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If a picture is worth a thousand words, Alex Murchison could fill a library by now. The Holland College photography instructor has spent his life behind the lens, and he's bringing that experience to the classroom.
Born in Charlottetown, PEI, Murchison studied English at Dalhousie but found it wasn't quite right for him. A friend suggested that he try photography, and Murchison was game-the medium's mixture of technology and creativity fascinated him, then as now.
Murchison studied graphic design and photography at Holland College and the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and spent years thereafter freelancing in Halifax and Toronto. "I wanted to do creative work that still allowed me to make a living," he says.
In 1988, Murchison began what he calls his "personal work" by concentrating on artistic efforts. "I started to show my own creative technique," he explains, describing his work as "photo illustrations" rather than conventional photography. With the business skills he'd acquired through years of commercial photography, he continued to find work and went on to win several photography awards.
The freelance fates can be fickle, though-and as it turned out, steadier fiscal ground awaited Murchison in his home province.
"[I'd] been interested in teaching for quite a while," he says, recalling how a friend phoned him up and told him about a job opening at Charlottetown's Holland College. "I think I was looking for a different sort of challenge."
For Murchison, part of that challenge has been helping his students adapt to a changing marketplace. The photography program now emphasizes entrepreneurial skills as well as photographic know-how. "People are more cautious," he says. Students want some assurance of marketable skills.
The program also incorporates computer work, including digital imaging instruction as of this year. Murchison has mixed feelings about the new technology. "Computers don't allow for serendipity," he says. "Often, [art is] a matter of filing away [an] error and recreating it."
On a more fundamental note, Murchison tries to encourage disciplined creativity-consistent craftsmanship. "The professional mark is being able to respect what you do," he says. "The technique itself is something that ties my work together. I have a sense of colour and design that [is consistent] in each piece."
Murchison is consistently productive: in addition to his teaching, he continues to execute freelance commissions-about seven to ten pieces a year. He's also developing a special black & white project based on the theme of the Island family. "The students like the fact that I still work," he says, explaining that it encourages faith in the profession.
"To me," he concludes, "one of the strongest attributes you can have as a photographer is diversity of interest and a willingness to continue learning." For Murchison, the lens is a looking-glass that filters the wonder of the student through the practiced eye of the teacher.