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Photo Philosophy
Lessons Beyond the Lens
Lesson number one in the FIS REAL Adult Advanced Photography course is: don’t take the easy path
by using the auto-focus mode. Rather, instructor Pete Sinclair, whose day job is as the FIS Upper School Assistant Principal, teaches his students to switch to manual mode and take control of the camera.
Mr. Sinclair and three of his students definitely utilized the “take control” approach last fall when their weekend photography field trip was in jeopardy. The four had airline tickets to Budapest, but Lufthansa canceled the flight as part of a strike. With the “easy path” blocked, the group of photography enthusiasts took manual control of their weekend.
As the plan to travel to Budapest was dropped, a backup plan began to take shape. The idea of driving to Stuttgart was discussed and appeared to be the chosen destination. But moments before leaving the school parking lot, Mr. Sinclair looked at his phone and said, “Hmmm...it’s raining in Stuttgart. Let’s go north to Hannover!” While it’s doubtful that Hannover is frequently considered a reasonable alternative to Budapest, there were no arguments and soon the group was headed North.
Mr. Sinclair’s weather App had accurately predicted beautiful
weekend weather in Hannover and the first evening found the group setting up their tripods and cameras across from the Neues Rathaus. Shooting exclusively in manual mode, students controlled their camera’s shutter speed, aperture, and ISO function, and took beautiful and artistic photos.
The next morning, the class set up in a park where they learned about action photography with Mr. Sinclair throwing leaves into the air for illustration. His ballet-like behavior accomplished his teaching goal, but was also entertaining enough to attract the attention of onlookers.
Mr. Sinclair cautions his photography students that a modern camera in auto-focus mode mirrors the typical world in that it has its own agenda and is happy to make all the decisions for the photographer. The photos from the class trip to Hannover illustrate that any challenge – man- made or natural – can be overcome by taking control. It’s a valuable lesson in photography – and in life itself.
Emmett Kelly, FIS Parent
20 FIS World February 2016