Old Dog, New Tricks Part II/The Mentor Series
By Dale Scherfling
11 June 2007
The Old Dog is going through a metamorphose of sorts – the wife calls it mid-life crisis but that can't be, since I am 70 years old and how many 140-year-old photographers are there? No, metamorphose is the word I want – a period of change, transformation, growth and awesome wonderment. It is a personal explosion of new-found discovery, ignited by the passage of one art form to another, a blinding leap from the film and darkroom era into jet blast digital, computer and internet photography.
I blame it all on the Mentor Series.
Last year I got a windfall tax refund and immediately knew how to respond when the wife asked about my plans for the cash. Being a veteran of 47 years of marriage, I wisely said:
"A third for you, a third for household improvements and a third for me.
"By the way," I added gingerly, "my third is already spent."
I had e-mailed my reservation to the Mentor Series' Montana Photo Workshop for 2006 a few minutes earlier and had already booked my flight. It was a decision I never regretted and definitely credit the experience as a turning point in my photography. I found it so rewarding and enlightening that I followed it up with their 2007 Mexico Trek.
These workshop treks are sponsored by American Photo and Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine, and Nikon Cameras and feature some of the best professional photographers in the world as mentors and instructors. Contact them at www.mentorseries.com for details and schedules of other tours.
Leading the Montana trek were John Reddy, Rosanne Pennella and Tom Bol while Dave Black and Doug Munuez were the Mexican series mentors. Each were professional masters and adept at sharing their technical skills with us but I personally benefited most from their philosophical approaches. I seem to have added bits and pieces of their individual styles and can clearly see the influences of each mentor in what I am shooting today.
JOHN REDDY
John Reddy instilled a new appreciation for landscape and nature photography I hadn't had before as a news photographer. He also ushered me into the 21st Century with his painless but detailed introduction to histograms.
TOM BOL
Tom Bol's Extreme Sports influence definitely broadened my horizons beyond football, baseball, basketball and track. I've since moved into photographing horse and harness racing as a regular beat now, and am adding car, bike and motor sports to the repertoire.
ROSANNE PENNELLA
Of the three Montana instructors, Rosanne's approach to people photography was closest to my own though she specialized in travel while I shot mostly sports. We both, however, loved to capture the 'feel' of the moment, and the character of the people we shot. Over and above the shooting, she was particularly helpful when it came to planning, packing, workflow and other gear logistics for the photographer on the move, which makes me a lot more efficient today. My back especially thanks her for that.
DAVE BLACK
Sports Illustrated photographers have always influenced me and Dave had been a hero long before I met him in Mexico. I liked his approach to graphics design, color, light and high-resolution quality and strive for that in my shooting today. He also reinforced the idea that you don't always have to concentrate on just the people, places or things in photography, but to also look for the "colors, swirls, lights and movements" affecting those people, places or things. Because of his influence my photography had taken a definite graphic turn.
DOUG MENUEZ
Doug's newspaper background came closest to matching my own, and indeed we both knew many of the same people in the profession. His biggest influence on my shooting is in the 'Picture Story Approach' to assignments – providing the editor or client with establishing and scene-setting shots, mid-range shots and tight 'tools-of-the-trade' close-ups. "Horizontals and verticals, rights and lefts," he reminded, "so the editor can work in a variety of layouts.
THE SIXTH MENTOR
The Sixth Mentor in my two Mentor Series treks was the other 'Trekkies' themselves. Like JPGmag's 'Peggers,' we shared personal secrets, tricks and techniques among ourselves and even managed to show the real mentors a trick or two in the process. A Trekkie would proudly share a shot with mentors and receive appropriate comments. My two favorites were:
"Nice. How'd you do that?" from Dave Black.
"I hate you," from Doug Menuez.
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