I just finished an intensive eight week beginning photography course at the Chicago Photography Center. It was the equivalent of a semester of photo I in a condensed schedule and at a much lower cost and has to be one of the best things I've ever done in this city.
I did the film portion of the class and we met for lecture once a week for several hours and then had darkroom lab another night a week for several hours. I grew to really like and respect my fellow students for their different perspectives and their eyes. We learned all the basics of photography, about aperture, shutter speed, motion, depth of field.
The best part of the curriculum, though, was the three weeks we spent discussing the psychology between photographer and subject and how one gives oneself license to take photos. This class made me uncomfortable in that acute way when you know you're learning something. The discomfort from stepping outside your zone and pushing your boundaries.
Richard Stromberg, my teacher, though, is the best reason to take this class. He is the personality and brains behind the CPC. He is a photojournalist who has been taking pictures since his late teens and has great stories too, like taking photos in the middle of the riot when Martin Luther King, Jr. marched in Gage Park to dangling over the edge of the Hancock Building for an unobstructed shot. He is a great teacher for the same reason he is a photographer: he is truly interested in people and their stories. His eye is wonderful and he gives constructive, honest critiques of the students' photos.
I loved this class, even though I hated most of the photos I took for it. I was too nervous with the camera and assignments and plan on doing them over again for practice. I loved working in the darkroom and developing the film at home. It's time consuming, but a chance to focus and clear my mind. I wish I could start Photo II this week, but the next seven weeks are full of unknowns and I unsure if I can commit the time or not. I want to, though. I want to improve and learn more. Plus the community built around the CPC is something I've been looking for the entire time I've lived in the city.
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