Maybe its the luck of the draw, or just me being extremely fussy about everything going my way. Whatever it is, I seem to run into situations that lead up to me argueing with people and then later dropping a class.
This time its journalism, and the issue is with another student. I decided to take Journalism because this individual came into my classroom and told everyone that they need people to join the newspaper, especially CSS programmers. (If you’re wondering CSS is a language used to make websites)
I signed up and somehow as soon as I did the need for CSS disappeared completely once I registered. Then they threw a $1,000 camera in my hand and started calling me a photographer. At first I thought this was awesome because I have been drooling over a camera like this for months, but can’t bring myself to spending that much money on one.
…then we had a “photo workshop”….
This one person, lets call him Chris, tells everyone to take their camera and turn there ISO’s to the fastest setting, and open the aperture on the lens all the way up so we can take fast photo’s at a football game. Instant red flag in my book…, my high school photography teacher would have beat him with the book for even thinking that if she heard him. All he cared about was speed, nothing about quality, being in focus, nothing…. just speed.
I explained that each setting has a middle ground and with the football field as well lit as it was we didn’t need to sacrifice those things to get fast photos. The ISO set too fast will make the photo’s grainy, and the aperture open all the way will limit what portion of the photo is in focus which with an action photo that could prove difficult.
Then he yells at me… not calmly “no, that’s not right”… he yells so everyone in the classroom could hear that “aperture has nothing to do with focusing”. I scratch my head and respond “it’s called depth of field” again he yells, “that’s something else” and walks away.
I guess I made an impression cause afterwards I had a meeting with the professor of the class about some other things including what I have done in the class and she brought up that they are complaining about me. I pointed out that Chris, the supposed photo chief, and resident expert isn’t aware of what the settings on a camera really do. He just says that he has been doing photography “forever”, I started photography when all we had was film so every shot was more than thought out, and if it didn’t come out right it cost me money, which more than likely was before this 20 year old kid was born. But I am being told that he is my “boss” even though the one thing, if anything that I have a degree in is a 2 year photography certificate, means nothing.
I also though that we were in college and all students trying to learn. Kinda aggravating when some kid refuses to learn and tries to teach you something that you know is wrong. I even Google’d it and printed it off…, now I just need to find a way to give it to him…. “tactfully”.
The professor expressed some concerns as to why I am really in the class. I told her about the CSS position that doesn’t exist and if I were to drop now I would receive a “W” on my transcripts. Which would free up some time for me too…, but I don’t want to be a photographer. But thinking that now if I do stay in the class I may have to be one. If I do maybe I can offer to put together and give a presentation to everyone including Chris on how to use a camera properly.
On the plus side though if I do become a photographer I can sign out that $1,000 camera whenever I want, for the weekend if needed.
