MHS grad, senior have photographs at Huron Valley-Sinai

An alumnus of and one senior at Huron Valley Milford High School earned a prestigious honor on Wednesday, Oct. 3 when they were two of just five students in the area selected to display their art at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township.

“The art is part of a healing process and an uplifting factor to family members who have loved ones at the hospital,” said Tara Johnson, an art teacher at Huron Valley Milford High School.

Justen Hamilton, a 2012 Huron Valley Milford graduate, and senior Lindsay Livermore were honored for their digital photography at a reception hosted by DMC Huron Valley-Sinai.

“They never added photography, so this is new this year for the hospital and new at Milford High School,” Johnson said. “They were blown away by both Justen’s and Lindsay’s pieces.”

Livermore’s photograph zooms in on a leaf floating in a creek.

“I was with a friend at her cabin and searching for something to photograph,” Livermore said. “It was the first week of class and I was just learning to use the camera, but thought it was a really cool picture.

“I was surprised when I got selected, but they said it was a relaxing kind of picture and that’s what they were looking for,” she said.

Hamilton chose to submit a vibrant fireworks photograph after he snapped over 200 shots at Highland Township’s Sparks in the Park event.

“I was inspired by photography overall like time-lapse pictures,” Hamilton said. “To be selected was an unexpected surprise and very much an honor.”

A hospital committee met in May to begin touring the greater Walled Lake and Huron Valley School District art shows to select pieces to display in the lower level cafeteria. The entire process takes all summer to complete.

The students’ reward is having his or her art annexed into an integrated art collection.

“It’s a high honor for the kids to have their art selected as part of an ongoing collection,” Johnson said.

Each student also received a $10 gift certificate to Main Street Art in Milford.

Johnson, who has worked in the district for 18 years, started a photography class at Milford High School last fall.

“It’s my hottest class. We have a waiting list and it’s just for juniors and seniors,” Johnson said. “The students do an amazing job with creative angles, good lighting, and are even doing PhotoShop.”

Huron Valley Milford High School currently displays 72 large posters in its lobby courtesy of the photography class.