fandomhigh | Focus on Photographers; Tuesday, First Period [01/07].

"Hey, there, everyone!" Prompto said, giving the very small and very familiar class an almost grateful smile. He was still holding out hope that there'd be some kind of a surge in interest in photography around here one of these days, but honestly? If it weren't for these three, he'd be pretty out of luck on the topic, wouldn't he? Oh, well! He'd just have to make the most of it, so that maybe they'd come back if he ended up doing another photography class again!

"And welcome to Focus on Photographers," he continued enthusiastically, despite that small bit of maudlin self-relfection, "the class where we're going to have a look at a variety of different photographers out there, discuss their style and techniques, talk about what we think about them, and maybe, with some of them, even try a few things inspired by them. As you all know, I'm Prompto Argentum, I'll be your teacher again this semester, and since we've all had classes together in the past, I think we can just skip right over the introductions and get right into it. After all, there's a lot of talented photographers out there, so let's make the most of it, yeah?

"We're going to start with the artist who actually randomly inspired this class when something came up on my socials about him winning the Wildlife Photo of the Year for 2024, with a photo that I'm putting up now called Swarm of Life. There were a lot of really cool photos in the running, but this image of western toad tadpoles from a lake in Vancouver, Canada, is what really took the title and what we're going to focus on, as well as the other works of its photographer, a Canadian by the name of Shane Gross. So let's get right into it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

With some wildlife of your own.

Stewart

Stark

Arden Finch

Introductions would be a little silly, at this point, unless you've got a really bad memory, but questions before Prompto gets really into it are always welcome!

"But before we start looking at Gross' amazing wildlife and marine photographs, let's also take a look at the other winners of the various categories in the competition that he won sort of the Best in Show of, because I'm really curious about your thoughts. Let me put them up, take your time checking them out, and then share with everyone your thoughts. What's your personal favorite? Mine, personally, is this one, 'Free as a Bird' by Alberto Román Gómez...it's just so evocative of a lot of my aesthetic, but also speaks to me on a personal level as someone who started photography young, because, get this, a kid tookk this shot, this is the shot for the ten and under category, which makes it even more amazing! And looking at some of the other photos, do you think Gross' image is the deserving overall winner? Or would you make a case for some of the other photos on this list?"

Stark spent a long time looking at the bird photo. "That's very good," he said softly. "Especially for one so young. The bird, with the chain...freedom is very important."

"And now, let's talk a little about Gross himself. As I said, he's a Canadian photographer that focuses especially on marine conservationalism, and his passion for that also started pretty young with a fascination and love of sharks. Apparently, he can also lick his own elbow, which, if you've ever tried...." And now Prompto was definitely taking a moment to stretch and try to lick his own elbow in demonstration, before dropping his arm with a chuckle, "is really hard to do! Let's take some time to look through some of his work....if you see one that really catches your attention, say so, and we'll look at it a little closer and talk about it. But one thing I really want to talk about here is that I really like how Gross uses his passion for photography to also fuel his passion for marine life and sea creatures and really combine the two to make some really stellar photos. I at one point considered, if my life had gone differently, that I'd like to be a fashion photographer, because I do really love the artistry that comes from that world, too. And that's something we can always think about, as photographers, professional or amateur, is how we can so easily combine that passion with another and make some really great stuff....even beyond the frame, if you know what I mean.

"So, what do you think? Do you like Gross' work? What about his message? What are some shots you like and why do you think you like it? And what's something you're passionate about that you can also use photography to enhance?"

Who absolutely got increasingly more excited and babbly as the class went on. Almost like he's super into this sort of thing, or something, idk.

Focus on Photographers; Tuesday, First Period [01/07].

Sign In - FOP, 01/07.

Re: Sign In - FOP, 01/07.

Re: Sign In - FOP, 01/07.

Re: Sign In - FOP, 01/07.

Listen to the Lecture - FoP, 01/07.

Class Activity: Wildlife Photos of the Year 2024 - FoP, 01/07.

Re: Class Activity: Wildlife Photos of the Year 2024 - FoP, 01/07.

Class Activity: Focus on Shane Gross - FoP, 01/07.

Talk to the Teacher - FoP, 01/07.

OOC - FoP, 01/07.