.  One is a negative. 

Once again,  congratulations to A.J.  B., not only for his academic and artistic accomplishments, but his good citizenship as well.  A.J.'s family and the Waverly Central School District can be proud of outstanding young people such as he!