The academic school day can be overwhelming but the photography class taught by Ryan Bowden is a therapeutic break from the chaos. Anticipating what item is inside their given paper bag, students begin their “Grab Bag project.”
Ryan Bowden noticed that many students struggled to come up with innovative ideas, so he launched the Grab Bag project to have his students think creatively.
Mr. Bowden decided to take ordinary objects and put them in paper bags to give out to the photography students. Students were then instructed to find 12 creative ways to photograph these items. Some items assigned were sticky notes, gummy worms, pencils, and coca cola cans.
The Grab Bag is not just about photography, as Mr. Bowden explains, but about digging for your own imagination.
“When you look at a sticky note, you think, it’s just something to write on,” says Mr. Bowden. “But have you ever thought about folding it or tearing it or putting it somewhere where you wouldn’t normally see it? Or how the light hit it differently in the morning versus the light in the afternoon?”
For Haruna Watanabe, a 10th-grade student, the assignment is like a puzzle.
“It’s hard to think of new ideas,” she says. “But once you start, it’s like a game.”
Malak Masoud, an 11th-grade student, likes the assignment’s creativity.
“I love being creative and finding new ways to capture everyday objects,” she says.
This assignment is important for students because it’s all about practice. In class, there are only a few hours to learn, but with assignments like these, there is much more freedom outside of class.
However, not every student finds the assignment easy. Many students have a hard time thinking about what to photograph. It is a challenge that gets students out of their comfort zone.
The Grab Bag project has become an important part of the photography class. Mr. Bowden’s Grab Bag project is more than just a photography assignment, but a way to search for your own creativity and look with a different perspective.
“When you get to high school you are limited from your artistic side,” said Mr. Bowden. “I think as high school students, we need to be more creative. And we need to have more opportunities to be creative. That’s what grab bags are all about.
