Winter Break, Grades and Photo Competition

Monday morning, first real day of winter break. I have finished grading shutter speed and depth of field assignments for beginning students and the self portraits and free choice assignments for advanced students. The grades posted are a truer indication of where everyone is at compared to the recent progress reports. Email me if you want to discuss the grade.
I am sponsoring a winter break photo competition for interested beginning students. Each class will have a winner for each of the following three categories: Winter weather; Poignant moments; and Humor/Irony relating to the season. These can be film, digital, or alternative process. You will have a week to finish the work before putting up for jurors. I have posted the next studio assignment, Lights, Shadows and Reflections, for you to check out, also.
So, shoot lots of photographs if you want or not. Have a relaxing and fun break. See you next year!

A photo of Mr. Schmidt and I, taken by Jessica Smith, from our fun field trip with students to the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle Public Library.

December News

Well, there have been many complaints that I don't change the blog enough. It is true-I have been having too much fun making my own work, gardening, walking, and enjoying my house and family. I will try to be better.
In the beginning classes, everyone is finishing up the shutter speed assignment. This is always one of the most challenging, and so we have spent quite a bit of time on it. First roll of film was shot to just try to get the technical skills down. The second and sometimes third roll was spent using motion in creative ways that go beyond the technique into something more meaningful. There are some fabulous images coming out. With every roll and reshooting, images became stronger and much more interesting. Students are also working on working with aperture and depth of field. Using predominately a shallow depth of field and exploring abstraction through still life, many interesting images are happening. I want to leave for winter break with these assignments finished. Over the break, I am hoping that students spend time enjoying the outdoors and hanging out with friends and family. Everyone needs a break. Here are some of the beginning students photograms and some prints from their first roll of film.


In the advanced class, students are working on free choice assignments and self portraits. There was much complaining about the self portraits, but I am seeing some terrific work. It is always hard to look at ourselves. I am hoping that all of the advanced students register for the Scholastic Art Awards before the break. This is a great opportunity to have your work seen by a broader audience.