Works of photographer Keith Dotson studied by British photography class

Images by fine art photographer Keith Dotson were the focus of students' class projects

Fine art photographer Keith Dotson was honored recently, with an invitation to attend (virtually) a school photography exhibition — a display of works created by Year 10 photo students in England. The exhibition was the culmination of the students' study of images by Keith Dotson and other photographers.

Above: Keith Dotson offers words of congratulations, via phone screen, to the student photographers who participated in the Year 10 photo exhibit. Photo courtesy of Burgate Artists.

Guided by the innovative instruction of teacher / photographer Sandi Robertson, the students completed weekly photography assignments, where they attempted various techniques, using observations of the nature photographs of Keith Dotson as examples.

In addition to photo assignments, the students also maintained written journals where they discussed how the images of Keith Dotson and others inspired their own work, and how they planned and executed their own photographs.

Above: An example of a student journal featuring several photographs by Keith Dotson (on the left page), surrounded by the handwritten notes and photos of the student. Photograph courtesy of Sandi Robertson.

Proud to support the work of students

For years, Keith Dotson has received occasional emails or Instagram messages from students requesting information for reports, biographies, or other school projects.

But, this is the first time Keith has been invited to actually participate with a class. It began with a two pre-recorded videos by Ms. Robertson, posted to YouTube. One video was a discussion of Keith's work, complete with class assignments. The second was an interview with Keith.

After the videos, Keith spoke to the class in a live Zoom call, where he looked at student work and answered questions.

The classwork culminated in a stunning photo exhibit on school property, organized by Ms. Robertson, in which Keith was able to attend via video chat, speaking to a number of individual students about their work, and offering congratulations to the group as a whole.

For Keith, a former art teacher, the entire process was wholly rewarding. 

Thanks to Sandi Robertson and the Burgate School for the opportunity to participate.