New photography instuctor ‘steps up’ to teach

Texas native David Strohl started teaching photography this fall at Mt. Hood after Nancy Jones resigned midway through Winter Term last year.

For Strohl, finding similarities between Oregon and Texas has come from the pride the Pacific Northwest carries, correlating with his home state. He does however, miss the barbecue.

Working in the photography industry since 2006, Strohl uses what he considers his greatest quality, persistence, in overcoming adversity in the highly competitive field, which has thrown plenty of tests his way. In 2009, Strohl returned to graduate school to acquire his master’s degree, having found his “calling” as a teacher while continuing to pursue photography as a full-time freelancer.

Feeling “very lucky to have found this position, not only as a teacher but as a program coordinator,” Strohl considers it to be “definitely a step up.”

Strohl wears his heart on his sleeve as the art that is his story leaves no question as to why his name is David. Displaying a humility but also a clear passion for photography large enough to make Goliath cringe, he shared more of his story.

Photography attracted Strohl in the first place “because I didn’t really like drawing,” he said. “One of the best repeat gigs I had was for a magazine called Texas Monthly. They had me photograph a different Texas-based celebrity each month, so I got to meet a lot of very interesting people and travel all over the state doing these high-profile photo shoots.

“My favorite one, being a huge baseball fan, was of Josh Hamilton when he was with the Texas Rangers and I got to go out onto the field,” he said.

But Strohl also easily touched on how famed artist Pablo Picasso was a big inspiration to him as well, having mastered one thing (art form)  then moving onto the next.

Backing Strohl’s enthusiasm to shine light on the expression of the real life constantly flowing around us is his own dedication to enlighten those who wish to learn.

The students he has been able to teach at Mt. Hood have showed a willingness to improve themselves constantly, he explained. Making art is something anyone can do, and his mission will not stop, he said.