Not Everyone in Class Wants to be Your Friend

Monday was the beginning of a new adventure for me. I started a photography class at the local junior college. As you know, I've been taking photographs for the last few years, first with my point-and-shoot (which wasn't half bad) and with the new DSLR since Christmas.

I've been thinking a lot lately about next steps, next goals. I started toying with the idea of getting an MFA or MBA, or a second BA. I looked into a couple of school's programs and decided pretty much what I decided many years ago when I first started thinking about college: since I'm not sure exactly what I want to end up with, the best thing to do is take the basic courses for credit at the junior college, where the tuition doesn't equal the price of a small car-- or a large one. Not to mention the fact that my camera has a bunch of buttons and dials that I don't have a clue how to use. That small thing.

I love summer session and winter quarter classes. Six or eight weeks to cram in a four-month semester's worth of study for the same amount of units. Highly recommended. Actually, I just really love school. I love the smell of the perennially brown paper towels in the bathrooms, the glittery, multicolored school supplies in the campus store (especially the art supplies!), the variety and vibrance of the students, the sense of purpose. College implies motion, achievement, direction. School, college and before, has always been a cool (schools must spend a fortune on air-conditioning), orderly refuge for me. So many memories...

So, Photo120 it is for now. Here is my instructor's website: brucebrown.com Impressive, eh? The two classes I've had so far have gone by quickly. I feel like my brain has been activated after class: my eyes keep seeing and seeking out vistas to photograph. Yesterday on the way home, I actually pulled out my camera while stopped at a red light in hopes of being able to shoot the cross traffic as it passed and get some blurring lights. If you've ever tried to do anything at red lights, you know that they are short when you need them to be long, and long when you are in a hurry. No picture. Today, to wrap up my first week's assignment, I'm having Tyla and the girls over for lunch so I can knock out a portrait and some action shots. I will post at least one shot from my assignments each week so you can see how I'm doing.