A Trip to the Printer

Recently, my 7th grade Adobe Youth Voices students and myself were incredibly humbled and fortunate to be invited by Chicago photographer John Batdorff to his gallery and printing space.  John volunteered his professional expertise and equipment (not to mention his time!) to create high-quality prints of the posters my students had created this past year in tech class.

Below are a few of these amazing graphic design creations.  You can see all eleven of the posters here or read about our creative process in a previous post here.

John gave us a demonstration and explanation of his printing process as he prepared their prints for his equipment.  My students buzzed him with questions about the printing and his amazing photography prints displayed in and around his gallery.  They were fascinated to hear about his world travels with his camera as well as the various photography books he has authored.

The prints turned out truly fantastic, beyond what my students or even myself had honestly hoped for.  The experience gave my students a peek into the world of a professional photographer.  They were able to see a professional artist and author speak about his craft and his passion.  The impression left was strong and I certainly recognize the need and value of connecting my students with professionals in the fields I am instructing them in, particularly with my middle school students with whom I cover a variety of media arts topics.

After the prints were complete and framed, they travelled along with my students a week later to an event showcasing Adobe Youth Voices student work from around Chicago.  You can watch a short, 90-second, film of the event below.