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Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts

When I lived in Michigan I was on the photography department faculty of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. I no longer teach there, but you can still take my classes vicariously (see below).

I love to teach for the joy of seeing the "light go on" when a student catches on to a new concept, idea, or technique. I like to watch the quality of student work improve dramatically during the semester. I am pleased that a number of my students have been published.

My class work included basic, intermediate, and advanced photo techniques, in a variety of areas, but my primary love is nature photography.

Each semester (or short quarter) the class would go on several field trips so the students would have an opportunity to try out the ideas we explored in class.  Class sessions would include "on the blackboard" explorations of photographic principles which would then be illustrated by slide presentations. Lots of handouts and materials would cover the same concepts in printed form. Class sessions would include joint critiques of student work.

I would post class summaries online for students who had to miss one of the weekly sessions (see below).

TAKE MY CLASS

Although I no longer teach at the Art Institute, you can take my class vicariously.  My most recent class sessions are linked below. Just follow along, read the handouts that I have posted online (see the next paragraph for handouts that aren't posted online yet). Go try the techniques you are reading about. You won't be able to go on field trips with the class but you can go on your own. You won't be able to see the thousands of illustrative slides I presented in class, but some of my photos are posted here and I have Links at this site to the works of some excellent photographers.  I also have photography book recommendations elsewhere at this site.

CLASS HANDOUTS

What you can have from class is my collection of handouts. These fill a 1 1/2 inch three ring binder, or you can put them in file folders. I prefer a binder with tabbed and labled dividers.

You will get the two dozen handouts I have written (around 100 pages), plus a lot of information I have gathered over the years. All of this comes in "glorious" black and white text. No binder. No photographs. No fancy type.  Just individually stapled articles. The handouts are the same kind of information that I post on this site, covering all the basics and some intermediate techniques.  If you are a photographic master, you don't need my handouts. In some cases, the handout on a topic includes some book recommendations for further study.

So why get the handouts?

  • You will save you the time of having to go online when you want to look something up.
  • You will save you the time of downloading and printing the handouts I have posted here. (They are copyrighted. You make make one copy for your onw use but do not make copies for others.)
  • You will have the handouts I have not yet posted online. 
  • You will help support the cost of maintaining this site (for which I give you my thanks). 
  • You will get priority answers to questions. As more and more persons send photography questions by e-mail, I am no longer able to answser them all. If you buy my handouts, you go to the top of the list when I sit down to answer questions.

If you like what you read at this site and would prefer to have it in a simple printed form, then a set of my class handouts may be just what you want.

Many of the printed handouts are very similar to the ones on this site, but some are more extensive than the online version.

COST

Want to "sign up" for my class?  The complete collection of handouts is $20, shipping included. Write to me for the address to send your check or money order to.

Your class assignment is simple. When you get the handouts, put them in file folders or a 3 ring binder. Follow one or more of the class outlines below. Read the handouts. Do the photo assignments. Look at some great photos online or in a book. Then go out and do some individual field trips on your own. If you live in southern Michigan, go to some of the field trip locations I mention. Most important of all: Go take some great photographs!

 

 


 

March 7, 2003

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