Photo Learning Experience

I have been shooting for awhile now and have always been happy with my progress and the results that I have been creating. Seems that I am getting much more consistent and my results are exactly what I was attempting in the first place. What a novel idea, eh? It has gotten to the point where I needed to make a decision with where I was going to go with this hobby. Was I going to stay an amatuer and make gorgeous photos of my family or was I going to take it to the next level and see if I could make it something more serious? I thought long and hard and decided that I wanted to see if I could take it to that next level.

Along the same time, Lynne's friend Rhonda and her husband Scott came down to visit us and our first baby, Zachary. Rhonda has a Wedding Photography business on the side up in Athens, Georgia. She does some great work... so if you are getting married in Athens/Atlanta you better add her to your list of interviews!! Anyway, Rhonda and Scott both said that the best way to make it happen is to contact some photographers and ask if they are looking for an intern.

I talked to my wife, Lynne, about being an 'intern' and seeing if that would help. I knew that it would, at the very least, allow me a glimpse at what the life of a professional photographer is really like. At the very best, I could come out of the experience with tons of great ideas, real world experience, a bunch of quality work to showcase and maybe... just maybe have the foundation to start doing something that I love... professionally.

I searched around Orlando and looked at some of the photogs around here. I found Robert McClory of Weddings By Robert. His style appealed to me, his commentry on his blog and posts to Flickr sounded like someone I could work alongside. So I sent him an email, he responded and a couple weeks later I was assisting a photoshoot with him at a girls softball league. We worked well together and a few weeks later I shoot a wedding as a second for him. Now last week, I was his 'mobile lightstand' at a couple restaurants taking photos of the staff doing their thing. Man... I have learned more in the last month or so... than I have in the last 5 years. By far the best thing I have done. My only wish... that there were more weddings going on. However, something tells me that I bet he wishes that also!!