GAIL WHITE Photography and teaching? It all adds up

In Karen Borkes' sixth-grade math class at Howland Middle School, 1+1 = pictures worth a thousand words.
"I love the students at this age," she says. "You never know what you are going to get from day to day. And to teach math. They just hate math," she says, laughing.
Karen's love for her pupils shines through in every word she speaks about them. Her passion is infectious.
Yet math isn't the only passion Karen shares with her pupils. She brings her love of photography to the classroom as well.
Pictures of a stroll: Nature photography is Karen's forte. She can be found almost daily, walking through Mill Creek Park or the fields and woods near her home in Poland, camera in tow, snapping to her heart's content.
"I bring in things that I have found," she says of the many flowers, leaves and stones she has shared with her classroom.
Last year, one of her pupils was so taken by one of her photographs that she gave the boy a small copy.
"He brought in a picture of Canada geese he had taken," Karen says, beaming. "We framed it and hung it in the room."
On exhibit: Karen invited me to visit the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center in Fellows Riverside Garden. The Nature Photography Exhibit is on display in the Weller Gallery. Karen has 10 entries in the exhibit.
My favorite is Karen's photograph "Diversity," in which she captured a group of ducks swimming together in Mill Creek's Goldfish Pond.
"These ducks are all different," Karen explains. "Probably domesticated that people became tired of and dropped off. But they all hung around together for years and got along. Some have died now."
Her hobby has not only captured nature's beauty, it has recorded bits of nature's history.
In past years, the Nature Photography Exhibit was displayed at the Ford Nature Center. This year, with the new Davis Center, the park board felt it would be more appropriate to have the show in the midst of the flower gardens.
"We usually have between 150 and 200 entrants," says Ray Novotny, naturalist for Mill Creek MetroParks. "This year we had over 500 entrants. We had to turn away more than 100 pictures."
"This is such a magnificent show," Karen says as we meet.
"There is so much talent in our area ..." she says as she begins pointing to all her favorites.
"This man is an attorney," Karen explains. "Aren't his photographs wonderful?"
"This person works at the post office," she says, pointing out the technique of the picture.
"All of these people have other jobs," she marvels.
As I look at the artwork, I wonder if the other photographers incorporate their hobby into their work as Karen has.
Another teacher: As if in answer to my question, a woman standing next to Karen and me says, "This is a large show. It's really an honor to win."
The woman is Barbara Hutchenson from Slippery Rock, Pa.
Immediately, Karen and I recognize Barbara's name from a photograph we were admiring: a close-up shot of a turtle, head fully extended, looking into the camera.
"I did a whole photo shoot with that turtle," Barbara says, laughing. "I told him, 'Just stay there.' We spent an hour together."
We learn that Barbara also is a schoolteacher. She teaches reading to middle-school pupils.
"I take pictures of all my students," Barbara says. "I hang them up on the wall. They love it."
It is impossible for these ladies not to share their passion.
Karen's father became bitten by the photography bug.
Ben Eliser, 79, entered the show for the first time. Hanging from the corner of his photograph is an Honorable Mention ribbon.
With tears in her eyes, clearly as proud as can be, Karen says, "He's bursting at the seams."
Yes, 1+1 can = 1,000.
XThe Nature Photography show will be on exhibit until April 7.
gwhite@vindy.com