Student Feature – Joel Beckwith
Bio:
Joel Beckwith is a photographer –and creative – from Ithaca, New York. For the past six years, he has also been part of the pop-punk/alternative rock band Maple Hill, based out of his hometown. Although photography is his field of study, he has experience in audio production, film making, video editing, as well as musical composition, theory and performance. He enjoys shooting portraiture and concerts, making music videos, and working on mixed media projects. He is interested in continuing to gain experience in lifestyle and portrait photography, as well as being part of larger film productions and collaborations with a wide variety of artists and creatives. In addition to content creation, he also has skills in marketing, advertising, management and social media marketing. He is in the Visual Media major and will be graduating with is BFA in May of 2019.
What has been your most challenging assignment as a photography student?
In my Production Photography class last year we were asked to create an advertising photo based on a piece of classical artwork. My partner and I decided to recreate Rene Magritte’s painting, The Lovers II, as an advertisement for Fruit by the Foot. In the original artwork, the two subjects are wearing white cloths covering their heads and embracing each other with a kiss. We replicated the composition with our two models, but wrapped their heads in Fruit by the Foot candy instead. The process long and difficult, and the texture and reflectence of the candy posed some unforeseen challenges for lighting. Although it was hard work, I am quite happy with the resultant image.
Why did you choose RIT?
I actually applied and was accepted at RIT as a Business Management student. Photography has been a growing passion of mine over the past several years and I knew this school had an amazing program for it, but I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do with my career. I took a few business classes in high school that peaked my interest and I’ve always liked the idea of starting my own business, so I figured that was a good place to start. I enjoyed the business program here, but after a semester I discovered it would be possible for me to switch my major to photography, and after some thought I decided to pursue something I felt more passionate about during my time in school.
Can you share others experiences as student at RIT?
I was only a BS student for one semester, but my classes and professors were great. I really appreciated how my business professors had practical approaches to teaching, where they would connect everything we were learning to real-world examples and situations we might encounter in the professional field.
How is this community helping to shape your goals?
The community here at the College of Art and Design has been a wonderful resource for me to expand my skill set and learn from others’ experiences. I am still unsure about what exactly I’d like to be doing after school, so seeing all of my classmates different styles and specialties has definitely broadened my perspective on photography and the applications of it. Also, because everyone excels in different areas of photography there is always someone you can ask for help with a certain topic. I feel that even if I studied here for 10 years, I would never run out of things to learn from all of the people and resources we have.
What are you plans after School?
Since I am interested in many different forms of photography and visual media, I have not decided on one specific career path I plan to follow. After graduation I plan to move to a major city like New York, Boston or Chicago and get some experience in production studios or marketing agencies. Ideally, I would have a few different jobs in the years following my graduation so I can determine what field compels me the most. A few years down the road, I would like to start my own music management and promotion company.
For more of Joels’ Work you can visit.