Patrick Keough is a Photography Instructor and the Distance Learning Director at Carteret Community College in North Carolina. Patrick has been designing and teaching Internet courses since the Spring of 1997 and has taught art, photography and graphic design at Carteret Community College and for the Virtual Campus of the North Carolina Community College System since 1979. He’s been instrumental in furthering distance learning initiatives and has conducted numerous photography workshops in the Southeast United States. His latest innovation is developing methodology for teaching studio and computer art and photography courses in the online environment.
Patrick Keough, Recording an Instructional Podcast in his Office
DK: Patrick- can you briefly describe your career- how did you get to Carteret College? What was your first teaching experience? What directed you towards a teaching career?
PK: «I was first introduced to Photography while attending New York Institute of Technology on Long Island. I was in the Communication Arts program and took a photography course as an elective in 1972. I can still vividly remember developing my first roll of Tri-X film using the deep tank method in a dark room standing in total darkness with four other bewildered students dipping and dunking our film – none of us had a clue what we were doing, but the film miraculously came out. When I dried my negatives and made that first print I knew immediately photography would be a part of my life and career in some way. I started taking photographs after that class and even though they were mostly snap shots, I knew deep down inside that photography would play an important role in my life. After college I enlisted in the Army as a military Photojournalist and spent six months attending the Air Force Still Photography School at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver Colorado. After graduating Air Force Photo School I was assigned to a Photo Lab at Ft. Bragg Military Base, North Carolina shooting and writing articles for military publications like Paraglide and Army Times.»
Patrick Keough, Mixing Photo Chemicals while on Military Maneuvers U.S Army, 1977
«I worked in a small “make shift” photo lab shooting and writing for military newspapers and publications from 1976 - 1978. I got over 400 photographs and articles published in Various military publications to include Army Times, Soldiers Magazine and the Fayetteville Observer during my 2 1/2 years stationed at Ft. Bragg NC. The instruction I received in military photography school and the in-depth “real world” experience I gained from photographing military training, deployments and exercises (in all kinds of conditions, locations and situations) have been invaluable throughout my photographic and teaching career. I left the Army in 1978 and spent four more years in the Army National Guard as a Photojournalist (and assistant editor) for the NC National Guard Magazine and Newspaper covering all aspects of training and military exercises throughout the country. I also started working for a Community College in Sanford, NC as an audiovisual technician starting at $9,000 per year.
Patrick Keough, Printing Photographs for Military Publications U.S Army, 1978
«After 2 years of writing and shooting educational slide presentations for the Community College System, I decided to take advantage of the GI Bill and in 1981 enrolled in the MFA program at ECU in Communication Arts. I was in for a rude awakening. The MFA program was a lot more difficult than undergraduate and my military schools. Professor Henry Stindt took me under his wing and with his guidance, patience and mentoring I developed and honed my photographic skills and personal vision as a photographer and artist. I also branched out into multimedia, video production, painting and mixed media during my tenure at the School of Art at ECU.
My days in Graduate School were eye opening and extremely beneficial to my growthas an artist, instructor and image maker. I worked as Henry Stindt’s Commercial Photography assistant for over three years in addition to helping my other and Thesis Chairman Professor Bob Rasch produce a comprehensive dual projector historical slide show for the town of Williamston in Martin County. I have no doubt that the combination of military training and diverse instruction and experiences in graduate school prepared me for my teaching and photographic careers. I also found my studies in Painting and Art History very beneficial towards my creative growth, in addition to the just being exposed to a variety of artists and art disciplines during my years at the School of Art.
I worked as a Graduate Assistant in the photographic facility (darkrooms) and lighting studio at the School of Art, in addition to working at Joyner Library and the Medical School as a Medical Media Producer / Photographer. All this experience truly prepared me for my teaching career and made the difference when interviewing for jobs. In fact…I would not have been offered a full time position at Carteret Community College if I didn’t have the art history courses, multi-media, photojournalism and part-time teaching experience behind me.
Once I interviewed and got a “half-time” position teaching Photography at Carteret Community College, I still had full time family and financial obligations. I had to complete my Multi-Media and Performance Thesis project. This was a monumental and undertaking to say the least. I also had the good fortune of working with and photographing Sandra Bullock who was one of the dancers in my performance theses production. It took me a year to complete my Thesis work once my Graduate course work was accomplished. My thesis committee was very demanding, however Henry, Bob Rasch and Dr. Richard Lange were very supportive and helpful in seeing me through this grueling process.»
Madonna’s Shadow, Patrick Keough 1982
«In order to make ends meet financially I took on part-time teaching jobs (photography and art appreciation) at two other colleges in the region, in addition to doing freelance photography and video production in the Greenville area. I also aggressively pursued getting shows at local arts councils and galleries. Moving up in one’s career also includes some luck and timing. After a year of traveling from Greenville (Pitt Community College) to Little Washington (Beaufort Community College) and Morehead City, an opportunity for full-time employment opened up at Carteret.
I was asked if I could teach Art Appreciation and Art History and without even thinking about it for a second I said YES, even though I had never taught Art History before. I took it in graduate school, but teaching art history to a classroom full of Interior Design students was another thing entirely. Needless to say, I got the texts and slides and stayed one week ahead of the students that first year teaching. I was baptized in fire and I believe that’s the only way to learn and develop your skills as a teacher.
In 2001 I started an Associates of Fine Arts Degree at my college and worked as AFA Coordinator until handing it over to one of my art adjuncts in 2008 due to the demands of my Distance Learning Director position. Even though I stay very busy with the demands of my teaching and administrative duties I schedule time to make photographs, write and paint. I firmly believe our personal work is a critical factor in keeping us fresh, innovative and passionate about teaching.»
DK: Since this is a series of interviews that discusses the current state of photography education, could you please introduce us to your program at Carteret Community College. The size, the number of students, what classes you teach, the studentsʼ demographics?
PK: «I work at a Community College situated on the scenic coast of North Carolina. We have a state-of-the-art photographic facility that prides itself in offering students the best of both analog and digital photographic instruction.
Teddy Lewis, Character Studies 2010, Patrick Keough Student
Our Photography Curriculum is a two year Associate degree program offering training in photographic techniques and their application in professional photographic disciplines. Special emphasis is placed on developing skills in the following areas: Fundamentals of camera systems, lighting theory and techniques, photographic processes, commercial illustration, visual design and craftsmanship, digital imaging, multi-media and business practices.
The first year of the program students use traditional (film) processes in color and black and white. Students also get to explore the magic of the darkroom and creative alternative processes. The summer semester transitions students to the second year that focuses more on digital technology, graphic design, commercial illustration, photojournalism and portfolio development.
Our program is completely web-enhanced (blended) so our students get a great deal of their photographic instruction in the online environment. This has enabled us to expand our program outside of our local county and gives our students more options and alternatives to earning their photography degree.
The mission of the North Carolina Community College System is to open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to postsecondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives of individuals by providing: Education, training and retraining for the workforce including basic skills and literacy education, occupational and pre-baccalaureate programs.
Community Colleges support economic development through services to and in partnership with business and industry and in collaboration with the University of North Carolina System and private colleges and universities.»
DK: You lead a very active online life- from your own blogs, to teaching blogs, to your involvement with Vasa Project. Can you tell us more about the role of Internet in your creative life and your teaching, and perhaps describe all of the various ways you publish and teach online? Can you tell us about your role as a Director of Distance Learning?
PK: «I’m not exactly sure how I got so immersed in distance education. It all started in the mid-90’s when I was giving art appreciation lectures to large classes in a lecture hall. I heard there were some museums on this thing called the internet so I figured out a way to hook a large bulky computer to an enormous first generation LCD projector and took my students on a cyber field trip to the Prado, MET and Louvre. These museums had a very minimal internet presence back then, but It got my students excited about studying art and was a catalyst for my exploration into harnessing the power of the web to teach art and photography online.
I have been designing and teaching online courses since the Spring of 1997 and have taught art history, a variety of photography courses and graphic design for colleges in the Community College System ever since. I use a variety of methods for teaching my classes online to include Blackboard and Moodle Course Management Systems, Skype for office hours, Elluminate for live online lectures, Jing for screencasts, YouTube for posting my video lectures and podcasting and posting all my classroom lectures to ITunes for students to download and listen to at their convenience. I believe you can teach just about anything online with the powerful tools, software and applications available to use as educators.
I feel like I have played a role in furthering the distance learning initiatives at Carteret Community College and for the Virtual Campus of the North Carolina Community College System by conducting professional development workshops on all phases of internet course development and methodology for the Community College System of North Carolina. I have also been a Vice President the North Carolina Distance Learning Association (NC3ADL) since 2008.
Why the heck do I even blog in the first place you ask? I’ve been blogging regularly for almost five years. I can remember the first blog post I made when David Warlick asked for a volunteer at a distance learning (blogging) workshop I was attending in Asheville to actually set-up a blog while he was presenting. Needless to say I’ve been blogging ever since. The best way I can explain my passion for blogging (and art in general) is making an analogy to art and photography.
What made Van Gogh want to paint even though he didn’t make any money at it? What made Ansel Adams want to make majestic landscape photographs. Why did Paul Gauguin quit a good job as a stock broker and leave his family for Brittany to be a starving artist? What made Jackson Pollock pour his guts out in his giant abstract expressionistic paintings?
Writers have to write! Painters have to paint and photographers have to make pictures. It’s hard wired into their DNA. I think the thing we all have in common is a deep desire to express oneself. To share what’s on our minds and in our hearts whether that be through art, photography, writing, painting or some other art form. It may be love of nature, questioning the meaning of life, spirituality, feelings about love, GOD, fear, loss, confusion – essentially filtering our personal reality through the world we live in and translating it to others via some creative medium.
I’m also very excited about working with Roberto Muffoletto and the Vasa Project http://vasa-project.com/. I have gotten to meet and work professionals like A.D. Coleman through Vasa, in addition to doing gallery talks, online lectures, workshops, publishing e-portfolio’s, and coordinating an upcoming photography workshop in Sardinia, Italy next Easter. We are also in the planning stages of launching and actual online photography institute in Europe and Asia.
Portrait of my Son Adam 1992, Patrick Keough
DK: The medium of photography constantly changes. Can you discuss the role of technology in this dynamic medium? How do you approach teaching students to be open to these changes? How does it influence your own work?
PK: «We as photographers, artists and image-makers must face the reality that the digital revolution is over and digital won. The medium of photography is changing RAPIDLY and the photographic industry is changing as well. The days of silver halides, dektol, stop bath and fixer are coming to an end, although I believe there will always be a place for traditional “silver based” photography. Fine art photographers will continue to use (and explore) traditional photographic techniques while the commercial industry embraces digital technology from input to output.
Digital technology is impacting a broad cross section of businesses, industries and disciplines around the world. We as image makers MUST continue to educate ourselves (and become fluent) in all phases of digital technology if we plan on competing in the digital work place. That means being as comfortable and proficient with a computer, Lightroom and PhotoShop as we are behind the camera taking photographs.
It wasn’t that long ago when photographers only had to learn and master camera operation, darkroom techniques, composition and conceptual issues BUT now we must also concern ourselves with computers, scanners, resolution, pixels, megabytes, gigabytes, ftp, html and the Internet.
We live and work in a completely different world now. Our images are used for so many more things and there is a larger GLOBAL market for our work than ever before IF we know how to navigate, market ourselves and compete in the digital world.»
Adam in Morning Light, 1989, Patrick Keough
«The key to success in this new millennium is versatility and knowledge. Having an “indepth” understanding of both traditional photography and digital imaging will make you more marketable in this new cyber economy.
The computer and imaging software will not make great and powerful images. It is still up to us use our creative vision throughout the image making process. This is where there are still many similarities between traditional and digital photography. You still need a good (discerning) eye to take dynamic and unique pictures. You still should have a strong grasp of the rules of composition and your pictures should communicate effectively and have your personal style embedded in them.
This is a very exciting time to be a photographer. There are more creative and career opportunities than ever before. With that said…it is up to the photographer to synthesize (and master) the old and the new techniques and technologies into his / her personal style. The industry is changing rapidly, the medium is changing and careers in this exciting field are evolving faster than ever before.»
DK: You have a background as a painter. Can you discuss the relationship between image making through photography and through painting? Your travel images often find their way into your paintings. What is your relationship to landscape?
PK: «Being exposed to painting and art history were invaluable to my development as a teacher and artist/image maker. I wasn’t thrilled about having to minor in painting, in addition to taking art history in Graduate School, however, as I look back I realize just how important it was to explore these disciplines. I absolutely love photographing the landscape when I’m traveling through Ireland, Europe and this vast country. When I identify one of those magical landscape shots many times I’ll use it as a reference (point of departure) for a painting. Being a student of art history and painting has taught me to see differently – to be hyper sensitive to color and the subtle nuanced details and the more abstract elements of design in my potential subjects. The photography informs my painting and visa versa. It’s all part of my creative journey.
What a long strange trip it’s been!»
© All copyright remains with photographer Patrick Keough