Sunday Spotlight On: Shooting For Your Portfolio

What greater time to fill up your portfolio then now? As a student we are constantly shooting and reshooting, but fail to shoot a lot of those images for our portfolio. Here is where the lines of technicality overshadow creativity. We want to know that we can do the assignment and in the end we forget that we had a chance to use the image for our portfolio. 

Art school is a different entity from your more traditional schools. Here creativity is what sets us apart from your traditional colleges. Creativity is limitless and there are many things in this world to photograph as well as many different ways to capture it. Having the knowledge and the skills to create memorable pieces where you can break out of your shell is something that no one can take away. 

Many have seen this image in some class that I have posted in the first week of class. I always mention that this is one of my favorite photos that I have done because it is very different from what I usually shoot. I teamed up with some amazing students and we had a massive production with this shoot. It enabled me to test my skills in other areas and I found that I do like to shoot something other than documentary or photojournalism. 

Day of the Dead, 2013. Quiana P jackson

Let each assignment become motivation to apply the techniques that we learn in class. After all, tuition is something that some people would dream of having but cannot afford. Here at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, the instructors are always willing to help and I am sure they are willing to provide feedback on how they got to where they are now. This upcoming week is your chance to create an image for your portfolio from a classroom assignment. What are you waiting for? Get started! 

I am your Sunday Funday Ambassador. Happy Shooting!

Trouble with a capital “T”

Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble…..

Our high school is performing “The Music Man” and I have this song running through my head in the annoying, it will never go away sort of way.  But it does allude to something I want to talk about today.  In each and EVERY one of our classrooms, under EVERY week, just below the assignments, is a place few people go…..

But we all should!

I will be the first to raise my hand as “guilty” of not using this section as well as I could (or at all to be honest).  I did not really understand the purpose of it until recently and sadly I have been at this over two years and am nearly finished.  I want my loss to be your gain.

This is what I am talking about:

Problems and Solutions Discussion.  

For some reason I thought I had to have some big “issue” to post there.  I could not have been more wrong. 

Click under this section and this is what it says,

”This Problems and Solutions Discussion forum is where you can post information about any technical or assignment problems you're experiencing, and post any solutions, tips, tricks or other comments that would be of value to fellow students.”

My current Instructor adds this note,

“If you have any questions about this week's assignments that you think your classmates might also have, please post them here.  If you think you have an answer to a classmate's question, you are welcome to chime in - this is a community, let's welcome one another and support each other as we learn more about portraiture!”

This, ladies and gentlemen is a FABULOUS tool, a GREAT resource, a WONDERFUL arena for us to connect and help one another.  Remember that no question it too small or stupid.  I struggled all the way through Lighting PH136 not knowing if I should leave the modeling light on all the time when using strobes or shut it off.  It was not until I was taking Studio Photography PH212 and was having a phone conversation with the Instructor that it occurred to me to ask her and not feel ridiculous about it.  If I had posted a little note in the Problems and Solutions Discussion during week one of Lighting, then I would have known.  And it is entirely possible other students in the class had the same question.

This is a learning environment!  We are all here to LEARN.  To better foster that we need to simply ask questions when we have them. It may very well be that a classmate knows the answer.  We are all at different places in this journey. One of the beauties of the AiO set up is that because we are all at different points in our journey, we can and SHOULD help one another.  AiO has given us a platform in the Problems and Solutions Discussion where we can do just that.

Do you have a question that you have been too nervous, afraid, or did not think to just ask?  Well now is your chance!

You can always ask us questions here on the blog as well.  That is one part of what we are here for as Student Ambassadors.  We are all a bit further along in our journeys and have found ways to be successful and yet are still learning.  Let us all learn together.

It’s just another Manic Monday …

Monday Ambassador

I'm Late, I'm Late, for a Very Important Date!

As students a AiO we are faced with many deadlines for submitting assignments and participating in discussions.  The deadlines are very important for several reasons.  One reason is that with our classes only being 5.5 weeks long, if we get behind, it is REALLY hard to catch us.  Another is that in that in the real world we have deadlines and school is a great place to learn and train ourselves to be one time.  That being said, sometimes life happens and we find it is simply impossible to meet a deadline in class.  So what do you do?

After you have a mild panic attack ……..

breathe. 

Breathe deep,

Three – slow – deep breaths.

Now, get your ducks in a row, come up with a good solid plan.  How are you going to handle this situation?  How are you going to get your work submitted?  How late will it be?

Then you MUST contact your Instructor!  A phone call or email is fine, but you MUST contact your Instructor!  Depending on your situation and who your instructor is, you might be extended some grace.  Here are a couple scenarios with different outcomes:

I was working on a project/assignment and just not getting the images that I wanted.  They were not up to my standards.  I made a conscious decision to turn the assignment in a day late and take the deduction rather than turn in images I was not happy with.  I emailed my instructor straight away and explained why I would be turning my assignment in late.   While I did indeed take the 10% deduction, my commitment to excellence made an impression on the instructor and kept me true to myself.

At another time, in another class, with another instructor. My oldest son is a very gifted athlete and was being recruited by D1 schools for football (and potentially basketball and baseball).  In game 4 of his senior football season, in the middle of the 3^rd quarter, on his 212^th yard of the game, he broke his ankle.  This did not exactly fit the schools policy, but the instructor granted me grace for a late assignment.

Deadlines are extremely important and you should do everything you can to always meet them.  But sometimes being late is unavoidable.  Just be professional and handle it.

Drop me a note and let me know how I can help you today!

It’s just another Manic Monday…..

Monday Ambassador

Advisor, Advisor, Where Art Thou?

I hope you all had a Happy 4th and caught some fabulous Firework shots!

As a student at AI there is a team of people put in place to help you.  Specifically YOU!  Your Admissions Counselor, Financial Counselor and Academic Counselor make up this team.  Notice they are called COUNSELORS because their job is to COUNSEL, to ADVISE, to HELP you!

coun·se·lor

  [koun-suh-ler] 

noun

1.   a person who counsels; adviser.

coun·sel

  [koun-suhl]  Show IPA noun, plural coun·sel for3, verb, coun·seled, coun·sel·ing or ( especially British )coun·selled, coun·sel·ling.

noun

1.    advice; opinion or instruction given in directing the judgment or conduct of another.

2.    interchange of opinions as to future procedure; consultation;deliberation.

If you do not know who your Academic Counselor is or how to contact him, here is some help.  This is screen shot of my home page.

Notice the big purple arrow on the right hand side?  This is where the name and contact information (phone and email) for your Academic Counselor can be found.

PLEASE take advantage of these men and women!  They are experts!  It is their job to help you wade through the logistics of your educational courses at AI.  Pick up the phone and really get to know them.  Give them a way to remember you (mine is easy, I have 10 kids – no one forgets that LOL). Get to know them a first name basis.

Our Advisors are also our advocates.  If you need something ASK them.  It never hurts to ask, the worst that can happen is youget told, “No,” and then you are no worse off then if you had never asked.  Let me leave you with an example.

I had a particular Instructor that I really “clicked” with.  She was encouraging and challenging and I grew a lot in her class.  I learned that there was another class she taught that I still needed to take and in fact she was teaching it soon.  She and I had been in contact and she indicated she would like to have me in class again. So I called my Advisor.  At first the response was, “Well I don’t know,” but with further explanation and discussions and a bit of persstence on my part, I got in the class with the Instructor I wanted! 

Advisors – they are just a phone call (or email) away.

Have questions?  I am happy to answer.  Or share your experience with your Advisor. 

It’s just another Manic Monday…..

Monday Ambassador

Mr, Miss, Dr, Instructor, Jack

Mr, Miss, Dr, Instructor, Jack.

What is the right thing to call our Instructors?  And does it really matter?

Like a fly caught in a web, determining how to refer to the Instructors for our classes can be a messy proposition.  I want to help you get it correct right from the beginning every time (and save you from possible embarrassment).

YES, it matters!  So often in today's world it seems younger people just call everyone by their first name and think nothing of it.  We have talented men and women teaching us at Ai and we want to be respectful of them.  And we want their respect. 

 * Everywhere you see instructors listed or referred to on the Ai site, they are ALL, ALWAYS called “Instructor”.  So Instructor is a pretty safe bet any time. 

 * Not all of our Instructors are Doctors.  Some certainly are and if you have one, they deserve the respect of being referred to as Dr. (especially if they ask to be).

 * "Jack" – some instructors allow us to call them by their first name, but do not assume this is ok.

A lot of instructors send out an email a few days prior to classes starting.  Make sure you take the time to read this!!! Sometimes in that email, they will tell you how they prefer to be addressed. If it is not in this than Respond TO the instructor and ask them!  Another place to check is in the welcome letter in the classroom.

Once you have this information, be sure you are consistent during the 5.5 weeks of class!

Do you have more thoughts on this?  Or another question or something you want help with?  Post a question or comment and I will be back several times today to respond.  After all, that is what we as Student Ambassadors are here for.

It’s just another Manic Monday….

Monday Ambassador

photo by Lisa Kay Images, lisakayimages.zenfolif