Today’s so-called “Y Generation” intersected with those from the “Greatest Generation” and “Baby Boomers” last Wednesday on the Rio Rancho High School campus.
“I love the way you phrase that,” said Paul Stephenson, head of the Education & Design Academy at RRHS, pleased that members of the Digital Camera Club at Meadowlark Senior Center could borrow some students’ expertise to further their various projects for a few hours.
|
|
Sue Branigan, Carolyn Durovy, Jerry Dusseau, Dwayne Erks, Sandy Garcia, C.W. Hill, Laurie Hurley, Sandra Mitchell, John and Deanna O’Donohoe, Bob and Pat Ove, Peggy Sibley, William Southall, Liz Sutton, Judy Tucker, Joseph Vazquez and the late Ray Wilson have contributed photos for the book, which contains more than 215 photos.
In it, one finds photos from the Sandoval County area and New Mexico, that toddlin’ town known as Chicago, and overseas venues Jerusalem, Argentina, Greece, Africa and more.
Dusseau’s photograph of a pair of curious kudus (a species of antelope), one “wearing” a bird on its shoulder, is a textbook example of great composition and Dusseau being in the right place at the right time.
Photography isn’t complicated, even though the technology today might seem miles away from the old Minolta or Brownie cameras these folks used several decades ago. Still important, says John O’Donohoe, who put in countless hours assembling the book, are filling the frame and composition, as well as the rule of thirds (which states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines).
“My main interest in this is I am an amateur (photographer) and it is a basic hobby,” O’Donohoe said, seated at a computer in an E&D classroom. “I’ve been doing this over 30 years.”
The camera club, led by Elizabeth Sutton, meets twice each month at MSC with regular assignments to challenge club members, such as candid shots of people, windows and doorways, feet and hands, mannequins, two flower buds (only two) and playground equipment. IT keeps their minds active.
When the group meets the third Wednesday of each month, in Edgar Short’s classroom at RRHS, they borrow his expertise and that of students who show up on their own.
Short’s teaching style is unique, if you can believe him.
“I don’t (teach). That’s what I have students for,” said Short, older than many of the club members on hand for the digital session. “I’m sitting on so much brainpower there’s a halo. I don’t teach — I let students learn.”
He’s a big believer in what RRHS teachers refer to as critical thinking, trying to get kids to think outside the box.
“I’m 71 years old,” Short continued. “I don’t need the money. It’s nice to do community work. That’s why I teach. I’ve been hanging out here since 1997 — the job found me.”
Kayleen Aguino, an RRHS senior who works with the elderly at Acantilado Vista, took a Photoshop class in her junior year and was happy to return to the E&D building recently to help camera club members with her expertise.
Unlike the people she’s there to help, Aguino doesn’t own a camera. “I never take photographs,” she said, although she’s not averse to taking snapshots with her cell phone.
Senior Rachel Nagy said she took a Photoshop class two years ago and started helping camera club members last year, when the sessions at RRHS began.
“Computers are my thing,” she said. “I have a digital camera and I like to take pictures.”
Nagy is already working in her preferred field; she has a job at Design Plus in Albuquerque, where she uses Photoshop to design logos. She recently took photos at her brother’s wedding.
Short, a one-time free-lance designer when he lived on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, was pleased to have Aguino and Nagy and two other students show up for the session.
“These guys are here because they want to be,” he said.
“That’s an example of how we at Rio Rancho reach out to the community, provide open doors to our technology and expertise,” Stephenson said, “providing opportunity for individuals in our community to take advantage of those things, to work together and create product and enjoy things that we enjoy everyday with high-dollar technology, state-of-the-art.
“Hopefully, that’ll grow and be more opportunity for the younger generation to reach out to the older.”
Comments
No comments posted.