Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I had the privilege to interview Ben Harrison. He is a professional portrait/wedding photographer based in the Grand Rapids, MI area. I highly recommend checking out his website and following his blog.

---Alex



www.benharrisonphotography.com
www.benharrisonphotography.com/blog

What did you major in while you were at Taylor? "I majored in Computer Graphic Arts with a minor in photography"


Have you used the "extra" classes that Taylor requires us all to take? If so, how? "I believe the ‘gen-ed’ classes have helped me after college by providing a more well-rounded education. In today's world where there is a lot of competition for every job, the broad education that a liberal arts college provides is a definite advantage. I feel as though the really successful businesses in today's economy are the ones who hire people with multiple talents and an education that is not limited merely by their ‘trade.’"


What is your favorite photographic subject, and how did that effect your decision to go into portrait/wedding photography? "People are definitely my favorite subject to photography because every person brings something new to the photograph. You can photograph two different people in front of the same plain white background (Richard Avadon) and the two photographs will have a completely different feel and story."


What is something that you did while at Taylor (or wish you did) that you think is important for aspiring photographers? "The courses I took relating to web design and development as well as graphic design are a definite advantage in the creative industry. Every photographer today needs to have a great website, web presence, and branding. My abilities in these areas have saved our business a lot of time and energy and helped our business grow quickly."


Do you remember the first photograph you made that made you think, "Wow, that's good!"? "I took a mission’s trip to Trinidad my sophomore year at Taylor and though many of the images stood out, there was one in particular that showed me the emotional power of photography. It was an image of two children hugging each other looking up at the camera ... it's hard to describe without seeing the image, but there was something in their eyes that was very moving and I'll never forget that image.


Are you a more technical or artistic photographer, how does that affect your business? "I definitely started more technical, but with experience and additional schooling I have become more of an artistic photographer. You definitely need the technical background to achieve the images you are wanting, but you also need the artistic side to have a really successful business. With technology becoming cheaper and more and more people becoming "photographers" (i.e. soccer moms!) ... your artistic eye and unique style is what separates you in the industry. Take Apple verses PC for example, there are hundreds of computer companies out there, but Apple is the one everyone knows of and is hugely successful because they have focused on great design, doing things their own way, and always focusing on the creativity as opposed to the technical components. Apple focuses on creative new ways to do things and then builds the technology to turn it into reality ... just as in photography, you should focus on creative new ways to take photographs and know the technology well enough to achieve it."


Where do you find your inspiration? "We look at a lot of magazines relating to photograph and fashion as well as overall design (i.e. architecture, interior design etc). We also have found some other photographers that produce similar work to ours which in turn inspires us."


Many times when someone turns a hobby into a profession, the passion dies out. Has this affected you at all? "We find just as much joy in being entrepreneurs and running a successful business as we do in the actual product we deliver. If we didn't have the drive to be self-employed and create our own business we would definitely get burnt out in doing photography day in and day out. If someone doesn't feel a strong desire or drive to be self-employed, then I would not recommend turning a hobby into a profession ... the photography can only get you so far, but being a smart business person determines how successful you are."


What is your favorite project that you have photographed? "My MFA thesis was a project I worked on for over a year and it dealt with the juxtaposition of humans desire to grow and expand and conscience or sub conscience concern for the health of the environment. I traveled around the U.S. and photographed subjects that I felt demonstrated this awkward interaction of man-made structures in natural settings."

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

I've recently decided to start shooting a little more film to shake things up a little bit. Here are the results from the first night.

---Alex







Taken on: Dec. 8, 2009
Taken at: Eastbrook High School - Marion, IN

©2009 Alex Moore

Friday, December 11, 2009





Taken on: Dec. 4, 2009
Taken at: Eastbrook High School - Marion, IN

©2009 Alex Moore

Wednesday, December 9, 2009







Taken on: Dec. 1, 2009
Taken at: Eastbrook High School - Marion, IN

©2009 Alex Moore

Tuesday, December 8, 2009



My story on Eastbrook's E*Motion Dance Team was published in the Marion Chronicle-Tribune!


Published: Dec. 8, 2009


A loud buzzer sounds, and five players wearing Eastbrook jerseys run off the court and go into the locker room.

Normally this is when there is a mass exodus of the crowd towards the concession stand, but that is simply not true at Eastbrook High School. Most people stay around to watch the E*Motion Dance Team perform its weekly halftime show.

E*motion has been going strong for the past 10 years. Each year many girls tryout, but only 10 to 15 selected individuals have the privilege to call themselves the E*Motion Dance Team.

Many of the girls have had significant dance experience from outside the team, including local studios. A current member of E*Motion, Shey Harris, said, “I’ve been to four dance studios and I plan to major in dance next year.”

In the past, the E*Motion Dance Team has danced at the majority of Eastbrook’s home basketball games. This year they have kicked off their dance season early. The team was allowed to dance at the homecoming football game on Oct. 9.

"E*motion has not danced at a homecoming football game for over 4 years, so naturally we were excited to be able to perform on Friday,” said Rachel Miner, a senior E*Motion Dancer.

E*Motion is serious about becoming better this year. How are they going to pull it off?

“In the past, preparation and dedication have lacked, leading to performances that weren't what they could have been. I, with a consensus from the other girls, want to be excited and pumped about what we produce as a team, rather than nervous or fearful,” said Olivia Bertsch, the senior team captain.

E*Motion has typically been a jazz and hip-hop team, but this year the girls are breaking out into some new genres.

“It keeps [the dances] interesting, and it keeps the audience entertained because they don’t know what we’re going to do next,” assistant captain Abby Fisher said.

“As captain, I really wanted to make the team more versatile, therefore more exciting and entertaining for our audience," Bertsch said. "We are planning to change up our style a bit and branch out from our typical routines.”

These new routines will even include a country song, It Happens by Sugarland. None of the current members can remember the last time a country dance was performed by E*Motion.

Fisher thinks the audience should be looking forward to this new dance, complete with flannel shirts, cowboy boots and hats.

Bertsch said the team already has several routines ready for this year. Some of the songs she mentioned include, Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas, It Happens by Sugarland, and a jazz/tap dance to Swing Swing Swing. She also mentioned plans to join with the cheerleading squad to perform “Mega Mix” from Jock Jams.

“(Our plans are) already encompassing hip-hop, country, pop, and more classic jazz, (but) the list will go on," said Bertsch. "Our hope is to keep things exciting, and hopefully this will better our reputation as the quality and talented team that we strive to be.”

Harris said avoiding repetition is another area the team is working on improving.

“We have new costumes, and we’re not going to wear the same thing for every dance,” Harris said.

They will perform again today and Friday.

The girls encourage all members of the school and community to attend their performances.

“Be looking forward to seeing something brand new every time we perform.” Bertsch continued, “Anticipate some new songs from different genres, and some amazing dancers with some knock-out smiles.”



©2009 Alex Moore

Monday, December 7, 2009

Thursday, December 3, 2009







Taken on: Dec. 1, 2009
Taken at: Eastbrook High School - Marion, IN

©2009 Alex Moore

Tuesday, December 1, 2009



A local elementary school put on a special day for all their teacher's assistants. They brought in a fabulous breakfast and a team of beauticians to pamper them. Then I got the privilege of doing portraits of each of them. It was a great time, and great to see them having such a great time.

---Alex