Yesterday I started a new photography class. I signed up for it a while ago through the University of Utah Continuing Education Department. Since I love photographing people, I decided to take a class aptly named “Photographing People“. It is being taught by a photographer named Michael Schoenfeld.

He is a commercial photographer and has been doing that for over 20 years. He is a well known and well respected photographer. But he is also a really cool guy. He makes you feel very at ease. He isn’t at all one of those guys that is an amazing artist and photographer, but makes you feel inferior. He makes you feel like we are all artists, and thus we are all the same.

The first day of the class I got there about 15 minutes early. He is teaching the class in his studio. From the time I walked in I felt totally comfortable there. He offered me coffee and then just sat and chatted. He is a really interesting guy, and easy to talk to.

The first class was not quite what I expected, but I still got a lot out of it. He spoke about and showed photos of famous portrait photographers. I really don’t know much about the history of photography. I don’t know the names of famous photographers. He introduced me to a whole bunch of them. He suggested that one way to take your photography to the next level is to study those portraits, and other photographs and figure out what you like about them. Look at the compositions and the lighting. I plan to spend some time doing that. I think it will really help my photography.

I am really enjoying the class. I have been in a bit of a photography slump lately. I haven’t felt like shooting photos. I feel like I haven’t been improving and have just been sort of stuck. I think this class was just what I needed. I am definitely learning, and it has brought back some of that old passion to shoot photos.