Thursday, April 15, 2010

Student Showcase: Tex Schneider

Photography is a lifelong learning experience. We learn from books and internet articles, critiques and blog posts from other photographers, experience and experimentation... and we learn an amazing amount from our students. So, it seems appropriate to share some of the works of our student on our blog. Today, we'll start with the work of Tex Schneider. He joined us for a workshop in Death Valley this year, and for an iHDR seminar in San Jose last year. We've been very impressed with his work, and with his commitment to learning.

So, here it is - the beautiful work of Tex Schneider! Well done, Tex - and thanks for letting us share your work on our blog!

We've been to Death Valley several times in the past few years, but when we lead our students into Mosaic Canyon this January, Tex Schneider came away with something unique and special. Here is what he had to say about his photograph titled "Mosaic Graffiti":

The class took a mid-day walk through Mosaic Canyon.  Near the end of the walk, just as I was about to head for the parking lot, I saw this section of wall that looked like granite with white quartz mixed in the scene.  It struck me that it looked like graffiti.  While I was arranging the composition I kept thinking about the graffiti look and just knew that ‘graffiti’ had to be part of the title of the image.  It might be my imagination, but it seems to me that if I have a name for the scene I am trying to capture, before I click the shutter, then I end up with stronger compositions.
The Tech Specs: Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 68mm
Exposure: iso 100, f22, 1/6 second
 On our first morning in Death Valley we brought our students into the dunes. Using his experience and quick thinking, Tex was able to capture this scene unfolding before him. His careful processing resulted in a final image with perfectly exposed highlights, stunning colors, and beautiful detail in both the foreground and the distance.
We were shooting the sunrise at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells. After spending some time shooting in the general direction of the rising sun, Jay and Varina alerted the students to look at the scene unfolding behind us. They suggested we quickly recompose for this lovely light on the mountains. I have read on several photography forums that you should always be checking the scene at your six o’clock position. This was an instance of learning the value of that wisdom. I wanted to have a foreground item for the image and the bush was the only strong element that was present and would allow for a timely composition with the changing light conditions.

The Tech Specs: Canon 5D Mark II, 70-200mm f/4 @ 70mm
Exposure: iso 100, f8@0.5s
We'll be showcasing more of our student's work over the next few months, so keep an eye out for upcoming posts!

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2 Comments:

Anonymous John Bald said...

Hey, that was a fun post. It's interesting to hear what a photographer is thinking as he or she makes an image. Great idea!

April 15, 2010 at 4:37 PM  
Anonymous Robert R. Fletcher said...

Well done Tex ! ! !
Your commitment to your "art" is apparent through the images that you have produced here.
Your compositions are strong and your thoughtfulness in "thinking through" to the finished product is exemplary.
Well done. I look for more strong images in the future.

April 15, 2010 at 10:28 PM  

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