differences between the average untrained photographer and the trained photographer

Untrained:

• poor composition
• poor focus
• lack of understanding of what the different things (white balance, ISO, exposure compensation, etc.) do--leaving the camera fully on Auto is good enough

Trained:

• Total opposite: the trained photog wants (and needs) to know about all the little options in the menu and buttons and dials on the camera, as well as how to focus properly and how to compose an image.

FYI, as the daughter of a self-taught photographer, I'm hesitant to generalize photographers who haven't taken courses or been to art school. However, I do know that not everyone is as awesome as my father (who's one of my favourite artists). My mom, for example, isn't after quality: she uses her photos as a guide for her paintings (which are gorgeous--she, too, is one of my favourite artists).

window light portrait assignment: what I liked and didn't like, or: photographing Peter!

Let's start with the more negative of the two questions: what I didn't like. I can't come up with anything. Seriously. Photographing Peter was such a treat. I could write a whole blog post about that fact, but I won't.

From an entry from my main blog (you're going to love this, Karen ;-) ):

After class I worked on my first photos for Peter's assignment (I still have a tiny bit of gouache--from the set I bought at the beginning of FVA year--around my fingernails), as well as Karen's assignment. I originally planned to get a student to pose for me, but just as I was about to ask, Peter noticed me. And here's the thing about Peter: he's one of those people who can always tell when something's up. So he asked me if I had a question. I told him that I was looking for someone to pose for Karen's window-light assignment--and he volunteered! I couldn't believe it. But there were some perks: since he's one of my teachers, he offered a few tips--we even went through the manual, which I have on my flash drive, when neither of us could find a live view magnifier on my camera--no luck (I googled it this afternoon [January eighth]: nothing).

window light portrait assignment photos and captions

Just so you know, these aren't the originals: these have been downsized and save as JPEGs. I doubt Blogger would tolerate me uploading a bunch of nine-megabyte RAW files. EEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!

Peter Gross, head of the Photography Studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, poses for Annapurna Moffatt in his office (which has only one window--facing north) on Wednesday afternoon.

Peter Gross, head of the Photography Studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, poses for Annapurna Moffatt in his office (which has only one window--facing north) on Wednesday afternoon.

One of the benefits of photographing a teacher is that they'll give you tips on how to make better images. Also: making Peter look scary just doesn't work. Trust me.

Peter Gross, head of the Photography studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, poses for Annapurna Moffatt in the studio classroom (two windows: one facing north, the other facing west) on Wednesday afternoon. Peter raved about the light.

Peter Gross, head of the Photography studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, poses for Annapurna Moffatt in the studio classroom (two windows: one facing north, the other facing west) on Wednesday afternoon. She chose this photo to print out at school (8" x 10").

Photography Studio head, Peter Gross, directs his photographer, first year Diploma student Annapurna Moffatt, by showing her how gorgeous he looks with reflected golden light shining on him in front of the NBCCD copy stand Wednesday afternoon at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. "Head of the studio head," said Peter. Annapurna was fulfilling a window light assignment for her History of Photography course: photographing people.

Photography studio head, Peter Gross, poses for a window light portrait assignment for Annapurna Moffatt's Photographing People class.

Karen Ruet (NBCCD Gallery coordinator) was also in the classroom at the time (all the while trying to get Annapurna to ignore her--as if!), and she, Peter, and Annapurna were talking when Annapurna took this photo.

Peter Gross, head of the Photography studio at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, poses for Annapurna Moffatt in the studio classroom (two windows: one facing north, the other facing west) on Wednesday afternoon. While "scary"doesn't work, "serious" does.

Photography Studio head, Peter Gross, poses for a window light portrait assignment for Annapurna Moffatt's Photographing People class on Wednesday afternoon.

When I showed Peter the photos, he likened the last one (my least favourite) to the work of Richard Avedon.

Photo by another photographer (inspiration).