I took one photography class. It was my senior year of college and I needed a darkroom because the junior college across town was no longer renting out darkroom time, so I took a class at the university. Besides, Jerry Uelsmann was the head of the photo department, although he only taught graduate art students. We interacted with him only informally and I remember him as a shy, affable and generous man. My instructor hated my "classical" photography and gave me 3 straight D's on class projects. With one more portfolio review to go I decided to completely let go of thought, to shoot on impulse. Nonsense. This was the first such experiment, the hood of Gary's truck and the shadow of his leg. The instructor gave me an A+ on the project, with great praise, and a B for the class. For decades I thought the joke was on him, whereas now I realize what he was trying to teach me. Even though the images I made for this project are rubbish, the intention of ignoring rules, cliches and restraints was there. It just took me a few decades to realize it.