The last week :( It's been quite a great experience. This week was all about taking what I have learned and applying it. Going out by myself and taking pictures using the skills I have learned. This week I also learned specific ways to light my portraits. For the rest of this week it is up to me to figure out what I like to photograph.
Throughout this experience I have taken a lot of pictures, met a lot of people, and tried a lot of new things. As far as photography is concerned, I learned more than I expected, in many unexpected ways. I thought that the way for me to learn photography was to take pictures, and yes, that's a huge part of it. But so is listening and observing. Being a part of the adult world was also a huge part of this internship. For me I find comfort in knowing that I have choices about what I can do after college. Seeing so many of my peers take part in so many different careers has taught me exactly how many possibilities are out there. This was about learning about myself. I now realize that I don't want to own a business or major in business. I learned that I love taking photos but I don't feel like I want to pursue it as my only career. For me photography is a unique way to express myself and I like taking pictures for myself not for others. Allison takes pictures for others and not so much for herself. Taking pictures will be a fun part of my life but I think I would find more passion in other fields. Perhaps the hardest part of this internship is going back to school. I am curious to see whether this break from school reignites my passion for learning or will returning deflate me after creating such a vivid view of what life outside school is like.
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Week number two! This week was all about learning through observation. I started the week off with going to two photoshoots and helping with lighting and props. The nerves from the first week had gone, so I was able to contribute my ideas without feeling unsure of myself. I came up with ideas for the DHS prom shoot and helped with the location of the senior shoot. Learning to express my ideas will be a huge part in my future, whatever career I choose. Being able to be open with a mentor, boss, teacher, or peer will be very important for future success. After giving my ideas a chance I was able to see them come to life through photography. This is an amazing part about picture taking that I hope to explore more, rather than just taking a photo of whatever is in front of me, I want to try to make my wildest photography visions into reality.
While I'm on the subject of making ideas a reality, during senior head shots the last few days of this week I observed Allison take pictures of the students and then she would send me to the computer to go through all the pictures. This has taught me about what the eye sees vs. what the camera creates. Knowing that what I see is not always what the camera has to produce will help me see how my camera functions in different conditions. For example, if I am outside shooting sunset pictures and in the viewfinder the scene looks too bright, I can change my exposure. My viewfinder will still look bright but my camera will create a darker photo. It is important not to get stuck in what the eye is seeing because there are so many more possibilities for cool photos I could take if I step out of what is visible in front of me. This week I filmed Matt ( Allison's husband) give a speech at the business conference about marketing for small businesses. While I was filming I listened to the small business owners ask questions about how to generate more revenue and streamline customers. Through this experience I learned that I absolutely do not want to do business as a career. First week of picture taking! This week was all about understanding the basics, getting a good foot forward in the beginning of my learning. We started in the studio, learning about the different lights, messing around with shadows and learning about the lenses I will be using. My beautiful model (and best friend) was put behind 3 different lights in the studio, the ring light, light that creates a natural lighting effect, and the normal rectangular light. The ring light, when directed straight onto the subject, creates no shadows and creates a ring of light in the pupil of the person being photographed. The natural light made it look like there was a window with sun streaming into the studio. The rectangular light can be moved around to create the desired shadows. Messing around with my exposure, ISO, and aperture was simple in the studio because once I found a setting that I liked, I didn't have to change it because the conditions didn't change. However, once i started photographing outside I learned a lot about my camera and how the settings should be adjusted depending on the conditions.
When I moved to take pictures outside I was faced with more challenges. I have started to learn the different ways i can adjust my camera to take higher quality photos in certain conditions. I shot mostly on aperture priority and then adjusted my exposure from there. My favorite pictures are when the sun is behind the subject and often this will cause sun flares to be shown in the picture. However when I am trying to take a portrait that is more centered around the subjects features, I would have the sun come directly onto to models face. shooting in outside conditions is more difficult but yields amazing pictures. In order to take advantage of the conditions outside I will learn more about my camera and the way it functions. Learning more is the key to improving my photography. So far I gathered a greater appreciation for capturing a moment. There is something fascinating and beautiful about being able to take one moment and keep it forever. There is a lot of power behind photography, I hope that once I learn to master how my camera works, I can focus on the moments I want to capture and the impact I want my photos to create. But for now I am still an amateur and this internship will help me advance. Day 1! Today was my first day interning for Allison Ragsdale Photography. I made my schedule for the next month, made a geo filter on snapchat, observed a headshot session, and looked at different lighting techniques used in photos.
My experience searching for an internship was complex and frustrating. Throughout my search I emailed around 30 organizations, trying to find a internship in the environmental field, with no success. The stress of not getting responses from possible mentors and the lack of interest in an intern was discouraging. I constantly was wondering what else I could do to find an internship, after a while I knew that rejection is a part of job hunting. Finally, I realized that I needed to explore my other interests. I have job hunted before, waiting for reply for a few weeks; however, this process did not compare to the search for my LINK internship.
During the first few weeks I was hopeful and excited. The prospect of being out in the world for a month, doing what I love, filled me with excitement. I started my search with emailing environmental organizations in other states. I received some emails back, mostly consisting of "I'm sorry, but we cannot find room in our program at this time. Feel free to check out our summer internships!" This did not diminish my desire to find a great internship. In the next few months I broadened my search, still having my heart set on environmental science. However, my drive and passion for the search was less than when I started. By the end of my search I had emailed about 30 organizations, with only 3 responses. I decided it was time for a change. I could no longer handle the exhausting search with no outcome. I started to look for a photography internship. I started by emailing Allison Ragsdale to see if there was any possibility of interning with her. Within 10 minutes she had replied and scheduled an interview. The next week I had my internship confirmed. Through this experience I found that great ideas I have may not be completely possible and if I step out of my comfort zone there may be amazing opportunities. I am an amateur photographer and I think I was scared to do something I am not 100% confortable with for a whole month. Good things can happen when you put yourself out there, and I am excited to learn a lot. It is important to be open minded to all areas of one's interest. Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, you never know what might come your way, so be ready for new experiences. This search for an internship was really a search of myself, trying to find ways I can express my curiosity. If I hadn't faced all the challenges in my search for an internship, I might not have really looked at myself and my interests. After my frustration I reflected on what made me happy rather than what might make me the most money. When I broke out of that box great opportunities came my way. Throughout my search I experienced frustration, panic, and disappointment. I believe that this experience has helped me prepare for the difficulty of job searching in my future and helped me reflect on the way I interact with challenges I come across. |
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