Luke Pinneo, photography instructor and owner of Luke Pinneo Photography, returns to Fort Belvoir to conduct a four-day instructional course called "Get the Picture-Photography Fundamentals." The classes are conducted on Saturdays, 9 to 11 a.m., at the Outdoor Recreation Center and run for four weeks.
According to Pinneo, an active-duty photographer and writer for the U.S. Coast Guard who became inspired to create the photography class from his experiences teaching others in his military position, "Get the Picture" is designed to teach aspiring photographers simply how to take better pictures.
"We have a saying in the photography industry: A great photographer can make a good picture no matter how bad the camera, but a bad photographer can't make a good picture no matter how great the camera," he said. "Part of the course is to help students recognize the difference between an image that is visually arresting and stunning and one that is simply a properly exposed image of an otherwise boring subject. We want students to go from accidental picture takers to deliberate picture makers. With today's technology, it's easy to get a lucky shot. We're interested in making it repeatable."
Based on the response from students who participated in the previous sessions here at Belvoir, Pinneo succeeded in making the subject material approachable and easily understood with his patient teaching style. He presented his lessons in a well planned manner that could be quickly applied by students regardless of their skill level.
"My overall impression with the class was that it was superb," said student Kenneth Gross, Army Geospatial Center, Combat Terrain Information Systems, Chief Logistics/Readiness Engineering team lead. "I found Luke's instructional method both relaxing and challenging -- I did not feel pressured to meet a deadline, but I had to put some in-depth thought into what I wanted to do as a second career in photography. I think I came away with a better foundation of photography that enabled me to see things in a different perspective."
Gross added that the growth in his way of perceiving the world stood out as one of the most important results of the course.
"Since the class, I'm always looking at things in a different manner. So I guess in photo lingo, my vantage point is constantly evolving in order to obtain a shot from a different view," he said.
"This class was incredible. Luke has a very 'out of the box' teaching technique that I found to be very unique and interesting," added Alaina Fitzner, owner of Dwelling Moments Photography. "As a professional photographer, I was not looking for a class that would walk me through my camera settings, but a place to learn how to be creative with photography and use the technical skills I had previously learned in photography school. I'm a much better photographer because of this class; Luke shared from the very beginning how this is truly an 'art' and it's so much more about how you feel about what you're capturing then just clicking the shutter and seeing what you get or hoping that something in there would be good. I feel like Luke really gave us the freedom to try new things and experiment."
Pinneo said he designed the course so students could expect to delve into the particulars of photography right away.
"Right from day one students can count on being incredibly inspired and heavily informed," Pinneo said. "Whether they are beginners or experienced, the lessons build from a full overview of the basics right through to advanced creative thinking exercises. We developed lessons to help each individual tap into their own creative source, to develop their own unique creative thumbprint. Most people mimic, which is OK in the beginning -- that's how we learn. But at some point, we've got to grow our own creative wings. Few do this, which is why we see a lot of the same images over and over again. So we teach in the context of individual expression."
Pinneo's focus on blending creative thinking, individual expression and technical know-how in a one-on-one instructional environment had a substantial impact on Gross' final assessment of the class.
"I wanted to hear and learn from a seasoned photographer who I could not only learn from during the class but someone who I could reach out to for advice, encouragement and challenges," Gross said. "(Luke) has gone beyond the instructional setting and provided information that has helped in equipment selection, understanding camera settings, composure of the photographer as well as the photograph, and just little things to keep in mind while on your photographic journey. One of the mantras I learned from Luke was, 'Fill the frame, control the background and wait for the moment.' Before, I tended to rush to try and get the shot. Now I understand that I need to control the tempo in order to have better composed photograph, with less distractions, and at the precise interval to come away with the best possible shot 'in the camera,' rather than having to do a lot of post-production editing after the fact."
Gross added that Pinneo's course remained engaging and comfortable from start to finish and, as such, he highly recommends it to others.
"The best part of the class for me was being able to interact with other beginners in a relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere," he said. "We were all there to learn from the point-and-shoot guys and gals to the digital SLR users. I would definitely recommend this class to others -- as a matter of fact I'm looking forward to the next class (Luke) presents."
Pinneo said the techniques students like Gross learned during the instruction are what form the basis of the most important lessons he tries to get across to everyone who participates.
"It's reassuring to know that we're investing in the future of the photo industry by helping newcomers understand the value of quality -- not just image quality, but holistic quality, in how they interact with subjects, how hard they're willing to work on new ideas and projects, and whether they see themselves as mere shutterbugs or as craftsmen," he said. "This is the legacy of the craft. We talk about this in class -- the value of preserving the industry. A lot of people think it's just taking pictures, but this is our visual history we're talking about here. It should be superb."
Additional information about the photography course and the schedule of upcoming classes is available by contacting the Outdoor Recreation Center at (703) 805-3081. Luke Pinneo may be contacted at (978) 578-9338 or through his website at: www.lukepinneo.com.
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