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Workshop at the Ranch – January 2011 – Graduation Day

2011-January-WATR-iconHi and welcome to this special edition of Workshop at the Ranch. This month’s article will depart from the usual blitz of images and technology. I have chosen to feature the photography of my daughter, Haley, who has just graduated from college.

Hi and welcome to this special edition of Workshop at the Ranch. This month’s article will depart from the usual blitz of images and technology. I have chosen to feature the photography of my daughter, Haley, who has just graduated from college.

Guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at her choice of major. She always had a “keen eye” for visual images even at a young age. When she was 10 years old I could spread out 100 slide transparencies of a NFL game on the light table and ask her to pick out the best 5 pictures. She would request the loupe and bear down on the first cut. Then, without hesitation she would pick 5 and say “there Daddy, these are the best” …and she would be right. Time and time again she would choose the same images I would.

Image #1.       Looking Through the Loupe … Occasionally I would hand her a camera and let her make some pictures. But as she entered into High School she expressed an interest in photographing her friends. I gave her a pocket camera to take with her. I didn’t offer much instruction but encouraged her to just make some pictures that she liked. I enjoyed looking at her pictures. If she requested advice I would answer with very basic answers. Converting her images to B&W was nothing I suggested. It was her idea from the start that came from her and I watching old B&W musicals on TV and grew with an attraction to the B&W work of Robert Doisneau. Nikon Coolpix, ISO200, 1/5 at f4.5.

Image #2.       Southern Exposures … So off to college she went, and into photojournalism at Gardner Webb University in North Carolina under the instruction of Dr. Bob Carey. Dr. Carey immediately got her involved with her major and into photography classes along with the University newspaper where she spent time as both photographer and picture editor. Dr. Cary gives his students lots of opportunity to photograph including an occasional NFL Carolina Panther game. And thus it was one Sunday during her sophomore year that while Haley was finishing her Panther game in Charlotte, NC. I was I arriving at Mile High Stadium to begin shooting Denver vs Oakland. I walked into the pressroom and saw a gathering of photographers crowded around a laptop. “Hey Dave, check out this shot.” “WOW! Nice hit,” I said. ”Who made that?” “Your daughter.” To see Haley’s image of Keyshawn Johnson posted on the wire was an incredible “like father like daughter” moment despite being 1500 miles apart. I didn’t stop hearing about how I needed to “step it up to Haley’s level” the rest of the day. Nikon D200, ISO500, 1/500 at f4, Nikon 300mm lens.

Image #3.       Return to the Rockies … But photojournalism and a school far from home would only be a two-year engagement for Haley. The start of her junior year saw her returning home to the Rocky Mountains and enrolment at Colorado State University. This was a complete 180 degrees from Gardner Webb’s photojournalism program. Film, a darkroom, large format cameras, and matte boards would be the tools for fine art image making in Prof. Gary Huibregtse’s classes. New Challenges may not fully describe Haley’s junior year. And so she began photography almost from scratch and the road to rediscovering her photographic direction. ISO800, 1/100 at f1.8, Nikon 85mm lens.

Image #4.       Out of the Darkroom … Entering her senior year we spoke often about how she had a natural photojournalistic style, an ease with people, and an interest in portraiture. The combination of these seemed to blend well with wedding photography and at the same time Haley became friends with a fellow photo student, Karina Crouch, who was already working with a wedding photography group, called Verge Photography. Nikon D700, ISO500, 1/250 at f2.8, Nikon 70-200mm zoom lens.
Image #5.       On the Verge … Purpose tends to increase one’s focus and with a newly found purpose to her photography Haley began a casual apprenticeship with Daniel and Reeta Treat, the owners of Verge Photography. By Spring semester she was working as an assistant photographer with Verge and Karina. Nikon D700, ISO250, 1/640 at f4, Nikon 70-200mm zoom lens.

Image #6.       Wedding Light … Haley has learned a great deal about wedding coverage from Verge. Her awareness of how to let light into the picture along with her natural tendency towards photojournalism is an asset to the group. There is a natural joy that is expressed from within her images. She wants her subjects to know how beautiful they are. Nikon D700, ISO200, 1/800 at f3.2, Nikon 70-200mm zoom lens.
Image #7.        A New Confidence … With only one wedding season to her credit I see some wonderful images being made and some lovely moments in time being captured. Nikon D700, ISO1600, 1/400 at f2.8, Nikon 24-70mm lens.
Image #8.       Return of Joy … Haley tries to “find the joy in all things.” This is becoming increasingly evident in her work. I certainly see the joy of photographic discovery coming into play with pictures she is making whether at a wedding or on a school break. There is an excitement in her voice about making images. It reminds me of when she would show me pictures she made of her friends during her High School days. Nikon D700, ISO800, 1/1250 at f2.8, Nikon 24-70mm lens.
Image #9.       Graduation Day … On December 18th, 2010 Haley’s college days came to a close. Her final senior project was not about people, or portraits, or weddings. It was about Light. This one will be hanging in the house by the conclusion of writing this article. Nikon D700, ISO320, 1 minute 30 seconds at f5, Nikon 24-70mm lens, Star Wars Light Saber.

Four years of college complete. Twenty-Two years of life watching Haley grow into the finest young lady I know. Seemed like only yesterday that she was looking through the loupe.

See next time here on Workshop at the Ranch. Adios. Dave