I went to possibly the only out-of-district workshop I will be able to attend all year.  It was fabulous. It was through a group I have received e-mails from for some time.  Through a colleague, our school could attend this one for free.  I was the second one there.  I spoke to a teacher who was the high school students of and is now a colleague of someone I had as an adjunct professor at NJCU.  He is also heavily involved with the subject of this workshop.  The discussions were nice and affirming.  How?  The issues that have been the norm here at my job are truly wrong.  The thing that is comforting is that it seems to me the current administration knows this and wants to fix it.

The workshop involved exercises that build up expression to culminate in a final project.  The ideas were fabulous.  While they were not for photography, I could tweak them to fit.  As a matter of fact, my student teacher has already planted that seed by having the P2 classes sketch their ideas for the latest shoot.  The theme of the workshop is a perfect match for the self-created unit that my student teacher had to create for her semester here.  The whole time I was in this workshop, I was thinking how this could be folded into her project.  When we met to discuss this, she agreed.

Will the students have an easy time of it?  Absolutely not.  They will grumble or struggle to grasp the concept and execute as will be expected.  However, this is right in line with our goal to continue the idea of Photography as Art.  In the past 2-3 years, I have seen a decline in ability to think creatively.  I attribute this to the oversaturation of snapshots passed off as "photographs" in the world our students now live in.  They do not understand the fact that anyone can make a "That picture is beautiful/ The best I've seen/ You are so talented" comment with no qualifications whatsoever.  We professionals have to battle this.  Yes, it's a nice snapshot.  At a family member's slide show we say we are looking at really nice pictures.  This is the equivalent of what kids today (and unfortunately, adults as well) think also means "You are a good photographer".  Not exactly.  Just because someone can make a cool looking doodle in a notebook, does that mean that person has drawing talent?  No.  Just because someone makes a cute little Spongebob out of Play-Doh, does that mean that person is a sculptor?  No.  But give a person a smart phone and a cool app or a DSLR on auto and you have a talented photographer.  Congratulations.  You have the money for your expensive toy, but you also need training, talent, original thoughts, and a desire/ability to communicate something.

I have had a couple of people believe that because they bought a DSLR and I said I like a picture they took, that they should/could start a photo business.  Well, first of all, I am an art teacher.  You are not creating art when taking sports/wedding/baby shots.  I am not denigrating that work.  But you want to talk to a business teacher, not me.  I see the work that has been produced by some of these people and the artist in me cringes.  Add to this the possibility that these people are part of this tight knit community and my students think those people symbolize good photography, and I think you comprehend my problem.  I cannot bad mouth the community members and say "Well, that is not good quality and it is not art."  But the fact is, it is neither.  Kudos to them for making money, but that is not what I teach or what I concern myself with as an artist.

So what is the solution?  Flood each project with artist examples.  I can no longer just show one or two photographers.  I must show at least four.  I will drum into their heads that they should be looking at art.  I am encouraging them to go to the galleries in Chelsea during the week off in November.  They are free.  There is no reason to say no.  Do they have a few minutes to spare while film is washing?  Here.  Look at this art magazine.Find the artists whose photographs you are drawn to and tell me why the work appeals to you.  If I press further with this kind of dialogue, perhaps they students will go back to being artists, not shapshot makers.  They will be able to tap into that creative process mush more easily, and my assignments will be challenging, but not like pulling teeth.