F/Stop - October, 2005

Most of the students this week—including me—attended Prizewinning Photography the week before, so we can skip the introduction stage (we can actually call somebody by name instead of just, "Hey, you!"). There are some new students who didn't attend last week and we are having great fun getting to know them.

Around 9 A.M. all the students split up into our specific classes—I'm attending Pixel This—and we headed into a full day.

Technical camera and computer stuff can get boring really fast, but the Pixel This instructors, Peter Pallock and Mandy Novotny, did a great job keeping things interesting and helped us when we had problems.

My favorite part of the day was when we went to the local Farmer's Market to shoot pictures for the class. It was great not to have a photo limit like I had the previous week at Prizewinning Photography. This time I got to shoot all I wanted.

After dinner Mandy gave us Photoshop 101. Boy, computer programs are amazing! What a full day—and tomorrow will be here before I know it!

—Pixel This Student Danielle Gruenwald

Just to clarify, there is more involved in photography than most people realize. Let me explain: Shutter speed. Aperture. ISO. Exposure. Rim lighting. The Golden Mean. Leading lines. Texture. Depth of field. It's actually a little bit different than the standard "point and shoot".

That to say, I believe photography is perhaps the most powerful form of communication. An image has the ability to speak to an individual in ways that no spoken words could. This week the students of Prizewinning Photography Class 18 were given the information necessary to go beyond the "point and shoot" mindset of ordinary photography and become effective visual communicators. Through fourteen hour days packed full of instruction, hands on training, and critique, we students were given the tools to not only capture that "special moment", but also create an image of impact that deeply influences the viewer for God's Kingdom.

Interestingly enough, a great deal of the principles of photography also transfer into the spiritual life of a Christian. Measuring how much light we allow into an image is just like evaluating how much of Christ's life we are allowing to permeate the image of our lives. Understanding the importance of our image's message illustrates the importance of knowing what we want our own life message to say that we might live it out. Both are brief examples that communicate vivid analogies between the images of photography and the spiritual image of Christ in us.

God has used IPS to speak to my heart in a way no other learning experience has. Without a doubt I was challenged in the technical aspects of shooting; however, I was also challenged to seek out God's perspective on my character and level of spiritual maturity. Beyond technical phrases such as "aperture", "shutter speed", and "exposure compensation", IPS was without a doubt successful in emphasizing spiritual perspective because of the instructors. We students were able to glimpse into the lives of these people who are "Christian photographers" and have seen Christ as preeminent in their hearts. Their examples and realism have meant more to me than any principles of photography could have. The opportunity to watch them, spend time with them, talk to them, and get to know them has been a blessing far beyond anything I had ever imagined.

Yes, IPS was a week in the technical aspects of photography; but because of the spiritual lessons we learned, the technical aspects have seemed an added bonus. I can say truthfully that we students would have come here this week if only to be so impacted by the image of Christ shining through the lives of our instructors. Because of our instructors, every single one of us students will walk away with an inspiration to be real with others, that we too might communicate God's awesome power through the image of Christ in our lives, whatever our talents and abilities might be.

So what was IPS like this week? Basically, we learned how to change our world for Christ. One image at a time.

—Prizewinning Photography Student Christina Dickson

Monday morning I woke apprehensive. Tuesday morning I woke terrified. Wednesday morning... hope was on the rise. The afternoon sessions from the day before had finally explained to me how to create the image I wanted. The mystery of aperture, shutter speeds, and ISO had been unveiled, and though I launched the day's photo shoot with no scrap of experience using these concepts, for once I "had a clue." Still, feelings of frustration and bewilderment haunted me throughout our shooting time, but it was frustration with the details of shooting in manual mode and wondering if I had it right, rather than the frustration of shooting in automatic mode and wondering what the camera was going to come up with.

Having covered the foundational elements of camera control the day previous, this afternoon we got to the fun stuff: how to create an amazing "people picture." The tricks of studio lighting and equipment were finally unveiled, along with several dozen principles and ideas toward lighting and posing that captures a person's personality.

This is what I came for ñ why homesickness, exhaustion, and the rather painful brain crunching of the past 48 hours holds value and purpose. I always feel as though life is slipping away from me, and photography is one of the only methods I have to hold onto some of it. Personally, understanding the technical side of "holding onto" those memories is pure work and no fun, but... by the grace of God it's slowly beginning to make sense.

—Prizewinning Photography Student Brandy Zeek

I rolled over in my bed and reached groggily for my watch. Pulling the curtain back, I let the light illuminate the time. It was Wednesday, day number three at the Institute of Photographic Studies.

Classes began at 7:30 am with a straight talk by video on leading by example. Breakfast was at 8:00; the previous day's contest winners were announced at 8:45.

From there, we took off to yet again test our prowess with newly found camera skills. Our minds swirling with a load of new information, we were soon fussily clicking away; a change from the first day of peaceful shutter-snapping. Truly ignorance is bliss! After fulfilling our quota of pictures for the day, we piled hot, sweaty and perhaps a bit peeved, into the van.

Classes resumed after lunch, with Rowan expounding to us the wonders of the flash. Katie followed this with an in-depth overview of portraiture, and the final lecture of the day, delivered by Mandy, was on shooting macro—basically taking pictures of things really, really, REALLY, close.

Dinner followed, and with it a hysterical bout of laughter. My sides hurt, and I wasn't sure if one of the girls at my table was going to take a breath again! After the hysteria subsided, the final part of the evening was consumed with reviewing the pictures we had taken earlier that day.

Finally, we enjoyed a slide presentation of todayís contest images, led in a humorously witty manner by Peter! He then closed the evening in prayer, thanking God for the day, and for the ability to learn and take pictures!

And now... a much coveted sleep awaits me between the sheets... of... my... bed... zzzzz...

—Prizewinning Photography Student Jared Mosher

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