What to study.

Choosing a topic....The T-rex ?>

What will I study? It is an age old question. There is so much going on out there that it is hard to decide. I waffled over it and now my kids do too. History, art and education were my college choices. But even during the studying years there was feeling that dug deep questioning my decisions. Is there one perfect thing?  Even though the subjects don't directly relate to photography, my senses tell me that they had their worth.   The history major allowed me to see the importance of capturing our own unique history through a lens, while the art history major helped teach me how to compose it. After working with 6th graders over the past 2 months teaching them about portraiture and photography my education credits feel validated. My point here is that all of our past experiences effect what we are doing right now. Even if you studied to become a lawyer, you can someday become a policeman and use your understanding of the law to make you better at your job. Anyone's current success is directly related to our past efforts.  All of this comes to surface as Peter worked on choosing his spring project work. No different than many of us when hit with the question of what to study, his mind began to spin. What could be so important to dedicate all of this time he wondered? My guess is that these decisions are difficult because there are just so many cool things out there. As I dug deep in my hard drive, visual proof of his study ideas come to light. His life experiences helped make these decisions for him.  He pondered over a few topics, The T-Rex, George Washington and rocks. Sure enough, the computer spits out those photos. Trips to visit all three of these topics helped pique his interest. From a person that learns through visual perception, my travels have ultimately made my decisions for me. Perhaps, Peter thinks in a similar way.  After much deliberation and a start over, he picked rocks as the geologist in him surfaced.  It's not surprising that the t-Rex didn't cut it in that he never went through the dinosaur phase as a little tot.   I guess learning is much like a family tree where everything is linked to each other and their historic connection is undeniable.  What I write or take a picture of today will somehow effect tomorrow, even if  I'm not sure how. Making it all count, that's the lesson learned.

or George Washington ?

The geologist in him wins...he chooses to study rocks.