Fort Sam Houston ISD’s CTE Advanced Commercial Photography program at Cole High School has gone beyond its classroom walls to support pet adoption efforts in San Antonio and New Braunfels and highlight the FSHISD community and their pets!
Humane Society of New Braunfels Valentine Adoption Project
The Photography Program developed a unique partnership with the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area to capture heartwarming “Valentine” portraits of dogs available for adoption.
The students have gone above and beyond in creating compelling web and social media campaigns centered around the Valentine’s Day theme.
By leveraging their skills in digital marketing, the students hope to connect potential adopters with their future furry companions. The students, under the guidance of their instructor, Brenda Marafioto, used their photography and Photoshop skills to produce high-quality images that highlight the unique personalities of each dog. These creative assets will be provided to the Humane Society for use on their social media platforms.
The project provides the students with authentic commercial photography experiences and hands-on involvement in a real-world project. They gain valuable skills in photography, digital media, and marketing. “We are thrilled to be part of this meaningful collaboration with the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area. Our students are not only learning valuable skills but are also making a positive impact in our community. It’s a win-win for everyone involved,” said Brenda Marafioto, Cole High School Photography Instructor.
All animals from their sessions have found homes, highlighting the impact of their work. Through their lens, Cole High School students are changing lives, one snapshot at a time. Their work embodies compassion, leaving a legacy of love and service in their community.
Fort Sam Houston Photography Students Explain Why They Help the Humane Society
“I’m helping the shelter because there is always someone out there looking for their own fluffy friend, I’m just making the search easier.” -Thalia Sagon
“While working at the animal shelter, I learned to adjust when things do not go as planned. Working with animals can be tough, and you have to adjust things when working with every single animal. Each animal I took pictures with had different personalities. Some were scared, energetic, shy, and much more. I’m glad I was able to learn how to adjust to each animal. My favorite part was interacting with all the animals. Before taking their pictures, my group wanted to hang out with the animal first so it could get comfortable. I am very proud of myself throughout working with the animal shelter. I was able to get amazing photos when I had some doubts in myself.” – Alexandra Rojas
“The project was heartwarming seeing that all the dogs and cats were getting adopted and that by taking pictures and creating media we were able to spread the word about the animals that still need a loving home.” – Lucas Trudell
Artistic Pet Portraits
After studying Photoshop and graphic design skills, students conducted a fundraiser offering artistic pet portraits to Ft. Sam Houston faculty and staff. Clients provided a snapshot of their pet and students used the industry standard software to edit photos and then create original artwork featuring the pets.
CTE Student Gabrielle Cunningham said, “I enjoyed being able to use my creativity to provide staff of Fort Sam Houston ISD with quality portraits of their pets. This project helped further develop my understanding of Photoshop. I learned how to use several different brushes, filters, and color effects to create portraits that the staff would love.”
Santa Paws Project
In addition to those projects, the students also partnered with Mike’s Dog Store. Through this connection, they created ‘Santa Paws’ Portraits to spread joy to pet owners and hone their business skills, including mastering Photoshop and supporting school fundraisers.
The students set up a full portrait studio at the store and Mike’s brings in the ‘purr’fect Texas Santa. Students run the full process from promoting the event to running the donation transactions to posing and photographing the portraits. After editing the images, students upload them to the class photography website for pet owners to download and enjoy.
This project takes CTE students through the full business process including managing a tight holiday timeline and giving back to their community.Tina Kuykendall, the owner of Mike’s Dog Store, said of the program, ” Over the past five years, Mrs. Marafioto’s photography students have provided an amazing service to our customers, creating memorable photos of their pets with Santa. Watching these kids interact with the pet owners and wrangle the pets while facilitating a very professional photo shoot is always the highlight of our year.”
One student, Henriette Cooper, said, “The Santa Paws experience helped me with my photography and business industry skills by helping me to get out of my comfort zone. During the experience, there was a lot happening. It was very fast-paced and we had to pay attention to the pets, lighting, the lights we brought, and the people. Although it was uncomfortable at the start, I started getting used to the pressure and the situation. It became a lot of fun, especially being able to interact and see the pets. I was able to experience all of the roles which included photographer, greeter, assistant, and cashier.”
The Spay and Neuter Network Experience
The FSHISD Commercial Photography program partnered with the Spay and Neuter Network of San Antonio to provide commercial photography services to provide public relations material and create clinic decor.
“With so many daily demands, it is hard for us to capture our team in motion during a surgery day. Having the photography team from Sam Houston ISD photograph our interactions with the public and the pets we serve was incredible. Our team was overjoyed with the results. Seeing the students embrace the mission was impactful and we are excited to partner in the future.“
— Jordan Craig, Executive Director of Spay Neuter Network.
The FSHISD CTE Photography students were able to provide public relations services that would have been expensive otherwise. Student photographer Grey Kaplan said, “Due to our small team, we were able to get very close to their work and show what it was truly about…
This applied to my coursework because one of the big goals in commercial photography is learning how to run and manage a photography business which includes working with customers, meeting certain demands and deadlines, and making sure that you’re confident, but also kind and helpful. Due to the shifting conditions and busy environment, I was forced to either adapt and go with the flow and risk not getting any usable pictures, and that was not an option. People were running around, each room had different lighting, and the sun was constantly shifting when we were outside. The hands-on experience prepared us for almost anything we could think of facing in classwork and in our future in photography.”
Great job, Fort Sam Houston CTE Photography students and educators!
Source: New Braunfels Humane Society
Blog By: Nicole Sanchez, Intern, UT Austin
