Fleming County High art students learn photography composition, skills and editing during NTI days every school year. We do it during NTI because every student has a home atmosphere that is different from the school which provides a variety of photo subjects. This year, we were either blessed or bombarded by Fern, aka the winter storm of 2026. Winter photos are always a hit and we didn’t know what we might get this year, but we were going to find out! The extreme temperatures posed a challenge. For those willing to brave the weather, students had an addition to this activity: to implement a plan on how they would dress, where they planned to do their photo shoot, and how they would prepare ahead of time. I knew that some students might not be able to go outside, some have phone issues, or lack weather appropriate attire, so an alternate assignment was provided. Yet many students were not deterred by the weather, and it shows in the photographs I received. I collected so many photos during the two weeks of NTI that I was able to share over 50 amazing shots! Students also wrote poems, analyzed their photos, wrote artist statements, and explored a variety of photo editing.

I was pleased by the level of engagement and wanted to share some of the reasons I knew they were motivated. One student sent her work at midnight two nights in a row! This told me students were checking their assignment before the school day even began. Some students submitted more than the required 10 photos, and on editing days, some edited more than the required one. This told me that the assignment was sparking a passion for photography in students, one that could last a lifetime.

A dreaded weather system became a motivator instead of something to worry about. Giving students the opportunity to turn what could have been doom-scrolling time into educational time. I thought this was NTI gold!

The finished photos were a hit on social media. I shared them as they were shared with me on our class Instagram, my personal Facebook account, and even one meteorologist shared them on his page. Our superintendent also featured the work in his weekly blog for teachers. Now I’m sharing it with art teachers around Kentucky! It felt like a HUGE win for the students.

I’ll include some of the very best photos for you to enjoy here! If you’d like to see more photos from previous NTI days or other art, feel free to visit my Instagram class page: @artwithmrscomptonfchs.

Submitted by Shalita Compton
Fleming County High School