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06/06/2006 04:57:41 PM · #1 |
Something put me in a nostalgic mood today. Maybe it was the eight antique cameras I bought, or the notification of my 20 year high school reunion. Either way I began thinking of those in my past that gave me guidance in photography.
First there was an anonymous photographer who took beautiful B&W pictures of my stepdad in his rodeo clown gear. That's what made me beg my mother for an old Pentax K1000 in the first place. Then a high school teacher, Andy Ray, let me explore photography in Graphic Arts class so I wouldn't have to do stupid business card layouts. Immediately after that a guy named Skip Traynor mentored me at the local newspaper where I was a writer for a 'kids section' in the Saturday paper. If it weren't for these people I wouldn't have the slightest interest in photography.
How about you? Who was key in forming your future as a photographer? |
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06/06/2006 05:04:20 PM · #2 |
| A local Photographer who specialized in portraits, even his passport size photograph were amazing. He knew his lighting and was great in BW |
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06/06/2006 05:04:31 PM · #3 |
Considering the quality (or lack thereof) of my images, I am certainly not entertaining any thoughts of becoming a "Photographer", but will continue to take photos of places, things and people that I have the great pleasure of encountering in my travels.
As to why I took up photography.... we can thank the NHL Players' Association for deciding NOT to play hockey for a full season.
Frustrated, I cashed in my tickets and bought a camera because I was taking an extended trip in the USA. (Best 6 months of travelling ever). Will I go back to hockey...NOT A CHANCE... I don't even watch it for free anymore... the interest is gone.
Ray |
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06/06/2006 05:24:18 PM · #4 |
Hmmm...interesting thread. I don't really have any mentors... no one else I know personally can even take a well composed shot, much less light it properly... so nope... no mentors. I do have a couple of heroes though.
Since I joined, one photographer here comes to mind... Outstanding landscape photographer and a virtual bottomless pit of knowledge and pointers on how to improve. Yep... Bear_Music is definitely one of my heroes from here.
I will have to say I'm trying to branch out and would like to do more maternity and infant photography... for that... Jennifer Loomis is my hero. She is such a wonderful photographer and truly knows how to capture the beauty of pregnancy.
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06/06/2006 06:07:12 PM · #5 |
When I was 7 my dad was dating a lady photographer named Kate. She only shot in BW and developed all her own images. Kate let me use a camera on our weekend visits and I had the freedom to shoot whatever I wanted and then she gave them to me in the thumbnail sheets(I can't remember what they were called back then).
Dad eventually left Kate but I never lost my love for the camera. I got my first camera from Dad when I was 13 and within a year was winning prizes with my photos. From then on I always had a camera around me...not for professional reasons...but just shoot from the hip reasons.
I had no one to teach me the details behind photography. My Dad lived on the other side of Australia by the time he gave me my own camera. I had no idea what Aperture or anything was. I did, however, know that if I wanted to blur the foreground/background to use particular settings on the camera. Yes...I shot Manual...I had no idea there was such a thing as Automatic.
I learnt about those settings a few years ago.
So it goes to show...you don't need to have done any courses in photography....as long as the passion is within...that's all you need.
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06/06/2006 06:30:08 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by RayEthier:
Considering the quality (or lack thereof) of my images, I am certainly not entertaining any thoughts of becoming a "Photographer", but will continue to take photos of places, things and people that I have the great pleasure of encountering in my travels.
As to why I took up photography.... we can thank the NHL Players' Association for deciding NOT to play hockey for a full season.
Frustrated, I cashed in my tickets and bought a camera because I was taking an extended trip in the USA. (Best 6 months of travelling ever). Will I go back to hockey...NOT A CHANCE... I don't even watch it for free anymore... the interest is gone.
Ray |
With the way the Sens play in the playoffs I figured you would have taken up photography long before that. :P
As for the question, no mentor. Although I probably could use one to steer me away from the dark side. :P
Message edited by author 2006-06-06 18:32:17. |
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06/06/2006 07:13:21 PM · #7 |
I have a mentor .. and it is simple cos its Kiwipix ... he has a great eye for the unusual .. makes me stop on th side of the road when I am driving ... and helps me appreciate what it is I am seeing .... he was doing photographer long beore I came along and took a break ... now he is doing this again .. and showing his talents, as well as bringing out the best in my work.
Kari |
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06/06/2006 07:36:41 PM · #8 |
I'm still looking for mine. Maybe s/he is playing out there with my muse. If anyone sees them point them in my direction please!
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06/06/2006 08:05:43 PM · #9 |
Never thought about any mentor in my life for anything. I will be very honest, I am my own mentor for everything I do.
Some things are given. You have those things in you way before you realize. Not only photography, but maybe playing a sport, acting, writing... even talking. Look inside of you and see if you can find out what you have. To do that, you try things.
In photography, I always believe a photographer who sees the picture before he or she takes it. If you can't, and wait for the results first... you probably 1-should practice more 2-try something else that will not discourage you further.
Be your own mentor (if you ask me)... and be a good sample for others :)
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06/06/2006 08:07:12 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Judi:
Kate let me use a camera on our weekend visits and I had the freedom to shoot whatever I wanted and then she gave them to me in the thumbnail sheets(I can't remember what they were called back then). |
Those were "contact sheets" or "contact proofs" or just "contacts" :-)
As in "I'm so old, I remember when "contacts" were proof sheets, not corrective lenses..."
Mentors? John Waggaman, Morley Baer, Ansel Adams...
Robt.
Message edited by author 2006-06-06 20:07:24.
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06/06/2006 08:33:38 PM · #11 |
Playboy, Penthouse... :-)
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06/06/2006 09:15:19 PM · #12 |
It would have to be my brother. If we had known Steven Speilberg, he would have been the equivalent with a camera....Always in our face...Always taking pics....always setting up shots...it's a wonder I didn't become a model for something...
I remember his weirdest photo was one where he held an egg in his toes and lay down on the ground and pointed it up to the sky. He called it "Egg in toe'' ha
He is living in Morocco now following his dream. His photos are incredible. I miss him alot...
I love this one... |
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06/06/2006 09:30:17 PM · #13 |
Unfortunately, I didn't (and still don't) have any local friends or relatives interested in photography. I took a single B&W photo course in college, but didn't shoot much after that because of the processing expense. I picked up a little 35mm Olympus Stylus camera when my first kid was born and took snapshots for a few years. This was one of the better ones:
I was exposed to digital cameras fairly early, starting with an Olympus D600L, because we often needed quick product photos at my office. I finally bought a Canon Powershot G2 and THAT'S when I got interested again. Instant feedback, great image quality and no development costs allowed me to just play. There was no downside to exploring and pushing all the buttons, although I usually just left the camera on Auto until I found this site... ;-) |
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06/06/2006 09:34:34 PM · #14 |
Nope.
But I thoroughly admire the work of Freeman Patterson, and consider his work a sort of guideline for what I would like to do. Not all the time, mind you, there are times when I get tired of nature and all beautiful things, and would like to move to the city and take grainy black and white images of people hanging out in back alleys (or something like that). |
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06/06/2006 09:51:03 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by ursula:
Nope.
But I thoroughly admire the work of Freeman Patterson, and consider his work a sort of guideline for what I would like to do. Not all the time, mind you, there are times when I get tired of nature and all beautiful things, and would like to move to the city and take grainy black and white images of people hanging out in back alleys (or something like that). |
OK Lois Lane, I have a guy for you to meet. His name is Clark and he can take you all over the world..er..city, I mean...ha
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06/06/2006 09:58:34 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Bosborne:
Originally posted by ursula:
Nope.
But I thoroughly admire the work of Freeman Patterson, and consider his work a sort of guideline for what I would like to do. Not all the time, mind you, there are times when I get tired of nature and all beautiful things, and would like to move to the city and take grainy black and white images of people hanging out in back alleys (or something like that). |
OK Lois Lane, I have a guy for you to meet. His name is Clark and he can take you all over the world..er..city, I mean...ha |
:)
But my husband might object :))))
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06/06/2006 10:19:54 PM · #17 |
I had no mentors and am bitter as hell about it! ;)
I do think that mentoring is rare in all the arts, and it's a real tragedy. Most of the descriptions of mentors in this thread sound more like examples than people who truly took you under their wing. There are many skilled people at this site who should consider being mentors for others. |
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06/06/2006 11:12:17 PM · #18 |
| I did not have anybody guiding me in my photo pursuits. Just couldn't keep a camera out of my hands from the age of 3. If I had to say anybody lit the fire under me it was my 10th grade art teacher. He offered a course in photography, and I took it. We covered everything from composition to dark room work. It was the best course I ever took. |
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06/06/2006 11:51:01 PM · #19 |
Currently i have another mentor. He is a member from another forum. He was a professional Photographer, who did extensive studio work.Middle format and some large format photography.
He is not into digital photography. Whenever i have some problem i send him emails and he explains me stuff i want to know.
He is great. |
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06/06/2006 11:55:03 PM · #20 |
Not really, no. I learned from my ex-bf who is a photographer pretty much through osmosis, but I was already doing my own thing. I think of him as a sort of mentor, but not in a really truly mentorish way. More like a peer who happens to know more than I do about technicals.
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06/06/2006 11:57:11 PM · #21 |
| Nope, I have nobody to blame for my suckiness other than my poor self. :-) |
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