Lessons Learnt Teaching High School Photography

What I learned while teaching high school photography last year

I spent the last year teaching photography to 8th graders and high schoolers. It was a fun experience, I loved it! I loved seeing the kids get excited about learning new skills and techniques and I loved taking them to new locations (getting out of the classroom!).

Today I was reflecting on the past year and what I learned by teaching photography to teenagers. It was so rewarding to see their creativity come alive. Here are three lessons I learned:

1) The more you think "outside the box" the better your photos get. One exercise we did in class was "blind photography," when the students weren't allowed to look at what they were photographing, but had to use their other senses (and what they already knew of the setting) to take their shots. They got some great images!

2) Embrace challenges in photography (and life). We went to an ugly industrial area one day and it really pushed our creativity. What could we possibly photograph there? Challenges or limitations will help spark new ideas.

3) When photographing people, I always wait for a smile to happen. One of my students hated photos with people smiling. There is such a wide variety of preferences in art and I love that.There is no right or wrong.

So think outside the box, look at your challenges with new eyes of appreciation, and don't be afraid to smile . . . or not. It's okay.

Categories: Creativity, Inspiration, Photography, Photography inspiration