RIT Photography Students Prepare to Aid Brazil

Some Rochester Institute of Technology students spend summer vacation working seasonal jobs back home. Others stay at RIT to get ahead in their schoolwork by taking summer classes. In contrast, a select few will spend two weeks on an island off the coast of Brazil taking documentary photos and building their portfolios in an exciting new addition to the curriculum of the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences.

A new course—Photography in Brazil—offers students an exciting opportunity to gain experience working in another country and “diving in” to underwater photography.

Millard Schisler, a Brazilian RIT adjunct professor, first proposed the Brazil class last fall. “I wanted to create a course in Brazil that could expose students to the culture, landscape and to people within social organizations. We did not want a tourist type experience,” says Schisler.

The class started in spring and will stretch over three consecutive quarters. Initially, students met for a preparation period to learn about Brazilian culture, geography, food and regional topics of interest. Several students also took Portuguese language classes to supplement their learning.

One week after final exams, the group will depart to spend two weeks in Natal, Rio de Janeiro and Fernando de Noronha, a sheltered archipelago allowing only 420 visitors daily. In 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization labeled Fernando de Noronha a World Natural Landmark.

Once on the islands, the students will work alongside the IBAMA, a Brazilian governmental department equivalent to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, to produce documentary photos for Brazilian nonprofit groups. Underwater photographs taken on the coral reefs surrounding the island group will become a primary focus.

Students will also be working with a local high school by installing a digital photography workstation and training the teachers on how to use it. Two RIT computers and a digital camera will be left as gifts for the area residents and schoolchildren. Finally, there will be an opportunity to take pictures in the local villages and towns on the mainland.

In fall quarter, students will share and critique their initial work and formally present their trip portfolio.

The concept of this class is based on a similar class sponsored by SPAS—Photography in Cuba. In a rare cultural exchange between United States students and the Cuban people, SPAS students return from trips to Cuba in spring quarter with great photos—and the stories to go along with them.

William DuBois, professor and chair of the photographic arts department, will also take part in the Brazil excursion. “Aside from the great weather, Brazil will offer some unique photo opportunities for our students. Underwater photography, while similar to photography above water, demands different lighting techniques and color filtration. This will be an important skill for students to learn,” says DuBois.M

Students who take part in this inaugural trip will have a number of keepsakes to take home with them, including vital new skills in documentary photography, stories to match, and friendships with the Brazilian people.