Mentoring views

A few months ago I began mentoring a senior high school student in the southern part of the state.  It happened in the way so many things happen in this small state.  A friend’s partner teaches at this young women’s school and knew she was looking for someone  to mentor her for her senior project.  Over the years I have worked with various middle school and high school kids while they shadowed me or did some special project.  I love sharing my passion for photography with others…especially those equally crazed.   My friend asked…I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Hannah and I began our mentor/mentee connection tentatively at first.  We sent a series of emails back and forth with info about each other.  Hannah  said she was doing a project for her senior year that was a slide show of images shot during the past year.  She also has to write about her experience and what she is learning.   She started to send me images and I started to send her links to favorite photographers and exhibits.  I would comment about her work and make general statements about composition and stuff.   Hannah has a great eye and I loved seeing her fresh take on things.   She talked about loving nature photography but what grabbed my attention were her shots of buildings…particularly some cityscapes she shot of Boston and Montreal.  The images were strong and graphic. Somewhat sophisticated for someone her age.

I was enjoying our connection and found looking at her work and suggesting and sharing gave a little kick to my own work.  I have been making a concerted effort for the last two years to throw away a lot of my ‘shoulds’ and ‘self-restrictions’ about what works and what doesn’t.  It is not easy after 25 years.   I have been soaking up a lot of other photographer’s work to expand my vision.   Working with Hannah I reminded about the joy of photography.

A couple of weeks ago Hannah and I met in Montpelier for the first time.  We  seem to hit it off immediately.  We went to a quiet cafe and she showed me her book of images.  Mostly we talked though.  About photography, about school, about her family, about her dreams….we never stopped.    Again I was taken by her architecture shots.  Maybe it comes from the fact that her Dad studied architecture and passed the love of buildings down to her.  Maybe it is the work she has been doing in art class or her own interest in maybe making architecture a career.  Whatever it is these are clearly the strong images.  I also noticed that she an interesting way of composing images with people in them.  Most of the images were strong compositionally…and she looks at things straight on.

I decided that we should just go take pictures.  So we spent a little time photographing around the Statehouse, looking at the building and then we discovered this ice sculpture.  It looked as though someone had carved some winged goddess.  We both shot images and then it was time to go.  We made a date for a studio visit so that we could work on some technical stuff and said goodbye.

I left Montpelier flying high.  It was such fun to spend a few hours with someone who clearly loves to take pictures and create art.  So much fun to share the passion.     I look forward to our next meeting, and to sitting through Hannah’s senior presentation in May.  I am happy to be reminded that sometimes we learn from the most surprising teachers.     Below are two images from our Montpelier visit.

 

mc's version of the ice ange

 

 

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