Professional-grade photography lights, a makeup artist and big smiles filled a classroom at Cherokee Point Elementary School in City Heights Tuesday.
But it wasn't a professional photographer behind the camera — at least for the test shots.
Fourth-and fifth-graders filled in as photography assistants at the free portrait event put on by Outside the Lens, a nonprofit that brings regular arts programming to Cherokee Point and other San Diego classrooms.
About 80 families from the neighborhood stopped by the shoot to pose for portraits they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford. They'll get the photos back next week in donated frames.
"The idea is to give back to those students that we work with on a daily basis," said Hilary Morefield, the Outside the Lens instructor at Cherokee Point.
The median income for families in the surrounding neighborhood is more than a third lower than the countywide median income, according to the U.S. Census.
Morefield said the event was also a learning opportunity for her students.
"I want them to see photographers in a professional setting so that they see that as a potential for them in the future," she said.
On a regular school day - without all the cameras - Morefield partners with teachers on art projects that complement their core curriculum. The idea is to increase academic achievement and access to the arts at the same time.
Outside the Lens is in several schools throughout San Diego County.
