By Traci Newell

traci newell/town crier Los Altos High School senior Sarah Sharif checks her photos on a digital camera in the digital photography class being offered at the high school.

When Los Altos High School students and budding photographers Matt Weiden, Victoria Liu and Laura Weiden took action when they realized they could not advance their photography skills because the school did not have the resources.

The enterprising group wrote letters and rallied support from parents to raise awareness and funds to ensure that Los Altos High students had the opportunity to take digital photography, which allows them to master Adobe Photoshop to manipulate and process photos digitally.

“Matt wanted other people to experience photography classes, because the classes were so enriching to him,” said Christine An, art department coordinator at Los Altos High School.

The program is in its first year and is available to students with one to three years’ experience in photography. The school initially anticipated that 15 students would enroll, but 30 students are currently taking the course.

“There is so much you can do with digital photography that you can’t do in a darkroom,” said Anna Lu, a senior enrolled in the course.

“So far it’s been wonderful,” An said of the class. “The students have been enjoying the class; they are on time and they are really into what they are doing.”

Putting the class together was no easy feat - it is funded mostly by parents.

“We needed to start from scratch because we did not have a digital lab,” An said.

Principal Wynne Satterwhite pitched in by contacting Brigitte Saraf, Mountain View-Los Altos Union School District associate superintendent for educational services. Saraf contacted Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and was able to hire digital photography instructor Lesley Louden to teach the new class.

Through parental contributions, Satterwhite’s support and fundraisers such as an art show at Main Street Cafe and Books last spring, the students raised the $40,000 needed to outfit the lab, purchase software and hire the teacher.

“Without the students’ and parents’ support, this class would not be possible,” An said.

The digital photography students can earn college credits for taking the class, which gives students an edge on their college applications. An said that because the students are taking advanced classes, colleges know they are ready to take college-level courses.

“Colleges don’t want someone taking a bunch of beginning-level classes,” An said. “They want students with the willingness to follow through with the advanced courses.”

Matt Weiden, whose passion for photography helped make the class a reality, graduated from LAHS last year and is enrolled in UCLA’s School of Fine Arts.

“They are gaining valuable and appropriate skills in tune with what is going on out in the world,” An said. “They are using skills they will actually use in their career.”

Some students in the digital photography class will use digital photos from the class in their college portfolios.

To contribute to the digital photography class fund, call An at 960-8866.