Lessons from PHO 111

A few years back, I completed The Artist’s Way, a course (via book) by Julia Cameron designed to help creative folks move through blocks and re-spark their creativity. As I made my way through the exercises, it became very clear that what was missing most in my creative life was one thing: photography.

While I’ve always enjoyed taking photos, my love for photography really began in art school. The graphic design program I was in didn’t allow for a lot of electives, but at the first chance I got, I signed up for an “Intro to Photography” course. I bought a 35mm Nikon camera and some black & white film and dove into the darkroom world, instantly becoming intoxicated with the magic of it all.

Throughout my college career, I took any photo classes that I could fit into my schedule, secretly dreaming of switching majors, researching getting a post-baccalaureate degree in photo once I finished my BFA in design, maybe even eventually going on to get an MFA someday…

But after graduation, I got a design job right away and most of my energy shifted to growing in my profession. I was able to take a number of continuing education classes at local colleges in my free time though, experimenting with medium format and view cameras, digging into the history of photography, and learning my way around the color darkroom—which I fell madly in love with.

But then…I sort of fell off. I got laid off from my steady-paying job and had a few major life changes, so expensive hobbies got put on the back-burner. I didn’t necessarily notice how much I missed making pictures, but the further along I got in The Artist’s Way process, the more I realized how important it actually was to me. How it was most certainly the art form that I connected with on the deepest level.

When the course was over, I vowed to take a class at the local community college (which serendipitously has a really impressive photo program), but I put it off…and off…and off…until this winter when I finally pushed through my procrastination and signed up. I took an intro class to get my bearings in the digital world (my previous classes had been mostly film based) and it was perfect. I can clearly remember feeling a little flutter in my heart on a tour of the facilities when my instructor walked us through the darkroom and I smelled that familiar scent again for the first time in years. It felt so good to be back.

While I learned a lot over the course of the semester, like how to achieve certain photographic techniques, what all those complicated settings in my camera actually meant, and how to use Lightroom and set up a digital work flow, what stuck with me most was how fun it was to be a student again. I took so many classes as a kid, always wanting to learn as many new things as I could, but as most people do, I stopped once I reached a certain age. I think as adults we often forget that you can learn something new just because it’s fun. You don’t have to want to be the best at it, or try to make money from it, or even tell anyone about it at all. There doesn’t have to be a point or a reason aside from just being enjoyable.

Oh, yeah…

I will tell you this too, I am a much better student at age 35 than I was at 18. I had no trouble asking questions if I didn’t understand something. I loved having homework assignments. I had no qualms about being a beginner and not knowing everything. And going to class honestly felt more like a treat than an obligation like it had in the past. If I could do art school all over again, goddamn, I would nail it.

So thank you PHO 111 for getting my creative juices flowing and for teaching me that you’re never too old to be a student again. Below are some of my favorite photos from the semester, and yes, I’m absolutely signing up for another class in the fall.

The photos above were taken on Cape Cod, most of which I shot when I was home for my Cousin David’s funeral in April. I didn’t necessarily set out to capture anything in particular, but my classmates noted that the images had a very lonely and solemn feel to them, which undoubtedly came from being home for such a sad and difficult reason.

I unintentionally spent a lot of the semester focusing on light, always looking for interesting ways that it could inform the composition.