Canyon Crest Academy DigiPhoto

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Period One: Fine Art Digital Photography

Period Three: Photo Imaging & Advanced Fine Art Digital Photography

Period FOUR: Digital Art and Design & Advanced Digital Art and Design

Contact information: Because of shared rooms, email is the best source of contact: kendall.younglund@sduhsd.net

It is not necessary to purchase equipment for the courses. If you wish to have advice on camera buying you can find it here.

About Me:

From 2001-2007, I taught traditional (chemical, wet process), Art Photography to first, second, and third year students in Manteca, California. My students amazed me with their sensitivity and artistic expression, not to mention their sense of fun in making photographs in the old form. *

With the first purchase of a new Digital SLR, I accidentally went into my own business shooting portraits. This was an area of photography that I was anemic at best toward until then. Working mainly with senior pictures, engagement, and events; I found that I connected my vision with happy clients. Although I am primarily an art photographer, I feel deep satisfaction in professional/client work now.

I came to CCA in Fall of 2007 and currently teach Digital Photography, CTE/ROP photography, and Advanced Digital Photography. I feel privileged to have found CCA and am looking forward to the work students produce each year as a part of the Envision Visual Arts program.

Let’s get after it!

*I am still shooting as much film as I do digital. Old school film cameras are a passion of mine. I've been lucky enough to be given or acquired a number of large, medium, and small format cameras. If you have the smallest curiosity about film, ask and I'll be glad to share gear, materials and knowledge.

A FORMER STUDENT ASKED ME A LIST OF QUESTIONS DURING THEIR jUNIOR yEAR AT cca. tHIS IS A SLIGHTLY EDITED VERSION PRESENTED HERE WITH THEIR PERMISSION, STUDENTS QUESTIONS ARE bOLDED:

Good questions!

Unfortunately I'll be rather useless for answers. Or maybe my answers will help you rest a little. You're a Junior... keep living your life a while and don't worry so much about the future. So many decisions and so much to go... Take a DEEP breath!

It's Friday and I'm in no mood to proofread so I hope this is comprehensible and I'll keep it pretty informal but honest:

That said I'll do my best:

What were your interests/passions at the time of applying or around the time of applying?

Junior year: Hanging out with my friends mostly. REALLY Listening to Music. Thinking about girls. Driving my car. Working a Paper Route. School was Math, Science, English, History, PE (all 4 years in high school) Electives were hard to come by and only when I went to Summer School to get ahead. They were : German 1+2, Auto Shop, Photography 1,2, photo T/A(2 and T/A my senior year)

Senior year.. same as above, but I took the SAT and bombed it! School application was to ONE school because it was what me and my parents could afford. Cal State Fresno was less than 3 miles from home. I rode my bike there mostly. In hindsight, I wasted the money on the SAT as it made no difference to what we could afford and my grades got me into CSU Fresno.

Did you stick with the major(s) you chose?

Yes! but that wasn't hard as I was admitted with an Undeclared major. After two years I applied to San Francisco State Univ. and was accepted. Finished 2.5 years at Fresno. Took Spring semester off to Rebuild a 1967 MGB (remember the auto shop class?) and worked 6 Months in the Sequoia National Forest in Youth Camping.

At SFSU I was a Radio - Television Major with an emphasis in Audio Production for Studio Recording (Remember really listening to music?) after a year I took an extra class: Introduction to Philosophy and Religion. Two weeks into the class I went to the Admin building and added it as a Major. (did both R/Tv and Philo at the same time - finished both in the three years I was at SFSU while having as many as three part time jobs at a time.) So 2 B.A. degrees in 5.5 years.

Also took several American Indian Studies courses but didn't do it as a minor (pretty close though).

What were the immediate noes when considering what to pursue?

Answer

What type of college did you go to?

Cal State University... at that time a fairly affordable prospect. Snobby people look down on State schools. I studied Sound with a real producer and NARAS member. Studied Philo/Religion with a world famous Philosopher/author. If you are choosing a school based on what other people will think you're a snob and a fool.

Right now the best school for Photography in my opinion is San Diego City College. It's a community college that has an unparalleled program and facility. And the first 2 years are free. I didn't discover City colleges till after University graduation and have found the professors and scholarship to be VERY strong in the classes I took.

How was the staff and environment?

Super Cool. I'm not that cool. Most Professors, unfortunately, are adored a little too much by their students and let it go to their heads. I know where I need to get way better as a teacher.

Career-wise did you think you would end up as a teacher, what led you to believe or not that you would?

Nope... didn't know for sure. Wanted to produce music - and did a bit of work after graduation in that world. Nothing impressive in the least - but I still trust my ears and know how to make a musician sound as good as they are and maybe a little better.

Philo/Religion - I'm still involved in the questions that I went there for. I did that for me. I never thought it would pay the bills.

I bounced around for five -ish years working as a part time teacher before going back to college for my credential/masters degree.

What was the progression of your career?

I went into Substitute teaching after University. I finished College with no student debt, only had scholarships/grants my last year. I needed to make money and thought I'd be headed to grad school quickly. There was no money for Grad school so that idea ended quickly

Same time I was going to Outdoor Education Schools as a Naturalist/Teacher. Anything to pay my rent and bills and to put gas in the truck to go out to the woods. Started messing around with cameras again as I had the money. (I did a little but not much during college)

Do you have any advice when choosing or considering careers/majors?

Depends on if you want a job or an education.

If you want a Job - go into health care or computers. People get sick and old and computers run the world. If you want a good career without college - Electrical work or Plumbing. You can't outsource them and there's a real shortage.

If you want an education find out what you are interested in - what questions you have about the world around you and dig in.

When I went to college the stat was 80 percent of college grads were not employed in their area of study. My best friend has a brilliant mind for history and is currently an Electrical Contractor. His earning potential is WAY higher than a historian. He still reads more than nearly anyone I know.

How to gauge whether you'll enjoy a path for the long-term?

There is no way to know the future no matter what the lady in the sideshow tent tells you. Get on with it and quit worrying about this sort of thing. You do something for a while and if you get sick of it - do something else. The point is "get on with it" and get busy. Be useful to the people around you. You will enjoy yourself if you can be useful to others - if you're doing something for yourself - yeah you'll be sick of it because you'll be sick of yourself for being selfish.

I've been a paper carrier, worked in a peach packing plant, drove forklifts, worked as a mover, dug ditches, pharmacy technician, stock clerk, lifeguard, swim instructor, outdoor education instructor, rented boats at a dock, hauled trash, cooked breakfasts, worked as a courier in Dublin, and was once "on the clock" and told to go catch a fish during my employment. Taught English and History as a contracted teacher, subbed all grades between k-12 in every subject I can think of, ran sound for small venues and large outdoor concerts. Then did professional photography and taught it for the last 18yrs. Oh and taught Digital art and Design and Video/Film because I was told to.