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A photograph by Olney Central College student Troy Green is among the works included in Northern Illinois University’s Community College Student Juried Virtual Exhibition.
Green, a student in Heather Sandy’s online Introduction to Photography course, was one of 79 artists whose works were selected from more than 150 submissions.
“I was honored, impressed and humbled all at the same time,” said Green, who resides in Geismar, La. “I thought it was a good photo, but I didn’t know how it would compare to other photographers’ work. It’s a high honor to be included.”
The photograph, “Bee-utiful Blossom,” was taken for a class assignment focusing on animals.
“We have a citrus tree in our backyard,” Green said. “A honeybee was in flight above the blossom and I snapped a photo.”
Green’s accomplishment is even more impressive considering he enrolled in the class with little photography experience.
“I needed one more class to graduate and photography sounded like an interesting course,” he said. “I bought a camera several years ago and didn’t really know how to use it. I thought the class would enable me to get use out of the camera and get my last credit.”
Green started his associate’s degree when he was living in Robinson in the early 2000s.
“I took night classes at both Lincoln Trail College and Olney Central College,” he said. “Then, I moved to Memphis and never pursued it again until a couple of years ago. I called LTC and found out how many classes I needed to wrap up my associate’s degree. I started taking one class a semester online and here I am.”
Green, who earned his degree earlier this month, is pleased with his decision to take the photography class.
“I loved the class,” he said. ”I’ve enjoyed the challenge. Heather has taught me a lot about how to use the camera and the composition of photographs. I would absolutely recommend the class to others. I enjoyed working with Heather. She was very responsive. In our discussions, she critiques your work and shows you where you can improve.”
