Guest Speaking at ICP
I had the opportunity to guest speak at Amy Arbus’ “Narrative Portrait” class at The International Center for Photography last week. It was so much fun. The class was so interested in lighting which made it simple to lead the discussion. I can talk about this stuff for hours, but ussually not everyone I run into wants to listen. I used both still and moving images to lead the discussions and we talked a lot about the differences between still photography and video. This has become such a hot topic recently with the introduction of digital SLR’s that now shoot HD video. There are ton’s of similarities between lighting stills and video. Ultimately you are after the same thing, (using the lighting to help tell the story) but the instruments and often the technique used are different. Above is a still image from a short horror film that I recently shot for Mike Miller called “beneath.’ We dissected this Image in the class, and I had this video clip with me to show them, however, for some reason the video was stuttering when I tried to play it. Hopefully some of the students will find their way here at some point to see the video.
Amy invited me to stay for the second half of the class which was critique of the students work. I realized afterwards how much I enjoy the formal education process. I’ve spent the last 4-5 years teaching myself photoshop from a series of text books. I think it’s a great way to learn and you can’t beat the price, but there’s nothing quite like the classroom setting to grow in. Having other humans to bounce idea’s off of and help you work through things like technique, process, or even getting suck emotionally is truly priceless. I met Amy Arbus last year at her workshop in maine by the same name. She’s an exceptional professor, with tons of experience, but most importantly, she’s one of the few that will give you her honest opinion, and isn’t going to sugar coat it. She’s there to help you become a better photographer, not to help you feel good about what you are doing regardless of it’s value. If you ever get the opportunity to take one of her classes or workshops, I highly recommend it.
I stayed with my cousin across the river in Weekhawken NJ. Here’s what I woke up to out her window. Beautiful.
grianghrafadóir - noun, photographer 
Great shot of the NYC skyline! I also love the commentary on the classroom and shallow depth with video. The video of Caleb Stine is really nice to watch, and listen.