10/20

My profile: My name is Kelsey and I am a senior at North Hall High School. I am a very involved person; I am marketing manager/sports photographer in my yearbook staff, I play piano in jazz band, I play tennis year round, I mentor with Jim Haynes photographer in my county's Honors Mentorship Program, and participate in mission trips through my church. Being such an involved person has shown me countless career paths that I can take. Become a marketer, a tennis coach, or a photographer. Eventually I chose photographer because it is what excites the most. Sports photographer is my specific field that I want to be. There's something about the intensity of sports being caught on camera. You catch the quick moments that are easily missed but give the biggest impact. Being involved in the Mentorship Program has let me work alongside Jim Haynes and learn what it takes to be a photographer.

However, when I chose to be a photographer, I didn't know exactly where to begin. Do I take classes, buy books, start my own business? I didn't know where to start. Eventually with guidance from friends and family, I found the Mentorship Program. Hearing accomplishments from past students and friends who were involved in the program, I was hooked. I knew this was a beneficial way to begin my path as a photographer. Now actually being in the program I realize that I made a good choice. While classes and books are helpful, I can get the full experience by being in the work field with Haynes. I know this program is what is going to make me different from the rest and ultimately launch my career.

My internship: I mentor with photographer Jim Haynes at his studio. His studio is at his house where he lives on the countryside; across from a dairy farm he worked at in his earlier years, and miles of long pasture and woods. I have known Jim for a while sense he took my brother's senior pictures and his work intrigued me so I kept in touch with him. Once I heard about the Mentorship Program I launched at the idea of having Haynes as my mentor. Things went smoothly from there. He was interested in the idea of being a mentor and said yes the first time I asked. Now here I am!

Our activities range from photo shoots, editing/sorting pictures, working in Photoshop, brainstorming, setting up props, etc. With the occasional new activity, our work is usually in steps.
1) Photo shoot
2) Sort through pictures
3) Edit best pictures in programs (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
4) Any additional purchases: frames, books, etc.
5) Deliver product
While this is a general list, there are many more sub-steps in each of these, but this is the basic order. Each step is vital to make the best product for the clients and each steps takes a substantial amount of time, minus deliver.

I chose to work with Haynes because he is a very understanding person that doesn't rush things. Work goes at his pace and it works very well for him and his business. He has showed me that each photographer does their business differently and what works for them. Working with him has opened many things to me but the biggest asset he's given me is my new found confidence in my career path.

My future: I plan to attend a college, Berry College specifically, major in marketing and take all opportunities in the photography field. Berry does not offer photography as a minor and I believe this actually works for me because it will force me to find those opportunities to further my experience and my passion. It will make me active in the field on photography because I'm looking for opportunities. My ultimate dream is to become a sports photographer and majoring in marketing is a good step for me to learn about ways to market myself and my product. So I can survive in the the workforce. Soon I'll hear from Berry whether I am accepted or not. Keep fingers crossed!

10/14

When I first started the internship with Jim Haynes, my original perception was that we were to go on many photo shoots like family pictures, sport events, etc. However I come to find I'm still learning and that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that only we see. We do a lot of editing and sorting of the pictures as we near a goal towards the end. For example, we photo shoot NHHS football and gather the best of the seniors pictures in their own folder and once we have enough (maybe 10-20) we pick the best from those (3-5) and create a poster for them for the end of their season.

However, what's surprising me about the internship is the atmosphere of the work study and the occasional new activity we do. It is always calm in the work study and I feel very relaxed. It's very different than what I feel when working in my yearbook class. Things are always hectic, but not at Jim's study. It's always a pleasant experience working with him in the morning. Also the occasional new activity is always fun as well. Sometimes we leave the work study to prep for a photo shoot later that day or we walk around brainstorming where a prop should be and what things could be added. One of my favorite was our little misadventure to save the hay-bales from the rain. It rained very suddenly and we had to move the hay-bales over to the dairy farm just across the street to keep them dry. So we drive over to the farm, get a tractor, ride back and deliver them back to the dairy farm. It was my first time in a tractor and it was a lot of fun and a good change of pace. We even drove to a hidden pond in the back behind his house via tractor where he does photo shoots as well and began brainstorming new angles of certain shots.

 However, when we are not on our little misadventures we are doing tedious work usually. It's not my favorite part of the job but it is the most necessary. Without sorting through them, we would a harder time choosing with to edit and send to the clients. Overall, things are steady at the work study, whether we are sorting through pictures, brainstorming ideas, planning, saving hay-bales from the rain, it's always a pleasant start to my morning.

10/6

Mentoring with Jim Haynes serves more than just "a partner in my education". To be honest it is an experience that it different than the education I receive in school, in a class, at a desk. It's EXPERIENCE. It opens a window to how life and work will be if I continue to strive for this career. You can't get that kind of learning experience in a classroom. Yes, however the program is an enhancement of my education but I like to put it in its' own branch because I believe it needs to understood that the education I receive in the classroom is not the same as the experience I earn working alongside Haynes. 

Working with Jim Haynes has definitely lightened his load of tedious sorting, selecting, and adding  his pictures. Also working with him gives him another right hand-man to join him on shoots to get more pictures and also lighten the load of capturing everything. With us working together, we can divide and conquer.

However, helping him with his tedious tasks are well, tedious. Going through them each morning originally was a relaxing way to start of my day, but gradually, staring at the computer looking picture after picture puts a toll and you. I sometimes find myself mindlessly scrolling through pictures without an attentive eye. But this is a process I understand that has to be done to get through to the more interesting stages: editing the pictures. A process almost every photographer, whether amateur or professional, can agree it's all about getting to the fun editing stage. 

9/29 Post

My average day mentoring at Jim Haynes is rather relaxing without many high pressures. As far as protocol goes, we begin with with small tasks, sorting pictures, creating albums, selecting pictures for said albums, etc. Then either share information about new ideas for photography, whether it be new poses, different approaches/angles, or intel on upcoming events. However, there is order at the studio. In the end, Haynes has the last say whether a certain photo is placed to be proofed or how a banner should ultimately be created. But communication is no struggle between us. Sense it is only he and I, we have relaxed conversations and I am open to give my ideas and comments freely.

As far as dressing goes, we dress casually. His studio is placed at his home so I often see him dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals. Gradually, as I became comfortable in the setting I began to dress casually as well and it is acceptable. Because of this, I feel we both are more relaxed and can be at ease.

Overall, the mentorship has provided me with valuable information and helpful programs to use in photography.I know which programs to better use to store my pictures, edit photos, and print photos. Also bits of advice like how to set my camera for certain events and critiques on my photos as to how to make them better are helpful as well. Things are going very well and I'm still enjoying it since day one.

Internship Quality

http://growingleaders.com/.

So this article was an absolute good read! It explains what a quality intern should have and how an internship should be looked at. An internship shouldn't be viewed as a non-paying job but as a long interview. This way, the interns will pursue their career with awareness that they are always learning and being observed.

Tim Elmore then goes to explain what the main qualities an intern should have: teachability, initiative, responsibility, and energy. Elmore explains that a good intern wants to learn, completes their work, take responsibility of their tasks, and be passionate about their work. These four key qualities are all it takes to be a great intern and have a great internship.


Some things that I can do to apply this to my mentorship is always be punctual. I've always had a habit of being late and making people wait on me. Arriving early will show my eagerness (even though it's at the crack of dawn) and energy to get started and that I am here to learn. Another way to apply those key qualities is to prep for any future projects and complete projects on time. 
This article was very inspirational and I liked how Elmore explained that an internship is a 12-week interview. I have never viewed it as such and looking at it from this angle, I want to keep doing my best each day I walk in and help Jim with his photos or work with him on shoots.

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Beginning the senior year trying out new things: new style, attending different classes, and joining the Honors Mentorship Program! I'm already getting a new feel for a hands-on learning based environment, and am I loving every bit of it. Lucky me I have been able to begin my mentoring this week and got a taste of what the year holds for me. This year I envision many projects where I work alongside my mentor Jim, who is a photographer, and follow him on shoots, especially on sport related shoots. Then coming back later to create posters, ads, or just editing the shots.

After hearing so many positive outcomes from past HMP students about how it affected their future only leads me to anticipate about my own future. Can't wait to get into some serious projects!