By Timothy Durski, 567 Center for Renewal

Is it fair to say, yet, that everyone is a photographer? It’s not that everyone could be a photographer; it’s that we all have that camera on our phone, in our pocket, even those of us still holding out with our budget-model flip phone. Okay, maybe we’re not “photographers” – the more cautious word might be “documentarian.” It’s easy to document our experiences, but photography implies artistic intent, something more than slapping on an Instagram filter to make a picture look “artsy.”

In part because of the ubiquity of the camera, The 567 Center for Renewal was happy to host a photography class designed to introduce the Macon public to the fundamentals of photography. On February 2, the 567 partnered with local artist William Haun to teach an “Introduction to Digital Photography” class. Haun, an award-winning photographer and web developer, whose life has taken him across Africa and the Middle East, opened the class with a demonstration of the basics of composition and of the camera itself. Haun showed his students all the basic settings on a digital camera, and what exactly they do. As one student, Clara, pointed out, students especially appreciated this: “It shows me how much easier just knowing about your camera can help.” Once his students had their cameras down, they took to the streets of Macon, where Haun demonstrated various techniques while his students practiced with their own camera.

This photography class is part of a larger roster of art classes the 567 plans to hold – and, in fact, has already held – designed to educate Macon on the basics of art, design, and composition. In addition to this photography class, the 567 has also hosted classes in painting (through its Corks and Canvas program), and plans to host an Introduction to Drawing Class in March.

William Haun teaches a photographyworkshop at The 567 Center for Renewal.