Cougars' Perspective: 2015

Thursday, October 29, 2015

No Limits

I'll be the first to admit that I am crazy-proud of the work that my kids do; and that I will brag on them given any opportunity. I am also hyper-critical of them and make every attempt to push them beyond where they thought they could go. Which makes this blog all the more special to me.

For the past month, all my classes have been working like crazy to get ready for the ATPI Fall Photo Contest -- one of the biggest contests of our year -- with the least amount of prep time. In less than two months they have shot advertising, portraiture, fashion, studio work, still life, sports/action, nature, animals, HDR, landscape, and so much more. They have worked within various industry software programs to edit their work including Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, and Photomatix. They have consulted with local photographers and mentors (thank you Siggi Ragner, Stuart Seegar, Eddie Hinojosa, and Jelani Gibson), researched techniques through online sources, and applied their knowledge with peer evaluation and critique. Basically -- they covered a year's worth of photography education in six jam-packed week.

And . . . once again, they have surpassed my expectations.

Please take a moment to look at some sample pieces from my advanced class below and browse the blogs of all photo students linked to our colehsphoto.blogspot.com home page. Comments are welcome and very appreciated!

Pedro Ayala

Maddie Steigleman

McKenna Clark

Sarah Haftorson

Maddie Steigleman

McKenna Clark

Matthew Craig

Sarah Haftorson

Hannah Wafford

DeLaney LaBrutta

Ra Hetep

Maddie Steigleman

Hunter Duplessis

Antoinnette Barnes

Jessica Beall

Erin Sanders

Antoinnette Barnes

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Everything Old is New Again

Every year we start out with a little baptism by fire.

After only a few weeks of school, all my photographers head downtown for a day of shooting architecture, cityscape, models, nature, and such. It is a test of patience, organization, stamina, and balance . . . not to mention skill.

And every year, I think: There's no way. They're not ready

but, every year

They are.

The experienced ones help out the newer ones with camera settings and equipment. And the newer ones offer a fresh perspective to what others have already experienced.

What results is awe-inspiring.

This year, we changed things up a bit and started by shooting models at the Pearl. This had a two-fold effect: the models didn't wilt quite as much in the 90+ degree heat . . . and the photographers were fresh and excited because they hadn't already covered a 10K downtown. And the images speak for themselves.