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!

 

 

 

Considering these limitations, I’ve started using my iPhone as a sketching pad preceding the act of “hauling” out the big gear when I think the composition might be important. Sketching can be loosely defined as a preview of the possibilities. Perspective and framing is just one advantage of sketching.

With the explosion of smart phone applications that mimic what post processing software can do for with our DSLR files, now not only do I use it for composition, but also for sketching what a close up, panoramic or high dynamic range (HDR) image might look like. I would have never thought my little phone could become such a valuable tool for my serious photo work!

Even the default camera that comes with the phone is fairly rudimentary and I’ve found third party apps that control exposure and focus (among other things) much better at these basic camera functions. ProCamera by Jens Daengen is my first choice for capturing any image on my phone.

All of us close up photographers using our DSLR camera’s know what kind of time and energy it takes to set up and shoot a macro shot whether the composition ultimately works or not. We’ll, why not try one with the phone first to see if you even like it?  Unfortunately, the lens won’t allow you to focus as close as a true macro lens or extension tubes will. The subject will not be sharp after hitting the shutter, but all you’re looking for is the sketch to see if the composition is worth your time…awesome!

HDR software has also created a buzz in the photo world, and now with your iPhone and Pro HDR by eyeApps LLC, we can now capture and render highlight and shadow detail from high contrast scenes by processing more than one exposure. It’s a common occurrence shooting landscape scenes or building interiors with outside views. Pro HDR is the app that can accomplish this and the results are surprisingly good, but not without significant limitations. Higher contrast scenes require a broader range of exposures than the app will allow to create a realistic interpretation. And the jpeg file format won’t produce great results compared to the image quality captured with a raw file on your DLSR and processed with a computer application like HDRSoft’s Photomatix.

A panoramic perspective is a blast to shoot and process and the merged files are capable of producing big beautiful wall prints. The workflow also requires patience, time in the field to set up and capture, and merging all the files on the computer requires time and energy. It’s worth it if the scene is good, but sometimes after all of that we realize the final output isn’t worth the high cost of printing and displaying it “big.” With the simplistic setup, capture and processing capabilities using a pano phone app like Autostitch by Cloudburst Research, we can now sketch it first to see what the possibilities are like from our DSLR. What an enormous time saver!

So the next time your on the way out the door to do some serious photography with your beloved DSLR, don’t forget your little phone camera and do a little sketching!

I will be teaching at our upcoming Photo Weekends in Cheyenne, WY  in May and in Missoula, MT in October.

You can also join me for one of these Workshops in 2013:
Basic Photography – Cheyenne, Wyoming
Basic Photography – Missoula, Montana
Death Valley National Park – Stovepipe Wells, California
Flash Photography – Missoula, Montana
Grand Teton National Park – Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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.

Educator, documentary photographer and longtime RMSP instructor Lynn Hoffman-Brouse, alongside her fellow DPF Board Members, created a unique non-profit organization recently called the Documentary Project Fund, whose mission it is to support still documentary photography and its creators who are committed to improving local communities.  Since we first introduced the DPF here on our blog they have awarded prizes to two photographers to use in pursuit of their own specific projects. The first award went to Jenn Ackerman who plans to document Minneapolis’ Somali community, in particular the women living in Riverside Plaza, known locally as ‘little Somalia’. The second award went to Ukrainian photojournalist Arthur Bondar who plans to explore the towns along the Dneiper River, one of the largest in Eastern Europe.

The next recipient?

You!

If you have a project in mind and are interested in finding a funding source to make it happen, the DPF has announced that their next Call for Entries is happening from May 15 – June 15, 2013. To find out what is involved in the application process, visit the DPF site. This could be a fantastic opportunity for you to give your potential project the traction necessary to get off the ground. And of course, once you’ve applied – or even won the next award – keep in touch. We would love to highlight you and your project here on our blog.

Good luck!

Part by choice and part by chance, I was able to shoot from a variety of perspectives, which made the overall collection of images much more interesting and unique. The standard shots from the side with the camera lens parallel to the subject (usually the wings and an eye) with me shooting from my “strike zone” were most available. But looking up I found butterflies perched on leaves overlooking things, and looking down I found surprise reflections in the pond and a pair trying to mate. Getting two large, opened wings in focus is next to impossible, but playing with the height and angle of my camera got me close to full focus even with two spread-winged butterflies in the same frame. Shooting head-on, from the rear (still focusing on the eyes and antennae), at an extreme close-up, with the subject upside-down, and with the butterfly on my friend’s arm gave me images that would supplement and enrich the collection of standard shots.

Technically, I shot most of the accompanying images with a 90mm 1:1 macro lens and twin flash at f/16, ISO 100, at 1/200 sec. I used a makeshift monopod (actually a rifle monopod with no tripod head) since there was little time or space to use a tripod). I did try out a 180mm 1:1 macro lens (the butterfly on a blue background), but found it much heavier and harder to use hand-held even with the monopod.

The chance to shoot such elaborately colored, live bugs in pseudo-natural surroundings year-round in the cool Pacific Northwest is a treat. Now that I’ve got my fix (three visits) and the sun is beginning to peak out now and then I’ll head back to the ponds and parks to try my luck with the natives.

www.steverussellphotos.com