Photographer of the week - Corri Filipowski

Corri Filipowski has been interested in
photography since she was a teenager. She is mostly interested in nature photography. She has taken several classes now, and desperately wishes she had more time to improve on her skills. Unfortunately, she is a high school English teacher, who is working full-time and pursuing a master’s degree, so time is a precious commodity right how. She is due to graduate next summer, and then she intends to put more time into her hobby and hopefully will create some masterpieces.

Newsweek - Interesting article on Scam ads on Facebook and more!

While this is not actually related to photography it is well worth reading with the number of people on Facebook.: Let the player beware!

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/techtonicshifts/archive/2009/11/06/is-facebook-a-paradise-for-scammers.aspx?GT1=43002

Social Media

Sitting in a Social Media class taught by the incredible instructor Heather Mohnkern! Blogging, Youtube and doing Podcasts! Look for up coming podcast and videos on Photography!

Check out Heather's class on using Skype! November 19th, 2009. Held at the Career Links building in Oil City!

This weeks spotlight on Don Cann: Photographer of The Week"!

This week's Photographer of the Week, gives us a unique outlook on his work, his life, his beliefs and gives us some great images too! His work is some of the best I have ever seen, and rumor has it, that the "eye" runs in the family! Namely his sister Linda who will bless us with some of her great images hopefully next week!

Don tell us: I was born at a very young age, we were living in Tippery at the time.
Spent most of my youth traveling between the Oil City area and Phoenix , Arizona– with a short stint just outside of Boston, Mass.
The bulk of my teen and adult life were spent in Phoenix where I worked mostly blue collar and no collar jobs. Most recently as an ASE certified auto technician.
About a year and a half ago I ‘developed’ a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) – also called RSD, RSDS or ‘holy crap, what IS this??’. The McGill pain index rates RSD as THE most painful disease. Those that would like more info or to help find a cure (or even a treatment) I would ask that you go to http://www.rsds.org/
This condition left me unable to continue my career in the automotive field and so I decided to delve into my photography hobby.
I am completely self-taught and my favorite subject was nature. Going out by myself and experiencing nature as it was supposed to be allowed me to ‘look out God’s window’ and capture it as best I could. As one of my favorite artists Ansel Adams once said, “Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter.”
People that had seen my nature and automotive photography started to ask me to shoot weddings and portraits, which I reluctantly did. From that point, the jobs have expanded to include a magazine shoot, catalog product photography, commercial real estate photography, publications in newspapers, photography of evidence for a local police department, more portraits, more weddings as well as being the photographer for our church. (http://www.sonterrafellowship.com/)

We’re currently in process of turning our garage into a studio so as to have a bit more control over the lighting and weather. I’m hoping that the near future will include more portrait sessions both ‘on location’ and ‘off the wall’, equine photography and possibly taking on some high school senior sessions.
I am also hoping to get some ‘formal’ training in photography at some point in the near future. I try to learn as much as I can from the internet, books, magazines and other photographers such as JB Sallee of Sallee Photography. (Absolutely spectacular artists, JB and his wife DeEtte!)
I shoot with Canon equipment (be nice now, lol), my rig of choice is a 5D with a 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM. For editing I use a Macbook through an LG Flatron monitor and run Adobe Lightroom 2, Photoshop CS4, Fireworks CS4 and Dreamweaver CS4. All images are backed up onto a 2gb portable Seagate drive as well as copied onto 2 sets of DVD’s – one set stays at home and the other in a safe deposit box in town.
The progress is still ongoing with the CRPS so mobility can be an issue at times. Because of that we also rely on print sales from our website, which is under constant renovation. (http://www.doncann.com/)

My wife Leilani and I live in a small town in central Texas with our 3 dogs and 7 chickens. I will be visiting the Oil City area for 3 weeks in December of this year though and I am very excited to meet many of the artists that I’ve connected with on the internet!
Most importantly I hope that I can continue to honor my Savior with my work and my standards. He’ll decide where the business goes from here.

Why would a photographer teach other photographers?

I was recently asked why I spend so much time teaching other photographers and those aspiring to be a photographer. They went on to say that I was "teaching my competition" and "they will use what they learn from you to compete".

In my mind that's not a bad thing at all. Healthy competition is what drives photography to new heights, and styles that have never been believed possible.

Loads of photographers take the time to learn and constantly refine their skills. Patience is the most important trait a photographer needs to succeed. It takes time - lots of time to learn to do photography correctly and to give the customer what they are paying for. All too often aspiring "photographers" get into the field because they believe it's easy money or that all I have to do is "point and shoot". However, as all real competent photographers know - it takes time to truly learn the art. Those that jump in without any knowledge are doomed to use up their "contacts", and then face a very hard untrained - unskilled reality.

By teaching other photographers, we help others learn, and build a solid foundation in their photographic work. Yes, if we teach them and they go on to open a photography business then we have done well. And even if they do start a business it does not necessarily mean they are our competitors. In actuality they are just another artist who will refine what they have learned, and develop their own unique style and approach.

What we need to worry about is the individual who jumps in with no knowledge, and no thought of getting any! They are what will hurt the art of photography, not the business competition.

Most true professionals that I know, eagerly share their knowledge, and their gift with others who are trying to truly learn the art. They answer questions, give tips, and generally try to help with the learning curve we all have had to traverse.

We as photographers need to share our knowledge and our "gift". No matter who you call as your supreme being, be it Mother Earth, Buddha, God, or the Great Purple Head, be sure to give thanks for the gift you have, and share it with all you can, to all that will take the time, to learn and grow in our art. When you get hung up on "competition" instead of creating an image to be enjoyed, you wind up with nothing to look at.

Until next time, "Keep Shooting"

Photographer of the Week: Ethel Stephens Rodebaugh

Ethel Stephens Rodebaugh has 35 years experience as an administrative assistant. Since the death of her husband in March 2009 she is semi-retired. Her interests are cooking, sewing, family and photography.

Recently she attended a Fall Photography Workshop at Two Mile Run County Park instructed by Jim Kronmiller and John Karian. She first became interested in photography at age 8. Her father gave her a box to take a photo of him and relatives. The photo was taken looking down at the top of the box held waist high and the view of the photo was upside down. She has photos taken and developed by her father from the 1930’s.

Over the years she had Kodak and Polaroid cameras. The Kodak was nice but the cost of processing and waiting to have pictures developed deterred her from taking lots of photos because you didn’t know what was going to ‘turn out.’ In 2002 she got her first digital Sony Cyber-shot. Now she takes pictures of EVERYTHING… family, scenery, flowers, birds, and ‘just interesting things.’ She is proud to say her daughter and granddaughter are also photographers and her 15 year old granddaughter is very interested in making photography her career.

Foggy wheat field over the fence at Gettysburg

Image © Ethel Stephens Rodebaugh

McConnell's Mills State Park

Image © Ethel Stephens Rodebaugh

Photographer of the Week 10-11-2009

Crystal McQuiston, an Oil City native, has always enjoyed the look of natural beauty; in nature, in humans, and of those rare moments “caught in time”. As a young adult, Crystal enjoyed arranging dried and silk flowers, as well as making different things with them. However, her interest in photography blossomed in 2007, when she was inspired to write and create the images of children’s books.

Her photography, in the beginning, was mostly of family and friends then grew to include strolls through the parks and gardens, of animals, and church get-togethers. An array of photography work, from macro to landscape to creatures great and small, are included in her work. She loves capturing God's beauty, having an eye for the art of photography, and sharing it with others.
Through out the last year, Crystal has practiced taking pictures and learning more about photography via the internet and a variety of literature. She has participated in a beginning photography workshop, and has just completed the annual Fall Photography Workshop held at Two Mile County park with nationally published photographers John Karian and Jim Kronmiller. She continues to enjoy meeting different people who are interested in Photography and all genres of art.Despite being a "newbie" to the art of photography, Ms. McQuiston has won 1st place on an unedited amateur photo entitled, "Bottoms Up" on September 18, 2009. She feels that this success was due to the inspiration and encouragement of others. Overjoyed, Crystal will continue striving for more skill attainment and refinement of her talent.

Crystal’s drive to persevere is influenced also by her daughter’s interest in art too. She and her daughter both have an eye for art, and the God given creativity, ability, and talent to produce it. Knowing that she is instilling a love of art and an appreciation of natural beauty in her daughter and fostering “together” time, makes this hobby the perfect indulgence. Some talented artists that have caught Crystal's eye are: Anne Geddes, Kim Anderson, and Rachael Hale. Ms. McQuiston's aspirations for the future are to write and publish children’s books and continue to improve her photography skills and use the photos in her books.