The Candid Keeper

Chapter 1

"Concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty. Giving or designed to give pleasure through beauty; of pleasing appearance."

"Yes, thank you for the Google definition Thomas now in your own words please?" Professor Hunter urges his student, tapping the smart phone in his hands in silent order for him to dispose of the device.

As the young man hesitates to answer his professor's simple question of his opinion, Professor Hunter makes his way to another student's desk; one of his most promising pupils if he must say. She was just itching to add her own inquiry on the subject and he could see it. With the nod of a head, he let her have at it.

"Well another dictionary definition I happened to find was that aesthetic was the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments." She explains, first looking towards her teacher and then around the room. She found that everyone had their full attention on her, completely enamored by the girl's explanation already.

"So if I say that I find you aesthetically pleasing, then I find you captivating, inventive, exquisite...gorgeous for a lack of better words and not to sound like a cliché artist but it's more than just skin deep. You see beyond appearance, past physicality and into the depths of one's mind, body and soul." She finishes off, ignoring a few gaping stares from her surprised classmates and the scowling ones from those who think she is a complete show off.

"Very well, Miss Cabello." He smiles contently, striding his way to the front of the class.

Once at his desk he takes a seat on top, crossing his arms and analyzing his students. Everyone knows that his question had reasoning behind it, all of his questions do. And if this time was like most, it would end up in an assignment. His assignments as seen by himself, help the students to look further into the art of photography, past the lens and into the meaning of what you're capturing and why you're doing so.

The students waited patiently, almost in an agonizing silence as the awaited the next statement from their professor, wondering which strenuous task they would have to fulfill this time around. They've already done a handful of projects this semester (mostly building assignments for the "big project" at the end of the term) and yet Professor Hunter finds something more advanced and left field to assign them every time.

He's strict when need be (which is about 90% of the time), seeing the potential in his pupils pushed him to show them their worth and in turn pushes them to see it for themselves. His classes are all advanced, there is 'no room for the weak minded', something he never fails to tell every class he teaches. Students know how demanding and arduous such a career in this could be; let alone a class, but to see the amazing work that dedication and a bit of pressure can produce, they can only strive to put forth their best, which is what the majority tend to do.

"I want you to take what was just said by Camila and Thomas and figure out what that would mean to you. In your mind," he twirls a finger in a circular motion around his temple, lifting himself off of the mahogany wooden desk and walking behind it. "What is aesthetic?" He poses the question, writing the topic for the week on the board before turning to readdress his class. "More importantly, what is your aesthetic?"

"I want you to find a willing subject, I'd say someone or something that you find aesthetically pleasing per se, and for two weeks," his stares intently at his class, flagging up his middle and index finger for emphasis. "Take a picture of them, capturing that beautiful quality that you see. Good?" He slaps his hands together, raising his eyebrows to his class.