Monte Gerlach, photography professor extraordinaire, is leaving Saint Xavier.For someone who has never considered himself a photographer, having Gerlach as a professor was one of my favorite experiences that I’d had at SXU.
I did not have any real photography skills or Photoshop skills when I took his Intro to Photography class. However, with the patience of Job, the spirit of an artist and the approach of an intellectual I gained a lot of great information.
There’s something to be said for any instructor who can take a subject matter for which you have no aptitude and actually teach you something, let alone make you interested in the subject matter.
What makes a great picture, I learned, goes far beyond something simply looking pretty. As the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, I am kind of expected to know a little bit of everything involved with how a newspaper comes together.
For a good stretch, photography and knowing what makes a good photo is something that I struggled with. After taking a class with Gerlach, I learned a lot of things to look for in finding great pictures (though I defer photo responsibilities to Megan Pripusich – also a student of Gerlach – as she has way more experience with photos and a better eye than me).
One of my favorite things that Gerlach did throughout his class was showing photographs that other students had turned in over the years. The photos were often on a wide breadth of subjects and compositions.
They ranged from intimate portraits of friends, couples, and relatives to vast landscapes of cities, deserts, and farmland. You could likely find everything in between in these presentations.
The reason why I liked these is it demonstrates the range of what constitutes a great picture. A great picture can be as simple as a straight on headshot or as complicated as an image infused with digital trickery.
Some of Gerlach’s rules as to what makes a great picture include: don’t photograph ducks or stuffed animals (I imagine this is because he had a lot of students photograph these things and eventually he just got sick of seeing these pictures), active pictures are better than passive, always get closer to your subjects.
There are many others, but I don’t know whether Gerlach wouldn’t want me divulging the magician’s secrets – so to speak. So, if it will suffice I think there are a few of us on staff at The Xavierite who have taken classes with Gerlach and are thankful for his guidance and expertise.
Thanks for the instruction. We really appreciate it. We wish you continued success in whatever your future endeavors may be and know that for some you have left an indelible mark for the better.
The Xavierite Editorial Board
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