Milo's Dad Takes a Picture: Project-Based Adulthood

This year, we’ve devoted significant time to project-based learning, where students conceive, plan, execute, and revise both their process and product. Primarily, we work with digital mediums so when Milo’s dad agreed to come in and share his work with analog photography, I hoped the kids would see the parallels between Mr. Shepard’s career and the work they’re engaged in. Or at the very least, find the old cameras interesting. Turns out, it was an afternoon that encapsulated everything I’ve come to adore about this group. 

Stephen came by a little before his presentation to hang out and see the kids in action. A moment before he arrived, against my better judgement, I let a group go outside to finish a section of their project. Now I knew we were kidding ourselves to think they would actually be able to get outside, finish filming an entire section, and be back on time. So when they finally showed up embarrassingly late, all I had was, "Did we set the alarm wrong?" Their apologetic response? “We heard the alarm. It’s just that we really wanted to finish what we were doing.”

Well, their somewhat apologetic response…

What could I say? These kids battled logistics all week after pouring time into the planning and just as it begins to come to life, an alarm goes off. So they wanted to accomplish something. How could you not be way more proud than annoyed? Stephen filled the time by showing the rest of the kids some behind the scenes mechanics of the cameras and when we were all finally ready to go, the chaos channeled perfectly into enthusiasm- a perfect introduction to business as usual around here.

From the moment the presentation began, it was clear that Mr. Sheffield and the class were truly speaking the same language. Milo and his dad demonstrated how the cameras operate which was met with fascination from the rest of the class. 

I’m sure on some level that film will never truly die off. The difference now is the ease in which we can capture, adjust, and remix media. So for film to endure in the same way vinyl has seen a resurgence, the next generation needs an entry point. When Stephen pulled out the large-format Polaroid film no longer made to take a class photograph using his Graflex Speed Graphic, we were all tuned to the same rarified frequency. 

Over the past few months this class has changed my beliefs about what is possible when you’re working with dedication and drive. I honestly can’t say of which I see more, brilliance or joy when the kids are working on something they’re passionate about. I’m exceptionally thankful they got to see from an adult that when interest guides your work, it doesn’t feel like a job.

I couldn’t be more grateful to Mr. Sheffield for the time he spent with us. As lucky as we are to have a class portrait taken in the twilight of film photography, this image Mr. Sheffield caught with his iPhone speaks to his talent for creating the conditions that make a moment like this possible. Every one of those kids’ personalities shines through in this picture. It’s uncanny. 

After originally posting it, it did occur to me that someone may misinterpret the two kids choking a third and the three miming guns. But, having said that… this picture is just too perfect. That’s them, alright. A tremendous thank you to Stephen Sheffield for bringing out the best in this group and then bottling it for us. The afternoon was unforgettable.

I highly recommend you take a moment to check out some of Stephen Sheffield's historical collages. They are spectacular and can be found at www.StephenSheffield.com .