Day 22- Angles!

Oh my goodness, most unexpected day ever. First day any assignment is due, third day of classes, previous class had 5 students and then 3 students, and today... every single person showed, every single person had not just one, but a million portrait photos to turn in, all the cameras and partners and memory cards all sorted themselves out. I did nothing. I couldn't believe. Even all the kids who decided showing up to class wasn't important, came to class with memory cards AND the assignment photos. AND, unlike last class, they didn't do the first assignment with 1 or 2 quick portrait photos (and a million of themselves that they said were for the portrait once they realized I was expecting more) they came back with a ton. It was like an incredibly cruel dream that I was expecting to wake up from and realize this could never happen, TIA. But it's now been over a full day and I haven't woken up yet.

Of course, this is not to say that everyone in my new classes took perfect photos and should all be considered pro's right away. Nor does it mean that the endless amounts of photos of them and their friends standing next to pretty flowers blankly staring at the camera in various poses has stopped. There're a million poses, sitting, standing, the classic thinker pose, laying, in a tree, laying on the barrel of a giant machine gun coming out of an old russian tank, sitting on a rock in a river, holding a poor helpless sheep, smelling roses, etc. There's also all the extra things, put on a pair of sunglasses, put on a vest, scarf, hat, etc. It's the same thing over and over with just a tiny little change in each one. Never. One. Emotion. It creeps me out to no end. Maybe after all of my classes I'll go through and do an ode to the sit and stare at the camera in the park face so everyone can see what I'm talking about, since I don't put these pictures up, I really try and avoid looking at them at all costs.

Anyways, they did the assignment and greatly exceeded my expectations. I'm hoping that they didn't just set a really high standard for themselves that makes me depressed every class here on out when they don't live up to it. As if this set of lessons goes in reverse, starting out really excited and taking tons of pictures and finding out the lesson from friends when you miss class, and then by the end taking one assignment photo on the way to class... We'll find out.

First class:

Shukrilla

Shukrilla

Hijiat Ullah

Aman

Qadir

Izat Ullah

Hijiat Ullah

Abdul Wahid

As I've explained to all my classes many times, the more pictures you take the more likely you're going to be to get a better one. They took a lot of pictures, and, as would be expected, there are some pretty good ones in there. This made me happy. One thing that I noticed that made me laugh, but also made me happy, was that they were taking pictures of each other for the assignment where they literally did everything that I mentioned when learning about portrait photos. They were paying attention and took everything I said a little too literally. The last one is a perfect example of that. I'd said that, you don't have to be looking directly at the camera, and you shouldn't just be standing directly square in front staring right at it. That generally makes what's called a mugshot and does not make what most would consider a good portrait. So I ended up with a ton of photos where my students are purposely turned and looking away from the camera, but still so that you can see their eyes. I'm glad they're paying that much attention, but they missed that generally, and not always, parts of that. Practice makes perfect...

After I collected pictures, Hidayat went on to teach them all about how much fun you can have embarrassing yourself to get great angles in photography. I'm hoping for some awesome low angle animal pictures!

Second Class:

Izat Ullah

Izat Ullah

Malangyar

Izat Ullah

Roohid Ullah

Roohid Ullah

Roohid Ullah

There wasn't a whole lot of difference with the second class. The last set my first class was younger boys and my second one was older students who mostly all spoke English. This time they're all 20 FabLab students and generally younger, mixed amount of students in each class that has any sort of English capabilities. Good thing too because Hidayat usually never understands me so they all have to work together to figure it out, I think they usually do.

No huge or major difference in the quality of photos or types of photos. This class had less of them doing the on purpose portrait pose that they apparently thought I'd told them to do. Also a lot less of that unnerving stare.

One thing that I've realized I'm a little iffy about after finally sitting in on 2 full, actual classes that had students and pictures and everything, I don't have any idea what my new teachers are saying. Before I would teach, Hameed and Rahmat would translate. Now it's I sit, and Hidayat and Said Jilal talk. No idea what they're saying, if they're saying anything wrong, telling them the opposite of what they should be, anything. To double check I give them short little quizzes by asking if I do this, will it be good or bad, and make the students answer. I think it's going well.

Another good thing, I found out from Hameed and Rahmat that the day of the lessons, Hidayat wasn't positive on everything he had to teach, so he went to Rahmats in the morning to learn everything. I'm glad they care enough about it to go out of their way to learn exactly what it is that they need to be teaching the day of. Off to a rough start, and now things are looking real positive. Should be hearing back and collecting pictures from the girls in another few days and we can see how those are going!

Apparently I have two different Izat Ullah's... boy do these kids have some serious names

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