Internship #13

I took this picture during my internship, and decided to use it for this post because it was one of the first times I decided I would look harder for something to take a picture of. I have widened my perspective.

It's amazing to think that just a few weeks ago, I was beginning internship, thinking I was already well prepared and aware of what I would learn. I did not underestimate my mentors, but I did overlook a lot of details to photography. I guess there wasn't really any way of me knowing. Within the first day of my internship, I learned more than I had even imagined. The things I learned were not just about photography, but about life. I soon realized that every single moment is one of a kind, and every day, every hour, every minute, they pass us by. I had not come to realize the true beauty of the world—all of the world—until just recently. Thinking back on it, I can't believe how unaware I was of what was around me. There were so many things that went unappreciated. For example, I always thought of my neighborhood as dull and boring, with little to offer. But one day, when I was trying to take more pictures, I explored it. In doing this, I forced myself to widen my gaze, and what I saw was little details that made things beautiful. Things I had never noticed. It seems I do this more often now.
My final products are a slideshow, a photo album, a business plan outline, and a business budget. I’m quite proud of all of them, but I can definitely improve on each of them. The main product I know I could improve is my album. I got many of my pictures in it, but not all. The design of it isn’t very particular. The next time I make an album, I’d like to put more thought into it, so it can tell a story. The same goes for my slideshow, but I like the way my slideshow turned out better than my album. I’m quite proud of my business plan outline, because I think I put myself into it, and while I was writing it, I really thought about how I would want my own business to be, and I realized just how unique my ideas were. The budget I made was a bit of a challenge. It was hard to decide on prices, and think of why I would price them that way. But with Betsy and Jeff’s (my mentors) help, it was easier, and I managed to do it through a lot of thought. However, I have a feeling that I’ve overlooked something. So, I think that if I could, I would double check, and get a critique on it. I really enjoyed learning about business, because it’s fascinating how much goes into it all. This is the part of math that I enjoy. The kind that connects to a lot more in my own world.
I realized that this world has so much more for me, and there’s still a lot about myself that I don’t know. I don’t know exactly what I want to be, or what my future will be like. But for some reason, I know I’m ready to take it on. Before, I guess I was afraid. When I would think about how close I am to adulthood, I’d start to wonder if I was anywhere near ready for that kind of responsibility. I’m just a kid. I didn’t feel any different than how I was in middle school, other than being smarter, and a bit wiser. Still, I wasn’t sure. But somehow, now I know I can take it on. I know college and beyond will be a big adjustment period, but at the same time, I love those kinds of times, because I love new experiences and I know I’ll get through it. I’m more confident in my ability to be independent.
I’m not sure if I’ll be a writer of fiction or fact. I’m not sure if photography will be something I do on my own, or if I’ll make a living off of it. All I know is that I want to do both, because they are both my passion. I’ve realized that I genuinely enjoy fashion photography. When I went to this Photog event, I felt like I could just be. I felt like I was in the right place, and I enjoyed it in a way that felt natural. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did, and now I’m even considering pursuing a career in it. But I don’t plan on being like many of the fashion photographers I see. I don’t want my pictures to turn out the way many of the fashion pictures I see do. I want my pictures to tell a story. Simple, unique, and genuine ones that people can identify with. I want to improve the way people see advertisements in magazines and other media, because I know that there has to be more than just poses. There has to be a meaning, and a look that makes the picture seem real.
Who knows? Maybe I’ll be a magazine journalist who takes pictures to go with the article. Would that be another form of photojournalism? All I know is, I’ve definitely got a lot more decisions to make in order to pursue my dreams, and I’ve got to be ready to take on the challenges of the moments that are sure to come.

Then, write a reflection in which you highlight the most significant personal learning experiences for you at internship.
Before you log off, check out your blog buddies' writing and photography and leave a comment.

Internship #12

Post a portrait of your mentor.

Betsy McCue

Photographer and Photo-editor

La Vida Creations.

When Betsy went to college, she had an interest in architecture. She thought this would be her job. However, she came to realize that her interest was not in actually building, but simply in the art of architecture. She loves symitry, and the beauty of buildings. So she often incorporates this into her pictures. Graphic design is still her main focus. She is a very happy person, and she was a little shy in the past, but now she just shines, and talks to everyone she can.

What was your college experiance like?

I LOVE College! College is really where I developed my creative side and sense of self. We didn't have a photography major, but I was still photographing the world as a hobby. I learned to think critically about the world in my exploration of who I was and where I wanted to go. I came in as an architecture major and left with a communications degree. I learned to handle all aspects of the creative industry I chose to be a part of: graphic design. I wrote and designed. Photography was still a hobby. We started our business 6 years ago.

What did you think you were going to be while studying in college?

Photography is my second career. I was a graphic designer for years. However, I also think that my graphic design sense of style and aesthetic has most definitely influenced my photography style.

What inspires you?

Other photographers, our friends and family, and clients. We find great inspiration in the people who surround us and get excited about the way we see the world. Travel also plays a great role in inspiring us as well. It's ALWAYS good to go out capture the world and our experiences in a new light!

Internship #11

Choice 3. Post three pictures represent what is most significant to your experience as an intern. No matter which one you choose, for each picture, write a caption of at least a few sentences that provides information or story development that we can't get from just looking at the picture.

This picture in particular is very significant to my experiance as an intern. I took this picture when we went out on our first photoshoot, and I didn't notice these ghosties until one of my mentors pointed it out. I couldn't believe I had missed it! They look like the PacMan ghosts, and my family and I are big fans of Pacman. So, from this point foreward, I told myself that I was going to widen my perspective and be more observant so I don't miss things like this.

This was one of the first pictures I took where I could really tell I was being more observant and appreciative of the world around me. I had also noticed a big difference in the quality of my pictures at this point as well. I was putting more thought into my pictures, as well as the work I did for internship.

This picture was taken when I went to the Photog Shootout, which is where photographers gather together to take pictures of models. I had gotten a little bit of practice with people photography, but had to work on them. I had a lot of fun at this shootout, and while I was there, I noticed how much more confident in photography I really was.

Internship #10

Part 1: Documenting collaboration
Post photos of collaboration at your workplace—this may be people working together or the result(s) of people working together.
Well, I can't literally copy and paste the results of Monday's collaboration, but my POL was on that day, so I had an entire presentation that went on for over an hour, and I displayed my slideshow. Jeff and Betsy helped me by making sure I had everything I needed, and helped me set up, and I presented. Betsy and Jeff also answered questions and engaged in conversation with Randy.

Part 2: Writing about collaboration
In the course of one typical workday, how many different people do you directly work with? How many people are indirectly affected by your work.
On the typical work day, I just work with Jeff, and by myself. A lot of my work is independent. As for who is indirectly affected by my work, I'm not sure I can say. I can list plenty of people who are directly affected by my work, since photography is a personal connection. But indirectly is a little harder to come up with, since this is a personal, self ran small business.

Describe your direct collaboration with others—how does it go & how does it influence the work?
I work directly with Betsy and Jeff. Betsy teaches me more about the photography side of my work, and Jeff gets me working with the business side of ot. After I've done photography with Betsy, I notice my pictures get better and better, and I become more satisfied with their turn outs. What Jeff teaches me about gets me thinking a lot about business and it's connections to the world, and reminds me that not every part of business is meant to be extremely fun or enjoyable. After I've worked with him, I usually add more to my business plan, and get more specific and organized with the work that I do.

Describe your indirect impact on others through your work—there are probably many people you never actually see who are affected by your work. How does this happen? How does this influence your work?
Well this is an easier question to understand and answer. I'd say my work indirectly affects Jeff and Betsy's clients. We practice photography together, and we've both been inspiring each other for new pictures. By doing this, the creativity in our pictures grow, and Jeff and Betsy's clients I'm sure will appreciate that. This inspires me to take more pictures, practice more often, save up for a new lens, and network my photography as well.

Intern Interview

What was your high school experiance like?
HS introduced me to a lot of creative outlets. I worked on yearbook at the end of HS.

What was your college experiance like?
I LOVE College! College is really where I developed my creative side and sense of self. We didn't have a photography major, but I was still photographing the world as a hobby. I learned to think critically about the world in my exploration of who I was and where I wanted to go. I came in as an architecture major and left with a communications degree. I learned to handle all aspects of the creative industry I chose to be a part of: graphic design. I wrote and designed. Photography was still a hobby. We started our business 6 years ago.

What do you wish you had known before you went to college?
I wish I had known how much photography was going to be such a huge part of my life. I didn't think I could make a living doing photography at that time, I just thought it would be a hobby, never a career. I wish I had known that possibility!

What did you think you were going to be while studying in college?
I think that this is the same answer as #3 for me! Photography is my second career. I was a graphic designer for years. However, I also think that my graphic design sense of style and aesthetic has most definitely influenced my photography style.

What inspires you?
Other photographers, our friends and family, and clients. We find great inspiration in the people who surround us and get excited about the way we see the world. Travel also plays a great role in inspiring us as well. It's ALWAYS good to go out capture the world and our experiences in a new light!

What's the strangest way an oppertunity presented itself to you?
We got together with our wedding photographer for an anniversary shoot with our dog. We had always kept in contact with him and he knew we did a lot of photography as a passionate hobby. He asked how that was going, what we had been up to lately. He asked if we had ever thought of people photography. We hadn't! So he encouraged us to come out and shoot with him at some weddings and see what we thought of that kind of photography. We fell in love with it immediately!!!

Internship #9

Please post a summary of your week at internship. What were the highlights? What were the challenges? What was memorable and why?
This week was very busy, since I've been finalizing my final products. But, in the end, I'm happy with how their coming along. I finished getting all of my alphabet pictures together, and I've finished editing them as well, so that was a big relief. I also finished my slideshow today, which was another huge weight off my shoulders. It was a little stressful for a while, but I got those done, and I'm very happy about that. The last thing I have to finish up is my album, but I'm having trouble getting my name off of them. We put watermarks of my name on them, you see, and I don't want those to be shown in my album. Hopefully I can get my entire Album up and ready by the end of the day tomorrow.
I plan on going to this photographer thing called Photog. I won't be able to take pictures of the models, but hopefully I can take pictures of other things, and learn how to direct people as well. I can't believe my POL is on Monday. The news seemed to come so suddenly. I think I'll be preparing all weekend.

Internship #8

Feels like I've been sitting in front of a wall all day. Maybe I'm a ghost...or a zombie.

I don't mean this in a bad way. All of the work I've been asked to do requires me to be infoors, in front of my laptop, working. I guess the rain outside gave me even more of an excuse to stay inside. While doing this intership, I've started noticing more of how beautiful the world is. I'm amazed by how much of the beauty I haven't seen, even in my own neighborhood. In the very beginning of this internship, I realized that every single moment is once in a lifetime. Photography has become so much more important to me, because I know that there are just so many lovely moments that just slip by, even now. My gaze has been widened so much. How many more moments will I be able to capture? Where will my life take me? It all seems like one great big adventure for me to document now. I love walking around everywhere more than I ever have before, and getting on the ground and climbing things to find new angles to take a picture of what I see seems so much more natural now.

Oh, I didn't do yesterday's blogpost mostly because all I could find about them was their adress's, and their website. So I'll be asking all of my questions when I interview Jeff tomorrow.

Questions I'll be asking:

1. What was your highschool experiance like? How did it lead you to where you are today?

2. What was your college experiance like? How did it differ from highschool?

3. What do you wish you had known before you went to college?

4. What do you wish you had known after you left college?

5. What is your favorite part about your work?

6. What inspired you to get into professional photography?

7. How did you end up here?

8. How much have you changed compared to how you were in highschool? College?

9. Who was/is your greatest inspiration?

10. How did oppertunities open up for you?

1/18/09
Yes, I went to internship on MLK Day. It's an important holoday for my family, but it wasn't as if I were giving up anything. I enjoyed being at internship, and it was my choice to go. Afterall, I'm doing so much on this internship, I have to get in and learn more as much as I can. Sieze the moment, I guess.
Isn't it just hilarious that this week, my photography was supposed to be focussing on sunsets and silhouettes? Kind of hard to do with raging gray clouds in the way of the sky, and thrashing wind blowing the camera out of my hands (that didn't happen, but it seems like it would). It's supposed to rain all week, too. I'm trying to brainstorm what I should take pictures of next. I love the rain, but it's pretty hard to capture on camera--at least for mine.
But anyway, back to business. Today during ingternship, since we didn't get to go out and take pictures, Betsy taught me about metering and white balance, as well as movement within pictures (how to capture it). I have a generalm understanding of that, but it was a good review, and I even learned more. Contrast is a key element in a lot of photography.
We also went over photoediting and presets. It was a pretty busy day for Betsy and Jeff. They had to do a lot of editing, and phone calls, and so on. They even showed me some pictures they took of dancers. It was lovely, really, and it was kind of interesting to see them in there focused modes.

Internship # 7

What characteristics and qualities do you see in the people at your internship that you'd like to develop in yourself?:
There are many things I find admirable about my mentors. The first thing I'd like to bring up is their creativity, and appreciation for art. On the first days of my internship, they were telling me that while they watch movies, they sometimes pause the movie to appreciate the lighting, and think that would make a great picture. Sometimes, they even use this as inspiration. They've also shown me examples of the work of some famous photographers that I've never even heard of, such as Annie Leibovitz. I honestly cannot believe I had never heard of this amazing photographer. She's captured so many lifestyles, and has taken so many different creative pictures. It's just beautiful. I would like to find out more about more famous photographers, and adopt and learn from their styles.
Another thing I find admirable about Betsy and Jeff is how outgoing and fun they are. They seem to be able to keep up a fun conversation with everyone, and have a genuine interest for people. They have a way of making people feel comfortable in front of the camera, which is key for people photography. Being a leader in general is needed if you want to be a successful photographer, and to me, they've got that. I only hope to be more like them as I get older. Hopefully sooner than later.

Internship #6

Project description

Internship site: La Vida Creations

Department: The Arts (Photography)

Project Title: Through The Lens

General Description: Basically, I will be showcasing the photography I've been taking through an album (but it will probably be digital), a slideshow, and a blog. Along with this, I will be writing a business plan and budget.

Learning Objectives: To learn more about how math is incorporated into the real world of business, as well as what exactly goes into running a business of my own, and what to consider in pricing photography.

Organization/Company Objectives & Benefits: To create an organized contact system so they can keep up with their business connections to further improve their own business.

Schedule: First week is mostly introduction to photography, the second week is beginning business aspects, and the third and forth weeks are to put them all together.

Academic Skills: Math, design, independent writing, organization.

Technical Skills: Photo-editing, Exposure (all the aspects in taking professional pictures), using Excel to keep information organized as well as create a business plan, and Booksmart to learn how to design and publish an album.

Collaboration—Skills and Opportunities: The skills I'll be learning is all of the above (photography, editing, math in business, organization, and design). The oppertunity I have been given is to start putting my art out into the world, and gain connections in photography, and photo-journalism.

Exhibition Plans: Showing the contact system I have created (probably a har copy), my slideshow, album, and blog.

A Summary of My Week
What were the highlights? What challenges did you face and how did you manage them? How did you work with others? What did you see and/or experience that you did not expect? How would you describe your first week to someone who has never had an internship?:

My favorite part of the week was making my blog, because I have never really designed a blog. Sure, I've picked the skins and such, but I've never been able to pick the color design, header picture, and where the links will go! The hardest part of this week was probably finding the alphabet letters (the shapes of them) in the real world. I couldn't just take pictures of signs with the letters on them, I had to use my imagination and look really hard for all of the letters. I am overcoming this challenge by dedicating more time to finding the letters around San Diego. I did not expect to be given so many materials to read, but I find them very interesting! If I were to describe my first week of internship to somone, I'd probably tell them that it's a little nervewracking at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to it. I'd also tell them to make sure to take plenty of notes, and that to make it easier for themselves, they should probably make an organized schedule. Dedicate certain times of the day to get certain things done.


1/15/10
I worked really hard and really long today, because I really want to get ahead of the game for my internship. I read almost the entire book on Lightroom my mentors gave me, took notes on it, read the packet they gave me, worked on my business plan and such, experimented with blurb (quite a lot), went out and took a bunch of pictures, and so forth. I've gotta say, being busy was pretty fun. I still have plenty more to do, though.
I've been thinking of themes to photograph, as well. I was thinking of doing benches, or old-looking buildngs, or playing cards. I'm still deciding.

Internship #5

In this blog post, write about what you would like to learn when you interview your mentor. Post the big ideas and main topics you want to discuss and why they are important to you.
Also, discuss when this could take place. Schedule a time and place with your mentor (or coworker) and post that info in your blog, if possible (you will need to know this by early next week). Locate and reserve a computer or other recording device to document this interview.
Post all of this info below your writing about your ideas and goals for your interview.

I would like to learn about how my mentor got into photography in the first place. So far, I know that one of my mentors had a mild interest in photography while in highschool, but during college pursued a completely different profession, and the rest is history. I would like to know more about the details of their journeys. I hope this will open my eyes more to the possibilities of life.
I plan on conducting this interview on Friday the 22nd.

1/14/10
I have already finished reading the Lightroom book (at least most of it). There are a lot of sections that have tech talk that I don't quite understand, or I don't have to know right now. Some of it was more advanced than I am ready to learn. I also finished watching what I needed to of the Adobe tutorials. I'm glad I'm getting ahead of the game. Now, I'm working on my business plan (one of my final products), my other blog (another final product), and checking out Blurb.com (which will turn into a resource for another final product). At 2pm, I will be going out taking pictures around La Mesa, and when I get home, I will practice photographing people (using my family as subjects). While taking pictures of my family, I have to use the 50 ways to say "you're awesom" that I came up with (yes, I succeeded in doing that), as well as work on lighting, and everything I learned on Monday.
One of the goals is for me to break out of my shell, so my mentors want me to practice projecting my voice. I'd like to acheive this goal, and I know it's going to be hard, but it's for education and growth. I'm so glad my mentors are this great.
Just for fun, here's the 50 ways I came up with (note that these are the type of things I'd be saying as a photographer behind a camera as I'm taking the pictures):

1. That’s great!
2. Awesome!
3. Sweet!
4. You’re so cute!
5. That’s adorable!
6. Perfect!
7. Great!
8. Beautiful!
9. Lovely!
10. Magnifique!
11. Ooh!
12. Nice!
13. Very nice!
14. Terrific!
15. I love it!
16. The camera just loves you
17. Gorgeous!
18. That’s the way!
19. Give me more!
20. Yes!
21. Brilliant!
22. Pretty!
23. Exquisite!
24. Divine!
25. Marvelous!
26. You’re nailing it!
27. Excellent!
28. Outstanding!
29. Superb!
30. Tremendous!
31. Super duper!
32. Super cute!
33. Super cool!
34. You guys look great!
35. You look great!
36. Aww!
37. Right on!
38. You got this! You go this
39. WooOOoo!
40. Oh yeah!
41. You’re rocking it!
42. You rock!
43. Rock on!
44. Ooh la la!
45. Work it!
46. You’re doing great!
47. Fabulous
48. Fahhbulous
49. Keep it up!
50. Just like that!

Internship #4

Please refer back to the past two blogs. Can you answer all of the questions? If yes, that's great! If not, then use the first part of this blog entry to tie together any loose ends.
Okay, now that you have done that, please complete the following:

Project title: Project Photo...? (I'm still getting everything together)
Project description: I will be making an album, a blog, and a slideshow to display my work. For the company, I will be getting all of their contacts, and organizing them on the computer.

Project schedule: This is still being worked out. It's not exactly as schedule, more as an overview. The second week of internship is mostly dedicated to learning photography, the third week is mostly for business, and the fourth week is tieing them all together and putting the final touches on what I've done.

Materials & Equipment needed: Lightroom, a camera, Excel, Booksmart, and a slideshow program. The slideshow program is madfe for Mac's and I'm not sure what it's called.

Project documentation: How will you keep track of your work? How will others know about it? What will you have to show when internship is over? Please note that some internship projects cannot be fully documented for legal reasons or because of organizational regulations (i.e., if you are working on an ongoing case at a law firm or working on a project that will receive a patent, etc.):
I've been keeping a seperate blog of what I've been doing, as one result, all of the pictures I've been taking will be displayed in a variety of ways, and I guess I can print out the contact system.

This post is for 1/13/10
Today was mostly independent work. I needed to get ahead of the game, so I could focus more on the final products of this internship. We went over the new pictures I took. These pictures focused on depth of field. These turned out a lot better than my first assignment. But now I am being asked to spend even more time taking pictures. So, I will be focusing and taking pictures of one subject for at least 30 minutes. The lesson to learn here is to take even MORE pictures. The term "break your shutter" comes to mind. I think my interns really want me to break my first camera shutter. I kind of want to as well, because it's sort of like an initiation into the photography world, somehow.
Using the feedback he gave me, he wants me to work on depth of field using a chess board. I also will have to read more. I have tons of materials to read, such as a Lightroom book, an Exposure book, my camera manual, I will also be watching Adobe Lightroom tutorials, and have a packet to read too.
I have to stay really focused in order to get ahead of the game, but I know I can do it.

Internship #3

For 1/11
Projects should be coherent collections of work samples and/or work experiences that are relevant and meaningful to both you and your company.
Answer these questions to get started:

1. What skills would you like to develop at your site?
Basic photographic skills as well as editing skills in Lightroom. As a bonus, maybe becoming a little more outgoing as well, or at least trying.

2. What interests do you have regarding the work done at your site?
I love the art of photography, first of all. I love finding new beautiful places and angles to create a work of art, purely from what's around us. I am also interested in business all together, since there's so much that goes into it that I don't really consider usually when I'm thinking about it.

3. What needs can you address (needs your mentor has, your company has, etc.) based on your skills and interests?
I can help them stay organized, and make a contact sheet for them so they can keep up with all of their business connections in a more efficiant way.

For tonight:
Remember, an internship projects is a coherent work experience, work sample or collection of experiences and samples that are relevant, useful and meaningful to the company and you.
Answer the following questions to help develop your project:

1. What academic skills could you use on the job?:
Well, math is a very big part of it when it comes to the business portion of photography. What I learned in This American Life really connects to this the most. That's the first thing that comes to mind.

2. What forms of collaboration could you use in a project?
I could learn to keep myself more organized by helping them keep their work cite even more organized. Is that what you mean?

3. What technical skills can you use at your internship?
We plan on using Excel, and Lightroom as well as Booksmart for design, So there's a lot of technical skills needed, since most (if not, all) of their work involves a computer.

4. What new things can you learn while working at your site?
I can learn more about running my own business, and photography as a whole. These are both relatively new aspects to me, so I'm prepared to learn a lot over these next few weeks.

5. How can you exhibit, showcase or otherwise share your work?
We plan on making an album, a different blog for myself (which is one I've been working on a lot), a contact system, and a slideshow.

6. How can your work or your skills & abilities help your company or organization?
When I went to PUG the other night with them, there was a successful photographer speaking, and one of his main points told photographers to be a mentor at some point. I thought that just fit in too perfectly with what we were doing. But I am also going to make a contact system for them.

Yesterday, I went out for another photoshoot with Jeff and Betsy. We went around Little Italy, and I helped carry around the equipment (which was just a hollywood reflector sheet) because they had to take headshots of a customer. I took a few myself for practice, but it was pretty hard to get the right lighting and angles, so I already know I need a lot of practice.
Today, I am continuing to work on my Business plan, and blog (different blog. Will post later). It takes so long to get everything just right, but hey, it's internship, and I can already see the difference in the quality of my pictures, and I'm learning even more than I had expected.
One of my new assignments is to write 50 different ways to say "You're awesom!" or "You look awesom!" to people while I'm taking pictures. The more confident the people feel, the more fun and open they'll be, and the pictures will be more fun as well.
I've got a lot of shyness to overcome, and this internship I think is helping me with that little by little. It's been an exciting week so far!

Internship #2

What have you actively done to start off on the right note?:
I've stayed focused on what I'm supposed to be doing, and have made sure to write notes and do the assignments they've given me using my effort. I've also been reading the resources they've asked me to, and am starting to understand exposure.

What have you actively done to create interesting opportunities for yourself?
I've been open to trying new things while at internship, and asked questions about their past, how they established their business, and asked some of the things they learned along the way. Beyond that, I have gained resources into the world of Photo-journalism, and have been emailing with that person. We plan to talk together some time in Febuary.

What have you actively done to advance the interests of your mentor and/or site?
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this question.

What can you do in the immediate future to improve yourself and your experience in the above areas?
I can try to break out of my shell more, and push myself to be more like my mentors. It's a hard task, but neccisary. I can also make sure to practice what they teach me each day, and help them with whatever I can by accepting any oppertunities they offer me.

So, Friday, being my second day of internship, was pretty simaler to the first, except instead of talking about what we were going to do, we started. Jeff looked over the picture I took of the alphabet (it was an assignment) and gave me feed back on what would make these pictures look better. I'm not going to lie, they were pretty lame, but that's mostly because I could only take pictures around my house when I had the chance to. So we decided that it'd be cooler if I would explore around San Diego, using the feed back he gave me, to make even better pictures.
I also started making my business plan. I'm currently working on the executive summary. There are a lot of sections I'll have to write!
We went out on our first photoshoot on Saturday (because we know that if I want to have a good final product, I have to start as soon as possible), and went around University Heights. We took pictures between 10:30am--2:00pm. Apparently, that's the worst time of day to take pictures, since that's when the sun is heighest in the sky, and it's hard to get good lighting when the light is so bright. My pictures came out really well, though. They taught me how to work on Av mode (which is Aperture Value/Aperture Priority mode). This setting allows me to control how in focus the picture is. And finally, I started to leanr about how Lightroom works.

Internship #1

The picture above is how they dress.

The picture above is where I'll be working most of the time.

First day of internship, and I woke up at 6:30am as usual. Pretty disappointing, since my internship doesn’t start until 1pm. But in order to get there, I had to go to my mom’s work so I could get a ride. At least I got toast and peanut butter for breakfast. But I figured I should spend my time wisely while waiting for my internship to begin, so I worked on my new blog (link will be provided later) where I talked about how I spent my Monday at a photographer’s convention. Then, after an hour of working on that, I walked around downtown to look for good photo-spots. I went all the way from the symphony towers, to Seaport Village. It didn’t seem like I had gone that far, but there was a lot to look at, and I got back in time for lunch (PB & J).
When I finally got to go to my internship, which is in Betsy and Jeff’s house, I was handed lots of information in a binder, and we went over our schedule and plans for the next three weeks. Jeff taught me the basics of Aperture, ISO, and the lenses they use. This was only a small fraction of what we went over. I learned so much that I’m still processing it all even now. Photography just got even more technical, and it’s really interesting.
I don’t necessarily have a specific area that I work. So far I’ve been working in their living room, which is also their meeting room. Within the next few days, I’ll be taking pictures of the assignment they’ve given me, and building a business plan (we have it all on a schedule), and working on my blog. I feel most prepared for my blog, since I’ve already got a good design for it, and I love to write.To succeed, I’ll need to practice my photography a lot, and be sure to ask plenty of questions in order to help Betsy and Jeff effectively. I’m really excited about this because I’m interested in what I’m learning, the first day was already quite successful, and the schedule is really fun.

Recession Questions:

When it comes economics and business to you as a self run business really need to be aware of?

What the market will bear, not just how it’s effecting us but also our clients. We need to be aware our client base. For example, our client base is not bargain brides, our clients are appreciators of fine art. There are two types of brides. They are either looking for a bargain and don’t really care, or they really care, because after the wedding is over and done with, all that’s left is the photography. We have to make sure we are priced in such a way that we can book who we want. If we price ourselves too low, people will undervalue us.
So, basically: Market, ideal client (how much they are willing to spend), and a good understanding of where we fit in compared to competitors. It’s not just about low prices, but also the experience, products, and services.

What is largest economic impact on you personally?
What part of you business is most effect by recession? (these two connected to him)

The wedding industry is not recession proof, but resistant. Weddings are still going to go on, some people still have a lot of money because they were prepared. Some people have that big budget. You just have to find them. We had fewer bookings, but not enough to destroy us.
Portraits and family sessions were most impacted, since they are considered luxury item, in general. Maternity sessions were not affected, because when you’re pregnant, your pregnant.
One thing I noticed is that people didn’t book far in advance like they used to. It went from booking 1 year before hand, to 3 months beforehand, because they’re not sure if they can afford it.
Things are getting better now. There’s even more bookings this year than we had last year.
There is one key. We did not lower our prices. If you do that, it will take three times as long to get back to where you started. Do not lower prices during a recession. You can offer less stuff. We removed stuff from our packages, taking away things so it would be less work, and cost less, rather than lowering the price, but getting the same thing. That would be undervaluing our work, but that’s not good, because we’re still working just as hard.