Our weekend in San Francisco was just what I needed. We shopped all day and partied naked in the streets at night.
Then on Sunday we got a call from my sister-in-law saying that T's nephew rolled into a campfire while he was asleep and has 3rd degree burns over 20% of his body. That cut our vacation short and we drove from San Francisco to LA to be with the family. He's ok now but has to undergo surgery again tomorrow. They put a layer of cadaver skin on him a couple of days ago. Now they are going to shave the skin from behind his legs and use that to cover his burns.
I went back to school today after missing two classes. The teacher was not happy with me. He didn't ask why I wasn't there. He just looked at my negatives and said something about overcast skies are good for environmental portraiture. I don't think he liked any of them. Then he gave me the handout that describes the only two acceptable ways to pose a subject for a portrait.
I said, "Do I need this?" He said, "Do you want to pass my class?" What a fucker. I guess that in order to pass this class I have to turn in a portfolio that reflects his idea of good photography. I can understand that a teacher expects a technically good photo. What I don't understand is why I am being forced to pose my model in the exact way that he recommends. The name of this class is "Black & White Portrait Photography" not "If you are going to work in a portrait studio you must do this" I am not going to work in a portrait studio. I don't like the way he poses his models. Every one of them are in the same pose. I don't like the way every single one of his photos are burned in almost to black around the edges of the photo creating a circle around the face of his subject. I don't like his super soft focus lens. And I don't like being made to create a photo of his liking in order to pass the class. 
More vacation news to come. I'll post pics as soon as I get the prints back.
Then on Sunday we got a call from my sister-in-law saying that T's nephew rolled into a campfire while he was asleep and has 3rd degree burns over 20% of his body. That cut our vacation short and we drove from San Francisco to LA to be with the family. He's ok now but has to undergo surgery again tomorrow. They put a layer of cadaver skin on him a couple of days ago. Now they are going to shave the skin from behind his legs and use that to cover his burns.
I went back to school today after missing two classes. The teacher was not happy with me. He didn't ask why I wasn't there. He just looked at my negatives and said something about overcast skies are good for environmental portraiture. I don't think he liked any of them. Then he gave me the handout that describes the only two acceptable ways to pose a subject for a portrait.
I said, "Do I need this?" He said, "Do you want to pass my class?" What a fucker. I guess that in order to pass this class I have to turn in a portfolio that reflects his idea of good photography. I can understand that a teacher expects a technically good photo. What I don't understand is why I am being forced to pose my model in the exact way that he recommends. The name of this class is "Black & White Portrait Photography" not "If you are going to work in a portrait studio you must do this" I am not going to work in a portrait studio. I don't like the way he poses his models. Every one of them are in the same pose. I don't like the way every single one of his photos are burned in almost to black around the edges of the photo creating a circle around the face of his subject. I don't like his super soft focus lens. And I don't like being made to create a photo of his liking in order to pass the class.
More vacation news to come. I'll post pics as soon as I get the prints back.
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I'm glad to hear you had a good weekend. Vacation is so necessary sometimes.