Friday, August 11, 2023

Photographing Education

Concentration!

Blog note: This is post #501 since I began this blog. A milestone of sorts.

One of the things I most enjoyed in my profession as a commercial photographer was the endless variety of assignments that came my way. For one client, I photographed robotic welding machines. For another, I photographed food delivery packaging (complete with contents to make them look nice) for everything from pizza delivery boxes to pastries. For a number of years I did all the advertising photography for Rock City Gardens.

I made the photographs for an advertising campaign for the opening of a new hospital. I did photo assignments for numerous magazines, photographed buildings for architects, made personal and business portraits, and even photographed weddings from time to come. And of course, photographed and wrote Rock City Barns and other books. 

I also had the opportunity to photograph in many schools and colleges, something I especially enjoyed. One of my clients was the Public Education Foundation of Chattanooga, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide resources to teachers, principals, and schools in the local area. The intent young lady pictured above was photographed on one of my assignments for the PEF.

I usually photographed in classrooms where the students were fully aware of my presence. What's more, against all the advice I've heard or read, I often did it with one or more flash units on light stands. Whenever possible, I would have the person in charge introduce me and explain why I was there. Then I would ask the students to continue with whatever they were doing as if I were not there. I worked slowly at first, while they checked me out with sidelong glances; but they became used to my presence much more quickly than you would imagine and were once again fully involved in their activity, yet with an awareness which produced a kind of hyper-intentness and concentration. I almost always got well-lit pictures with heightened emotional and dramatic impact.

(Photo made with a Canon EOS A2 camera and Fujichrome film.)

Signed copies of the second edition of Backroads and Byways of Georgia are now available. The price is $22.95 plus $3.95 shipping. My PayPal address is djphoto@vol.com. Or, you can mail a check to me at 8943 Wesley Place, Knoxville, TN 37922. Include your address and tell me how you would like your book inscribed.

Check out the pictures at my online gallery: https://davejenkins.pixels.com/  Looking is free, and you might find something you like.

Photography and text copyright 2023 David B.Jenkins.

I post Monday, Wednesday, and Friday unless life gets in the way.

Soli Gloria Deo -- For the glory of God alone.

Tags: commercial photography   photography    Canon EOS A2    cameras    Fujichrome film    film photography    Public Education Foundation    Rock City Gardens

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