Photography class offers outdoor skills

A New York City cab driver holds his point-and-shoot camera out the window of his car as he drives through the streets.

It is not an expensive camera, but the photos it captures still tell a story.

An Outdoor Adventures photography class, beginning today, will screen a short film on the driver-turned-photographer during one of the organization’s new  non-academic sessions.

Students interested in learning about photography basics can sign up for the class, Introduction to Outdoor Photography, no matter what kind of camera they own.

The class will run from 6 to 8 p.m today, Oct. 21, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. The costs are $50 for students and $55 for non-students.

Students enrolled must find their own transportation to Griffy Lake Nature Preserve for the Oct. 28 session.

“A lot of people get intimidated,” class instructor and IU alumnus Dave Derkacy said. “Often they think ‘Oh, I don’t have a big fancy camera, so I can’t take it.’ Film or digital, it’s mainly the principles I’m trying to teach.”

In past years, before Starbucks opened in the Indiana Memorial Union, Derkacy said photography classes were taught in the IMU Gallery space. The classes moved to a space called Union Studios, where a University Information Technology Services computer lab now resides.

“They broke everything up because they went with the Starbucks,” Derkacy said. “Then the dean of students wanted the Outfitters area, and computers took over Union Studios. Now they’re brought back together.”

The class will focus on outdoor photography, Derkacy said, but students will also learn everyday skills.

“We want to make it for people who not only want to learn photography, but want to outside,” he said.

Students will be asked to turn in assignments, but the photos will not be graded. Derkacy said he chose to make the class non-academic because it will be more fun and less pressure.

“A lot of times students sign up for non-academics because they want to further develop themselves,” he said.

For more information on the course, call 812-855-9883.

— Bailey Loosemore