Well, I know "old" photographers have taken much that is to be admired. But where "we teachers" have dared to let fresh and young minds loose with a camera, they see things so differently. Trouble is, we always look up to "iconic" photographers as the ultimate and this is unavoidable in teaching towards examinations. I recently went to an exhibition of photographs by a group of very disadvantaged* youngsters in London. They knew nothing of Ansel Adams, Charlie Wait, Heather Angel, Roland Barthes, Susan Sontag or any other photographer or critic. They worked in black and white, and their final display images were printed professionally. They didn't think about shutter speeds or apertures, film speeds depth of field or anything else, but simply what looked good to them through the viewfuinder... I was stunned, as was my friend, because their ideas owed nothing to anyone who had gone before, but were so fresh and exciting - and different in their expressiveness. Sadly I cannot find any web reference to their images. So why not just take a chance, let them go and take photos!! Use load of fully automatic or even single use cameras with 400 ASA film, or point and shoot digital cameras and see what happens. Break the rules! Howard *ADHD, autistic, severe behavioural problems, learning difficulties, poor social backgrounds, broken or dysfunctional families etc.
