Photography Class #1 of 4 - The Vision

TEACHING

So last week was my first time teaching a photography class. This was done in conjunction with Hip Hope Academy and Elements Church in Bronx, NY. We had 10 students which made for a very intimate setting.

Philisophically I believe the most important thing in photography is the person taking the photo, not the camera. To me the camera is merely an extension of the eye and vision of the person. With this premise I set out my first class to explore the heart and mind of my students.

I did not want the first class to be a lecture so I included exercises to force the students to learn about themselves. It proved to be very fruitful as many were uncomfortable with the exercises. Just like lifting weights, there is no growth unless there is tension. So I added some tension for reflection, vision stretching, and personal assessments.

I was excited to share with them what I had learned over the past two and a half years of doing photography. Over and over I encouraged them with the reality of how doable photography really is. My testimony is a good example of that.

The task before me is how much of those two and a half years of learning I can squeeze in a six hour introductory workshop (four classes of ninety minutes). This should be very interesting.

In Class #2 tonight we will be going into the Camera.