Where it’s at: Jonathan Worth
Written by duckrabbitThey hate him but we love him, Who ‘they’ are, we are not exactly sure, but Jonathan Worth would be a hero of the photography world if there was any justice. Not that he would care anyway.
Jonathan pisses a few people people off (but makes many more happy) by giving things away for free. Since last year he’s been running a free undergraduate photography course through Coventry University. Tens of thousands of people are accessing the podcasts from the course, which has had some top, top educators like David Campbell teaching on it. Whilst a lot of University’s are ripping students off Jonathan has managed to subvert the higher education system, piss off a few people in photography and get paid for it. That makes him cleverer than duckrabbit (we inadvertently piss people off and occasionally get paid, but don’t get very far with the subversion)
Why?
I’ll ask him and then pop it up here.
In the meantime I’m hoping that Jonathan will invite me to talk on the course. I’ll do it, but only for free.
(by the way, I’ve never met Jonathan. When we shout that we like something, its always genuine)
UPDATE:
Told you he was a good teacher. Fifteen minutes after I put this post up one of his students is already doing the explaining:
Hi RabbitDuck. Well, as a student of Jonathan, I don’t really know who ‘they’ are.
Perhaps you mean closed organisations who feel threatened by what they cannot control.
The people who are annoyed, are those that just don’t ‘get it’ …yet.
It’s not simply about giving things away ‘free’.
It’s about leveraging ‘free’.
In a ocean of information, directing and harnessing the waves, instead of resisting them.A paradigm shift, applying open source/Trans-media philosophy to photographic practice.
= Collaborative Creativity & Innovation.
Watch this TED video: http://www.harpreetkhara.com/archives/8001
Twitter @HarpreetKhar
Author — duckrabbit
duckrabbit is a production company formed by radio producer/journalist Benjamin Chesterton and photographer David White. We specialize in digital storytelling.
Discussion (8 Comments)
Also, it’s really, really good. As you’d expect with that calibre of input.
Hi RabbitDuck. Well, as a student of Jonathan, I don’t really know who ‘they’ are.
Perhaps you mean closed organisations who feel threatened by what they cannot control.
The people who are annoyed, are those that just don’t ‘get it’ …yet.
It’s not simply about giving things away ‘free’.
It’s about leveraging ‘free’.
In a ocean of information, directing and harnessing the waves, instead of resisting them.
A paradigm shift, applying open source/Trans-media philosophy to photographic practice.
= Collaborative Creativity & Innovation.
Watch this TED video: http://www.harpreetkhara.com/archives/8001
Twitter @HarpreetKhara
Personally, I think it’s absolutely awesome. An unbelievable resource. “Collaborative creativity and innovation” Yes please.
Yeah .. its a great example. Get paid to do something that enriches other peoples lives.
Couldn’t agree more, an innovator and a gentleman, kinda like the duck twins, Damian
“Perhaps you mean closed organisations who feel threatened by what they cannot control.
The people who are annoyed, are those that just don’t ‘get it’ …yet.”
Reminds me of a ceratin recent debate, WPP and Magnum Foundation “We choose who is great and you cannot apply” and the inability to make work that is collaboratively creativite and innovative.
It is all about the genius of self authorship apparently and the agencies structure themselves that way by listing and promoting their main assets: photographers as genius individuals – the exact antithesis of what is needed.
Great post and great ideas again coming from debate on duckrabbit!
I can also alert people to this online resource.
History of Photography podcasts from Jeff Curto of the Collge of Dupage who puts his class lectures online.
http://photohistory.jeffcurto.com/
An ongoing series with new podcasts added regularly.