AAAGHH! My head is exploding!

Actually, that was my reaction by the time I got home from class today. Fortunately, I've had some time to vent to Marilyn and let things settle into my mind. It's nothing awful, but my first class was a bit overwhelming.

Marilyn went over the basics of photography with me last night, showing me her camera and explaining its different functions and some of the terminology of photography. As it turned out, it was a good thing that she did this for me, because my so-called Foundational Photography class teacher seemed to assume that I already knew these things. Foundational classes are required for every student, so there's no reason to expect students to know anything about the subject beforehand. Therefore, it seems to me that the logical way to teach what is essentially an introduction to photography would be to first explain the terms and examine the camera itself, then begin using the camera along with introducing how to develop film in the darkroom, moving from black and white to color photos, and then, in the last segment of class, introducing digital cameras and Photoshop. All along the way, students would learn about how to compose a picture, lighting, etc., etc. This way, the students would understand the foundational concepts of photography, getting a sense of how it's traditionally been performed, and then seeing firsthand how computer technology has made things easier and more versatile.

Instead, our teacher (well, our teacher and two others, actually) ran us through Photoshop functions today. Our first assignment is going to be three self-portraits and three, um, non-self portraits (not necessarily portraits of others - it can be of objects and animals, too). We're starting out using digital cameras, and so she wants us to take these first pictures and fiddle around with them in Photoshop, to show that we've "learned something."

Marilyn reacted to this even more negatively than I did. Oh, even better - there's no textbook. I already have flashbacks of my Foundational Design class from last semester, with the teacher who couldn't communicate coherently teaching esoteric concepts without a textbook. At least in the case of design, I felt as if I already knew the basic concepts, and I only had to drag them from my subconscious into my conscious mind. I don't know much of anything about photography, except what I remember from high school journalism. Fortunately I have Marilyn to help me through it; I don't know what the other new students are going to do...

Well, tomorrow's my Brothers Grimm class. I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh, and, before I forget, I'm very disappointed in President Bush for coming down on the 527 groups. It seems to me that it's a matter of free speech, and his concession only gives the hypocritical Kerry campaign a shot of undeserved smug self-righteousness. If any legal action is taken against the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, how is it not censorship?