Saturday 7 January 2012

Chinese Hill by Charlotte Smith




















One of the unexpected and very rewarding aspects of teaching photography remain the surprises waiting to happen to the old teacher as he stays behind one more year at the old classroom as his students leave for greener pastures every June. Of course there is always the element of sadness, of knowing how life marches on towards the end of the road, and of how nothing will be forever the same on a daily basis. But then some of the faithful students sometimes show up and bring the odd surprise, the shining gem they have found near other beaches, to pay a little homage to the teacher who was left behind tending to the younger herd. Such is the case with this beautiful, dream-like image, resembling a Chinese painting, all brush stroke and impossible renderings of an unnaturally fantastic stony hill, which my former pupil, Charlotte Smith, brought to me one late Friday afternoon in early 2012, so that my sadness of loss would be compensated by the achievements of those who reach and strive to accomplish the mandates of photography.

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Early Evening Walk