Jim Lennon's Studio Visit

Visiting Jim Lennon's studio was a very informative experience. It gave me an idea of how a studio is laid out and how one of my own could be as well. I liked that he had basically three separate sections of the studio, being the front office area where you walk in, then the kitchen area and then the area with all the lighting and equipment. I also liked how he had, whether they were real or mock, offices along side the back area where it looked like he had them set up for work but also for photos. Seeing just how many lights, cameras, and backdrops, along with other equipment was really an eye opener to see how much it actually takes to function. I know for every place there will be something different but it felt like Jim had everything imaginable in his studio.
When he was telling us about the financial part of the business, from owning a studio to shoots, it was another eye opener as to what it really costs to own a place of business like that. All the equipment on top of paying for the space to work in really adds up and was a pretty overwhelming amount. The costs for the shoots what not a lot more than I expected but it was more than I thought. I didn't even know that there was a sub-field of "commercial photography" and didn't realize how much money it could be to do a photo shoot for a big company.
Overall though the experience was very nice and informative. I think that it was a good way to introduce students into what it may be like to own or work in a studio.

Out of My Comfort Zone

Digital one challenged me a bit more  than normal with bringing me out of my comfort zone. One thing that I am not too comfortable with, but like doing, is portraits. I am not used to shooting portraits and I don't think that I am very good at them, however, it is something that I would like to work on and something that I would like to think I am good at. I find that I like to take candid portraits more than I do with the subject looking directly at the camera. I also think the reason that I do not think I am too good at the post processing of the image. I am not used to editing portraits so I am not really too sure on what to do. Most of mine come out looking soft, which I like but if I make them look too rigid or rough, I don't feel as if they look right. Below are a few examples of the portraits that I had shot for Digital one. There is a repeat in there from my other post and they are really the only ones that I have. They are from a day that I was following around my girlfriend while she does her project so I can complete my assignment.

A Little About Me.

My name is James, I switched into the photo program this year after thinking about it last semester. I decided to make the official change into the program after taking Digital Photo 1 and I loved the class even though it was basic beginnings, it was kind of like a refresher course for me. I've been into photography since about 12 years old but only started to pursue it professionally in recent years, I would say within the past 2 or 3 years. I started to focus more professionally on it after I started to go hangout with friends at car shows, and in doing so I began to bring my camera and take pictures of their cars and other people's cars. I started to better myself and do more than just the basic car sitting in a parking lot. I also like to play with long exposure and light in some photos. After that I decided, along with the help of Digital Photo 1, to expand myself and try to take more than just images of cars, even though that is where I'd say my strong point is in some cases. I started to do some portraiture and I like doing it I just think I need room for improvement.
Here are a few of my favorite images that I took from this past summer. Just examples of the automotive photos, long exposure, and portraits.