Saturday, March 6, 2010

I Got Schooled

That's what we normally say on the basketball court when we get a much needed hit to the "ego" in the opposite direction right? Well I stopped off at Starbucks to use the restroom, sit for a bit and review images after a morning shoot. I was going through the images trying to see which ones would make it to the Blog, website, etc. when I ran into another professional photographer. He noticed me from several others visits I made to this particular Startbucks to meet with potential clients.  This day he decided to introduce himself, start a conversation and four hours later he was off to a shoot and I was scratching my head trying to absorb all that I learned during the course of those four hours.

We talked medium format, large format, digital, film but lighting mostly. He did some napkin drawings as part of my impromptu course and I am sure the rest of the customers must have thought "get a room why don't you". I was hanging on his every word trying to get all my questions out in the middle of him explaining a prior question; I was like a kid in a candy store. The photographer I am referring to is Bobby Martinez and he lives right here in my town. I didn't get too far into reviewing my images but after his little seminar I thought, let me please do that shoot I just did all over again and please Bobby let me watch you shoot sometime??? Well we exchanged info and off he went to meet a client who came all the way from Chicago to take 5 pictures; yes I did say 5. This might seem crazy to us youngsters but Bobby has been doing this for quite some time and spends most of that time working with the customers on posing and breathing while the rest of it is getting his lighting "just right".


Here are a few of my early favorites of Atoi and Malcolm from the shoot today. I am also looking forward to putting into practice what I learned from Mr. Martinez today. Thanks Bobby!

I'll be back soon Bloggers!!!

David





































4 comments:

Unknown said...

Great story David. Love the pictures too. I hope to see what you'd learned from Mr. Martinez.

Mary Lawler Photography said...

I wish you could share some of what you've learned.

Were these pictures done with studio lighting?

Mary Lawler Photography said...

I wish you could share some of what you've learned.

Were these pictures done with studio lighting?

David N. Beasley Jr. said...

Thanks Eric.

Mary, I used a single studio light, an umbrella, reflector and grid spots on some of the shots. To explain what I learned from Bobby would require a phone call to discuss.