Teaching Staff
Our staff are artist-type free thinkers who, by example, encourage our students to explore the world in like manner.
Jenny, Stephanie, Jack & Shamus are Summer 2021 teachers. Students can make teacher requests at check out.
Jennifer Connelly, owner/lead teacher. Jenny has been a professional photographer since 1994, has four children and lives in Dorchester. She runs a school portrait company, Photo Charm, and shoots events with Jennifer Connelly Photo. She founded Big Picture Art House in 2011 to share the art of film and photography with local youth.
Stephanie Espinal, lead teacher. Stephanie is a professional photographer with interests in fashion and portraiture. She is also an instructor and co-founder of the dance company We B Dancin. In addition to still photo, Stephanie has worked in video media since 2001. https://www.instagram.com/_espycreative/
https://stephanieespinalcreative.com
Shamus Connelly, lead teacher. Shamus has a BA from Colby College in Global Studies with minors in Art and Anthropology. He has interests in street and fashion photography, and studies art and its history as forms of communication, expression and beauty from cultures around the world. He has lived and studied in Argentina and Mexico, and is fluent in Spanish. https://www.instagram.com/slimshamie617/
Jack Dawson, lead teacher. Jack is a professional photographer & videographer with a passion in music videos, weddings and portraiture. He is the founder of the photography/video production brand ’Dawson Vision Productions’. He has a BA from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in broadcast media. Jack captures images with his camera, but tells meaningful stories using what he calls, the "purist" art form.
Jeph Ellis, lead teacher. Jeph is a photographer, muralist, and actor with two children making their home in Rockport, MA. He is an art and photography teacher at The Clark School in Rowley, MA. Jephellis.com
Eric Hess, substitute and lead teacher. Eric has been a Boston-based photographer since the early 90's. He works as an artist with Atlantic Works Gallery and makes his home in East Boston.
http://atlanticworks.org/gallery/
Jennifer Connelly, owner/lead teacher. Jenny has been a professional photographer since 1994, has four children and lives in Dorchester. She runs a school portrait company, Photo Charm, and shoots events with Jennifer Connelly Photo. She founded Big Picture Art House in 2011 to share the art of film and photography with local youth.
Stephanie Espinal, lead teacher. Stephanie is a professional photographer with interests in fashion and portraiture. She is also an instructor and co-founder of the dance company We B Dancin. In addition to still photo, Stephanie has worked in video media since 2001. https://www.instagram.com/_espycreative/
https://stephanieespinalcreative.com
Shamus Connelly, lead teacher. Shamus has a BA from Colby College in Global Studies with minors in Art and Anthropology. He has interests in street and fashion photography, and studies art and its history as forms of communication, expression and beauty from cultures around the world. He has lived and studied in Argentina and Mexico, and is fluent in Spanish. https://www.instagram.com/slimshamie617/
Jack Dawson, lead teacher. Jack is a professional photographer & videographer with a passion in music videos, weddings and portraiture. He is the founder of the photography/video production brand ’Dawson Vision Productions’. He has a BA from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in broadcast media. Jack captures images with his camera, but tells meaningful stories using what he calls, the "purist" art form.
Jeph Ellis, lead teacher. Jeph is a photographer, muralist, and actor with two children making their home in Rockport, MA. He is an art and photography teacher at The Clark School in Rowley, MA. Jephellis.com
Eric Hess, substitute and lead teacher. Eric has been a Boston-based photographer since the early 90's. He works as an artist with Atlantic Works Gallery and makes his home in East Boston.
http://atlanticworks.org/gallery/
Our Overnight Activities Team 2021
Note from Jenny:
Welcome. I feel that this program provides something that is artistic, social and cultural. Big Picture is a safe and fun place for students to be themselves, express themselves individually and as part of a group.
I have been blown away by the work these young students produce. With a small amount of basic instruction and the right gear, they have made photos that rival those I see everyday from professionals.
Their energy and excitement is a pleasure.
About me: I grew up In Brookline, studied Psychology at USC, then worked for Brown University where I continued to use their darkroom and moved to Jamaica Plain in 1994 to do photo work. I bought a home in Dorchester (1/2 mile from JP) in 2009. BUT I still consider JP my home. I am the school photographer to many kids in this area with my business Photo Charm and have been photographing families and Mitzvahs for decades. I raised my 4 children in Boston and have taught and photographed many of their friends. I appreciate the power and comfort of community. Hope to meet you soon.
More about Jenny's artistic work:
Her photography business Jennifer Connelly Photo was officially established in 2000. In 2005, Jenny created her school portraiture company, Photo Charm and photographs schools around the Boston area. The most recent addition to her photo adventure is Big Picture.
The Art House at the end is intended to inspire future programming for the entire community, such as adult workshops, movie nights, other arts and artisan workshops, private parties and more. The seeds of this were planted when Jenny created Carnival Cafe Productions in Jamaica Plain. Carnival Cafe produced interactive theatre events in 1996-1998 involving food, music, dance, actors, set design and of course an intriguing theme. One goal was to have guests feel like they were entering another time and place (like walking into a movie). The other goal was to bring together a collaboration of artists in music, food, design, acting, construction, make up/costume, etc.
Jenny has a BA in psychology from USC, studied film and photo in Mexico at Instituto Allende, privately in Spain, at Boston Neighborhood Network and RISD. She has written two screenplays. She has four children and lives in Dorchester.
Check out/hire her for a private photo event:
Her photography business Jennifer Connelly Photo was officially established in 2000. In 2005, Jenny created her school portraiture company, Photo Charm and photographs schools around the Boston area. The most recent addition to her photo adventure is Big Picture.
The Art House at the end is intended to inspire future programming for the entire community, such as adult workshops, movie nights, other arts and artisan workshops, private parties and more. The seeds of this were planted when Jenny created Carnival Cafe Productions in Jamaica Plain. Carnival Cafe produced interactive theatre events in 1996-1998 involving food, music, dance, actors, set design and of course an intriguing theme. One goal was to have guests feel like they were entering another time and place (like walking into a movie). The other goal was to bring together a collaboration of artists in music, food, design, acting, construction, make up/costume, etc.
Jenny has a BA in psychology from USC, studied film and photo in Mexico at Instituto Allende, privately in Spain, at Boston Neighborhood Network and RISD. She has written two screenplays. She has four children and lives in Dorchester.
Check out/hire her for a private photo event: