On November 12, 2021, fourth hour Principles of Media and Yearbook traveled to Fairfield, Illinois to tour the Iconik Photography Studio.

This let the classes gain information about camera operation and using manual settings.

Having a good experience is one of the main parts of a field trip.

“It was great to see how the whole thing worked,” responded Julika Balzer, ‘24.

Another main part of a field trip is learning.

I gained a lot of new knowledge on photography and editing, which I can use for personal use and also in school,” answered Balzer.

A popular opinion from the students is that their favorite part came from the end.

“At the end of it all we practiced with cameras,” stated Balzer.  “We also practiced our new knowledge on photography,” she added.

Many students were impressed with the effort and detail Iconik Studio puts into their photography and editing, with students like Rianna Bauer stating, “The fact that every photo that goes through they finish and edit – every single one.”

During the tour, the students were able to experience many things in the short time they were there.

“If anything, some more time focused on Photoshop would be appreciated,” expressed Bradden Davis, ‘22.

Iconik touched on some of the most important subjects in photography.

“The lighting and the background can really have a huge effect on a photo,” responded Davis.

Most of the students had a good experience on this trip

“It was pretty good,” stated Klayton Simmons, ‘24.

VPG members experienced different things on this trip.

‘I learned about aperture,” responded Simmons. “I also learned about shutter speed, and ISO settings.”

While on the tour, a main goal was to provide information about photography to the students.  They also learned about raw settings

“’Choosing the raw settings are better for later editing’ seemed to be the information they tried to push on the kids the most,” Bauer responded.

At the end of the tour, students gathered at the coffee shop situated within the Iconik company named “The Bold Goat.” The Bold Goat is owned by Iconik Studio partner Jaimie Ford.

Students loved the coffee, old town scenery, reasonable prices, and the exceptional service, Bauer stated.

“It looked like an old town coffee shop and I loved it.”

“Prices were really reasonable compared to most coffee shops. They also had good service,” stated  Davis.

This was a great experience for the students and Dr. VanZandt to gain knowledge.

Vernois Publications group appreciates Iconik Studios for allowing the group to spend the morning learning more about photography.