[Photograph: http://beaarthurmountainspizza.tumblr.com/] I was a huge photography nerd in high school. (At some point during my senior year, my day comprised at least three hours of photo-related time — Photojournalism I or II [for the newspaper and yearbook], Advanced Photo II, and Directed Study/Photo Lab Assistant.) Learning about composition, exposure, and all the technical aspects were crucial, sure, but perhaps the most important lesson my teacher, Mr. Evans, taught me came when he gave our Beginning Photo class thematic assignments. In assigning the week's theme ("Contrast," "Things Out of Place," "Happiness," for instance), I'll never forget this bit of... More