COFFEE SHOP PROMOTION
(COVER SHOT SHIRLEY YU)
Wednesdays are review days for my students. I am up at 5 AM and uploading the images to take a look at them before I get into the live critiques that start at 9 AM sharp and continue on through about 12:30 PM. Three classes an hour in length back to back.
Watching these photographers begin to grasp concepts that will drive their photography higher and higher is one of the true joys of being where I am now.
I did this stuff for over 50 years, so I feel I can add a bit of context to the teaching of the techniques.
We approach it from two sides: the technical lighting and composition and such, and the art of working for someone else – understanding layouts, creating concepts, and working with clients under stress.
Today was “coffee shop ad” review day and a few of these images were so cool. One of these photographers is a pro, the others are new but coming along so fast it is mind-boggling. Can you see the pro’s work?
This is only their third assignment, so I am eagerly awaiting the work that they will be producing a few months in.
AMY ROTH
BARBARA JAMES
CAROLYN ACUNA
DANIEL SPLAINE
DENISE COLEMAN
DERRICK ROSE
LESLIE SHARPE
FOCUS ON BEING DELIBERATE
I could barely make out the song playing in the little bar in Ouray. I knew the melody, but it was damned hard to hear it over the clanking of glasses, conversation, and the air conditioning. The chorus did it for me, and I smiled big enough...
“YOUR LIGHTING SUCKS”- MY GUT WAS CRUSHED!
OK, she didn't exactly say that, but it is what I heard. I was standing in her little office - 'her' being the art director of a major retailer in Los Angeles. The transparencies were scattered over her lightbox and she was looking at them very closely....
FINDING THE PERFECT PLACE IN A SEA OF CHOICE
We sat outside at a little cafe on Coronado Island. It was one of those simply awesome days with temps in the high 70’s, and a soft breeze off the ocean. To my left was the grand old Coronado Hotel. To the right a huge expanse of sand with surprisingly few...
MY RULES FOR SHOOTING FOR FREE
Do I want to do this photograph? This is very important to me. If it is something that I think could be a great piece in my portfolio, then it gets consideration. Have other photographers been paid for this same shot? If so, then why are they not wanting to pay me?...
WE BECOME WHAT WE FOCUS ON… NATURALLY
There is an old saying: "I'll believe it when I see it." That's a problem, you see. Because if you don't believe it, you will never see it. It is out of your field of vision. You cannot focus on what you cannot see. And our brains want to make damn sure we...
THAT TIME I NEARLY LOST IT IN FLAGSTAFF
"It's not working", I exclaimed to the smartly dressed consultant I had hired to tell me why it wasn't working. "I know the work is good", I was starting to whine a bit here. (Not proud, just truthful.) It was the early 80's. Big hair, wide belts, and mullets. I was...