Bailee Watson's Commercial Photography: September 2017

Jim Woodard grew up in Eden Texas on a ranch and was born in 1952 . He went to school at Sam Houston State University. What got him interested in photography in the first place was his grandmother gave him her old camera, a Kodak, the night there was a train wreck not far from her house. He decided to go and take some photos . The only problem was that while he took the pictures he later realized the photos where dark. Ever since 1960 he began snapping away. He worked at a studio in Ft Worth while he was in high school.

Jim is interested in doing travel, landscapes, environmental portraits, and photojournalism. Woodard is more interested in black and white photography than color. He explains “it’s all about the light”. I asked what made him so different from other photographers and he explained, “that's up for the viewer to decide”. He fell in love with photography for allowing the right to tell stories and show emotion for viewers because you don’t need to speak the same language, read or hear. The picture tells the story.

Some photographers that stand out to him are W. Eugene Smith and Edward Weston. For. a while he thought about doing photography as a career, but what drove him away was the fact that he hated doing wedding pictures. He worked in the construction business, selling lumber to home and apartment builders until he retired. He always took photos over the years.

What stood out was when I asked if he thought about passing knowledge down to someone he responded with “have I passed anything to you”? I chose Jim Woodard not because I’m related to him by blood, but for being someone who I have grown an interest in wanting to learn tips and tricks from him. He is one of the reasons I love photography to this day. I know jim Woodard from when my mom and his wife went over to china and adopted me and my best friend Hallie. Ever since I have been really close to the Woodards.

He started a blog 10 years ago in 2008.. In his opinion the main goal is creating a portfolio of prints that move people and future photographers should take pictures the way you want to take them.

He’s been using film for over 40 years, but he now enjoys digital more. Even though film is more deliberate and allows for a slower pace. Most of the time he uses 35mm lenses. Jim has been using mirrorless cameras in several formats,since they first came out. They are the type of camera he uses the most but not the only type. He explains that one challenge for him is keeping his photographs fresh.

Jim explains that while photographing people and how to make sure their comfortable with having something intentional that he wants to show them in the photograph. “Every person is different, just like what you are trying to show them so you go about in in different ways”. The perfect time to take pictures is anywhere where there is light.

I chose these three photos a leaf,puppy,water droplets to replicate. Both the puppy and leaf stood out with the black and white and created more details than they could have with color.

Also I thought it would be interesting to try and replicate the dog photo with my cat since she has striking markings on her face.The water droplets I liked the since of the camera being focused on just the water drops and the background being blurred.