Photographers Oath to swear in Basic Photo Students.

[Robert Langham]

I need to call upon the photographic horsepower and expertise of our community....I'm a lowly adjunct at Tyler Junior College who has taught a couple sections of basic photo for years. My courses have a reputation of being a lot of work but a lot of fun at the same time. I think I may start to administer an oath to all the basic photo students before issuing the first assignment. Any ideas? I already tell them that what happens in basic photo STAYS in Basic Photo, make visitors leave the room before talking about restricted knowledge, et, et. Wonder what an oath like that would have in it?

Probably swear them in making the whole class hold a Canon in one hand and raise the other, but maybe should link them all together and swear them in on my Deardorff.

87374

Thanks in advance for all the suggestions!

[Light Guru]

I found this on google.
http://www.petapixel.com/2011/10/10/hippocratic-oath-of-a-photographer/
But I think it could use some updating. I would definitely add "I will never take a photo of a pregnant woman where a set of hands on the belly is shaped like a hart."

[Kimberly Anderson]

I tell my students that they need to be prepared to have two things happen to them:

1. You will get more picky.
2. You will become more of a snob.

If they're not ready to accept those two conditions I show them the door. So far no one has ever left. At the final critique I ask them if they have indeed become more picky and more of a snob, they all agree that it is exactly what has happened.

Keep the bar high!

[adelorenzo]

What constitutes 'restricted knowledge' in photography?

[BrianShaw]

The oath should inlcude:

1. photograph with wanton abandon
2. don't show crap
3. share knowledge freely - both artistic and technical

Oh, and a solemn oath has no value if made on a Canon... must be Nikon. And if using Deardorf for anything excpet piktur takin, that should be the secret initiation. A group of photo students holding hands, singing Kumbaya whilst prancing naked in counter-clockwise direction.

[Robert Langham]

If you don't know....I'm not sure I can say! I almost always clear the room of tourists when I talk about the six things that are going to happen when you take a photograph whether you want them to or not. Plus just tips like using a polarizer....often.

[photobymike]

Really ..... an oath? I love the "restricted knowledge" part As far as models are concerned.... they always wanted to "hide the hotdog" after the shoot.....

[Robert Langham]

There should be a video of the swearing in posted when it happens.

87377

[Robert Langham]

I, _________of my own free will and without compulsion, swear and promise to image to the limits of my imagination, to Nikon and cellphone with abandon and respect, to download, darkroom, share and question my perceptions and process in a relentless pursuit of two-dimensional excellence and revelation. So help me Anne Frank.

Just mushing something together.......

87378

[Robert Langham]

There are two types of photographers: The ones who relentlessly seek their personal vision and those who only want young women to take their shirts off. Don't be the wrong type!

87379

[Ric Johnson]

As a photography instructor myself, I start my class with: 1) Since I'm sharing my experience & knowledge, both artistically and technically, to provide you with the skills you need and ask for, I expect you to do the same whether it's with the other students in this class or on the street. 2) I will never critique your work as baseless or ask "why do you photograph stupid crap". 3) Pleasing your eye if the key when taking or printing the subjects you photographed. 4) Don't worry if people don't like the photographs they are viewing. 5) Tell me (and others) your vision.

[paulr]

There are two types of photographers: The ones who relentlessly seek their personal vision and those who only want young women to take their shirts off. Don't be the wrong type!

87379

Maybe add that if the young woman takes off her shirt not because you promised her fame as a model, but because your black and white photograph of kelp and driftwood elicited states of ecstacy, then it's ok.

[BrianShaw]

Just mushing something together.......


You may have missed a couple of critical words: do hearby; solemnly; heretofore; hereafter; (swear) or affirm; hearsay; with total disregard for format or film size; crop (the action verb); ... and through the mystical influence of St. Ansel and all of the photographic dieties.

[Robert Langham]

Good catch! Need to add something about not polluting the photosphere with un-artfully arranged pixels of puppies and babies..

RJ: I just tell 'em "what happens in Basic photo, STAYS in Basic Photo.....and that this is vaulable instruction that they PAID USDs to get. So here it comes.

[Robert Langham]

I, _________do solemnly swear,___________ of my own free will and without compulsion, to image to the limits of my imagination, to Nikon and cellphone with abandon, freedom and respect, to download, darkroom, share and question my perceptions and process in a relentless pursuit of two-dimensional excellence and revelation. I further hereafter affirm that I will edit, photoshop, crop and delete so as to strengthen and not pollute the photosphere but clarify the visual ties between all beings of Gaia and beyond, so help me Anne Frank.

87380 Not there yet but going the right way.

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...] I think I may start to administer an oath to all the basic photo students before issuing the first assignment. Any ideas?

Use your own personal code of ethics, if you have one.

[Dan Henderson]

My oath would include three things:

1. "Every picture that I make will be the absolute best that I can do, and I will offer no excuses." While a student in community college photography classes I became so tired of other students beginning a critique by explaining why their pictures were not good. The excuses usually had something to do with a perceived lack of time to do things right.

2. "I will learn and understand a 'rule' before I break it." These same classes caused me to form the opinion that many young photographers think that the act of breaking a "rule" produces something artistic, yet do not care enough to understand why the rule, guideline, or accepted practice exists.

3. "I will call the product of my effort a "photograph" or a "picture," not an "image." I know that the word image is a perfectly acceptable synonym for a photograph, but it just seems like one of those words that has become cool and hip to say. What is wrong with calling something what it actually is? A personal pet peeve, I know, but its my oath and I'm sticking with it!

[Pawlowski6132]

1. Pass it on
2. Only show your best work

[Robert Langham]

Pawlowski has it but it's too short to make a funny video.

[Brian Ellis]

What constitutes 'restricted knowledge' in photography?

I was wondering the same thing. When I taught the basic photography course at a university I used to encourage visitors to attend the critiques. The visitors were always other art students or faculty in the Fine Arts department and they often had something worthwhile to say. Nothing was taught that would qualify as restricted knowledge so that wasn't a problem.

[Vaughn]

Taking a class from Thomas Joshua Cooper, I only remember two rules he had...

No photographs of kittens or babies.
Show up for all the critiques.

PS...I like the word 'image'. For me it is what one is trying to bring forth in a photograph/print.

[Mark Sawyer]

I'm an analog photographer,
But I can change,
If I have to,
I guess...

[Mark Sawyer]

...or from the Official Constitution of the high school photo club I sponsored:

The First Rule of Photo Club is: Never talk about Photo Club.

The Second Rule of Photo Club is: Never talk about Photo Club...

[Ari]

Help others as much as is in your power.
Disseminate information and knowledge freely.

Promise not to take any photos of:
pets
kids (except your own)
sunsets
El Capitan

[lenicolas]

Do not shoot any of those clichés : http://www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282

[Drew Wiley]

Needs to be accompanied by some kind of formal initiation ritual, like a bonfire for cell phones and Holgas.

[5063]

I see that some posters are approaching this with a sense of humor. I hope that Robert meant it to be humorous only and is not serious about requiring students to actually swear to anything. As a university student I was horrified at times with what instructors required of students. Students are all too often compelled to do objectionable things because they fear retaliation by grading. Any oath should be taken only by free will. An oath is worthless when coerced. If I were in Robert's class, I would refuse even if I agreed with everything contained in the oath. It's sad when people in a position of authority can't resist crossing lines when exercising it.

[Dan Henderson]

I see that some posters are approaching this with a sense of humor. I hope that Robert meant it to be humorous only and is not serious about requiring students to actually swear to anything. As a university student I was horrified at times with what instructors required of students. Students are all too often compelled to do objectionable things because they fear retaliation by grading. Any oath should be taken only by free will. An oath is worthless when coerced. If I were in Robert's class, I would refuse even if I agreed with everything contained in the oath. It's sad when people in a position of authority can't resist crossing lines when exercising it.

Having spent 25 years in a position of authority, I contend that crossing the occasional line is the only benefit of being in charge of anything.

[rdenney]

Never photograph anything, because it has all been photographed before. Unless it's your roommate looking grumpy, unshaven, and hung over, or a girl that is too hot for you wearing a man shirt and nothing else.

Rick "thinking that about covers it for freshman photo class" Denney

[BrianShaw]

Don't stare; take a picture, it last longer.

[Robert Langham]

We have folks bringing dates, visitors to class pretty often. Usually we work them into the mix. Might try a big swearing in ceremony with just the right collision of stupidity and excellence. They already tried to name their class facebook page "Langnam style" so I owe them....

[ROL]

87380

I do solemnly swear to lower each tripod leg, in unison, so that I do not have to stand on an apple box, and to take a position, either on one side of the road, or the other.

[andrew gardiner]

Do not shoot any of those clichés : http://www.martinparr.com/blog/?p=282

Brilliant, really enjoyed reading that. I would second (at least trying) to avoid cliches as being the most important 'ethical' code for any photographer, student or otherwise.

[Peter Gomena]

Avoid directly copying someone else's work. Copying a style might be an important part of learning, but learning the value of copyright laws is important, too. I think that's covered in the idea of originality. Maybe most subjects have been photographed, but there's no limit to expressing one's ideas photographically.

[Chuck P.]

Never photograph anything, because it has all been photographed before.

As I was progressing through this thread, I was coming to this same point. I would have to tell the professor that I'll just photograph any dam thing I want for my eye, and you'll either like it or you won't----then he might just have it in for me the rest of the semester!

[Ken Sinclair]

Re: Photographers Oath to swear in Basic Photo Students.

Always consider it an act of MAKING a photograph rather than 'taking' or 'shooting'.

Around 60 years ago my mentor would give me an NCIS "Gibb's slap" on the back of my head if I used these... or a few of his other 'banned' expressions... while using either of his large format cameras. He maintained that the action of "making" produced better photographs... I am sure his philosophy was as correct then as it is to-day. I still 'cringe' when I hear or read of these words being used to 'describe' the action of making a photograph.

Ken

[Andrew O'Neill]

I'm an analog photographer,
But I can change,
If I have to,
I guess...

That's a twist of The Man's Prayer from the Red Green show up here in Canada. I like it!