The Calm Before the Storm

SES wrapped up last weekend. For those not in the know, SES (Summer Expression Series) at MCAD is a 2-week intensive for high-school students who want to know what it’s like to go to art school. I’m involved in the Digital Photo portion of the program. At the same time, there is a Music Video class, Sound class, Interactive class, and Documentary Video class all going on. We all work together with a local band to create all kinds of good stuff for them (music video, website, new recordings, etc.). It’s intense. I always make some new friends and have a great time! I’ve never figured out what my salary comes out when paid out hourly – I’ve been afraid to, because I know it would be around $5/hour. But it’s totally worth it to work with those students and the band.

We had final critique in my CVA Digital Design class this week, and I have 2 weeks left in my MCAD Photo 1 summer class. Once everything is done, I have less than 1 week before starting my residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN. As soon as that’s done, fall semester starts, and I’ll be teaching at least 4 classes in at least 3 schools. Ahh, the adjunct life is a good life!

If you’re interested, I hope to be posting fairly regularly during my residency from August 16th through the 31st. Check back and see how it’s going. Have a great weekend!

Current Teaching

So SES (Summer Expression Series) at MCAD has just started, and I’m freaking busy. I’m the head TA for the Digital Photo program.

My bowling buddies on the first day of SES

SES is an intense 2 week class for high school students. It’s a blast, but the pay isn’t much for the time that I put in (or the time that anyone puts in to SES for that matter). It comes out to about $5/hour once all is said and done. Also, I’m half way though teaching a Photo 1 class at MCAD. I’m ALSO wrapping up the Digital Design course at CVA. And recently, I wrapped up the Brown College Photoshop 1 course. So my teaching for the summer is winding down, and I’m gearing up for my residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN, in August.

I haven’t been making much work lately, but I have been going on some small shoots fairly consistently. Last summer I all but stopped for 3 months. So I’ll keep shooting and we’ll see what happens.

More About Winning the Golden Light Award!

About one week ago, I was informed that I had won the Maine Photographic Workshops Golden Light Award Grand Prize in the Photographic Project Award Program. A few days later, I was informed that I had also won their Annual Photographic Print Competition in the Social Document category. There will be a show in Rockport, Maine that will showcase 4 prints each from different photographers around the world. They asked me to send 7 images. And one of my images, Homecoming Queen, was chosen as the frontpiece for the show! (This was also the piece that won the award in the Social Document category.) Below are the 7 pieces that made it into the show:

Winning the GLA Grand Prize didn’t put any cash in my pocket (unfortunately), but I did win a spot in this great exhibition that will go up shortly. I also won some great prizes (many of which only fellow photo geeks will appreciate):

• $1,700.00 grant in tuition and fees to attend a Master Class at The Workshops
• Two-hour consultation with Photo Consultant Mary Virginia Swanson
• Leica C-LUX 1 digital camera (Black)
• Gitzo G1327 tripod & G1378M head from Bogen
• Gift certificate to Modern Postcard for 500 4 1/4 X 6 postcards
• Crumper photo bag
• Gift certificate to Archival Methods for $100.00
• One-year subscription to LensWork

I won a few more things for winning the Social Document category as well.

Check out the press release announcing the Award Winners (local Twin Cities photographer [and photo Rock Star] Alec Soth took home the Book of the Year Award for his book Niagara).