Portrait Photography Course - The way he sees himself

I have totally neglected my Portrait Photography Class. It isn't necessarily a bad thing, I was making good choices. Although it was hard for me to let go, I needed to with too much on my plate. Coming Tuesday is our last class and I am not sure if I will be going. I am still 2 assignments short so I am not sure there is a point to going if I can't bring any work.

Either way, I did accomplish our third assignment. Mine turned out pretty gross. Sorry about that. It is what I wanted it to be. And it wasn't easy, being in a slaughter house and not eating too much meat and all.

The assignment: Find out the way your models sees himself. Or find out his dreams, what would he be if he wasn't what he became? Well, that were hard questions for my model. Boer Piet is just very content with his life. He has no dreams, never had them. I know it's hard to believe that but believe me, I interviewed him for a long time, and interviewing is my job. He did mention that if he wasn't a farmer, he would probably sell meat one way or the other. And so I took him to the abbatoir, a place where he takes his animals to be slaughtered... it was quite the experience. I loved it. Although I am not such a meat eater and the smell of death and blood was in my nose for weeks, I always love seeing and learning new things, and this was so new to me.

The Contact Sheets. As you can tell I tried different areas in the slaughter house. And as often happens, what I had in mind first came out best. I didn't even print out the others. It wasn't what I wanted.

And my picks

Portrait Photography Course - Environment

Yes, the Portrait Photography Course is still going. More about that later. Here is my second assignment. Take a photo of your model (the same one, remember, my neighbor farmer) and shoot him in his environment.

We're working with Contact Sheets. That way our teacher can see what we were after, and how we went to work. It's been real beneficial, a true must have if you ask me. I started this assignment with shooting the environment and to see what stood out for me. Piet has a small home and his kitchen is very characteristic, very old like and I love it. It was quite a hassle doing a shoot in this tiny room but I got exactly what I wanted. (You can actually click on the contact sheet to get an enlargement.)

My pick at the end

Snow snow snow

Winter doesn't automatically mean snow here in Holland. So I always get so jealous of my friends on the East Coast because they get plenty. But this week we have had snow ourselves and I love it. Even if it meant staying in hotels this week because I couldn't get home, even if it meant arriving late at a shoot, even if it meant long hours in the car, going 15 miles an hour on the highway. None of that bothers me for I love the view and enjoy myself just looking around and watching the snow come at me while in the car (don't you love that?) Today is a long awaited day off, it's way overdue but it could not have been a better day for the snow to come pouring down again, and it still is. So I went out for a walk, tagging my camera along. I haven't taken any photos lately, that weren't work related, my life is crazy. But in 2 days I will be taking a Christmas break.

Go here to find more Sunday Scenic Shots.

It's here!!

This is not about photos, though it is about something very exciting, it's taken up many of my hours:

Something we have worked on very hard, Sharon Kips' CD "Love Will Bring You Home" is in stores and available at www.sharonkips.nl on Monday!!

It IS here

Signing the very first copy for pianist Jan Willem van Delft

Sharon in South Africa

Some portraits I took of Sharon. Most were taken for a magazine that will publish an interview with her the first week of January.

On top of Table Mountain

Very all of a sudden we rushed to the recording studio in Stellenbosch to record a song for Jimmie Earl Perry's album.

South African Mountains

No words, just photos of my trip to South Africa

This is why we went