I was scrolling through Nikon D90 Club Flickr Group today and there was a discussion thread about photographers and how their images and their photographic ideology has inspired you.
I immediately thought of grand photographers that I have read in books and who's images I've seen in books/online and the few images I have been lucky to see in museums like The Getty and MOPA.
Names like:
Soon after I thought of the meaning of inspiration, and I thought of the two mentors of photography that have truly inspired me. I've had two school photography teachers that have influenced me and encourage my photography ambitions.
My first taste of photography came my sophomore year in high school when I took a photography class as an elective, and my teacher was Bruce Farnsworth. "Mr. Farnsworth" was a first year teacher at Santa Ana High School that year and he was head under water when it came dealing with a room full of high school students, but he sure is a great photographer. I still remember his enthusiasm and devotion of photography and how most of us(know-it-all 16yrs old) thought it was lame. He tried his hardest to plant his joy of photography in our minds and he toiled all year long in hope that it would flourish in all his students. Even though I was already a fan of photography, his hard work triumphed. I took his photo class my Junior and Senior year.
Sadly after High School, I slowly but surely abandoned photography all together. I call those the dark years, I even pawned my Canon Rebel 35mm camera. I probably shot only 1 roll of film from 2003 through early 2007.
In 2007, I decided to pick up photography again, I bought a Nikon Coolpix P500 digital camera and a Nikon FM10 35mm film camera. I also enrolled in a 'Photo Intro Class' at Santa Ana College.
My professor was jokingly the self-proclaimed "The Great Phil Marquez" Phil really helped me get out my shell again, photography wise. His great humor and easy going attitude really elevates your mood especially when trying to dust off the cobwebs in the darkroom. He open up the world of photography to me technically and creatively. Introducing and opening doors to a side of photographhy/art that I have never seen before. His attitude towards his art/photography students really help create the sense of equals/colleagues instead of teacher/students which has been probably the greatest lesson I've learned.
I guess now, when I'm asked, "What photographers have inspired you?" -I'll happily and casually say, "Mr. Farnsworth & the Great Phil Marquez."
:)
1.08.2009
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