With focus, confidence, and passion, middle school students at PS84 José de Diego in Brooklyn, take the photos that showcase a diverse and close-knit school community.

By Denise Henry

PS 84 is a school that encourages students to have a voice and gives them the freedom to be creative. These values immediately come into focus when you step into the PS 84 graphic arts and media studio. Started four years ago as a club, it eventually became an 8th period elective program. It has blossomed into a photography and graphic arts class that is part of the regular school schedule for all middle school students. 

“It’s amazing when you give the children the freedom to do what they want, what they come up with,” says José Guzman, PS 84 graphic arts and media class, and physical education teacher.

This class bursts with creativity each time students take a photo of the school community. In addition to graphic arts, the middle school students are offered a variety of classes to spark their interests and get them excited about school.

“Every group of students that come in have different interests,” says Principal Sereida Rodriguez. “So in the beginning of the school year surveys are taken of student interests. We also include the interest of the staff because they will do the clubs with the students. If they put their heart and soul into it, and do it with a smile on their faces, the kids will enjoy it too.”

Thanks to José Guzman, physical education teacher, graphic arts teacher, and a man of many talents, the graphic arts and media club was born.

“I’ve been in the Department of Education for 22 years, just as a dad whose kids are in sports. So I picked up a camera and started taking photos,” says Mr. Guzman. “It became something I really loved and Principal Rodriguez found out about my passion.”

It wasn’t long before Mr. Guzman noticed in the dedication and talented photos taken by his students, that photography had become their passion as well.

“It’s like you give 10 kids a drumstick and maybe two of them might become drummers. We found some photographers,” he says. “These kids have a really good eye.”

They learned to use the cameras to capture the expressive faces of students during picture day, the dramatic game day photos of the sports teams, as well as the striking landscape of the magnificent borough of Brooklyn that many of them call home.

“I think the class is really about sparking the passion,” says Muly, an 8th grade student. “Just being in the class and learning from Mr. Guzman, it helped me get into photography and I know that there’s always a career that I can count on when I’m older.”

From the beginning, Mr. Guzman’s goal was to give the students the creative freedom to come up with their own ideas and thrive. They did not disappoint. Soon Mr. Guzman found a way for the students to use their new skills at a time when opportunities to bring people together was extremely limited.

“During Covid, most schools didn’t have picture day. But we wanted to offer our 8th graders at least an opportunity to have graduation photos,” Mr. Guzman says. “I told Principal Rodriguez we can use the small gym, they can go one by one, we’ll wear masks. We did graduation photos that year. The next year I went to her and I said instead of reaching out to a photo company, let’s teach the kids how to take the photos. It was amazing in that short span of time how much they grew and learned and the photos that they created. I was blown away by what they did.”

The photographers take charge during picture day by organizing the students by age, grade, and class, and by helping them feel comfortable and strike fun poses. The end product are beautiful pictures that capture the diverse members of the PS 84 school community.

“Mr. Guzman would ask us what backdrop color we think would fit most because of the age category. We went for bright colors when it came to younger kids, and more neutral colors with the older kids,” says Ayleny, a 7th grade student. “My skills grew during this process because in the beginning I wasn’t taking good pictures. But because I had support from Mr. Guzman, my confidence grew and I was able to take great pictures.”

Students edit and use photoshop with the Adobe creative express software to turn the picture day photos into keepsakes for families. They also use this software and everything they’ve learned in the class to design the yearbook. Mr. Guzman, who is also the yearbook coordinator, gives students complete control of putting together this special collection of highlights from the school year.

“This is our second year doing the yearbook,” Mr. Guzman says. “They’re working and they’re collecting the photos that we need. They get in there and figure it out and they learn how to edit and move the pages around. Everything that is created is done by the students.”

Another successful photography project is the Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Wonderland and Valentine’s Day cards. The students came up with the idea to create a template and make Valentine’s Day cards that students could give to a buddy, and a variety of holiday card options for families.

“We make a template, we print them out, and we pick our best selection,” says Brianna, an 8th grade student. “Then we prepare the students to take pictures. We edit their pictures into the cards and then we print them out and deliver them to the students. It has really helped push our school’s fundraising.”

At a time when school budgets are being cut and countless families are facing financial hardships, this fundraising initiative by the students was widely praised by PS 84 administration.

“Everything has increased in price and we didn’t want it to be so much for families to have to pay,” says Assistant Principal Tiffany Rosario. “So these guys sat in their lab and came up with these concepts and raised so much money to offset senior dues and the end of the year activities in middle school.”

Emma, an 8th grade student, is proud of the way the photography team came together to support their community.

“There’s a great opportunity for students to run the fundraisers. We created the templates, we did all of it,” says Emma. “We’ve been getting help and training from Mr. Guzman. We had the ideas to make the templates, we took the photos, we did everything.”

The students had a vision, worked as a team, and created something special. When they were presented with another opportunity to flex their creative muscles at a school-wide district event, they jumped at the chance to show their skills.

“We photographed an event for the whole district. Mr. Guzman had us take pictures of the principals and give it to them as souvenirs,” says Muly. “Then the superintendent of the district came by and he loved the fact that the students did the photos, not the teachers. So we made about 200 business cards that day and gave the cards to them. A week later the principals reached out because they wanted us to take pictures of the STEM events. It was probably the pique of my journey here and overall it was a really fun experience.”

For some, this class and their growing love for photography could take them from school photo shoots, to a successful career in photography.

“I’m trying to get them to understand that this is another option as a viable career. It can be something that you’re passionate about,” says Mr. Guzman. “I tell some of them that there are so many different avenues — real estate photography, portrait, sports.”

Ayleny has taken photos of the sports teams and has learned a lot about herself and the power of a picture.

“Even if you think a picture isn’t good, other people might think it’s a pretty good piece of art,” Ayleny says. “So it’s really just the way you perceive photos. Everyone has different perspectives when it comes to photography. I love taking pictures of people because there’s going to be some photos that they don’t like of themselves but then there will be some that they do like. The picture brings joy to them and to the photographer.”

As students watch the images they take become beautiful pictures, their self-images are also developing into confident young adults.

“I always get really shy when I’m the one that’s supposed to be in photos,” Brianna says. “But when I’m the one taking photos, I honestly just feel really confident and I always strive to make it as good as I possibly can.”

As a 3K-8 school, PS 84 staff encourage and celebrate each students’ unique personal and educational growth.

“When I joined graphic arts I was kind of confused and I had to manage all of these cameras. I wasn’t taking photos like I do today,” says Miguel, an 8th grade student. “The photos were sometimes blurry. But during the STEM showcase, me, Muly, and Emma brought out all of our skills with the camera and that’s because of all of our years practicing with cameras. That just shows how much work all of the students put into graphic arts. And it shows how much time and effort Mr. Guzman puts in for us to learn all of this equipment and software.”

According to Emma, learning these skills will open many doors and opportunities.

“Photography is a skill that’s sort of going away,” says Emma. “We have cameras on our phones that are so high quality but it’s important to learn how to use a real camera. Some kids don’t know the settings or how they work. That’s a skill that can come in handy.”

The photography students are putting all of their energy into the arts programs and are working to keep it going and growing for many years to come.

“The students that are graduating are mentoring the other students, so it’s a cycle of learning and mentoring the little ones to continue the work,” Principal Rodriguez says.

As the PS 84 website says, “The middle school centers on student voice and choice.”

“I love the PS 84 community and how teachers are so welcoming and they clearly want us to succeed,” says Brianna. “I also really love the programs and what the school has to offer. We have the graphic arts team, the musical, dance, chorus. And I just like how it’s so diverse. From all ages, skin tones, disabilities, genders. It’s incredible.”

Not surprisingly, other students are eager to express their love and gratitude for the PS 84 community.

“I love the support from the teachers and the parents,” says Ayleny. “The parents put a lot of work into making sure we have opportunities. I think that’s really special. A lot of people view schools as boring, but school can be fun. You just have to have the motivation to keep going.”

The middle school years are coming to an end, but the pictures that are proudly displayed throughout the hallways will always offer a special snapshot into the students’ time at PS 84.

“Graphic arts and media is not just another class that we take. We really learn the basics of the camera and that’s how it helps us learn as students too,” says Muly. “It helps you know who you are. It really pushes us to our limits. When I learned the camera skills, I grew not just as a photographer, but also as a person.”