Back in Class

One of the truly neat things about where I teach is that we supply equipment to all of our students. Everyone in the Introduction to Photojournalism course is issued a digital camera and lens that they use for the entire semester and advanced students get a body, three lenses, flash and access to more gear than I think I have.

Why is this good? For one, I can tailor the assignments to the equipment which lets them get the most out of it. The main reason, though, is there is no financial barrier to taking our photojournalism classes – if you have the academics and drive, you can do it. Everyone is on the same level when they walk in the door.

We issued cameras this week and since many of the students have never held a digital single lens reflex camera, we spend a lot of time talking about the mechanics of photography. We even do field trips out on the lawn …