If you’ll permit me, I want to just brag on my photo students for a minute. Their final class for the year was yesterday, and they turned in some absolutely stunning portfolios. This was the first year that the school offered a photography class, and the first time I’ve taught one. Even though we were figuring out some of the logistics as we went along, the class went SO well. I know I had a blast, at least! :)
For the first semester of the school year, they learned the “rules” of composition and the manual controls of their 35mm camera. We then went to Rosewood Art Center’s darkroom, where they learned the ins-and-outs of developing their own film and printing their own black-and-white prints. This semester, we focused on digital photography. They learned to shoot manually with confidence, plus the basics of digital photo editing.
And, each week, they created some amazing work. They continued to push themselves further, and I could see how their photography changed and improved. In fact, by the end of the year, they put together some of their best work to sell in a silent auction at Dominion’s annual fundraising gala. I was blow away to see their work printed and mounted–and a couple even ended up the subjects of some pretty serious bidding wars! Seriously, how good did their work look?:
Anyway, guys: I’m so proud of you all, and the work you’ve created. Keep going, keep shooting. Keep your “cheat sheets” handy, and SHOOT ON MANUAL (seriously, its the only way to get better). I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with. Thanks for everything this semester, and have a wonderful summer!