Found Another Good Teacher

Back in 2020, I became of aware of Eric Mueller when the Star Tribune wrote about his “The Family Resemblance Project”.  I must have signed up for his newsletter at the time, but only recently received one by email.  It talked mostly about his exhibit at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona MN, which is supposed to be a gem of a museum that I’ve wanted to go to for awhile, plus I do want to go see this exhibit, but it also mentioned that he teaches photography classes using your iPhone.  I have an Android phone and was able to translate to it easily, although I did have my iPad handy, just in case. 

I just got done with his class from today.  It was jammed packed with all types of info.  I learned about camera features on my phone, which I didn’t know I had, along with a ton of other tips.  About half the session focused on composition with specific “rules” (which can always be broken), along with a ton of examples, which really helped, especially since he showed a number of before and after examples.  

I’m glad that I took a lot of notes. I plan to refer back to them and practice, practice, practice.  

Still one area really stood out when I went back to look at some of my photos, immediately after class ended.  I need to start thinking about the direction of sight or action.  This compositional rule says, generally, that it’s better to have a subject facing towards the center of the frame or moving towards the center.  

It explains the mixed feelings I have about this photo.  Itwas one of the first ones that I thought of when class was done.  On the one hand, I really love it.  It was the magical, first time I went to the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area with a friend and this swan was part of the first group of water fowl we saw that day.  On the other hand, I think I also knew that there was something off about it, but I didn’t know enough to know why.  

This photo also came to mind.  I took this with my good, point and shoot from the top of a bridge close to home and I needed almost every bit of the 60x zoom.

Below, I cropped it to follow “the rule” and it works so much better.  It focuses and draws your eye in and through the rest of the photo.  It’s almost like it gives the rest of the photo a reason to be there.  

I am planning to sign up for more of his classes.