Photo by Christopher Broughton

Photo by Christopher Broughton

Photo by Christopher Broughton

Photo by Christopher Broughton

Photo by Christopher Broughton

Written by Letitia Grimes and Myrna Cambianica

The Ojai Photography Club will host a presentation by photographer and master teacher Christopher Broughton on October 18, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. in Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 West Santa Ana Street, Ojai, CA.

Broughton’s theme, “Practicing Seeing,” is based on his experiences in Paris over the past five summers teaching a ten-week study abroad program in photography to Brooks Institute students. Inspired by great Parisian photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, he was quickly drawn to the allure of street scenes in the City of Light.

Street photography offers unique opportunities for honing your craft, Broughton discovered. He calls it “a master’s course in anticipation, prediction, speed and your skill to capture the moment,” and elaborates: “Shooting on the street is possible anywhere. You don’t have to go on a trip because you are already there. It keeps you looking. It allows you to practice seeing anytime.” The presentation will be richly illustrated with photographs taken on the streets of Paris and also in the studios of artists living there.

Broughton grew up traveling with family, and at the age of eleven, took his mother’s twin lens camera to summer camp with one roll of film. In his words, “The precious twelve frames were mine to fill with the jewels of summer. The quest to visually fill the frame has never stopped. I see photography as a unique medium because it straddles the space between a moment of time and the witnessed perspective of how the photographer sees the world.”

After completing his BA and MS in photography at Brooks Institute, Broughton joined the faculty at Brooks and taught there for twenty years until the recent closure of the school. An outstanding and dedicated teacher, he co-authored a textbook called Capture: Digital Photography Essentials. His images have appeared in numerous photography and design magazines, and his work has been exhibited widely in the Southern California area. Visit his website at: http://www.christopherbroughton.com

Monthly free presentations are part of the Ojai Photography Club’s community service outreach. Visitors are always welcome to attend.

The Ojai Photography Club, which is devoted to education, inspiration, and camaraderie, meets on the third Tuesday of each month, February – November. Only members may submit images for review. For additional information please visit: www.ojaiphotoclub.com/