5 Goals

I was thinking about the 5 goals assignment. The whole reason behind it is to have something in writing and fleshed out so that we can move forward. Now while I do want to do a lot with this internship (learn, meet cool people, see how they make awesome images, go on shoots I wouldn't have the opportunity to otherwise) this is a more official list of what I've come up with:

1.       1. Learn the business model

-          Understanding Documents

-          Marketing Strategy

-          Clientele

2.       2. Observe how shoots work

-          Location/Model scouting

-          Handling a full shoot start to finish

-          Equipment and lighting techniques

3.       3. Post-Processing

-          Techniques used

-          Programs/software

-          General workflow

4.       4. Networking

-          Meeting and keeping good contacts

-          Finding important people (models, makeup/hair artists, building owners)

5.       5. Be Helpful

-          Making things easier for them as well

The Interview

You remember how I mentioned how sometimes compatibility comes second to an offer of better experience? I still believe that. I think that if a wonderful opportunity comes up, but those providing it are not exactly your cup of tea, then the best option can, at times, be to feign compatibility for the valuable service being offered.

However, once in a wonderful while the fates will smile on someone and they will not only be offered a place where they may learn and grow in the direction they are seeking, but also the ones that will help lead them on that path will be, in a word, AWESOME.

I’ve been typing a bit too formally for my tastes lately, so I’m going to stop and geek out for a moment on you.

Matt and Nicole freaking amazing!

I never thought that professional, geeky, cynical, sarcastic, and friendly would all be able to describe anyone I’d have the ability to intern with but these guys pull it off with style.

Am I gushing? I’m gushing. I don’t care! I’m excited!

We sat for two hours talking and after initial introductions all of my nerves started to melt away.

We talked about my goals for the internship; in fact Matt wants me to write down five so that we can try to meet maybe one of them.  They showed me a huge portfolio of his work and I, due to the comedy of errors that is my life, brought all of ten to show of mine. We talked logistics and shoots he has planned and timing what I can do with my work schedule.

The kicker, the awesome and amazing addition, is that I even was able to share some of my ideas for shoots with them and they want to help! They have some time free in the coming months and part of what they want to help me with is how to set up and bring to life some of my more involved ideas. Not just that, they actually LIKED my ideas.

I know it may sound a little silly and fan-girlish but when an artist whose work you enjoy and are inspired by hears your ideas and says, “That’s really cool.”  It makes you, or at least me, do mental cartwheels.

All in all the meeting was, I believe, an awesome success! I guess seeing as they accepted me as an intern that should say all that needs to. I’m so excited!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisons

Looking for a Photography internship is as exciting as it is daunting. While you want to find someone whose work you admire and are a source of inspiration, you also look for someone you could be at least a bit compatible with. The two don’t always go hand in hand so sometimes the latter is sacrificed for the former. 

For my internship I knew who I wanted immediately as my first choice. Matt Nicholson (aka Dim Horizon Studio) had inspired me for quite awhile. He and his wife Nicole run Dim Horizon together. They’re most well known for the “Bioshock Shoot” they did awhile back, but I had seen a lot of their stuff before that. We all belong to the same geek culture in Atlanta. The con-goers, the geeks, the sci-fi/fantasy fans that look into how to turn their love for the strange and interesting worlds they love into an art of their own. 

The photography of Dim Horizon falls not just into the realm of geekdom, it also translates into wedding, event, figure, fine art, and even pet photography as well.  Their unique style and flare for the fantastical drew me in.

I want to develop my style of shooting. I want to find things that inspire me. I want to be able to translate the images I see in my mind to something tangible that I can share with others. I believe that I can move forward with these goals, and into a style I very much enjoy, by interning with this studio.