Online courses were yesterday. Today DIGITAL MAGAZINE are in.
We are thus meeting people’s mobile needs and offering up-to-date expertise regardless of network availability. Whether by plane, train or analog regions: Nothing stands in the way of further education with it. And if you have net, you can then find our icing on the cake online on the Internet. Isn’t that beautiful?
Those who want to, will find ways. Those who don’t want to will find reasons. (Götz Werner)
We have reworked the English-language photography course ONE-HOUR PHOTO by Andreas Valentin, which was popular in the former FLOWCAMPUS, and also translated it into German. To mark the occasion, we are now posting our interview with him on this blog.
Meet: Andreas Valentin, Ph.D.
First, who are you? And how did you find your way to photography?
My name is Andreas Valentin. I am a Brazilian of German descent currently living in Rio de Janeiro. I have been taking pictures for over 50 years. I have lived in many different cities such as Bangkok, Philadelphia, Berlin and Manaus on the Amazon. Photography has always opened doors to better understand these places, learn about their culture and communicate with their people. Likewise, photography as a form of artistic expression has opened my mind and my worldview.
I teach photography at a variety of levels: to youth, graduate and doctoral students, and in private workshops and study groups. I am now looking forward to this first online teaching experience!
2) What fascinates you about photography?
We live in an increasingly visual world today. Images overwhelm us on our television, computer and smartphone screens. And we are all both image producers and image consumers. What interests me today about teaching photography and reaching people is to better understand how we should interact in this intense visual world.
How do we – and our images – survive in this maelstrom of photos and videos?
Well, maybe we should start thinking about that instead of just taking pictures. About images that could have a longer impact and be remembered, rather than fleeting images that are forgotten almost as quickly as they are taken. Maybe we should slow down our photography.
3) How can photography be used for personal development?
Learning how to take good photography contributes to our overall development. We see the world differently: instead of a superficial look, we look for details, for the rectangle cut out of the visible world that could turn into a good picture. We become more perceptive, more aware of ourselves and what surrounds us.
However, to achieve this, we need to practice a lot. Instead of just shooting in quick, automatic mode, we need to try to take photos in a more contemplative, thoughtful way. We need to use both our brain and our eyes. And, using our brain is always a nice thing to do!
4) Since the social framework is currently changing so rapidly: What contribution can photography make to this process?
Most people who take pictures these days are not professionals, but they still love to take pictures. And are doing so more and more. As a hobby; to relax; for fun; as a marketing tool; to build social networks; to be seen, looked at, liked and followed. For whatever reason, these so-called amateur photographers are helping to elevate photography to a status it never had before: it is now the most widely practiced contemporary activity in the world.
The trillions of photos that are taken, uploaded, sent and shared connect people in a variety of ways.
5) One-hour micro-courses as DIGITAL MAGAZINE TO GO: What do you personally like about this format?
A micro course is a modern training that perfectly suits modern people, because today you need compact, short and concise content that can be used regardless of time and place.
60 minutes is ideal for me to get a quick taste of a new topic. To see if a topic is relevant to me and my personal development.
60 minutes is also ideal for me because it is predictable and promising and helps me finish the course without interruption if necessary. Because I can do the course well after work, if I invest only 1 hour of my free time, or if I train 10 minutes a day for a week, or if I use my lunch break at the office.
And with the format of a DIGITAL MAGAZINE, you can now even spend mobile offline phases in a wonderfully meaningful way. That’s great!