By Racheal Segal ‘28
Walking through lower Roberts, you often hear shouts, claps, and the sound of collaboration leaking out from a certain door right around the corner. Shutters clicking and tripods being adjusted, the room is busy and full. You hear one voice in particular. It’s mature, yet quick with comebacks, and guaranteed to make you laugh. It’s visual arts teacher and KO alum, Greg Scranton ’94, and he’s not just any favorite teacher you see in the halls; you may also see him dressed in his classic black during your favorite indie rock band’s set at venues like Arch Street Tavern.
He isn’t the average educator; he practices what he teaches on the regular, taking shots of artists from around the world, such as Lil Yachty and Mdou Moctar–the “Jimi Hendrix” of the Sahara. Mr. Scranton has learned to balance career and passion, ultimately combining the two, which gives him the characteristically positive personality that he brings to class daily. Indirectly, Mr. Scranton models practical life skills through his lessons in the classroom and passions in the pit.
While originally first starting shooting photos during his years at KO as a student from 1990 to 1994, his passion didn’t develop until after his time at Oberlin College, where he majored in video art and installation. Throughout his life, he always had an eye and ear for photography and music, which sparked an interest in concert photography. “I just thought it was… the perfect marriage of the two things that I love to do,” Mr. Scranton said, reminiscing.
He credits his family, at least for the music end: he grew up with his mother playing classical and pop music, while he shared records with his oldest sister. Mr. Scranton says that he is self-taught, learning and developing his shooting intelligence from his pre-existing knowledge with a home video camera, starting with a small Nikon point and shoot, now using a higher-tech Nikon with a variety of lenses. He later began working for the music blog Surviving the Golden Age, taking photos primarily at indie rock shows, varying from venues of 50 patrons to 5,000. Since his formal start to concert photography in 2010, it is clear that he is not retiring from it any time soon, no matter how stressful teaching gets.
Coincidentally, Mr. Scranton began his teaching career nearly simultaneously with his photography career. He claims that he has a unique teaching style compared to most teachers. “It’s really about sharing knowledge with people who are interested,” Mr. Scranton said, “and then from there, we’re trying to shepherd those interests into visual work.” Mr. Scranton does not prioritize perfection during his assignments, but instead growth: that’s why both he and his class are so loved. The class is graded on improvement and having a growth mindset. With this, it takes pressure off grades and gives opportunities to fully focus on the work produced. “Appreciating art and photography is first and foremost,” Mr. Scranton explained. “It’s the most important thing I want kids to leave my classes having.”
His photography classes may teach you your way around a camera, but they’ll also teach you how to view the world with a creative eye. A few captivating assignments in Digital Photography I: Alphabetography: finding and snapping unintentionally man-made—or natural—letters of the alphabet around campus. Cinematic Stills: finding scenes from movies in everyday areas. While technical proficiency is what is preferred, the main goal is to come out with a creative mind.
This emphasis on imagination helps build real-world skills outside of the classroom: these abilities help provide a problem-solving mindset, allowing one to look at an issue from different angles. While this may be a subconscious development, many of those who know Mr. Scranton ultimately take these lessons and apply them in their lives.
Ali Miezels ’19 is one of Mr. Scranton’s former students who went into concert photography. While reflecting on both her time at Camp KO and the classes she took at KO, she credits Mr. Scranton for her success in winning the Patricia Ross Scholarship in 2018, which allowed her a stipend to take a photography course outside of KO. Ali knows better than any of his students the challenge of concert photography, which gives her a special connection and appreciation for Mr. Scranton’s guidance. “I really credit Mr. Scranton with showing me how to adapt quickly and continue to make work that you’re proud of,” Ali said.
Students love the freedom and independence that Mr. Scranton’s class gives them, and the guidance that comes with it, which is exactly what he aims for. While there are specific assignments, especially in Photo 1, where the camera is a new object to most of the kids, creative liberty, adjustments, and overcoming difficulties are encouraged, and also expected. People say to practice what you preach, and Mr. Scranton certainly does.
When going to a concert, there is always a goal in mind: take photos of the band. Simple enough, right? The answer would be yes, until the band shuts off their main lights and replaces them with individual, Home-Depot shop lights behind each member: a real situation he had to face and quickly adapt to. Mr. Scranton considers himself a deferential photographer, prioritizing mindfulness over an image. He wears all black, often putting his camera away after the first few songs—either by the venue’s request or on his own—and heading to the back of the pit to make room for the paying listeners. “I like to befriend the people around me,” Mr. Scranton said. “That way they’re more apt to let me do those things, but I tend to try and be as invisible as possible.”
But candid photography, especially at concerts, is bound to come with challenges. Mr. Scranton claims that the roadblocks motivate him, always forcing him to think fast and creatively in situations. “I think it is really, really challenging to get good concert photos,” Mr. Scranton said, “primarily because of the lighting, but also because…it’s very spontaneous.” These difficulties only push him to think with an open mind, understanding that each image he takes may not be his best, but it’s about the experience while taking it. “I go to shows that I want to see,” Mr. Scranton said proudly. “I don’t go to random shows just because.” This mindset isn’t just a part of the concert photography side of his life, but also in his everyday life.
One of the most notable concerts Mr. Scranton attended was his first: Dinosaur Jr. at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford. An indie rock band that Mr. Scranton has gone back to reshoot plenty of times. What was special about this experience was the beginner-friendlyness of the venue, reflecting on the near-perfect lighting. While good lighting may be a minor detail to most non-photographers, it proved significant, seeing as Mr. Scranton has traveled back and shot there on various occasions. Since that point, he has gone to take photos at College Street Music Hall, the People’s Bank Arena, and other various, smaller venues.
While the similarities between teaching and photography are few, the most significant connection is the challenges that come with them.
Understandably, some kids aren’t as passionate about photography as Mr. Scranton is, which forces him to read the room and adapt as he sees fit. He views the classroom like a stage, and vice versa. Being able to adapt and react quickly to a frustrated student or to a lighting malfunction is something that Mr. Scranton does frequently, and due to that experience, he overcomes the issue without a sweat.
Humbly, Mr. Scranton states that he is always changing when it comes to the two worlds, acknowledging the fact that he is still far from perfection. “I mean, you always look back and reflect and say, ‘I wish I did that better,’ but it’s not a regret,” Mr. Scranton said. “It’s more like you learn from those opportunities and those mistakes…I’ll go to a show tonight, and I’ll learn something every night, which is part of the reason I love that and part of the reason I love teaching because I learn so much as well.”
A surprising number of people don’t know about Mr. Scranton’s concert photography and the lessons that could be learned from it. Mr. Scranton’s son, sophomore Kai Scranton, says the biggest lesson that he has taken away from his dad’s life as both a teacher and photographer has been the importance of balancing one’s career and passions. “The ability to balance kind of two sides of life,” Kai said, in reference to his dad, “obviously being a teacher and having students to care about and work to do, but also being able to enjoy a hobby he loves to do, and being able to balance that time is something he’s been doing for a while, and he’s really good at it.” Mr. Scranton takes pride in his life, thankful that he has a job he loves that allows him to continue his passion both on and off the clock, something he encourages his students to push for.
Mr. Scranton has and will continue to be an influential figure in the KO community. While not many know of it, the ability to balance a job to support a family and a passion to support oneself is truly inspirational. Many may not realise it, but from the independence and creative thinking he pushes in class, to the quick adaptations and going with the flow personality he derives from concerts, students will ultimately take away the lessons that he himself had to learn. Mr. Scranton is a dedicated and impactful photographer, but the biggest impact is the one he has is on his students. “I think when students, again, sort of going back to that aha moment, when they find a moment where they have achieved something that they’re genuinely proud about and take ownership of,” Mr. Scranton said. “Those are the moments that stand out.”
