Meet Ron Heusser from Washington State. Ron is active in the Project 52 group.
Project 52 Experience
Ron Heusser
Ron WA on Flickr
“I’m a mechanical engineer for my day job, but have always had an interest in photography. I have pursued landscape shooting for the last seven years, but always wanted to work on my location portrait skills, especially with lights. I read Don Giannatti’s Lighting Essentials website regularly and became interested when he talked about an upcoming lighting class. I wasn’t sure if I could keep up with one assignment a week, but decided I would jump in. I had been told by another photography mentor to never put my camera down, and I saw this class as good pressure to keep me shooting. It was one of the best photographic decisions I have ever made. There is not a more helpful and respectful group of photographers on the internet – no exaggeration. There were pointed critiques, sometimes not fun to hear, but always given with the goal of prodding us to improve. Not just well done, slaps on the back, but real world suggestions for doing better.
Challenges
I had very little experience using lights and was only self taught through reading books. As a result, I had extreme difficulty pre-visualizing how a lighted image would look. The solution to this came slowly as I kept shooting, working on the assignments, and looking at the work of the others in the group. I believe it began coming together more in the last quarter of the year. The pre-visualization is easier through shooting and more shooting. Another major area for me was not knowing how to put together and manage a photographic website. One assignment more than halfway into the year was just that. Though I struggled a bit, through Don’s posted resources and help from the others, the website is up and a fun and growing project.
Take Aways
– Build my lighting scenario one light at a time – and simple may be all I need. Use white board reflectors and watch reflections – proper placed highlights are your friend.
– Keep shooting, keep working, don’t give up – and don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
More from Ron and some images from his work after the jump.
Some images from Ron’s Project 52 work:
“Future Plans
I’m nearing the end of my engineering career and would like to supplement my retirement income working as a commercial photographer. This is something I’ve always thought about, but now I can see that it could happen with more persistence. The Project 52 class gave me the confidence to pursue my passion and to become aware of folks who really want to help.”
Thanks Ron. See you next year.
Here’s a link to Ron’s Flickr Page.
Ron’s Website.
All photographs copyright Ron Heusser.
Project 52 just may be the place for you, gentle reader… check it out.
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