2008 Woodie Awards
A day in the life: Rene West
Photography instructor brings unique approach
Jake Fox
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Front Page
Not every teacher brings passion to his or her work, but after only a few weeks on the job, Amarillo College's newest photography teacher, René West, has proven her enthusiasm.
"Class is 3½ hours, and there's never a dull moment," said Kristian Holland, a photography major,
"She gets so excited about all of it."
West teaches Fundamentals of Photography, Digital Imaging and History of Photography and plans to add a fourth class, Expressive Photography, next semester. A photographer and a singer/songwriter, West said she likes to think of herself as a storyteller.
"In word, it takes maybe 300 pages to tell a story, a song maybe three to five minutes. With a photo you have one thousandth of a second," West said.
She received her MFA and Advertising Design in 1998, and holds a BFA in Photography and Painting from Texas Women's University and has taught at several colleges including University of Texas at Arlington as a senior lecturer.
"When I was younger I always loved to collage," said West, "I once collaged my entire room from floor to ceiling. Then I discovered photography and that I could add my own creativity and uniqueness."
Along with teaching and art, she released two full- length albums, one of which is in the top 25 list in Belgium. Currently she has several pieces on display on the fourth floor of AC's Lynn Library through October 15th for free public viewing.The exhibit features work from West as well as her fellow AC art teachers John Chaka and Tamara Robertson.
Julie Ann Beddow, AC circulation desk supervisor, writes that West's pieces show "a softly diffused use of words that seem to narrate an isolated meaning."
Her pieces are mostly digital composites and each picture has its own distinct story. West says that she likes to merge historical photography techniques with modern Photoshop work and digital photography, and her exhibit is proof.
Some photos detail her musical endeavors in Nashville while others are scraps from scribbled love notes in the 1920's, old receipts and spines from worn out books. West doesn't see photos as just images, but as a way to communicate ideas. She loves being able to get other students involved and show them potentially what the full positive impact of photography can have on them.
"I like to get students as excited as I am if that's possible," West said.Her pieces mostly are digital composites, and each picture has its own distinct story.
West said she likes to merge historical photography techniques with modern Photoshop work and digital photography, and her exhibit is proof.
Some photos detail her musical endeavors in Nashville while others are scraps from scribbled love notes in the 1920s, old receipts and spines from worn-out books.
West doesn't see photos as just images but as a way to communicate ideas.
She loves being able to get students involved and showing them potentially what the full positive impact of photography can have on them.
"I like to get students as excited as I am, if that's possible," West said.
"Class is 3½ hours, and there's never a dull moment," said Kristian Holland, a photography major,
"She gets so excited about all of it."
West teaches Fundamentals of Photography, Digital Imaging and History of Photography and plans to add a fourth class, Expressive Photography, next semester. A photographer and a singer/songwriter, West said she likes to think of herself as a storyteller.
"In word, it takes maybe 300 pages to tell a story, a song maybe three to five minutes. With a photo you have one thousandth of a second," West said.
She received her MFA and Advertising Design in 1998, and holds a BFA in Photography and Painting from Texas Women's University and has taught at several colleges including University of Texas at Arlington as a senior lecturer.
"When I was younger I always loved to collage," said West, "I once collaged my entire room from floor to ceiling. Then I discovered photography and that I could add my own creativity and uniqueness."
Along with teaching and art, she released two full- length albums, one of which is in the top 25 list in Belgium. Currently she has several pieces on display on the fourth floor of AC's Lynn Library through October 15th for free public viewing.The exhibit features work from West as well as her fellow AC art teachers John Chaka and Tamara Robertson.
Julie Ann Beddow, AC circulation desk supervisor, writes that West's pieces show "a softly diffused use of words that seem to narrate an isolated meaning."
Her pieces are mostly digital composites and each picture has its own distinct story. West says that she likes to merge historical photography techniques with modern Photoshop work and digital photography, and her exhibit is proof.
Some photos detail her musical endeavors in Nashville while others are scraps from scribbled love notes in the 1920's, old receipts and spines from worn out books. West doesn't see photos as just images, but as a way to communicate ideas. She loves being able to get other students involved and show them potentially what the full positive impact of photography can have on them.
"I like to get students as excited as I am if that's possible," West said.Her pieces mostly are digital composites, and each picture has its own distinct story.
West said she likes to merge historical photography techniques with modern Photoshop work and digital photography, and her exhibit is proof.
Some photos detail her musical endeavors in Nashville while others are scraps from scribbled love notes in the 1920s, old receipts and spines from worn-out books.
West doesn't see photos as just images but as a way to communicate ideas.
She loves being able to get students involved and showing them potentially what the full positive impact of photography can have on them.
"I like to get students as excited as I am, if that's possible," West said.
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