posITIve role models
Three phoTography programs sTaffed by dedICaTed eduCaTors
who balanCe TeaChIng wITh suCCessful phoTography Careers
[ By Jill Waterman ]
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember.
Involve me and I learn.”
— Benjamin Franklin
At a time when photo education is increasingly influenced
by trends such as online learning and systems to economize
time and minimize contact, stories about personal guidance
by educators who combine teaching expertise with high
level, practical knowledge and professional clout offer
a breath of fresh air.
For students seeking to navigate the rocky terrain from
classroom learning to success in the real world, direct
contact with instructors offering this level of perspective
on the field can be an invaluable educational asset.
Here, we investigate three photo programs in varied
educational settings, each staffed by distinguished teach-
ers who serve as positive role models to their students
while simultaneously pursuing flourishing photography
careers of their own.
BriDGe portrait: During the first Spirit Level workshop in 1996, students from
the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, the Lahti Institute of Design in Lahti, Finland
and the École d’Arts Appliqués in Vevey, Switzerland pose on the Charles Bridge in
Prague, Czech Repubic, with teachers Arno Rafael Minkkinen (top right) and Timo
Laaksonen (middle right). To avoid tourists, the group stayed up all night, assembling
for the portrait at 5 a.m., just as the first light came into the sky.
