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SilentKnight · 02-08-2009, 07:58 AM

Long read - but true story. Fellow photogs might get a kick outta this.

We've all heard the expression "think outside the box", right?

Generally its considered a good thing to come up with innovative and original solutions for a problem that isn't easily solved through conventional wisdom.

Not always.

Years ago while on a 2-year college photography course, our lab class had the unfortunate situation of enduring an instructor who was hired by the college Dean because she was a personal friend of the Dean - not because of her teaching qualifications or experience.

Midway through the course, the instructor gave us a still-life assignment to be shot in black-and-white - with no flash to be used. Basically the concept was to make use of available light only.

After giving the assignment some thought - I decided to use a large mirror (20" x 48") to bounce sunlight on to a still-life scene I'd set up in the backyard (an old wooden rainbarrel partially covered with a drop cloth, old western cowboy boots and a straw hat).

I shot two rolls of 36-exposure B&W film, had the shots processed and was very pleased with the final results. The pics were vivid, crisp, well-lit and the interaction between light and shadow on the prop textures was terrific.

I submitted the slides for the assignment.

A week later we had a slideshow in lab class featuring everyone's work. When my first shot appeared on screen - the instructor fixed an angry look on her face and said to the class - "Okay...what was the one key restriction about this assignment?"

Someone replied, "No using flash."

She turns to me and says, "Why did you use flash for your photos?"

"I didn't," I responded. "There was no flash used."

The instructor looks at the photo again, turns to the class and says, "Okay, who thinks flash was used on this photo?"

A few people spoke up in agreement. I just sat there with a slight smile.

So the instructor turns back to me and says, "Everyone thinks you used flash for this shot. Why not just admit you did?"

"I didn't use flash," I repeated.

Anyways, we went back and forth for a good solid five minutes or more like two third-graders arguing in a sandbox - before I finally said, "I used a mirror to bounce sunlight onto the scene."

The instructor looked at the photo again without saying a word. Then she clicked to another pic in the set, and then a third.

"They were all shot using a mirror in various positions," I added.

Clearly the instructor was embarrassed with her earlier tirade and finally said, "Well...they're very cliche - like calendar photos."

"Really?" I replied. "Photographers who shoot for calendars often make a fair bit of money, right?"

She snorted.

Later after class several classmates came up to me in the cafeteria and we all had a good chuckle at the instructor's expense.

As it turned out - she failed me on the assignment. No valid reason or explanation. When I questioned her about it, she simply said that I hadn't followed the criteria laid out for the assignment.

So much for thinking outside the box in that instance.

02-08-2009, 07:58 AM
SilentKnight Megan Fox's fluffer Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: shooting pool in Elysium Posts: 24,818	Thinking outside the box - gone wrong? Long read - but true story. Fellow photogs might get a kick outta this. We've all heard the expression "think outside the box", right? Generally its considered a good thing to come up with innovative and original solutions for a problem that isn't easily solved through conventional wisdom. Not always. Years ago while on a 2-year college photography course, our lab class had the unfortunate situation of enduring an instructor who was hired by the college Dean because she was a personal friend of the Dean - not because of her teaching qualifications or experience. Midway through the course, the instructor gave us a still-life assignment to be shot in black-and-white - with no flash to be used. Basically the concept was to make use of available light only. After giving the assignment some thought - I decided to use a large mirror (20" x 48") to bounce sunlight on to a still-life scene I'd set up in the backyard (an old wooden rainbarrel partially covered with a drop cloth, old western cowboy boots and a straw hat). I shot two rolls of 36-exposure B&W film, had the shots processed and was very pleased with the final results. The pics were vivid, crisp, well-lit and the interaction between light and shadow on the prop textures was terrific. I submitted the slides for the assignment. A week later we had a slideshow in lab class featuring everyone's work. When my first shot appeared on screen - the instructor fixed an angry look on her face and said to the class - "Okay...what was the one key restriction about this assignment?" Someone replied, "No using flash." She turns to me and says, "Why did you use flash for your photos?" "I didn't," I responded. "There was no flash used." The instructor looks at the photo again, turns to the class and says, "Okay, who thinks flash was used on this photo?" A few people spoke up in agreement. I just sat there with a slight smile. So the instructor turns back to me and says, "Everyone thinks you used flash for this shot. Why not just admit you did?" "I didn't use flash," I repeated. Anyways, we went back and forth for a good solid five minutes or more like two third-graders arguing in a sandbox - before I finally said, "I used a mirror to bounce sunlight onto the scene." The instructor looked at the photo again without saying a word. Then she clicked to another pic in the set, and then a third. "They were all shot using a mirror in various positions," I added. Clearly the instructor was embarrassed with her earlier tirade and finally said, "Well...they're very cliche - like calendar photos." "Really?" I replied. "Photographers who shoot for calendars often make a fair bit of money, right?" She snorted. Later after class several classmates came up to me in the cafeteria and we all had a good chuckle at the instructor's expense. As it turned out - she failed me on the assignment. No valid reason or explanation. When I questioned her about it, she simply said that I hadn't followed the criteria laid out for the assignment. So much for thinking outside the box in that instance.