A Student’s Point of View: Staying Inspired
It’s the 5th week of Spring semester and this blog post will explore student and teacher perspectives on how they have been staying inspired. This is the third consecutive semester affected by Covid and for some, there are feelings of being uninspired or for some they are inspired by new circumstances. I believe that sharing other’s approaches might provide new insights to you about what other people are doing. In this post, my interviews will offer advice and tips on how to be inspired and why they remain inspired.
Wyatt Hyzer
“I am a second year Photo Sciences student. Being inspired for me means that there is always something that I am working on beyond what is required in my college classes. My latest project is to create high speed photos with new LED lights that I purchased. I hope to make a small portable set up that can be taken anywhere. I’ve also been staying inspired by trying to learn new skills when it comes to photographic equipment. Lately, I have been learning how to repair lenses that are either broken or need cleaning. One strategy I use is that when I have a crazy idea for a photo or a project, I force myself to do it before I can convince myself that it won’t work”
Genae Shields
“I am a third Year Photojournalism student with a minor in communications. I’m originally from Fort Washington, Maryland. To me, being inspired really means being able to watch my ideas come to life! When I get inspired, I get so excited about my ideas that I have to write them down before I forget what they were. One project I’m currently working on is photographing the life of a sex worker and trying to dismantle common misconceptions many people have about sex workers. Even though I’m not finished with it, yet I’m really excited about how it is turning out. I’ve also been trying to make time for more of my hobbies so whenever I have an idea for something, I’ll jot it down in my notebook and go back to later and brainstorm the idea further, even if it’s something small like what to cook for dinner or an outfit idea. Doing this keeps me motivated and gives me something to look forward to outside of school. Honestly Pinterest® is one of my go to places. LOL. There, I created a board for almost everything. I’m a very visual person, so if I think of something and I can’t visualize it, I’ll see if I can find it on Pinterest or create a board for it until I come up with something.”
Sari Oister
“I’m a 4th year Advertising Photography student from Canton, OH. To me inspiration is about finding those things that make your heart beat a little faster and then figuring out how to implement those feelings into my work. It’s a constant cycle of seeking and reflecting. Most of my upcoming work is geared towards my portfolio because I will be graduating at the end of this semester! I shot a project recently that I’m proud of involving balancing light from a projector used to create the background of the images with the strobes on the model. It’s pretty easy for me to stay inspired with my looming commitment of having a great portfolio ready for graduation! I personally really love to be pushed and whipping together a portfolio that I’m proud of in a few months is a good push. My number one way of staying inspired is thrifting! A lot of my work revolves around an interesting piece of clothing, so I’ll either thrift to find new, exciting things to shoot or I’ll make them myself. I love reading a random reddit® thread or Wikipedia page for inspiration. Sometimes I can get some neat ideas from unusual places doing just that. Also, listening to new music and watching music videos or cool movies because I love checking out the way light is used in motion pieces.”
Ted Kinsman
“I am an associate professor in the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences (SPAS) where I teach photographic instrumentation, scanning electron microscopy, and high-speed photography. I worked as an optical engineer, a physicist, and a physics instructor before joining the Photographic Sciences Dept. In 2019, I was awarded the prestigious Louis Schmidt Award, the highest honor given by the Biocommunications Association. I photograph in the x-ray region of the spectrum where I explore image ideas for books and magazines. I also built a machine that prints portraits out of coffee, made a copy machine, built a bicycle that make spirographs while riding, and made a number of other crazy inventions. My work has appeared on The Discovery Channel, Crime Scene Investigations (CSI), The X-Files, South Park, The Tyra Banks Show, and The Frozen Planet series. I have always been a creative person. I know enough about various science fields to have a good idea what has not been done. I very much like to make projects that are new and take students in a new and interesting directions. As far as coming up with ideas, I have notebooks full of ideas that I will never get to. This has been a very busy year and I have been knocking off projects on a monthly basis. Recently I designed a machine to draw math functions with three stepping motors. The students particularly enjoyed seeing it run in the lab and I gave all the students cardioid functions drawn with a red pen on white paper for Valentine’s Day. My lab is never dull. Basically, spending time cleaning up a number of projects I have wanted to experiment with. I have shared a water- bell experiment from the fall.”
David Turner
“I am a visiting lecturer in the Advertising Photography department of the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. This semester I am teaching a fashion photography class, a still life class, and an elements of advertising class. I have enjoyed a very long career working as a photographer in New York City which gave me a real-world experience which my students appreciate. Being inspired means understanding, so through learning, we develop sensitivities that help us get more out of our daily observations and experiences. One of the things I have been doing to stay inspired is taking online classes. I’ve been studying Prehistory to Renaissance which if you look at the cave drawings it’s not just storytelling, it asks the question “What is Life About?” And another art history class I’m loving is from Baroque to Modern which covers the gamut of storytelling with composition, design, color, line, balance, and harmony and is easy to get lost in. Photographically, my advice while constantly working in the studio was to develop a positive, encouraging inner dialog. I had to stop the negative self-talk. You can only say so many mean things to yourself before you actually start believing them. I had to stop comparing myself to others, instead I started complementing myself, being my biggest motivator. Its ok to give yourself pep talks throughout the day. Something exciting I’m looking forward to is I just got the new Canon R5 mirrorless body, and I am super excited about the quality of the images (45 megapixels). I also got the new DJI gimbal to try some motion work. I also have some new Profoto modifiers and can’t wait for everyone to get the vaccine so I can feel better about working with people again! “
Inspiration comes in many forms, its inspiring to see the diversity of ideas from Wyatt, Genae, Sari, Ted and David and how it drives them to create something that comes from their imagination.
By Emily
Emily SuDock is a third-year advertising photography student who is also cross-registered in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. She has been hard of hearing most of her life. Emily was born in China adopted by her loving family. They are a big part of her life. Emily has a Nikon 600 with a 35 mm lens which she loves taking portraits with.