Take it away Chad ….

The information and skills that I learned in Summer Intensive only a year ago helped shape me into the photographer I am today.  Although it has only been a short time that I have been calling myself a photographer I have been able to establish my own business and put to use those very skills I had just learned.  When I started SI I really didn’t know what I wanted to shoot, but I did know I did not like portraits or shooting people in general, I can now say that I am a portrait and wedding photographer and I love it!  So expect to surprise yourself a little!

I am proud to say I attended RMSP and you will be proud as well.  Be prepared to be exhausted, overwhelmed, confused, happy and sad, its a roller coaster ride that will end all too quickly.  Many memories will be made and lifelong friends as well, I am overjoyed to be able to share this experience with all of you, you won’t regret a minute of it.  I look forward to working with you and sharing in this awesome experience. Until then, cheers!

Photography remains pure pleasure and indulgence – a way of making time slow down - allowing me to take a longer, more deliberate look at the world: people – places – things – color – emotions. I have a passion for the exotic and travel; nonetheless, I often explore mundane subjects in order to find some detail that can make – if not always an extraordinary – at least a unique image.

I had an interest in photography for a number of years that produced many nice, but not necessarily inspired images. While attending RMSP in 2011, I became much more technically proficient and also found my “voice.” It was not always an easy journey and I struggled in some areas; nonetheless, it was ultimately an enlightening and freeing experience.

I tend to be a generalist and dabble in architectural photography for realtors, portrait work, and event photography. However, I favor fine art photography where I can create a bit of illusion with my images. A 2012 Creative Compositing workshop I attended in Boulder, Colorado pushed me to stretch my vision of what is possible.

Over the past two years, I have been fortunate to have two one-woman shows. I pursued the venues; selected/printed/framed the final images; designed the layout; and then hung the work. Additionally, I have been invited to participate in two benefits – a great way to get work shown and sold.

I find motivation to create new work by entering local shows and competitions such as the annual Sandhill Crane Festival or the San Joaquin Valley Camera Club Council. On occasion, I will submit images to various on-line competitions, the latest being Photo District News – The Great Outdoors. I like to take advantage of on-line webinars, such as Creative Live, and also attend various workshops that refresh or build new skills. When I find a topic of interest being presented, I will attend the monthly Northern California branch of the American Society of Media Photographers in San Francisco.

My long-term project is to create a book that gives both an overview, but also details on the California wine regions.

In her own words …

The visual arts have always intrigued me. From a young age I knew I wanted to be an artist and involved in the creative process. My love of music led me to start photographing concerts and local happenings for an online publication. However, I wanted to learn more and immerse myself in all things photography. That desire led me to RMSP in 2011.

Cig Harvey talks about photography either being a mirror or a balance. You either take pictures of exactly what’s going on or you run a million miles away and take pictures of the opposite, because you need that balance. I find my process to be similar. My work is conceptual, using images to convey personal emotion, happenings, dreams and lyrics. I make images when words fail me.

Last year, I was honored to have my “Simply Summer” series a winner in the student work category of the 2012 PDN Photo Annual contest. This turned my focus to a personal project. I am currently working on a series of 3 books. The first titled “The Swell”, the second “control/chaos,” and the third title is in the works. Each book exploring different chapters of love, loss, growth, change and strength.

World, meet Sarah ….

As easy as it would be to say that time and money is all it takes to learn photography, I disagree. That leaves out the sheer anxiety, expectations, preparation, goals, and excitement that are involved in any kind of growth.

When I attended RMSP, I had no idea what it would be like. I’d heard stories, sure, but none of them came close to approaching what it was really like to live through Summer Intensive. It was strenuous, exhausting, exhilarating, encouraging, and downright intense. I’ve attempted for the past four years or so, before school and after, to capture moments. That’s why I photograph. That’s why we all photograph. I’ve tested my boundaries and ran into obstacles and slammed into walls.

It wasn’t until I attended RMSP that I gained confidence in my abilities. I became sure of what I can do, and how to do it well. I can now look back on the summer of my life and remember the people and the motivation that made it happen. I now have lifelong friends, admirable contacts, and skills that will carry me through the field of photography.

I’m now a junior at the University of Montana, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism. I’ve had the most amazing opportunity to work with and for a world-renowned photojournalist, Ami Vitale. She has taught me more than I knew to ask for. I feel honored that I can now call her a friend.

RMSP gave me the chance to host my very first art show at their gallery in December of 2012. My talented friend and fellow RMSP graduate, Wyatt McCollum, and I displayed our souls in a self-portrait exhibit entitled SELF. It was strange to see so many of my faces on the walls, but that’s the beauty in it as well. I was vulnerable, and it paid off immensely.

I was the youngest student in the Career Training program at age 18, so I would be happy to offer support to any young students who may be anxious about the program. I probably know your fears. My parents were very scared to send me away to a foreign place with foreign people, but the instructors, assistants, and fellow students at RMSP really formed a family around me, which fostered a healthy and encouraging atmosphere in which to learn. Plus, the variation in people of all ages was a learning opportunity in itself.

I’m thrilled that I will get to know and work with students this year during Summer Intensive. I want to see everyone succeed in building confidence in themselves and their photography, to gain even more than what I gained through the program. RMSP is a welcoming entrance to the beauty of photography, and I hope to help make the experience of learning as satiating as it can possibly be. It’s almost here!

 

 

 

Looking back, it seems hard to believe that it’s already been one year since I decided to pursue photography by immersing myself in RMSP’s Career Training Program. What a year it’s been. A year filled with much learning, striving, and creating. This time last spring, I was anxiously awaiting the start of the program with a mixture of excitement and apprehension for the unknowns that lay ahead. In retrospect, my experience at RMSP has empowered me to launch my business and throw myself into photography more fully than ever before.

Living in the North Cascades of Washington, I enjoy photographing everything from grand landscapes to tiny details that reflect the transition from one season to the next. My passion for photography is very much tied to my love of travel and spending time outdoors. Exploring the world with a camera makes me slow down, become more aware, change perspective, and seek out new opportunities.

This year, I am thrilled to be returning to RMSP as an assistant, and am very much looking forward to meeting the class of 2013. An awesome adventure awaits!

Here is a sampling of my work from the past year.

I found myself at a point in life where I felt I was at a standstill.  A feeling I was able to ignore for many years until the fall of 2011 when I unexpectedly lost my father.  Losing my father brought to the forefront how short life can be.  Photography has always been a part of my life, but I always allowed it take a backseat to everything else.

I have always thought about applying to Rocky Mountain School of Photography (RMSP) when I ran into a friend and a graduate of RMSP at a gathering.  I asked her a simple question, “Would you do it again? ”  She quickly answered  “yes” and a sparkle danced across her eyes.  I was not sure what all that meant, but I was sure that whatever it was….I wanted it.

I was accepted to RMSP in 2012. My goal for the summer was really simple. I wanted to be able to gather enough courage to show my work.  If I could get past that fear, then my second goal was to improve my skills enough to submit to a gallery one day.  Although, given my reluctance to let anyone see my work, the latter would take a miracle.

I graduated from RMSP Summer Intensive, 3 weeks of  Professional Studies and Advanced Intensive in 2012.  Words will always fall short of what the program means to me.  I have come to describe RMSP as a combination of a creative incubator and artist boot camp.  I now understand the sparkle that dances in the eyes of past graduates.

Since graduation, I have had the courage to finally display my artwork out in the public and was fortunate enough to have my first “Beautiful Mess” photography collection displayed within 5 months of graduation.  I still can clearly remember showing my portfolio and being asked if I could be ready in a month. Every fiber of my being screamed “no” but then I heard “yes” come out of my mouth.  This showing and experience could never have happened nor would I have allowed myself to take on this project, if it had not been for the confidence and skills RMSP instilled in me.  While I continue in my journey of learning, refining and expressing my creative images, I look forward to my next show entitled, “Portals and Pathways.”

I believe we all need family, friends and a community to help us wake our internal mind, inspire our creativity and find our way home. I found these things here at RMSP and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part the RMSP staff.

Since we think they are all pretty darn cool, we want to introduce each of them to you. Between today and June 3, we will highlight each assistant so you can get a sense of who they are. To kick things off, we would like to introduce Michelle Gustafson. Michelle is a 2011 Career Training graduate who stuck around Missoula after graduation. This summer will be here second year as an assistant.

Here are a few words Michelle submitted which explain who she is and how she got into photography.  Take it away Michelle …

The photographer Garry Winogrand is famously quoted as saying that he photographed in order to see what something looked like photographed. I suppose this is the innate reason why I photograph, that it’s beyond just the visual, but to find something out that’s psychologically and anthropologically true to what’s in front of me. When something is frozen in time through an image, we have the ability to study it, make assumptions, look for clues in the way all the visual elements are placed together in order to find an answer as to what the photograph is saying to us. The longer time passes, the more meaning and attraction of the image comes to the surface and is somehow deemed more important. I find photography fascinating in its relationship to time, history, emotion, society, nostalgia and communication.

Photography had always been in the background of my life in some capacity, whether that was seeing whatever photography exhibits that came through Albuquerque where I grew up, or had a family friend whose daughter was a photographer for the AP, or had someone show me photo essays in Time or in Newsweek. I started to seek out photographers that had defined perspectives of how they viewed the world such as W. Eugene Smith, Mary Ellen Mark, William Albert Allard, James Nachtway, Annie Leibovitz, David Burnett and others that showed me how to really piece together a story and a moment. When I finally started to photograph, film was still being taught at the university I went to, and from that moment on I spent 7 or 8 hours at a time in the darkroom. I basically ignored my original major doing just enough to graduate, but my heart had spoken and it belonged to the visual arts. I started out in newspaper photography for the college paper and have been cutting my teeth ever since. When I came to Missoula in 2011 to go to RMSP, I was ready to walk into the abyss of what was in front of me. It turned out to be a very moving experience in my life and has influenced me exponentially. I find social documentary to be the closest category I could fit myself into, but really, I just want to photograph in order to see what something looks like photographed.

Currently, I am working on a year long project here in Missoula tentatively titled The First Year It Was Spring, about a family raising their first child and when the idea of “family” actually becomes a reality.

It’s actually a 3-step process; it’s easy, it doesn’t require that you buy anything and you can do it without changing your daily routine…much.

Step 1. Put down your camera. Many try to learn photography through the law of averages. We go out with our camera and repeat the same mistakes over and over again hoping for different results. Stop the madness!

Step 2. Pay attention. There is beauty all around you. You could be stuck in traffic around sunset, watching a movie or reading an in-flight magazine. Each presents an opportunity to become a better photographer.

We tend to be passive observers of the world around us, and yet, we are constantly being bombarded with beautiful visuals. Each of these presents an opportunity to learn about yourself and, in turn, about your photography

Become and active observer and when you see something beautiful, ask yourself some questions. What do I like about it? Is it the light? Is it the subject matter? Is it the mood? What are the qualities that I find most beautiful and how are they created?

Why do this? You may not know yourself as well as you should and yet it’s your specific preferences that define your photography. The more that your preferences exist in your conscious mind the more effortless your photographic process will become when you finally see a subject you like and grab your camera. When your photographs contain the qualities and subjects that you like then you’ll start liking your photographs more.

Step 3. Feedback. There’s no better way to improve your photography than to hear feedback. In every workshop I teach I hear “Wow, I can’t believe how much I learned in the critiques!” Whether you are having your images critiqued, watching feedback on another photographers’ work, or giving your opinion to a fellow enthusiast, critique will improve your photography!

The process of breaking down an image and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses is a great way to learn what changes to make next time you find yourself in a similar situation. The ability to quickly describe both the positive and negative attributes of an image will slowly become second nature to you and soon you will find that the same process takes over when you are looking through your camera at a potential photographic subject. You will become more thoughtful and thorough with your compositions. You will be more purposeful with your camera controls and your images will become more compelling for your viewer and more satisfying to yourself.

Now put down your camera and improve your photography.

(Want some practice? Use the two images above and figure out how they were created, what you like about them and what you’d change. Leave your thoughts in the comments below).

You can catch me at one of our upcoming Photo Weekends in Nashville, TN.

I will also be leading these Workshops in 2013:
Intermediate Photography
Macro Photography
Photography of People

Sarah and Wyatt, you both have your first gallery show coming up on
December 7 at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography Gallery. Can
you tell our readers a bit about the show and what prompted each of you to
start shooting self-portraits?

WYATT: Sarah and I have very different pictures, so the show will have an
awesome contrast of each of our styles. We are displaying them as diptychs, to
emphasize the juxtaposition of how we each imagine the world. I started taking
self-portraits when I was really young, posting them online. My friends put the idea in my head, saying, for some reason, that they liked them. It’s cool getting to be both in front of and behind the camera at the same time. I’ve realized how much I love both.

SARAH: I’m really excited for the show. It will be interesting to have a bunch of
photos of my face up on the walls for strangers to see. Wyatt and I have spent
months preparing everything; a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) have gone
into this show. As for what began my self-portraits, I was really enamored by a
few self-portrait photographers and friends that I’d found online, so I really just…
well, started. My first self-portrait was taken against a white wall in my parent’s
house. I was smiling – I didn’t know what else to do. And it all escalated from
there into what is now a lifelong project.

How did it come about that both of you started shooting self-portraits?
Was it by coincidence or did you both plan on embarking on this endeavor
together?

SARAH: After we had both attended the Career Training program, we were
asked to do a show with both of our self-portrait portfolios. Since then, we’ve
been on a couple shooting adventures together, and he is a hoot. We’ve noticed
so many similarities between ourselves, even though our photos are very
different.

WYATT: We really are so similar! That’s funny, because we didn’t actually
meet until a couple months ago. She grew up in Alaska, and I grew up here in
Montana, so us crossing paths is all thanks to RMSP. I am excited that after
spending time together working on this show, we’ve become friends.

Wyatt, in the press release your style is described as “mysterious, moody
and wide-angle.” And Sarah it states that your style is “colorful, vulnerable
and up-close.” What factors do each of you think contribute most to your
individual styles? Where does your aesthetic come from?

WYATT: I love when people describe my work, because it’s a lot different than
how I am in real life. I’m really not that moody or mysterious, but I like creating
images that take me away from everyday life. I want my viewers to experience
the same escape of reality that I do. I love combining nature and the human form
to evoke a certain emotion. I try to reveal the hidden beauty in everyday things.

SARAH: I LOVE color. I mean, that’s pretty evident in my photos, but even in
everyday life, color just makes me happy. I think my images stem a lot from that.
For each photo, I try to use both color and my expression to create the mood I’m
imagining. As far as aesthetics are concerned, I have no clue where my style
comes from. I just kind of do it. Often, a photo will simply document how I’m
feeling during a day. I try to use composition, lighting, and processing to make
very emotive images. My goal is to have every one of my self-portraits be able to
stand on their own as a thought-provoking piece. I want people to ask, “I wonder
what’s on her mind?” when they look at one of my photos.

Briefly, can each of you describe your process? Do you stew on an image
for weeks before creating, or are you more spur of the moment? And what
sort of tools (camera and software) do you use to achieve your look?

SARAH: 90% of the time, I wing it. I like to just throw a bunch of clothes in my
car, drive into the middle of nowhere, and see what comes to mind when I arrive.
Very few of my photos have been thought out before they are shot, but if they
are, they’re usually refined anyways once I start shooting. I shoot with a Canon
7D named Phinnegan, who does everything I could ask of him. And of course
I have to use my trusty tripod, and a wireless remote to try to avoid the ten-
second dash. And I like to make my photos look clean and bright with my editing
process. I also place a heavy emphasis on post-processing, using both Adobe
Photoshop and Lightroom.

WYATT: All of my images in the show were taking during my 365 (taking a
photo a day for a year), and that usually forces me to come up with things on the
spot. I always venture out with my tripod, and 7D camera, while running around
pressing my ten-second timer. I use the Brenizer method when taking each
photo, and then using Adobe Photoshop to create the final image.

Anything else you would like to add?

SARAH: I’m so lucky to have this opportunity and I hope the viewers can relate
in some way to my photos. Each one is a small piece of myself, and I’m a little
nervous to share so much me with the world.

WYATT: I am honored to be having my work shown by RMSP, and its even
better that I get to share it with my friends in Missoula.

SELF.
Self portraits by Sarah Joann Van Nortwick and Wyatt McCollum

Rocky Mountain School of Photography Gallery
December 7, 2012 – February 25, 2013
Gallery Hours: M-F  8am – 5pm
Opening Reception – December 7, 2012 – 5 – 8 pm – Artists will be in attendance

To see more of their work, please visit both Sarah’s and Wyatt’s websites here and here.

Evan Prince

Evan Prince attended our Summer Intensive program in 2007 with the dream of making his way in the world of photography both professionally and creatively speaking. Since graduation, he has been doggedly and determinedly doing just that.

Afterward, he headed back home to Austin, TX and spent roughly three years working as a photo assistant/digital tech for several different photographers in the area as well as photographers from all over the country who were shooting in Texas. Working on shoots for magazines like ESPN, Texas Monthly, Fast Company as well as on ad campaigns for clients like Dell and Southwest Airlines gave him a great opportunity to learn about the business and inner workings of the photo industry. He then spent a year and a half working as an assistant in the Dell photo studio in Austin which gave him the opportunity to spend 5 days a week on set where he gained experience working with view cameras and digital workflow which piqued his interest in retouching.  At every step of the way he’s been very eager to learn everything he could about the photography world as he was constantly shooting, assisting and experimenting in Photoshop. Evan took the opportunity to soak up any and all photo knowledge he could get his hands on during this time period.

After the Dell studio work, he decided it was time to get out there and begin cultivating his own clients and photo projects. The realization came to him that one of the best ways to market his work and skill was through personal projects. Since then, he’s been very active shooting and pitching story ideas which ultimately has helped him to develop a unique style and workflow.

At some point he acquired an interest in photographing smaller pockets of American culture some may not consider mainstream, and to that end, he’s had opportunity to work with ballerinas, burlesque dancers, female bodybuilders, Star Wars costume clubs, and live-action role players to name a few. The latest of those projects was shot at a Star Wars convention in Orlando and ran as a story on NPR’s photo blog, The Picture Show.

He’s also been developing his own approach to photographing landscapes and has landed jobs this year working in both Chile, Denmark and covering many parts of the US.  At this point, he considers himself in the beginning stages of his career having just completed an initial trip to New York to formally present his portfolio to national magazines. However, as his background can attest to, he is enjoying the ride and has already seen and experienced amazing things through his love of photography. Due to his single-minded dedication to his creative endeavors and craft, the future can only lead to more fulfilling work and experiences. With his particular passion and vision, Evan is a great example of someone who is creating the future for himself.

To see more of Evan Prince’s work, visit his website at www.evanprincephoto.com. Also, visit his blog and Facebook page.