be an artist! (part 1)
I’m often asked how I got started in photography – maybe people are more curious because my background centered around sports and business – a far cry from the arts. I encourage anybody who suspects they might want to dip their toe into the pool of the arts to start out with an art class at a local art school. Most cities have them, all it takes is a little research. And, believe me, you’ll be glad you did!
For example, I really didn’t even dabble very much in photography until 1999. Before then my primary creative release had been in music – specifically the piano. Well, back in 1999 I decided to pick up underwater photography, so I bought a really nice underwater camera and took a solo trip to the Cayman Islands to do lots of SCUBA diving and take lots and lots of pictures. Well, it was no big surprise that my pictures didn’t get me published in any diving magazines. I needed to learn how to use a camera – how to compose, how to light the subject . . . you know, the technical stuff!
So, I enrolled in a small art school in Orlando, Florida called Crealde School of Art. The classes and teachers were fantastic, and it didn’t cost much, at all – at the time I paid less than $115 for an 8-week course! After taking a level 1 class and learning the basics of taking good pictures I enrolled in a level 2 class. During that class my teacher told me that I should stick with photography – and I’m glad I listened!
I captured this image (entitled Reflections)) for a natural lighting assignment in my level 2 class. I was floored and humbled when the photo was selected for an exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art! At the launch of the show two people actually purchased prints, too! I remember sitting there, watching people critique the image(s), and thinking “well, this crowd is a little bit different from the locker room crowd”. It was a surreal experience, but from that day forward I knew that photography was what I wanted to do.
Small art schools like Crealde offer all types of classes – photography, painting, sculpture, drawing, and much more. It’s a great creative release, it won’t take too much of your time, and you might even gain some personal enrichment along the way!
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