F/Stop

It’s my second week of IPS here in Portland... can I just say I LOVE this class?! The atmosphere is open and relaxed, even with the intense busyness of constantly learning new information and completing assignments. The growth I am seeing in my skills really excites me!

Our morning started off with the leadership/devotional session, which sets a great tone and focus for the day, and then Rowan took us through the basics of image editing in Adobe Lightroom. It was great to fully explore all of the available options further. Jocelyn’s assignment of a speed shoot mid-morning quickly remedied our sleepy eyes...I love how our instructors change the pace up at just the right time!

Hannah showed us three basic portrait poses in the afternoon. We tried them out for ourselves in the classroom... laughing much as the guys attempted to relate to the girly poses. :) Feeling better equipped for success, we set off to our on location portrait shoot, where we encountered some great light and urban backdrops. 

Still finding the process of portraits somewhat frustrating to my perfectionist eye, I was not entirely enthused about review & critique after dinner. But true to form, this was once again my favorite part of the day! The one-on-one feedback and personal time invested by our instructors is truly meaningful and effective. I left very encouraged by the realization that I have made tangible steps forward. That’s the best kind of day any student of life could ask for. =)

-IPS Student Hannah Lefchik

"My Favorite" Speed Shoot winner by Michael Korsholm

It’s hard to believe that today was the last day of Prize Winning Photography 1 here in Portland!! It has been an incredible week of learning, not only about photography, but about being a good leader and about our relationship with God.

This morning we had one more session with the fabulous Hannah, which was all about the basics of Digital Imaging.  Then the moment we had all been waiting for… We got a chance to review our prints from Thursday’s portrait shoot at the Riverfront!! It’s interesting how when you know that your pictures are going to be printed you put a lot more time and thought into each one…

In the afternoon, Rowan gave us a quick lesson on Macro photography which was pretty much “epic!” ?

We ended the day at the Edlin family’s house with a time of fellowship. God’s awesome handiwork was the only backdrop as we spent time around a fire watching the stars come out and singing praise and worship songs together.  

This has been an amazing experience!  What a privilege to interact with fellow believers from all over the US who just happen to share one common passion… Photography!! On behalf of all of my fellow “students”, I want to thank Rowan, Will, and Hannah for the patience they showed while investing their time into our lives this week!

-IPS Student Aryn Sturgeon

Macro Contest Winner by Sarah Klacik

Today started out with a session on leadership. I was reminded that I can be a leader even if my way of being a leader does not appear as grand as others' ways of leading. I was not made to have the personality of someone else. I need to be who God made me to be and use all that He has given me to invest in the lives of those He brings along my path. I have already experienced that when I am content and joyful in building relationships in the way He planned for me to, I am fulfilled and happy. More importantly, I am pleasing the Lord.

Thinking. What a crucial part of photography. During our 1 1/2 hour photoshoot at Pioneer Square, I shot only a few subjects, but I shot them several times. After each shot, I pursued a superior result by altering the exposure, aperture, shutter speed, composition, or angle. Sometimes, I changed more than one of these components. And then fired again. And again. Though my results were not always what I was aiming for, I found satisfaction in taking the time to think about what I was doing and wanting to do rather than just snapping the picture when I felt like it. Think. Adjust your settings appropriately. And then snap. Photography is much more rewarding that way.

In the first few days of PWP 1, my knowledge of photography has substantially expanded. Our teachers help us understand the concepts so that we may succeed. They shower us with praise even after small advancements. I am blessed by being here.

-IPS Student Ana Marie Ort

Picture of the Day by Sarah Klacik

Brick Contest Winner by Susanne Hansen

Pioneer Square Contest Winner by Aryn Sturgeon

My shoe hits the sidewalk as I jump out the van door. I grip my camera close to my hip and glance down the busy, colourful street. A myriad of overwelming thoughts come whirring through my head. Only 35 shots. Make each one of them count. Less than two hours to work in. Think outside the box. Something unique. Something with a story. Something red. With nothing to loose, my new found partner and I set out and found a cute, much quieter looking street.

Ten minutes and seven medeocre shots later found me leaning over someone's fence and boldly capturing a lonely rose. The lady of the house stepped out onto her front porch and smiled at us. She greeted us most kindly and walked past us to her car. Her shoe grabbed my photographer eye, but for a moment I hesitated. Then throwing caution to the wind I jumped up after her and asked if I could borrow her shoe for a moment. Obviously thrilled and amused at my interest in her fine footwear, Barbara removed her shoes and stood in the middle of her driveway laughing at us while I carefully staged the subjects.

"Do you have a couple extra minutes?" she asked smirking broadly.

"Of course!" I replied, and she immidiately dissapeared into her house. Moments later she immerged laden with a large, very full bag of awesome, unique, and totally funky shoes.

"Have a hay day!" she bubbled most excitedly as she laid them all out.

My partner and I exchaned glances and grinned excitedly. We'd found it! Something unique. Something worth capturing. Something with a story. We dove right into this new found treasure trove of perfectly unique subjects and captured away.

Lesson learned: Not only is it important to be in the right place at the right time, you can't be afraid to ask when you see a picture worth catching.

-IPS Student Merissa Korsholm

Picture of the Day by Aryn Sturgeon

Red Contest Winner by Ashley Millington

Signage Contest Winner by Hannah Lefchick