Cori Park (Hami High-1965/ Cori Freund)

Cori located me on photo.net and we were able to make contact, and we also had a very nice conversation. Cori was a student-instructor in photo and was very active in the photography program. Her email is:yaskme2@msn.com

Learning from my students

Since having my computer stolen in January 2012, I have been asking questions about digital cameras and file sizes, raw, Tiff and other matters, of my former students, Lisa Ross, David Siegel, Paul Indman and Eric Myer. Eight years worth of pictures, all my software, all my backup devices, are all gone. So, I thought it would be a good time to get back into producing high quality images, this time in digital files. They have been very helpful and I am in the hunt for a Canon 5D Mark II. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
Duane
805 558 4264

A New Life In Colorado

On March 25 my dear wife of 33 years died. I have moved to Aurora, Colorado to live with close friends and start a new life. Two days before leaving California, three former Hami High students, Steve Thompson, Rex Jensen and Stuart Smith, drove out to Camarillo to have lunch with me. It was a memorable day, to say the least, that they would do that. I saw Steve about 30 some years ago at a wedding, but I had not seen Stuart since he graduated from Hami. Rex had been out to Camarillo last year and we had a great reunion then. Other Hami Hi students wrote me and wished me well, and I really appreciated it. I love Colorado and the endless variations in the weather, and the scenery. I plan to go to Santa Fe in late July to see Lisa Ross at the opening of a new photography exhibit. That will be exciting. Best wishes to all!!!!!!
Duane

Life and Death Issues

I am temporarily stopping my postings. This is due to my wifes' health and the life and death issues she is now facing. I shall resume at some future date.

Duane

Duane with Ansel Adams - 1964

In 1964, for the photo salon, I wanted to have some new judges, so I invited Jason Hailey and Ansel Adams and told them that we would bring the prints for the show to them. That included Ansel Adams, who was living near Carmel, California. Jason and Ansel responded affirmatively and on Memorial Day weekend 1964, I and the salon committee, consisting of nine students, took all of the display prints to the home of Ansel Adams at Point Lobos, just south of Carmel. We were all very keyed up, as we were going to meet and talk to the most famous photographer in America.

He greeted us at the door with his wife, Virginia, and Ansel was very unassuming and cordial. We talked briefly and then got down to the business of showing him the prints and asking for his feedback. This took a few hours and then we were taken on a tour of his work area, darkroom and studio. He invited us to come back again next year, which thrilled us all. It was quite a day.

First Year and First Salon 1962-63

All of the education, student teaching, lesson planning and preperation never fully prepares one to take over a full-time teaching job. But, I managed to get through it, with the help of my advanced and student teachers. I taught three beginning classes, one advanced class, a photo production class, sponsered the Photography Guild and put on the annual photo salon.

At the annual photo salon there were over 200 prints. It took place in the photography lab two weeks before the school year ended. The judges for that year were; C.K. Eaton, Jim Jordan and Will Connell from the Art Center, Earl Theisen from Look Magazine and Lois Vinette, former photography teacher. Most of the school looked forward to seeing the exhibit, as the teachers had signed up in advance to bring their classes in. Parents and guests were able to see the salon on a Wednesday evening and the show was packed with people. Even former students of Lois Vinettes' came in large numbers. Local merchants had donated prizes to the winners in each catagory.

Notable students that year were; John Adair, Alan Gardner and Richard Taylor.

The First Year - 1962-63

The success of the photography program was based on the idea that students learn best from their peers, from other photography students. If you remember your first semester in photography, you will recall that I gave an overview of what was going to happen on each lab day, but the days activity was really taught by a student instructor. Every eight students were led by an advanced student, and this student instructor guided them through the entire period. These lab days happened three days per week.

The other two days were mine to teach and motivate and give assignments. However, the last five minutes of those days were devoted to a short demonstration in the studio by the student instructors of whatever advanced assignment they were working on.

Another advanced student loaded film holders, filled paper orders, dried prints, etc, etc.

I bring this up because I operated on this concept; NEVER DO ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN GET A STUDENT TO DO. Remember, after I took roll and said "GO!" Everybody got up and went about their project?

The 'magic' of the photographic process was at work here too. So, I was just a lucky guy that got the right job at the right time in my life.

My daughter is a successful math teacher in the San Fernando valley and she operates on the same concept.