Today’s #reverb11/#resound11 prompt comes from Hope over at besottment:

What was the most important, or potent, lesson you leanred in 2011? Who or what taught it to you? How will you use what you have learned in the future?

(damn! another prompt setup that I didn’t find until the second to last day!)

I learned a lot of important lessons in 2011, but there was just one in particular that stuck with me, even though it came to me toward the end of the year. I know I’ve talked about it before in previous posts, but not everyone reading my blog now have read my previous posts, so I will talk about it yet again.

My photography teacher, John Perez, and I had a meeting shortly after Thanksgiving about my experience in my PHOT 109 class (advanced studio lighting techniques). I had been worried and upset about what was happening in the class, and I was extremely worried for my grade. He basically told me that I needed to stop letting the letter grade define me, because it was the work produced that speaks for itself.

When it comes to school, especially college, I have strived to do the best I possibly could each semester. But when it comes to photography classes, my focus has shifted to making sure that I provide quality work at the end of the class, rather than coming out on top with an A. If I know what I’m doing, and I am using all of the techniques I’ve learned in the class, than the work at the end will speak for itself. I may have a disagreement with an instructor, especially if they give me grades and don’t explain why they gave me what they gave me. But at the end of the day, I’m not out to impress anyone else other than those that want to hire me. Sure, you could argue that the instructor is the “client” and if you don’t make him happy, than you won’t make any other client happy. But I learned this past semester that it’s subjective. Just because your instructor may not like it doesn’t mean no one else will.

So from here on out, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

reverb11 resound11 day thirty lessons learned photography school

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