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| New York City, 1995 (entered for my class Photography project) |
It is a decision that I am grateful for making, because seeing the world through a camera lens has enriched my life beyond measure. My teacher, Ms. Jones was one of the greatest teachers of my life. She was creative, personable, and a great photographer. We spent 3 hours a day learning about composition, darkroom methods, and how to use a manual camera. We started the class by making our own pinhole cameras, and working to develop our first photographs. Seeing my own pictures develop, taken with a camera that I made - was a revelation for me.
My favorite moments of that class were the photo field trips. Just for the opportunity to find photographs in new environments, she took us to the NC Zoo, downtown Winston-Salem, etc. As a traveler, those trips have shaped my inherit lust for new places, and photographs. I have introduced this concept to my children, and (luckily) they are often game for seeing new places, where they love to take their own photos.
As a teacher, I learned so much from Ms. Jones and that photography class. Mostly, I learned that great teaching is truly about instilling curiosity, passion, and enough chops to be able to pursue it. She accomplished that with me, and I have seen the world through a camera lens most of the time since.
The advent of digital photography changed things as far as ease of access. In our first house, I built a darkroom in the basement. I used it often, but quickly found that digital access was minimizing my need. The creation of Instagram, VSCOcam, and other such photography apps has simplified, and moved the darkroom skills to the iphone - and it is amazing. As a result, we walk around with a camera constantly in hand (which, ironically, was the core of a project assignment in my photography class...). It allows for more photographs, and this constant access encourages us to see the world with new eyes - so I am all in!
So I am grateful for everything about photography, as it continues to help me appreciate and find the beauty in my everyday surroundings. I even married a fellow shutterbug in Jessica - and we collectively document our lives together, through the camera lens.
Thanks for lighting the fire, Ms. Jones!
My favorite moments of that class were the photo field trips. Just for the opportunity to find photographs in new environments, she took us to the NC Zoo, downtown Winston-Salem, etc. As a traveler, those trips have shaped my inherit lust for new places, and photographs. I have introduced this concept to my children, and (luckily) they are often game for seeing new places, where they love to take their own photos.
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| Grove Arcade, Asheville - results of a photo field trip with the kids |
As a teacher, I learned so much from Ms. Jones and that photography class. Mostly, I learned that great teaching is truly about instilling curiosity, passion, and enough chops to be able to pursue it. She accomplished that with me, and I have seen the world through a camera lens most of the time since.
The advent of digital photography changed things as far as ease of access. In our first house, I built a darkroom in the basement. I used it often, but quickly found that digital access was minimizing my need. The creation of Instagram, VSCOcam, and other such photography apps has simplified, and moved the darkroom skills to the iphone - and it is amazing. As a result, we walk around with a camera constantly in hand (which, ironically, was the core of a project assignment in my photography class...). It allows for more photographs, and this constant access encourages us to see the world with new eyes - so I am all in!
So I am grateful for everything about photography, as it continues to help me appreciate and find the beauty in my everyday surroundings. I even married a fellow shutterbug in Jessica - and we collectively document our lives together, through the camera lens.
Thanks for lighting the fire, Ms. Jones!
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