01/28/2022
This is how I taught first year photography degree students how to take better pictures.
I had a memory show up in FB today. It was a photo of a student assignment during my time teaching in the photography degree program at Sheridan College in Toronto.
No, its not an exercise in focal length or light metering. In fact, this assignment had nothing to do with photography at all.
What are they doing? They are exploring ways to describe an experience using all the senses, except the obvious one (and especially not sight). For example, describing tasting chocolate for the first time, just using the sense of sound and touch, to someone who has never tasted chocolate.
In the case of this photo, the student was sharing a childhood memory of being caught in a house fire.
The exercise forced the students to go beyond the obvious to describe something to an audience who has never experienced it. To illustrate one thing using another. To use metaphors.
It was quite an eclectic mix of experiences and expressions; Some were fun, some thought provoking, others were very poignant.
It forever changed how, of what, and why, they took pictures. It taught them new ways to incorporate meaning in their images.
It taught me the never-ending ingenuity of the mind. It also taught me that, for Sabrina, anxiety feels like 8 textbooks sitting on your chest.
I use metaphors a lot in my brand storytelling. Much like this assignment, it helps audiences grasp new concepts or complex ideas by putting them in a context they will better recognize. This is especially powerful when attempting to tell a full story a single image, a 6 word headline, or a 10 second video.
What was it like teaching this class? It’s like learning how to take a better picture with a bag over your head.
What’s one of the best metaphors you’ve come across?