photography for the non-photographer

As I’m transitioning into a new stage in my life, and after losing my stupid underpaying job back in the beginning of April, I’m taking small steps toward freedom and making income in web design.
A key part of my new “career” is taking web development classes at the college.
I’m one of these freaks who like school anyway, so obviously this is not at all a chore I must endure to carry out my new direction in life, in fact I’m having fun and enjoying being in school once again.

As a part of the main class assignment we, the students, were divided into 5 groups and basically we compete over building a website for a real client.
It’s a hectic project, being dependent on the other team members and having constant deadlines, but I’m learning a lot, not only about web design, but mostly about team work and my hidden leadership and organizational abilities.

Our real-life client, unlike most real-life clients, is an unusually good client. He always supplies us with everything we ask him for, from his logo and published materials to text content and photos.
And as to the photos, this is where we discovered a problem. By we, I mean Julie and I. Julie is one of my team mates and she is a good photographer. We only had to take a quick look at the photos we got from our client to decide we have to go there and make a few decent photos ourselves.

I wasn’t at all excited about it. Our client, Larry, his brother Don and their brother-in-law Jerry operate an auto parts and machine shop in Santa Monica.
Obviously completely and utterly a foreign land to me. And besides, I don’t know anything about this type of photography. I mean, just because I have a camera and just because I run around town and take street photos, doesn’t mean I can make portraits or shoot auto parts and things I know nothing about.
Oh, why did I even agree to do it?

I met with Julie in front of the shop and we went in together armed with our digital cameras…
And guess what? This assignment turned out to be so much fun! I’m serious.
You know how the photographer’s job is to ease his subjects and make them feel comfortable in front of the camera?
Well, these awesome guys made sure to make the photographers feel at ease and comfortable behind the camera.
I can’t tell you if the pictures are great or amazing or any good by any standard, but I can tell you I had fun taking them, and I love them all.
So what did I learn? Hmmmm….. I guess I learned that as always, it is all about the manner.
It is something I need to remember.

5 Responses to “photography for the non-photographer”

Kym says:

May 17, 2009 at 8:51 pm

I think you captured the feel of the shop along with the personality of the guys who run it! Looks like fun….good luck on your class!
Tom says:

May 18, 2009 at 4:52 am

I wish you would write more, I enjoy it.

I’m 48 and just went back to school, (Photography major) and study a broad range, I LOVE IT. ENJOY!
vinny says:

May 19, 2009 at 6:20 am

wishing you the best for your future. just found your site_cool_
if you ever in australia. lets go street shooting.
Chris Jetko says:

May 20, 2009 at 7:32 am

I think b/w was the perfect choice since here are guys still doing old-fashioned hard work (as opposed to sitting in front of a Mac), so it brings together the present and the past for me. Best of luck in all your endeavors….Chris
Stephen Bray says:

May 27, 2009 at 9:30 am

Hey Nitsa,

Those guys are all in focus
and perfectly exposed ;~)

Will this be your new style?

I hope you’ll like web-design
but hope some big [non] ‘Art’
gallery discovers you so you
can do what you really excel
at.

Making damn interesting prints
that get the brain gears jiving.

Stephen