As a boy growing up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, I was introduced to photography by a friend who had a darkroom in his basement. A magical place where seemingly out of nowhere, images would miraculously appear.
From the first time I saw a print come to life in that magic tray of developer I was hooked, the smell of the chemicals and appearance of the final image was a very powerful force in my life.
As time went on my skills in the darkroom grew as did my ability to capture the “moment”. I became much more aware of the mechanics of photography, the balance between aperture, film speed, shutter speed and how to use the combination to my advantage to get the most from my images. Through photography, art and design classes, I began to truly understand the concept of composition and what made a good photograph. My breakthrough moment came when a teacher recommended that I study lighting.
He said to me that photography was all about the lighting and as he saw it, I was going to have a promising career as a photographer. All I needed to do was learn about lighting.
Simple terms; I teach myself about lighting, show improvement and I get a passing grade.
Diving head first into lighting I was trying anything and everything I could. I studied photographs and paintings to see how light made the scene and tried to use what I learned in my photographs. I started to understand color temperature and its affect on film. I eventually began working with my friends bands as they did shows at school dances, then bars, then I eventually put my camera away as I toured around the world working in the concert lighting business.
Some 20 years later I once again picked up my camera and immediately remembered how much I loved capturing a moment. Since that time I haven’t stopped shooting. The gear has changed over the years but the secret is still the same…… it’s all about the light.
I enjoy shooting anything and everything and as I have found no two shoots are the same. Every day is an opportunity to learn and grow as a photographer and artist.
From the first time I saw a print come to life in that magic tray of developer I was hooked, the smell of the chemicals and appearance of the final image was a very powerful force in my life.
As time went on my skills in the darkroom grew as did my ability to capture the “moment”. I became much more aware of the mechanics of photography, the balance between aperture, film speed, shutter speed and how to use the combination to my advantage to get the most from my images. Through photography, art and design classes, I began to truly understand the concept of composition and what made a good photograph. My breakthrough moment came when a teacher recommended that I study lighting.
He said to me that photography was all about the lighting and as he saw it, I was going to have a promising career as a photographer. All I needed to do was learn about lighting.
Simple terms; I teach myself about lighting, show improvement and I get a passing grade.
Diving head first into lighting I was trying anything and everything I could. I studied photographs and paintings to see how light made the scene and tried to use what I learned in my photographs. I started to understand color temperature and its affect on film. I eventually began working with my friends bands as they did shows at school dances, then bars, then I eventually put my camera away as I toured around the world working in the concert lighting business.
Some 20 years later I once again picked up my camera and immediately remembered how much I loved capturing a moment. Since that time I haven’t stopped shooting. The gear has changed over the years but the secret is still the same…… it’s all about the light.
I enjoy shooting anything and everything and as I have found no two shoots are the same. Every day is an opportunity to learn and grow as a photographer and artist.
© Sochko Photography