{"id":5079,"date":"2016-01-31T18:27:27","date_gmt":"2016-01-31T23:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harrynowell.com\/blog\/?p=5079"},"modified":"2022-05-29T08:14:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-29T13:14:34","slug":"1120-teaching-grade-4-photography-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.harrynowell.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/31\/1120-teaching-grade-4-photography-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"#1120 A winding Path with Grit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It is always nice to look back and reflect on the path traveled.<\/p>\n

I’m 47. I’ve worked for about 20 years as a photographer \/ arts educator. Before that I worked as an outdoor educator with aspirations to become an elementary teacher. I couldn’t get into Teacher’s College in the 90s. But I’ve come back full circle to where I wanted to be.<\/p>\n

After disappointments I gave up on traditional teaching and pursued commercial art through stock photography – it was lovely work – one of the most traditionally creative times of my life. I produced commercially viable photographs that were marketed through stock agents. My best sale for one grand use of a photo was ~$32,000 split three ways between two agencies and myself. Alas, the industry crashed (digital cameras and websites caused flooding of the stock photo market.) Time to move on!<\/p>\n

\"Assignment

Stock Photography<\/p><\/div>\n

Someone suggested I teach photography. I built a broad base of photo workshops – live and online that culminated in opening our own studio \/ classroom on Preston St, below. Alas, workshop sales dropped off significantly. Why? Who knows, but I think it was tech, again – YouTube offered free learning and smartphones reduced people’s desire for traditional photography. Sigh.<\/em> I was left scrambling again to re-invent myself.<\/p>\n

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Photo Workshops at our studio.<\/p><\/div>\n

A couple of years ago I was very low and a friend inadvertently replanted a seed stored in a drawer of my memory. Teacher’s College… I was accepted, thrived and succeeded. I worked hard and was offered a contract teaching a Grade 4 class until Christmas. It has been extended until June, 2016. I love it.<\/p>\n

My photo business has been reborn. Although the new business has shrunk enormously, I am only doing work I love – teaching a few clients and working on two innovative and exciting (to me) art projects.<\/p>\n

\"Cyanotype

Sunstreaks – tracking the sun’s path across the sky.<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s been a long road… with many bumps and bruises. But it’s been exciting and I am grateful for where my winding path has taken me.<\/p>\n

One of my favourite TED talks rings true as I look back… Angela Lee Duckworth talks about GRIT:
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