Visual communications and the fine arts are essential elements of life, and Helen Donis-Keller, Michael E. Moody Professor and Professor of Biology and Art, helps her students understand the importance of integrating both logic and creativity into their work.
In her Advanced Digital Photography course at Olin, students embrace the intersection of function and beauty to tell a story.
Donis-Keller’s course starts with several mini-projects to teach students how to tell a story through images. From there, students develop and propose draft ideas for their book theme and then move on to take their photographs. Students go through several critiques and drafts with Donis-Keller and the class until they have a final product, which they create with Adobe photo editing and publishing software.
Four final art projects from Helen Donis-Keller's Advanced Digital Photography course are shown in an Engineers Week promotional graphic.
“It was so cool to see something I had worked so hard on look so official with its hardcover, professional binding, glossy pages, and ISBN on the back,” says Kat Canavan ’25, who is a computing major interested in user experience and design. “I’m always struck by how powerful images can tell a story.”
Each step of the process is intentional, and students expressed how engaging with Donis-Keller’s photography course opened them up to important considerations, such as photo composition, lighting, subject, postprocessing, framing, and technical aspects of the art medium. Camera angles can change the way a subject is perceived, and perspective can change how a design is viewed, tested, and refined. Students like Allan Huang ’26, an electrical and computer engineering major, noted how the documentation and perspective aspects of photography are now key considerations for him in engineering.
“Documentation is essential for tracking the design process, but perspective plays a key role in understanding both the engineer and the product,” says Huang.
“Photography has taught me to be more intentional about framing and composition, which translates to presenting engineering concepts more clearly. Seeing a product from multiple perspectives leads to better design decisions, making the final result not just function, but also user-friendly and visually appealing.”
When an open seat in Donis-Keller’s Advanced Digital Photography class appeared, Huang took the opportunity to explore the art. Outside of a film analysis course in high school, he was not familiar with photography. However, after taking Donis-Keller’s course, he was inspired to experiment with cinematography, and Huang even acquired a Sony TR-54 camcorder and Nikkormat EL film camera.
“My passion for repairing vintage technology has often brought cameras to my workbench. Friends with artistic inclinations frequently brought me their film cameras or camcorders for calibration and repair,” says Huang. “While my attention to detail serves me well in these tasks, I never considered stepping behind the viewfinder myself.”
Fall 2024 Advanced Digital Photography Exhibition Photos
“Calculated Waste” by Kat Canavan ’25
Canavan was inspired by Maurice Mbikayi, a Congolese artist who transforms e-waste into sculptures, and her experience working for her school district's IT department.
“Brass Buttons” by Evan Lockwood ’25
Lockwood’s final project, “Me See: Buttons,” was based on search-and-find books. He hid buttons and other items in photographs, and each individual scene took upwards of two hours to stage. Lockwood tried to incorporate themes revolving around Olin in my book, such as the Shop and Library.
“Road” by Dokyun Kim ’26
Kim’s project was based around the idea of “belonging” and questioning what it means to belong somewhere.
Chang Jun Park ’26
Park’s collection of photos, “Glow from the Dark,” explores the timeless allure of neon lights in urban landscapes and delves into how they define the culture and energy of nightlife.
“The Apple That Fell Far from the Tree” by Allan Huang ’26
Huang’s theme was inspired by the style of iconic tech ads from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. He set a goal to capture the beauty of these outdated yet timeless-looking products and only drew inspiration from ads featuring people.
Dokyun Kim ’26, a robotics engineering major who showcased “Road” in the art exhibition, also mentioned the importance of art and how perspective-taking is an essential skill for engineers.
“Art allows you to look at something from a different perspective, both literally and figuratively,” says Kim. “When it comes to solving an engineering problem or creating a new engineering solution, I believe having the ability to look at the problem from a different angle allows you to come up with innovative solutions.
There are great benefits to providing artistic experiences in educational settings, and students like Canavan and Evan Lockwood ’25, an engineering robotics major, were introduced to photography while in high school. Canavan took a film and photography class in high school, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, she continued practicing at home with her phone camera and a mini photography studio made of cardboard boxes. Lockwood has been an amateur photographer since high school, but once he arrived at Olin, he was able to further his technical skills with the college’s professional equipment. Lockwood is currently working towards his photography concentration through the AHS Capstone.
“When presenting and designing, it is important to understand the story you are trying to convey to your audience, whether it be supervisors, clients, or coworkers,” says Lockwood. “Understanding how you arrived at a certain design and the documentation and reasoning that supports those decisions are vital to a successful project. Photography gave me the experience I needed to be able to do this in an engineering context.”
Visual communications and the fine arts can positively influence how engineers approach projects and communicate ideas. Especially for engineers, creative activities like fine art photography can help them understand the practice of professional artists, enhance critical thinking, and develop their own ideas using a visual language.
“It is an important means of communication that is sometimes not given the respect it deserves,” noted Donis-Keller.
“As a future engineer, I see photography as both an art form and a practical tool that can enhance my career. It’s not just about capturing images, it’s about effectively communicating ideas,” says Canavan.
“Art is a means of communication, and communication is essential to everything we do.”
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