In every photograph, there is a story—not just about the subject, but also about the person behind the camera. This month, NAU photography professors will unveil an exhibit that reveals their artistic journeys, showcasing that they’re not only instructors but also storytellers, documentarians and artists.
The biennial exhibition titled “Here, Together” showcases the work of seven faculty members and highlights a wide range of styles and techniques.
“Thematically, it encompasses a range of styles, including portraiture, landscape, adventure sports and documentary approaches,” said Michelle Carpenter, executive director of the School of Communication. “These works invite us to reflect on place, identity and connection, reminding us that photography is not only a tool for seeing, but also for understanding ourselves and one another.”
A lens for detail
Caleb Churchill, assistant professor and exhibit organizer, wanted to show a model of the kind of learning he wants students to have: “rigorous, curious and job-ready.”
“The exhibition is an array of knowledge with different processes of photography,” Churchill said. “It shows industrial skills for career preparation, different workflows, printing for clients and galleries, as well as what kind of work goes behind an exhibition. But there is also the community engagement aspect that students get to see and the public-facing component.”
Churchill started taking pictures as a teen and found he had a knack for it. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Brighton Photo Fringe, and is held in collections such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the RISD Museum and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. His photographs transform familiar details—construction sites, stairways, or even tattoos—into images that invite reflection on the beauty and complexity of daily life.
“A lot of the stuff that I’ve done is conceptual,” Churchill said. “What this community looks like and some inside glances. I like to take pictures of things you would pass by and not notice.”
Sharing knowledge
Another faculty member who is showcasing her work is Beth Staub, assistant teaching professor in the School of Communication. Originally from Michigan, she moved to Kayenta, Arizona, for her first teaching job. There, her love for the Southwest took root. She got the opportunity to meet many cowboys on the Navajo reservation and fell in love with their work ethic and lifestyle. Staub’s photographs are part of a project she did with Beau, a recent NAU graduate, that aimed to portray the true soul of a cowboy.
“I was inspired by one of my favorite artists, Ryan Bingham, and got the concept from his ‘Mescalito’ album cover,” Staub said. “When I met Beau, I showed him the concept and asked if he would like to do it. He agreed and found the perfect location downtown, where there are some defunct train tracks. These were his senior pictures.”
Staub started taking pictures in junior high after a teacher told her she could “hide behind the camera” to help her grow out of her shy nature. Now, she is open to letting others see the world through her lens.
Documenting life
For Laura Camden, professor in the School of Communication, the journey started at a much younger age; however, her professional career took shape after she graduated with a photojournalism degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
“I started working as a professional photojournalist for various newspapers across the United States,” Camden said. “I later returned to graduate school to focus on longer narrative documentary projects and ended up working for Reuters. During that time, I interned in D.C. and covered the Clinton administration and later the run for the presidency of George W. Bush. However, my passion was spending time with people in communities much less noticed.”
As part of a thesis project, Camden spent more than a year getting to know a Mennonite community in Seminole, Texas, and keeping a photographic journal of their lives. Her work was later published in the book “Mennonites in Texas: The Quiet in the Land.” Camden said these particular pictures were chosen for the exhibit because that community was the origin of the current measles outbreak in the region.
“This particular Mennonite community was directly affected, and the national and international press have contacted me for insights into their community,” Camden said. “Showing the images now is still important and relevant so that everyone can see and learn about the different cultures and communities. That is how my work started, and I have traveled with my students around the world to places such as India and Cuba to help broaden their horizons and learn about cultures much different than our own. I am interested in documenting people and places lesser known. I love learning about them and experiencing it all through my camera lens.”
Teaching through experience
By showcasing their work in the exhibition, these faculty members want to demonstrate the vast variety of styles, processes and techniques students can use, while showing them that they are staying current in their craft.
“We have to stay on top of how methods are done because the technology and the industry keep changing,” Churchill said. “It is important for students to have a full picture of who their faculty are, an introduction, instead of just standing in front of a room. They get to see what their professors do and what they gravitate toward. They can also find who aligns better with what they want to do.”
“Here, Together – Photography Faculty Exhibition” is open to the public at the School of Communication Gallery located on the second floor of the Communication building until Sept. 30.
“This exhibition highlights the richness of creative and professional practice within our faculty, inspires students through example and offers the community an opportunity to experience the power of images to shape meaning,” Carpenter said. ‘Here, Together’ demonstrates the shared commitment of our photography faculty to storytelling, exploration and the ongoing dialogue between art, culture and lived experience.”
Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu