Into the Fire

/ Richard R. Barron

The first part of our short, intense summer photography session, the “Nuts and Bolts” section, is coming to a close. For four days now I have been up at the front of the classroom, giving my students the tools they need, mostly about how their cameras work, to proceed to the next phase, “Elementary Image Making.” To that end, we spent the last half of today’s class in the studio, talking just a little about light, how to see it, how to command it, and how it makes images. Everyone had fun, and I hope it represented a turning point from lecture to action. I know I am looking forward to the next phase, and I hope my students are too.

Erin Sanders photographs Cameron Gillespie on a seamless paper background in the studio today. Since we were only testing the waters of the studio, we scrounged around for some elementary props, like the tattered cashmere sweater Cameron is wearing, which was about four sizes too small. His lack of inhibition and willingness to improvise was a good sign of things to come.
Erin Sanders photographs Cameron Gillespie on a seamless paper background in the studio today. Since we were only testing the waters of the studio, we scrounged around for some elementary props, like the tattered cashmere sweater Cameron is wearing, which was about four sizes too small. His lack of inhibition and willingness to improvise was a good sign of things to come.