Need advice in teaching photography

[denishr]

Hi,

No, I've not changed careers (although I DO have a teaching degree - in English, but I never really taught before 🙂)....

Namely, a bunch of high school kids heard about me when inquiring about accessibility of analog materials (films, papers, chemicals), and a local photo lab owner (friend of mine) told them to ask me for advice. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, I offered to give them a short course in (analog) potography. They have a darkroom (kinda - well, it can be made dark, but not much else), so I gave them an extra Krokus 6x6 enlarger that I don't use.

Now, to the photography course.

I had the first class today. Most of them (about 10 or so) are pretty much newbies to photography (some do know how to use a camera), but what amazes me is the fact that they want to learn ANALOG potography (and B&W lab work)!

Well, the first hour went relatively OK - I presented several cameras (one 6x6 TLR, a Nikon FM and a Nikon F80), and shown them various size negatives (from 35mm to 5x7 inches).

I did a pretty much improvised lecture on a bit of everything - and nothing in particular. This was meant more to get the "feel" of the class. Anyway, I found out that their primary goal is to learn to use the analog cameras they have at home (mom and dad's, I guess, sitting on the shelf pretty much unused)...
(It was pretty funny to see some of them diligently taking notes of my ramblings 🙂)

So, I thought that the next time I'd give a lecture on the essentials - aperture and shutter speed, perhaps with the help of a (gasp!) digial camera using manual settings - just to show them immediately the effect of various shutter speeds and apertures and their relation to final photo....

After that some stuff on lenses, viewing angles (field of view), just a tiny bit of composition, and then off to shoot our first film. After that, the lab work. First negatives, then photos.

Anyway, to cut the long story short, I need some materials to use in the class. They have an LCD projector hooked up to a laptop, and I could use PDF files, Web pages, etc...

Does anyone have any links to short essential photo guides? I need some, not to use as ready-made class materials (which would be copyright infringement, anyway), but just to get some ideas for the classes....

Thanks for any advice and/or links!

TIA

Denis

 

[VinceC]

I taught a class close to 20 years ago to half a dozen 6th graders. 10 high schoolers is a small enough clas to be very manageable.

I'd recommend starting each class with a look at some classic black and white photos. You can usually find books at the library and some online websites. Cartier-Bresson; W. Eugene Smith; Ansel Adams; Gordon Parks. I've always believed it's important to look at successful pictures in order to learn photography. And one of the wonderful things about photography is that we always keep learning.

For composition, teach the rule of thirds. That's very fundamental and often overlooked.

And it's good to use a manual camera to teach the relationship between F-stops and shutter speed. Adjust a lens four clicks and the shutter four clicks or whatever.

Good luck. It sounds fun!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It is wonderful that they want to learn how to use traditional cameras. As a teen-ager, a friend got me started on the time-life photography series. I've seen the whole set for $20 or so in 2nd hand book shops.

I'll keep an eye open over here for CD based training.

 

[TEZillman]

Denis,

Check out the folowing link from Ilford: http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/teachers_lounge/

 

[wlewisiii]

Here's a couple of more links you might find helpful:

http://www.classic-photography-school.com/ a very early textbook, but light is still light... gives a good historical perspective

http://www.photozone.de/4Technique/index.html some good technique pages

William

 

[oftheherd]

Sounds like you and those kids are off on a nice adventure. It also sounds like both you and them have started on a path of more practical use of cameras and darkrooms. Nothing really wrong with that.

However, it might be worth while interspersing some history of photography. After all, every profession should have a history. I don't think I would give a whole class, that is, not a whole session on it. Since they and you seem to be headed more on practical usage, it might bore them. However, interspersing it with other things as you teach them would stand them in good stead.

Showing them how leaf and focal plane shutters work is always a good idea. And if you have medium format or large format lenses that helps. Circles of confusion are confusing, but worth learning, and how they affect focus. Explaining how shutter speeds and apertures double and half, and therefore doubling one requires the other to be halved. Then why that is important for proper exposure.

Taking photos, even if they aren't developing them yet, and bringing them to class tor critique, is good for participation. Monitor critiques to show what is good and bad, and why what is good for one person can be bad for another.
It's all good. I taught forensic photography 20 years ago, but immediately found I had to spend about half the quarter teaching basic photography first. But loving photography, I enjoyed it all. I am sure you will too.

You might want to check used book stores. Especially if there are used university book stores near that might have used photo text books. However, just the usual Joy of Photography and such can help remind you of things that are important to teach.

Good luck. I actually sort of envy you.

EDIT: Normally copyrighted material can be used for educational purposes. I am not sure how that would aply to you since you are not supported by an educational institution.

 

[taffer]

Denis !

Can't offer you much advice, but as others said, it's great that they want to learn about analog photography. I remember that world had a lot of mystic and magic to me when I was a kid.

Best of luck with that, and remember to tell them the most important thing in the last lesson, I mean, that there's a really magical thing called rangefinder ! 😉

Oscar

 

[w3rk5]

I dunno is this link will help. It would be a better idea if you asked your students to download and print their own copy.

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

 

[Finder]

First, I would have them bring in two photos (from a magazine, book, or whatever) that they admire. This will give you an idea of what motivates them - don't expect them to understand your tastes.

Have them shoot a roll of film - they want to take photos not listem to a lecture. This gets them using the camera. It is easier for them to ask questions when they have actual problems rather than when photography is just an abstract idea. This film sets you up for you first class in processing, contacting, and printing. It does not matter if they can make good exposures. They need to see the process and as the cource progresses they can tune their technique.

I would not worry about the gear. I doubt any of them are going to buy a view camera. I would focus on getting them to make images.

You should not become the focus of the class - I spent 10 years in the classroom. It is easy to think you are the conductor and you think the student are expecting you to perform. No. You are a guide that gently guides them on THEIR experience of learning to take pictures. After reading about what you are doing, it sounds like a teacher/lecture centered class. Perhaps I am missing something. But design or plan this so they are acting. If they are simply passively listening you are going to run into big problems. After a while they will realize they are not actually making pictures. Secondly, you hit a wall because the teacher centered leacture becomes a very limited way of teaching photography.

I am sorry if this sounds harsh. That is not my intention. But I see a bunch of red flags from your discription. Think of what is the easiest way of getting them to make photographs. You can fill in the details as you go. For expample, xposure is much easier to discuss in relation to their work - you see how dark your negatives are, etc., etc.

Anyway, good luck. Since you were hoodwinked into this, do't be afraid to make mistakes or admit to not knowing. You will feel so much more relaxed if you can say "I don't know." (But then find the answer.) Teaching can be very stressful at the best of time, but when you don't know how to teach something, it can be a nightmare. And this is why it is good to make them act, because learning then becomes their responsibility.

I hope this helps.

 

[Poptart]

Have them bring their cameras and then spend most of the period checking out the meters to see whether they are working--there's a lot of underexposure so this is important--then show them how to load a roll of TX, rate it at 200, then the assignment is to look around at the top of every hour and shoot the best photo you see. Next class: developing the film.

 

[XAos]

I'd like to find a class. Not sure what I want out of it, composition, mostly inspiration I guess. I know the mechanics, just need to learn how to take interesting pictures. :bang: Most of the classes offered around here are 'how to load your digital camera'.

 

[ErnestoJL]

Photography is a kind of personal expression means that combines two different areas, one is purely technical, about the camera, film, exposure, darkroom techniques, etc. and the other is about the personal view of things that happens all the time around us. The same picture can be analyzed two ways: technical, and if it says something to you or not.

Perhaps the best example (IMO) is the R. Capa´s picture of the Republican Soldier being killed during the Spanish Civil War. This may be not technically perfect, however many people seeing it says today OMG! how did he manage to get that picture? Some other people just cry...
You know that Contaxes are not the fastest to use cameras, however Capa was able to take that picture.
He was ready, or better, we think he was ready to shoot. There wasn´t time to focus, check exposure or whatever but shoot. And he did.

The result is a picture that almost 70 years later is still regarded as a good example.
That´s what I think is most important to teach: how to see the world, and how to record a single piece of time forever.
The way to do?
Try to find what are the students interested in, what drives them, and shoot, shoot, shoot...

Good luck!!!

Ernesto

 

[Finder]

Perhaps the best example (IMO) is the R. Capa´s picture of the Republican Soldier being killed during the Spanish Civil War.

I read somewhere that Capa may have staged that picture.

 

[denishr]

Thanks for the advice and answers...
I have not really prepared for the whole course, and I guess I'll have to rethink how I want to do it. I think the hands-on approach should work OK. And, as Finder said, I should not be the focus of the class, just giving them the facts they can find in any photo book... 🙂
I guess I should give them the essentials first (aperture and shutter speed and their relation to exposure), and after that let them shoot some film, have it developed, and then discuss the results.

Then, some discussion on the aesthetics and composition - several sample photos, and what makes them good or bad.

Thanks,

Denis

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Almost any camera made in the past forty years or so will have an automatic or semi-automatic mode.

Ask them to take photographs and then to start experimenting with the camera controls.

Then they can see that aperture, focus and shutter speed are all important.

 

[Doug]

Denis, good effort! Here is an online/downloadable textbook on B&W photography by Henry Horenstein of the Rhode Island School of Design. Very easy and basic: http://www.bw-photography.net/

 

[VinceC]

Everyone has their personal preferences in these things, but I think composition is as important as the technical details. Even if they aren't aware of it, the kids are probably drawn to traditional black-and-white because they've seen examples of good or at least interesting composition in magazines and CD covers and videos.

The ideas of shutter speed and aperture and depth of field will be a lot more clear when shown by photos. It might even be worth taking a test roll yourself to show changes in depth of field, etc.

To save time, if budget allows, you could shoot a roll of chromogenic B&W with some test shots showing aperatures and depth of field and the aspects of different lens focal lengths. Then you could have it developed and scanned onto CD at a drug store or grocery store and use the LCD projector to show the class.

Just an idea.

 

[titrisol]

Having Fotokemika close by I'd use EFKE films.
Start them with some 100 film and purely manual modes, in fact if you had a couple TLR 6x6 I'd give them those.
Square format, no bells and whistles, no distractions.

From then gfet them in the MAGIC of development and printing, I guess that is what they are after 😉

 

[Deleted member 4131]

Hello,

I'm new here and really can't offer much more than has already been said. That said, I can offer the perspective of a parent of a teenager who had just begun a 'teen' (ages 15-18) photography course offered by a local photography school (8 students maximum). It runs for 6 weeks, 3 hrs per week (Saturday mornings). Week 1 they were shown the basics of the cameras they brought (manual slr's), how to load film, and taught a little about composition--rule of 3'rds ect. That lasted ~2 hrs. They then loaded a roll of color slide film and were given a 'scavenger hunt' type of assignment ---go out in pairs and find shots to complete the 'hunt'--eg: bird's eye view, worm's eye view, picture of a reflection in a window, picture of your partner, random picture, ect. My daughter seemed to like having defined targets to shoot, rather than just 'go out and take 24 pictures.'

The second week they viewed all the slides taken by the class using a projector and pointed out the 'good and bad' about all the slides. They then loaded in some back and white print film and went out on their second assignment. This week they will be taking that film into the darkroom.

She is quite excited by this course and has found that many of her friends are also really interested in 'analog' photography (esp. b&w).

hope this helps,
Steve.

 

[XAos]

I taught forensic photography 20 years ago, but immediately found I had to spend about half the quarter teaching basic photography first.

I'm just a firefighter and a recent one at that, but I get sent for from time to time when the investigators are having camera trouble, or need an assistant. Last night I was trying to explain Guide Numbers and maximum aperture and why the camera didn't want to try to take the picture ( I believe his camera was balking because he was either having trouble focusing or the computed aperture was larger than what the lens would do.) Which got me thinking about the whole Forensic Photography thing. What is it (the other half of the quarter) and what kind of stuff do you teach them? I guess I'm really mostly asking about the photography aspects of it anyway - as opposed to the chain of evidence. Got an old syllabus?