I took a photo class in high school that really inspired me.
I clearly remember being bad at the precise things like cutting the mat boards and loading film into the canister for developing. What I enjoyed was my opportunity to be creative through a camera. I took on my assignments like I did all my work in High School, just good enough to pass. I wasn't really into going the extra mile to get the A, I was completely satisfied with a passing grade.
When my photo teacher Mrs. Snell saw one of my photos she said, "I think we have something here...this one is great...you must enter this into the contest."
And, so I did, she even named the photo "The Last Supper." I took the image of shadows off my water glass and silverware at breakfast at a retreat I was attending with my friends Laura and Eric. We were eating breakfast, I was taking photos and Laura and Eric said, it would be cool if you set up the silverware this way so you get the reflection - insert artsy-fartsy talk here - and so we set it up and I had a few interesting images on my hands. In black and white they came out brilliantly.
I remember not winning but coming close and there was a ribbon involved. It really inspired me to take more images and incorporate my love of photography into my life.
My mother remembers my start into the world of photography a lot differently. She recently reminded me that my grandmother would always give me the camera at family functions to take images for her so she could take pictures back to the school she worked at and show her friends how the grandchildren were progressing. This was my start, it helped me not be afraid of shoving my camera into peoples faces.
But that one photo - "The Last Supper" was what started it all for me and gave me validation for enjoying this hobby, life long passion of photography. From years of portrait taking at Moto Photo to being photo editor at my college newspaper, I have always enjoyed photography.
I now owe a great deal of thanks to John for seeing this talent in me and encouraging me to progress in it. He bought me the best gift ever, a sweet digital camera that I really cherish and treat like my third child - next to Doris and DeRosa.
The image above was taken this weekend. It's not as cool at the one from high school, but similar to what was trying to be achieved back then and made me reminis on the past.
2 comments:
I loved Mrs. Snell. She was so ornery, but I don't blame her - teenagers suck! I thought she was hilarious.
I remember one class where I believe everything was already going wrong by the time our good buddy Eric Hill flipped on one of the lights in the darkroom. I remember walking outside after she started screaming to see 2 students (I don't remember who) standing over a spilled bucket of fixer & a broken thermometer.
Ha ha! Like I said, teenagers suck!
But photography is fun.
Liz, I recall no such thing as turning on a light in the darkroom, but with my memory, who knows. Mrs. Snell was so very ornery, cool, and inspirational. I hope that I've made at least a fraction of the impact that she has made in my own teaching career. With that said, I like the "new last supper" and I'm proud to have been there during the original photo shoot.
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