The Teacher's New "Camera"

So my students managed to give me really decent pictures while their teacher struggles to have a camera of his own uses his own laptop webcam that can take pictures. I used the camera to take pictures of them for my own class documentations. My students don't seem to ask me why I don't bring my own camera. If they do, I will tell them that its an expensive proposition (TRUE... because my brother lent/gave me his own SLR film-based camera which I am quite shy to bring to the school. Mind you, even newspaper photographers still use film-based SLR cameras). Somebody sold me a 3800 Php Samsung SGH-M610. A tiny slide-cellphone with a resolution of 320x240. Its so bad but I can use it anytime and anywhere. 



Anyway, the term camera, originated from the concept of camara oscura (Italian), literally a dark-box, in Latin its camera obscura, in French its called chambre obscure. Its no different from the pinhole camera that Physics teachers use to demonstrate light in Optics. This camara oscura is used by Visual Artists (Painters) to make accurate drawings of objects and people. So this SAMSUNG camera can take pictures too. I tried. So here are the results. These were the best shots I have taken so far.


The coconut silhouette was unexpected but the shadow shot was carefully composed. Others were composed too. They are not professional looking but they look good enough for me to post them.

Threshold of Frustration

There is however a saving grace for me and that is, I have an Acer Aspire LAPTOP. So I lectured with it in front of them and read and made examples from books, tirelessly scanning them and posting them in Powerpoint presentations. The digital lectures that I made, plus some students wanting to prove something came up with some results. Some borrowed cameras, some cameras were lent to them. No one seems to bother our class. We move from one classroom to another, finding rooms available for us for TWO hours straight.

However, as the weeks go by, with me asking them to come up with four pictures of a certain subject or photography effects they think they can contribute, their pictures slowly tricked in. Some shots were really well, "ugly", but some gave good shots. In the 2nd grading of our class, still like refugees, we decided to just wait an hour everyday so we can have a 4:00 to 6:00 PM class daily. Our first shot was SUNSHOTS. any shot of the sun, preferably dusk or dawn or overcast with sun peeping in. In the process of several lectures, students learned about many things. Lenses, Cameras, Filters, Lighting, Openings and more.

I decided to use my only serviceable camera and that is, my laptop webcam. The laptop was so helpful that I couldn't have a lesson without it. But here are some pictures from my Sunshots.

 This one was taken nearby. Just outside of the school, near the beach by a student using a Kodak Easyshare Digicam



The Red sunset, taken October was the shot taken by my students when we noticed that while I was lecturing, the sky looked extra red. I dispatched them outside and take pictures. This is the best one taken using a Kodak Easyshare DigiCamera



This yellow beamed purple sky was taken by my student while they travelled to a nearby city very early in the morning. This was when they disembarked for a short rest. This was taken using a Pentax Optio Digicam



This yellow and gold sky was taken also near our school. The student liked the presence of a boat blurred by the golden rays of the sun. This was taken using Pentax Optio Digicam.


After seeing some of their efforts. I started feeling inspired because I couldn't do it myself. Not with a camera of my own. (TO BE CONTINUED...)