This is my first photography book. As a child, I was a photographer. Although I still photograph, I am definitely a lot more of a visual learner. I don’t like the word “photographer.” I like to say I am a photojournalist.
I believe the word photographer is a more accurate description of my style. My style is more of a “painter” than a “photographer.” When I photograph, I am working from a photojournalistic frame of reference. I am interested in using “art” in the same way that I would use “science” and “literature,” and so I look for patterns in nature, and I often start my images with a pattern before I start to capture an image.
Photographing is a form of visual learning. To photograph means to see. To be able to see, you must have eyes. There are people who know photography from the street, but they do not have a photographic eye like I do.
When I first went to college, I was very interested in the sciences, and to me that was a great source of knowledge. I wanted to learn how to use the tools science gave me to analyze and investigate the world around me, but I was so confused about what the science was about that I could not understand what it actually did for me. That isn’t to say that I don’t love science fiction and science documentaries, I just was not sure what it was all about.
I had no idea that photography was a thing until I went to college. It was always something I had to learn. I was introduced to the craft of photography by watching the films of the famous cinematographer, Edwin Land, who was a photographer.
I don’t know if anyone else can relate to this, but I wasnt that interested in photography at first. I was always reading books and magazines about photography, so naturally I had a good idea of what I was getting into. But even after I started taking photos, I never felt like I had any talent. In fact, my photos never looked that good. I could never get really high contrast. It was like I had to learn how to do everything the hard way.
That’s why I found myself really happy when I found a photography class at the Art Institute of Chicago that allowed me to take a class that was so basic and basic that it made me feel like I knew what I was doing. I spent the four months taking classes with this one photographer who was so incredibly skilled that I was amazed at how easy the classes were.
It’s a wonder that I have the patience to spend so much time in a classroom, but in general I think that an art school like the Art Institute is the best place to get your photography skills sharpened up. In our class, we get a lot of exposure to different types of photography and are exposed to the best in the industry. Most of the work we do is a combination of digital and film work.
The Art Institute has a lot of great photography classes, but in the interest of full disclosure I will admit that I’m not the best at this. But this guy is the best. He really knows what he’s doing and he really cares about his art. He’s not just a “stud” though, he really cares about what he’s doing and I think he gets a lot out of it. He’s a great teacher and he’s also a great person to spend time with.
I would say the best part of my job is Im always getting to know my students and Im always learning from them. So I think my job is awesome.