Fireworks

Another July 4th and Fireworks --- here's a few pics from local celebrations

On Educating

"Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a man's training begins, it is probably the last lesson that he learns thoroughly."

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-95) English biologist and writer.

I'm not sure the reason I took on teaching. I suppose, initially I thought of it as a way to give back, mainly because some one or ones had the patience to teach me. Now, 16 years into it, I'm still not sure.

I teach photography at an advertising school in South Beach (Miami). There are initially technical things to teach---the three elements that make up exposure, what all the knobs and dials do, how to hold a camera. It's changed a bit over the years as technology has taken us from analogue to digital, film to disks or cards and darkroom to desktop. But how it works, for the most part, has remained the same.

So after the technical part is learned, there comes the critiquing. There's lighting, composition, lens selection but in the end at least for me, I learned photography by mistakes (and I've learned nearly everything that way) and having my work critiqued. Trial and error, trial by fire---however you refer to it but most things in life we learn by having first learned how not to do it. I'm a believer in failing---early and often. I love failing and I have to a certain degree learned to embrace it as the best teacher I've found. I know that the more times I try and fail, the quicker I stop trying (because really there isn't any "trying", we either do something or we don't) and I figure out how to make something happen. I think that Oscar Wilde said once some version of "nothing that's worth knowing can be taught" and Gailileo said, "You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself."

A photograph as with any type of art is subjective, one can love it and the next can hate it and another can ignore it completely. Some times they can tell you why and sometimes they can't. However, certain technical parts need to be there. 


Critiquing a students work is probably the most difficult thing. Some are great about it, and some take it personal, which it definitely is not, some will disagree with you and I don't really have a problem with that either, as long as they get the lesson.
AND I suppose I'd be lying if I said that never in my career did I think to myself that not liking my photo meant not liking me. 


I listen to critiques, I see what I can learn from them, what I can take to the next assignment. It's not personal and if you look at critiques as opportunities to transform your skills, then you will appreciate their value and be grateful (though we never REALLY get there, there is always something new to learn).

Laugh, even if you feel like crying.

 

This is a blog from February 2010 which I never posted.
                                                                                                        






February has been an active month. Time really does fly, it seems like Thanksgiving was a week or so ago and now here it is almost my birthday.

But anyway, to get on with the blog.

Darryl Strawser is a dear friend of mine. We have taught together at the Miami Ad School for nearly 11 years now. Darryl has ALS, Lou Gehrigs Disease. He's quite the exception to the rule, in more ways than one---but one is that most people don't live very long after being diagnosed with ALS. You may remember the book Tuesdays with Morrie--- Well I think Morrie lasted about three years after his diagnosis, so it's fairly extraordinary that Darryl has had it for nearly 15 years now.

But things have started to deteriorate for Darryl lately, however, I would never count him out. He's so resilient that he just keeps coming back at life over and over again. He's begun to fall down sometimes and I have been with him a few times when this has happened. Slow as it may be, he gets right back up again. Getting ready to come to work is an Olympic event for him. He has little to no use of his hands but still manages to brush his teeth, shower, shave, get his clothes on and come to school everyday--and on time. This in itself is an incredible feat.

Darryl really has a unique way of teaching---he is very funny and sarcastic at the same time. He can let students know they screwed up without killing their self esteem. His facial expressions (as seen above) say everything, before he says anything. There are people in our lives that show up to inspire us, remind us how important the little things are, and Darryl shows us that every challenge can be met with a smile and the opportunity to transform it into a lesson---for ourselves and for others.

Haiti -- of course

A little over two weeks ago a 7.0 earthquake hit Port-au-Prince Haiti. As is always the case, Americans wanted to help---and so they did --- they donated $58 million at last count. The government donated 100 million which has recently turned into 356 million, all this at a time when our own country is in double digit unemployment and many of our citizens are not only jobless but without medical benefit ---even as the healthcare debate goes on and on.

I'm always moved by the generosity of our country and yet, equally perplexed by the attitudes of those who reap the benefits of that generosity.

America is a great country---and we have our faults, of course as many will happily point out. But I'm always a bit appalled at how much other countries seem to love to hate and criticize us even as their hand is outstretched.

I don't have anything against Haiti, in fact, the country has suffered what seems to be unending

disaster and devastation and it doesn't appear to letting up anytime in this decade anyway. It would be difficult not to be sympathetic and go without donating when even as we go with less, we rarely go without or have any idea of the life lived by many Haitians.

I do find myself wondering though if all this money will actually find it's way to those it's been given to and intended to help. And I also wonder how long the US can keep doling out money before it begins to effect us here. How much and how many can American taxpayers take on?

I think the world has a unique opportunity to rebuild Haiti. To begin again and build a country with a strong infrastructure and a government that supports it's people instead of exploiting them.

As the weeks pass, the media will go home, a new story or disaster arises and attention is focused elsewhere---will the world still remember Haiti? Or will they again be a forgotten; like the tsunami victims, the victims of the earthquake in China, Katrina and the city of New Orleans and remain a displaced country struggling to survive by any means possible?

A New Year

Well, this week begins the start of what we are all anticipating will be a great year -- or at least better than last. It's getting a cold start here in Florida and in most of the country. As we start the new year with hopeful anticipation, it's always a good idea to be thankful for all we have. In the midst of this recession, we tend to overlook sometimes that we have it pretty good. However, there are many people who don't. They are living with the stress of joblessness, foreclosure, lack of health insurance and in some cases---even food to eat.

This impending "healthcare" reform---has turned out to be laughable. Last year at this time we were all looking forward to the "hope" that our new president would bring. I hope it' coming soon.

Obama spoke last year of helping Main Street while holding Wall Street accountable and making their practices "transparent" (another Obama buzz word). We heard a lot this year of companies that are "too big to fail". A year later it seems to me that Wall Street got bailed out nicely at the cost of the American taxpayer while Main Street is still suffering. I can't be the only one who notices this. Unemployment is in double digits and the banks are riding high.

All the governments time is spent squabbling over a healthcare bill that is millions of miles away from what anyone hoped for, and yet the Democrats seem hell bent and determined to pass something, anything, just to be able to say they did---and who is it that can afford insurance when they don't have a job?---or the fine you'll have to pay if you don't have it. Maybe the intentions started out well but the result is horrifying at best. For me, this is not about Democrats or Republicans---I'm an Independent---though I'd say I lean to the liberal side. It's really about honoring your word, doing what you said you would do. Are there no politicians anywhere that we can count on to follow through? The House and Senate seem to be a bunch of squabbling teenagers who can ever agree on anything---and I know, this isn't news ---- but the big winners in the "healthcare" bill are once again---insurance and pharmaceutical companies --- the same people that supposedly caused this mess in the first place.

It's disappointing to see our great country come to this, while Obama spews plenty of great rhetoric, it seems to be powered by hot air and trying to look good.

I was never a fan of George Bush, quite the opposite really but this week at a pro-Israel rally a guy was holding a sign that made me actually ponder the question, "Were we safer with Bush?"

That's something I never thought I'd question.

Parents

It seems a lot of people blame shortcomings in their life on some thing their parents either did to them or didn't do for them. Fortunately, I have never been able to blame my parents for anything except possibly, making me think I could do anything. They would always say, "you can do anything you want, as long as it doesn't hurt other people; but remember that whatever you do, the important thing is to do your best at it." So I grew up with the idea that I could actually accomplish anything I wanted to if I worked hard enough --- mostly, this is not a bad thing.

Though I have mostly been able to accomplish most anything I set out to do, there are those times when I haven't. It's at those times when I start to think something is wrong with me and this is a dangerous road to go down, because of course---there's no cheese at the end of that tunnel.

At the end of the day it comes down to a simple quote from none other than Yoda:

"Do or do not; there is no trying". Or from Virgil's Aeneid, "They can because they think they can". So here's to the wisdom of my parents, teaching me to be responsible for everything I create, and for the knowing that "it's all up to me".

Simple Things

Willa Mae George was the maid of my best friend Becky's family. We grew up in a small town in Florida--Ft. Pierce. The picture I don't have, except in my mind---is the one of her standing at the ironing board everytime I arrived at Becky's house. The smile however, was as big and broad as the one here. For some reason, for a long time,  I thought her name was Willa Maid, some silly kid thing I suppose.
When I returned to Florida in '95 I started to make pictures of people from my home town---those who had had some sort of impact on me---Willa Mae was one of them.
We never had a maid at my house --- so to me, she was some sort of representation of wealth --- she raised us to a degree--because I spent a lot of time in that house of my best friend.
She was calm, understanding, loving and peaceful---unshakeable. She was reliable, something you could count on---you had the feeling that she was a fixture at that house and that she would be there as long as the house was.
Time goes by and we realize that nothing lasts forever --- kids grow up, people get old, houses get sold, families get divorced and move on.
But I will always remember Willa Mae, the ironing board, the generosity and the kind words; and of course that perfect smile and those white teeth.