My PhotoPedagogy
By Graham Hooper
A little background:
I’ve been teaching for 20 years - and A level photography specifically for 12 of those. I teach classes of about 22 students, in 5 hours a week. There are 5 first-year classes, with 3 in the second year. The 5 hours are split into 2 x 2-hour sessions and 1 x 1-hour session. The college has nearly 4,000 full-time students; the department 5 art subject endorsements. It’s big. Really big.
Over the last decade there has been a huge surge in the popularity of the subject. Numbers have grown ten-fold in as many years. There’s also been the transition from working exclusively with film - in darkrooms, using chemistry - to a predominantly digital environment.
By far the biggest changes in my work have come about as a direct result of innovations, technical ones really, that offer both challenges and opportunities. Digital photography promised a panacea of cheap, fast and easy photography - both a gift and curse. Whilst the subject has become much more accessible and less-technically craft-based (which I think is a good thing), it has demanded a complete re-think of what it means to be a teacher of photography.
And so, for what it is worth, here are 12 things - in no particular order; one for each year of my photography teaching - that benchmark some of my current working:
I’ve been teaching for 20 years - and A level photography specifically for 12 of those. I teach classes of about 22 students, in 5 hours a week. There are 5 first-year classes, with 3 in the second year. The 5 hours are split into 2 x 2-hour sessions and 1 x 1-hour session. The college has nearly 4,000 full-time students; the department 5 art subject endorsements. It’s big. Really big.
Over the last decade there has been a huge surge in the popularity of the subject. Numbers have grown ten-fold in as many years. There’s also been the transition from working exclusively with film - in darkrooms, using chemistry - to a predominantly digital environment.
By far the biggest changes in my work have come about as a direct result of innovations, technical ones really, that offer both challenges and opportunities. Digital photography promised a panacea of cheap, fast and easy photography - both a gift and curse. Whilst the subject has become much more accessible and less-technically craft-based (which I think is a good thing), it has demanded a complete re-think of what it means to be a teacher of photography.
And so, for what it is worth, here are 12 things - in no particular order; one for each year of my photography teaching - that benchmark some of my current working:
|
1. What I don’t teach
I don’t teach Photoshop at all (though of course my students are freely permitted to use it). Nor do I expect my students to draw a cut-away diagram of an SLR camera, make a pinhole camera, or make photograms. I used to do all that, but I don’t anymore. I did it because other people did. It felt like what you should do, and I thought it made a difference. I’m more confident now, and I’ve changed my mind. 2. Using my time carefully I also decided sometime ago that I wanted to spend my lesson time with students doing the things they can’t do elsewhere. I minimise time on screens, and time on their own. I maximise looking, talking, thinking and sharing. I want my lessons to be entertaining, profound and useful. I am trying to create an environment that is genuinely experiential, immersive and utterly captivating. And if that sounds naff or pretentious I’m sorry, but I assure you it’s the truth. 3. No themes, titles, starting point or topics The approach I use is one that takes longer (perhaps), but I do believe it makes for better photographers that are independent and individual - in their choice of subject matter, if nothing else. It means they’re more likely to commit, engage and fully involve themselves in their work. Some schools and colleges might insist that students run with Fossils and seed pods as their opener, I just couldn’t do that. Even Identity or Nature as (so called) starting points seem so immense as to be overwhelming, and as a result, this can be more of a barrier than an inspiration. Of course, my students do have to deal with ‘starting points’ when it comes to their controlled assignment, but that’s for later. |
|
4. Take photographs
I encourage each and every student to use their camera to discover what it is they’re interested in looking at. It’s important that the interest is visual rather than just conceptual, I think. It might be both, but to my mind, photographs are visual first and foremost. So the first lesson on a new academic year begins with the normal introduction - fire procedures, directions to the nearest toilet...but is quickly followed by a simple invitation: Take 35 photographs to show in the following lesson. Fast and fun, but no nonsense.
I suggest that they avoid people, at the start at least. I want to avoid pictures of their mates in the smokers area (until they’ve had time to investigate portraiture in depth, if that’s an area they wish to pursue). I’m not keen on pictures of dogs, cobwebs, flowers or raindrops on leaves either. I’m trying to use my experience to help them avoid some of the traps and pitfalls, so as to save them time and heartache. That’s something I can offer them.
5. Thirty-five
It’s 35 because it roughly equates to the number of exposures on a roll of film; makes for a neat contact sheet printed on A4 (5 x 7), and stops them taking 4 or 400 - which is either too few or too many to reflect any degree of authentic and deep scrutiny of the subject. They can print-to-PDF and convert-to-jpeg as pairs, groups of 4, 9, or as a ‘contact sheet’ (of 35!).
6. Questions not answers
For some that’s almost enough instruction to begin. They might be really into bikes and take lots of close up shots of the machine parts - that’s great, I’m happy with that. Then we can start to discuss intentions, successes, developments, refinements. For others the question of subject matter can be resolved by looking through photography books in the library; seeing what other students go away and explore; going to an art gallery; or just going about their daily lives with a different perspective, looking for triggers and springboards that might be the seed of a first group of recordings. But they have to do this. It can be long and drawn out, it might involve a number of false starts, but they’ve got to do it. And by themselves too.
I encourage each and every student to use their camera to discover what it is they’re interested in looking at. It’s important that the interest is visual rather than just conceptual, I think. It might be both, but to my mind, photographs are visual first and foremost. So the first lesson on a new academic year begins with the normal introduction - fire procedures, directions to the nearest toilet...but is quickly followed by a simple invitation: Take 35 photographs to show in the following lesson. Fast and fun, but no nonsense.
I suggest that they avoid people, at the start at least. I want to avoid pictures of their mates in the smokers area (until they’ve had time to investigate portraiture in depth, if that’s an area they wish to pursue). I’m not keen on pictures of dogs, cobwebs, flowers or raindrops on leaves either. I’m trying to use my experience to help them avoid some of the traps and pitfalls, so as to save them time and heartache. That’s something I can offer them.
5. Thirty-five
It’s 35 because it roughly equates to the number of exposures on a roll of film; makes for a neat contact sheet printed on A4 (5 x 7), and stops them taking 4 or 400 - which is either too few or too many to reflect any degree of authentic and deep scrutiny of the subject. They can print-to-PDF and convert-to-jpeg as pairs, groups of 4, 9, or as a ‘contact sheet’ (of 35!).
6. Questions not answers
For some that’s almost enough instruction to begin. They might be really into bikes and take lots of close up shots of the machine parts - that’s great, I’m happy with that. Then we can start to discuss intentions, successes, developments, refinements. For others the question of subject matter can be resolved by looking through photography books in the library; seeing what other students go away and explore; going to an art gallery; or just going about their daily lives with a different perspective, looking for triggers and springboards that might be the seed of a first group of recordings. But they have to do this. It can be long and drawn out, it might involve a number of false starts, but they’ve got to do it. And by themselves too.
|
7. Skills
My attitude to Photoshop and cameras is contentious, I know. It shocks some of my counterparts, I get that. Firstly, I don’t think Photoshop makes any difference to anything - I think it’s closer to painting actually, and I love painting, but Photoshop doesn’t interest me at all. I try to get students to consider their recording in a way that avoids the need for cropping even. I don’t like manipulation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a luddite or even a purist, far from it (honest!) it’s just that’s not what we’re doing here. Students use Irfanview (free online, ugly but effective), Picasa, Pixlr - whatever they like, I don’t really care - to alter contrast, crop if necessary, convert to black and white, all the things you can do in a darkroom really. It’s enough. This isn’t a degree course. 8. Art Following on from that I think it’s important to remember, and remind the students, that this is an Art course, and at A level. It’s not GCSE anymore, but it’s not graduate either. And it’s not a vocational course - I’m not training them to be professional photographers for fashion shoots or weddings. It might help; probably won’t do any harm, but that’s not the aim. Some students drop out when they realise this, for others it comes as a pleasant relief. These are not IT lessons, there’s no sit-down written exam, there’s no text book or essays … for better or for worse. |
9. Equipment
Similarly, I make absolutely no distinction between iPhone imagery and photographs made on a DSLR. Students are never without their phones, they fit in a pocket, are quick and easy to use, and they can upload directly to the college servers instantly. I’m convinced the likes of Lytro and Photosynth are going to make any notion of technical knowledge obsolete in the near future. Teaching depth of field might make me feel clever and useful but I’m not convinced it’s the best use of our time together.
10. The assessment objectives
I should mention here that I centre my work absolutely on meeting the assessment objectives, at every point. Succeeding and achieving on the course and making good art isn’t mutually exclusive. I want both to happen. That’s really important - every lesson, all lesson, at every stage. I talk about responses, development, refinement. I use those words and phrases because that’s the language of the course specification, and that’s okay. A good specification with any luck has come out of an understanding of the natural art-making process. Structured correctly, the assessment criteria should be met as a by-product of the process. Relax.
Similarly, I make absolutely no distinction between iPhone imagery and photographs made on a DSLR. Students are never without their phones, they fit in a pocket, are quick and easy to use, and they can upload directly to the college servers instantly. I’m convinced the likes of Lytro and Photosynth are going to make any notion of technical knowledge obsolete in the near future. Teaching depth of field might make me feel clever and useful but I’m not convinced it’s the best use of our time together.
10. The assessment objectives
I should mention here that I centre my work absolutely on meeting the assessment objectives, at every point. Succeeding and achieving on the course and making good art isn’t mutually exclusive. I want both to happen. That’s really important - every lesson, all lesson, at every stage. I talk about responses, development, refinement. I use those words and phrases because that’s the language of the course specification, and that’s okay. A good specification with any luck has come out of an understanding of the natural art-making process. Structured correctly, the assessment criteria should be met as a by-product of the process. Relax.
|
11. Central strategies
The 5 hours are essentially a group critique. I can easily look at images that they've taken over the past week, uploaded and projected on the whiteboard. We can gather round. We can ask questions. It can be laugh-out-loud funny or profound, sad or strange. But they have to account for their time. They see how others have involved themselves in their own lines of enquiry. We talk about shutter speeds and apertures certainly - if and when it’s relevant - and we might talk about function and context, or sometimes, even, farmland and faces. They share solutions, enquire into reference points, and offer resources. It is open, positive, constructive, intense but very enjoyable and deeply satisfying. Like being at art college all over again. Importantly it’s a meaningful and authentic experience for me too. I don’t know what will be said or shown. The adventure is real, for everyone there. 12. Writing I minimise the amount of writing students do. I found that such a relief. Language, as referred to in the specification, doesn’t need to be written. It can (and is) visual. It has it’s own vocabulary and grammar. The assessment objects talk about recording, for instance, in visual “and/or other forms”. The unit 3 log has all the writing you’ll need. I use annotations, and headings. These provide signposting and easy navigation, for us, them, and a moderator later on. Most of what they write, when left to their own devices, doesn’t add anything to the pictures anyway necessarily. We’re better off without it. |
all images by Graham Hooper
|
Does any of this help, let alone make sense? It’s the best job in the world, and possibly the most important, but don’t tell the others. Good luck and enjoy yourself :)
Graham Hooper is a photographer, writer, and lecturer at Peter Symonds College, Winchester
[email protected]
@graham_symonds
Graham Hooper is a photographer, writer, and lecturer at Peter Symonds College, Winchester
[email protected]
@graham_symonds