The End is Near but it's Far from Over

As I approach the final week of school I am realizing how important some elements of these classes are in preparing us to be released into the wild, to make the transition from student to professional.

In the early stages of school I wanted to be a "well-rounded photographer" who was capable of photographing anything and everything so that I could appeal to more clients.  There are classes that force us to choose one specific area of interest and however frustrating it may seem to settle into one niche, it does make putting together your portfolio as well as learning how to talk about yourself as a professional easier.  Having more work and experience in a certain area of photography still allows you creative freedom while you build a larger collection of images.  

My newly-developed area of interest, Editorial photography, was actually a lot easier to put together into a portfolio than it was when I called myself a Nature photographer because the Photography program allowed me to explore other areas of the field that I would otherwise not get to try in the real world.  I found comfort in nature but found my calling doing environmental portraits and photo stories from the assignments I shot for class as well as for myself.

You may be taking classes that you have no interest in but you will also have classes that inspire you.  I had my fair share of snooze-worthy classes but I also had a handful that really opened my eyes to my own skills and talents as well as one special instructor who inspired me to pursue the editorial genre.  Accept challenges as opportunities to grow, ask questions for better comprehension, and never stop shooting what you are passionate about.  

I recently had an assignment where I was required to use my strobes--I haven't used those in months so I was both dreading and looking forward to packing up my studio and doing an on-location shoot.  I was anxious because I had no idea what the location was going to look like but I definitely knew how to use my lights.  I actually felt confident going in to the shoot--something I had never really felt before when I did any portraiture.  At the end of the program it feels good to finally have confidence, but it feels even better knowing I worked hard to get where I am.  None of it came easy, not even this last class where I felt more frustrated and misunderstood than I ever have before, but I am proud that I never gave up.  I didn't have the extra time to work on my projects as I have in the past, but every time I do a photo shoot I find myself saying, "I love my job!"

Next week will be my goodbye post, but in the meantime you can check out my Web portfolio here.  

What classes have inspired you?  Tell me in the comments or share a story about how you have developed as a photographer since you started school!

(All photos in this post are my own.)

Sunday Spotlight On: Portfolio Options

Have you ever wondered how you are going to present your photographs to people?

As photographers, the way that we present our work can make us look either professional or like a hobbyist depending on the final product. Have you thought about self-publishing with Blurb? If you are deciding to self-publish, Blurb is a perfect tool that allows you to control the look and layout of your own book. Sizing, layout, paper choice, turnaround and cost is something that you should know before you invest in this sort of outlet. Although I have printed with Blurb numerous times, now it has merged with programs such as InDesign and Lightroom making it easier and less complicated to export from.

Undecided on what you should do? No Plastic Sleeves is a wonderful site to find inspiration from. Since photography is an open market, almost everyone would either settle on a digital portfolio or a physical portfolio. No Plastic Sleeves displays tons and tons of portfolios, postcards, mailings, and out of the box concepts that inspires photographers to be different. 

No Plastic Sleeves. 

No Plastic Sleeves. 

Think outside the box when you begin to search for options on presenting your portfolio. See what has already been done and do something different according to your brand. No Plastic Sleeves has some really great inspiration but not everything is for everyone. Let your brand have a voice and you will find what works for you.


Photo Credit:

Currier, D., "Custom Portfolio Design for Karyne Bond." No Plastic Sleeves. 23 January 2013. Web. 6 September 2014. <http://blog.noplasticsleeves.com/custom-portfolio-cover-design-for-karyne-bond/>

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!

Your Portfolio...Work on it NOW!

Good Morning and welcome to another Terrific Tuesday!

As my days of doing blogs for the school are almost over, I want to take this opportunity and talk a little bit about portfolios.  The main point that I want to stress is that no matter what year or what class you are taking, you need to start thinking about your final portfolio presentation...right now!  Every single shooting assignment is a chance for you to work on your portfolio, every single image should be taken thinking that this might be the one that will land you a shooting assignment in the future.  It is better to have 300 great images where you get to choose 20-30 for a presentation than having less and then having to figure out how are you going to fill the empty areas.

If you are doing a 4-year degree, your last class is going to be PH430 Photography Portfolio. In this class there are going to be several areas that you will be presenting to your professor and working toward you last portfolio presentation.  This class is different from the e-folio class, and all the work you did on e-folio will be used again on PH430.  Here are some of the things that you will be working in your last class:

1. Portfolio, both in physical and online form
2. Mission, vision and artist statements
3. Presentation of your website
4. Branding, marketing and targeting of audience
5. Advertisement as well as left behind promotional materials
6. Example of your business card
7. Social media interaction and presence

Sounds like a lot?  Don't worry, you will be working on every aspect I mentioned above in other classes before getting to your last one.  The important thing is that you should be working on your brand in every class you take.

If you are going to be involved in Portraiture, use every class to build on it.  Every image of a subject or model should be geared and be the best you can produce, regardless of the assignment parameters.  Practice your posing techniques as well as your lighting schemes, make them interesting and with variety so you can use them later on.

If your area is going to be Fine Art or Architectural, be sure to take the Architectural Photography class and take the chance to build on your images.  You can also use the other classes such as Photo Essay, e-folio, and others to build on your images, techniques and variety in presentation.

Here are some sites that I hope will inspire you in some way toward creation of a unique presentation of your website and portfolio.

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/50-great-photographers-you-should-know/

http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/inspiration/photographers-portfolio/

http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2013/06/wordpress-photography-website-templates.html

Having problems with your branding?  Here is some help, hope it is useful for you.

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/06/branding-mistakes/

http://photographyspark.com/photography-branding-tips-ideas-for-studios/

http://digital-photography-school.com/ready-branding-your-photography-business-part-1-logos

Do you have a business card for your business?  Check out these two sites.

http://www.zazzle.com/photography+businesscards

http://us.moo.com/products/business-cards.html

I really hope all this information helps anyone out there, but remember the most important action right now is to get into the habit of using any photography assignment as a way to improve and build toward your portfolio.  By the way, on your last class, there will be shooting assignments, I am using them to explore and increase my presence and enhance my portfolio. hope you can all do it when the time comes!

Until next Year, this is your Tuesday Ambassador!

Have a great pixel full day!

And of course, be safe and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Travel is Good for the Soul (and the portfolio)...

 

 

Saturday Ambassador

Travel is a remarkable teacher that enriches our lives by introducing new experiences and precipitating interaction with people, cultures and conditions that differ from what we encounter every day.

 

In 2008, I embarked upon a month-long excursion throughout China and Japan. The experience influenced my life in a number of ways: First, Asian cultures are very different from life in the United States. Rather than being a "rude American", I endeavored to learn some of the customs and even some of the language of the places to which I would travel, and respected that which is considered proper in those regions; I tried new foods and visited places where tourists rarely go in order to immerse myself in the culture; I photographed relentlessly and, subsequently, decided to pursue photography professionally.

 

Xi'an Dance-2, Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yangshuo, Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2008 (left); Guilin (Li Jiang),

Deva Mayorga-Malone  2008 (right)

 

While travel abroad is exciting and exotic, it is also expensive. Domestic travel can be every bit as interesting and educational, and it is far more convenient.

 

As a photographer, regardless of your chosen genre, it is imperative that step outside your comfortable living space so that you might better understand the people with whom you will be conducting business. Experience does not come from a book or a website, and certainly not from television. Rather, it comes from acting, doing, being and interacting within an unfamiliar environment.

 

As I have previously mentioned, I am an OTR truck driver; travel is my job. This country is home to some truly remarkable and unusual places, and I explore them at every opportunity.
 

South Rim Grand Canyon, Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2011

Lower LaBarge Box Trail (Arizona), Deva Mayorga-Malone, 2009

Take the time to travel to make your assignment submissions unique, to broaden your horizons and to achieve enlightenment. It will make you a more knowledgeable, creditable person, as well as a better photographer.

 

~Saturday Ambassador





Increasing your portfolio without breaking the bank or paying out of pocket.

Good Morning and Happy Sunday Everyone! Today I wanted to talk about a great experience that I had last weekend. I recently joined a group called the Philadelphia Glamour Photography Group on Meetup.com. I joined at a time when they were just about to have their huge meet up that they have every year at Riddley Creek State Park, in Media, PA. The meet up was on a Sunday, close to 160 Models, Photographer's and MUA's showed up.  This whole thing was new to me, I was a bit overwhelmed as I didn't know any of the member's yet, but I did go with a friend, her boyfriend and her kids. That made it a bit easier when they arrived. Other than being overwhelmed, I was really taken back, by how inviting, accepting and friendly everyone was. They had a small ceremony for one of the members that  had recently passed and had planted a tree in his honor. This was very moving, being able to be a part of this was truly amazing.

Now on to my point... Many of us want to increase our portfolio, but you don't want to have to pay a model or you may not have the money. This meet up was free to everyone involved. The MUA's were paid for their work, understandable as they need to replace their makeup. Models brought many different outfits and then it was like a feeding frenzy. Models changing outfits, changing locations several times during the day. All with over a 60 or so different photographers asking them to do different things. Every model will get copies of their photographs, usually in digital form. (I'm assuming), but this was an opportunity to really expand your portfolio with several different models with different looks and not breaking your bank or paying out of pocket. There are many other groups that do similar meetups, some charge depending on the event, but I suggest that you take a look at this option and find  a group in your area or even start one of your own. So get out of your comfort zone and start taking a chance!  I did and I will never regret it.

Below are some of the photos I took during this meet up.

  Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

  Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

  

                                                      

   Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

                                                              

Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

Enjoy Your Sunday and Photograph Something Everyday!

Sunday Ambassador~ Wayne