What Gen-Z taught me about Photography
Published on: March 24, 2021
For the privacy and safety of the youth, any images featuring students are blurred out.
A lot of people say life gets better after High School...I must have missed that memo because in 2018, I went back to high school to pursue a job in Youth Development.
I didn’t know it then, but I’d be spending the next 2.5 years there as a photography instructor with the After School Program. There is something so fulfilling about working with a non-profit however being a teacher is ROUGH!
The beginning phases were not easy. My first few photo classes had low turnout and even lower participation. One time, I planned out an entire lesson examining the photography genius behind Humans of New York. The class was supposed to be a simple youtube video followed by a short discussion. Only 6 minutes into a youtube video and 1 student was audibly snoring...the other one was texting on her phone.
That’s when it clicked. I had to switch up my approach.
You might be thinking, “What can a highschooler teach you about photography?” “Aren't you a photographer?” While yes, that is true - being a highschool photography instructor taught me teaching skills, youth perspective, and a better understanding of the craft.
Training exercise controlling motion blur by adjusting the camera’s Shutter Speed.
Here are some things I’ve learned.
1. Hands-on practice is better than a lecture.
As soon as I pivoted from lecture-based to DSLR training, the students got way more involved. Students don’t want to sit around and discuss things, they want to get active and do things. I can’t believe I didn’t see this sooner. My classes started getting much higher participation as the lessons shifted to be more hands-on.
The funny thing is, the more students practice something, the more invested they become. There would be days where I would feel LAZY but the students insisted I get out the prop bag and lighting gear.
2. Kids are Creative! And weird...
There’s not much to say about this point. If you’ve ever met a young person, which is everybody, you’ve witnessed how creative they can be. I believe young people have a perspective that’s unique and limitless. Even beyond photography, I’ve seen how invested youth can be when they are passionate about something. Not all their ideas are 10/10 amazing...but it’s still inspiring to see their creativity play out. Young people are the future and it’s important they have some hype-man in their corner.
3. Gear isn’t everything.
Non-profits stretches dimes into dollars. Luckily, budget has never been a restraining factor for my approach towards Photography. At the start, I taught my students using Canon DSLRs however had to pivot once society shut down in 2020. Naturally, we shifted to using cellphones and made the class focused on mobile photography!
Taking nice pictures is not determined by the gear you have. Skill can’t be bought. Some of the greatest shots I’ve seen from my photography students came from their smartphones.
4. Share Your Knowledge
Just because it’s common sense to you doesn’t mean it is for everyone. As an instructor, I’d fly over ideas to talk about other concepts because I thought everyone knew it. The truth is, a lot of concepts we understand may be extremely complex and high-value to someone else. As an instructor, it helped to repeat terms over and check for understanding before moving on.
It also helped to have students make posters/do mini-presentations to show that they at least tried to learn the material. The more engaged students are, the easier it is for them to internalize the material. Even if you have to repeat yourself for the 10th time, share your knowledge.
My time spent teaching photography was time well spent. Working in Youth Development was never my final-destination but I’m thankful for the experiences I was able to have! Teaching and connecting with students helped shape me to be a better photographer and overall person. Thank you Gen Z - to all my former photo students!
One thing I always told my class was…
“The best camera isn’t the most expensive one.
It’s the one you have on you.”
For the majority of us, that’s the smartphones in our pocket. If I’m being honest, that isn’t my original line. Nonetheless, it's something I believe in and endorse. Whether you’re a High Schooler who loves taking photos or a professional portrait photographer - there’s always room to grow in this creative field. Keep Going.
