My Mentor

I found out definitively today that my mentor of six months has left the school. This is a guy that I respect more than any other instructor here at Brooks. He is detail oriented, clear and concise, informative, knowledgeable, and demanding. I responded so well to his style of teaching that I excelled in his class more so than I have in any other class so far. My work from his session is the best that I have done to date. He motivated me. It was my greatest aspiration as a student to assist for him, and now I have lost that opportunity. I was extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him and learn from him and I hope to be as much like him as I can. I try to hold myself to the standard that he set for us, but it would have been nice to have him around as a sounding board as we move into the upper divisions and into our careers. He cannot be replaced.

Three Week Itch

There is a time life, if you have done something right, where you realize that you are on the right path. For me that point in time would be right now. I can't wait to go back to school. Admitedly I was never really a huge fan of summer break. I know, I know, that makes me crazy. But I loved school so much that I always wanted to go back and learn more. However, there is something slightly different this time around. I am itching for more photography knowledge. I don't know enough. I can't possibly know enough. I need more information, more education, more tools, more more more!!! I have used 13 rolls of film in the past three weeks and it is not enough. I have shot winterscapes in New Mexico, Christmas scenes, family portraits, and beach candids. I can't get any of them developed until I return to the labs that I trust in Santa Barbara, so I have no idea if any of them came out. So that is also driving me crazy, but more than anything I just want to get back to the camera!!

After three weeks off from my job when we got married I felt like I was returning to the seventh ring of hell. I wanted to stay under the radar so badly that I got into work a little early and left my overhead light off and my door closed for two days before I was ratted out and people came to "welcome" me back. I don't think I will ever feel that way again. I hope to never have a time in life again where I dread the end of my vacation. I just want to do photography. Every day. On vacation or not.