Art vs Communications

Warning: I am about to vent, so you will probably find this uninteresting and I do not expect you to read it. Thank you.

Communications classes are so easy! This semester I am taking a Photojournalism class, which falls under the Communications department. It’s a Photography class with Communications standards, which means I am soo bored in this class all the time! Today I lost it and actually left in the middle of class to just walk around for 15min to try to keep my sanity. It was very refreshing and I think I may do this more often. I also bring a granola bar to snack on that I don’t allow myself to eat until an hour into class (it’s a 3 hour class!) Today I decided to compare and contrast Art and Communications classes to keep myself entertained. This is what I came up with:

One reason I was going crazy today was because our teacher kept saying things like, “this picture looks like this because your CAMERA reads…..” This translates into your camera being on automatic. In Art your picture looks like this because YOU CHOSE…….” What is the point of having a nice camera if you’re going to put it on automatic? Answer: there is no point!

Another thing I kept hearing in class today was how to know what works. In Art you know what you need and the question is how do I make it work? I tell you, the first thing you do is take your camera off automatic….

Communications are LONG-WINDED. I have a really hard time with long-winded people. How long can you beat a dead horse!?? Apparently, quite a while I’m discovering. I was actually talking to my Printmaking teacher today (Art) and she said that she was taught that you shouldn’t lecture students longer than 20min or their attention span is gone. It’s about hands on, not lecture.

In Communications classes you will hear, “This is the correct exposure.” Or “this is what your picture should look like.” Everything is right or wrong. In Art it’s a question of what you were going for and did you get your message across. There is no right or wrong. Everything is subjective, and if you can back yourself up, it’s good.    

I took my first Communications class last semester and I was so excited for our first critique because I wanted to know how I would do from a Communications aspect rather than Art. Well, I was very disappointed to say the least. The “critique” went like this: We all hung our work up and the teacher said, “These all look pretty nice, don’t you think?” The class agreed. End of critique! WHAT!?? In Photojournalism class he puts all our photos in a slide show and he clicks through them. I don’t even know what the point of that is! In Art I have actually had whole classes where we just learn how to critique. I have had classes where we spend the whole day critiquing. It is vital to improvement and I depend on it!

My teacher is always saying, “you can never get tired of the sunset.” or “the Temple never gets old.” In Art the teachers say, “I will not accept a picture of a sunset.” or “please don’t make me look at another boring picture of the Temple.” The focus is on setting yourself apart. Yes, I have really had teachers say this. And yes, you can hand those pictures in still, but it has to be unique and have a purpose.

My teacher put up an example picture of a studio portrait and it was so bad! There was no light pattern, and no separation. He had used a huge soft box that was as big as her whole body and he was doing a head shot! All that does is flatten her out! I could take a better picture than that easy! And this isn’t even bragging because it’s not hard if you know photography, which the teacher should.

Ok, I’m done. Class really got me thinking today.  It has actually been really interesting to be learning the same things, but from a completely new perspective. Interesting, but sometimes exasperating.

I handed these pictures in today, so I thought I would post them here too. The assignment was Motion.