There are some minor benefits to teaching photography the old way, but it's quickly becoming an anachronism. For today's photographer learning digital processing is much more important than learning to work with chemicals. That's a dead end. You can teach exposure without having to force students to shoot with antiques. Just set up some heavily weighted exposure compensation situations and make them work for their knowledge. Studying Latin is more productive than studying film photography. Paul On Aug 4, 2007, at 6:44 PM, P. J. Alling wrote:
> With two darkroom courses this community college has as much resources > invested as the University of Rhode Island did 30 years ago, long > before the digital revolution. Besides given that there's no "basic" > digital camera that will force students to learn something about > exposure, old film cameras are probably the only way to teach those > skills, and if you're using film you might as well learn darkroom, > which > also overlaps with fine art lithography. > > George Sinos wrote: >> If the mission of a community college is to prepare students for the >> workplace, training them in the skills of darkroom technique, as >> opposed to photoshop and digital phtography really misses the point. >> >> When resources are scarce, you have to focus on your goals. >> >> See you later, gs >> http://georgesphotos.net >> >> On 8/3/07, Scott Loveless <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> Godfrey DiGiorgi wrote: >>> >>>> Several professors I know who teach photography around the USA >>>> and in >>>> Europe at prominent universities/colleges were telling me four/five >>>> years ago that their school administration had closed down funding >>>> for new film cameras/wet lab equipment and were putting plans in >>>> place to replace all of their equipment with digital cameras, image >>>> processing workstations, etc. I think film/wet lab courses by >>>> now are >>>> the exception rather than the rule in most college photography >>>> programs. >>>> >>>> Godfrey >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> I think you're probably right. Very few schools that I've looked >>> into >>> lately have had traditional photo courses. Many have canceled their >>> photography courses altogether, or reduced them to one or two >>> electives >>> in an arts program. >>> >>> A few years ago, when we were living in St. Louis, the community >>> college >>> offered photo courses that required darkroom work. These courses >>> often >>> filled well before the start of the semester. They still offer the >>> course but I don't know anything about the enrollment anymore. The >>> Harrisburg Community College (near our current home) still offers >>> traditional photo courses with darkroom work. These courses fill to >>> capacity often within a few days. My latest inquiry resulted in an >>> offer to be put on a waiting list longer than twice the size >>> limit of >>> the class. >>> >>> There is a publicly available darkroom at an arts center about 20 >>> miles >>> from here. They recommend a reservation if you want to use the >>> facility >>> on the weekend. >>> >>> But still, most schools aren't even offering the courses >>> anymore. With >>> the demand around here (not exactly a major metropolitan area), I >>> can't >>> help but wonder why not. >>> >>> -- >>> Scott Loveless >>> http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/ >>> >>> >>> -- >>> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >>> [email protected] >>> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >>> >>> >> >> > > > -- > The difference between Microsoft and 'Jurassic Park': > In one, a mad businessman makes a lot of money with beasts that > should be extinct. > The other is a film. > -- Unattributed > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
