11.05.2011

photojournalism.

I was supposed to sleep in this morning, but I didn't. Not that it makes much of a difference anymore. Apparently the sleepy time clock in my body has advanced well past my relatively young age of 33. As of lately I've been wanting to go to bed around 9:30 and them I'm WIDE awake around 7 am. Bummer. Getting up early this morning was no chore.

I got dressed with plenty of layers and my warmer jacket, as the morning news indicated it was in the 30s. Let the dog out to do her thing, then headed down to school. Yes, school. Me and two other colleagues drove seven kids around town while they snapped pictures for a photojournalism essay contest. These students are part of the Environment & Energy major at our school. Their fearless leader, and my buddy Z, wanted them to enter into an eco challenge set by a local organization. The challenge was to, in five frames, capture the relationship between the environment and the community - where it's been and where it's headed. Something like that. Forgive me if I get some of the details skewed. All I heard was take pictures, and I said yes.

The seven sophomores showed up in the parking lot around 9 am and we headed out to some rather blighted areas that have been making a slow and steady turnaround through various initiatives that include community gardens. It took nothing more than a few snaps of the shutter and the kids were hooked. Many were talking about how they wished they had "cool" cameras and one even suggested he might reconsider his career path and give photography some credence.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and of course, I brought my own picture taker along. Not a bad day for some extracurricular fun. I wish all teachers could experience days like this.

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