You got mail…
Last week I got a mail in which high school student were wondering if I could answer a few questions for his school assignment. He’s assignment is to make a replica of another photographer’s work and he had chosen one of my pictures. In his mail he asked me to get more information about me as a photographer and he wanted to get more information about the image that he had decided to make a replica of. When I read his mail I was both very surprised and proud. To be part of someone’s school assignment is a big deal, at least for me.
One of the nicest things with the Internet is that everyone and almost everything is accessible. Most of the role models that are online is only an email or a tweet away if we only take the courage to write a line or two. In my world it’s huge to be another photographer’s role model or inspiration and it’s something I try to cherish. So when I get mails like that one I got last week I always try to respond to them.
This students name is Markus Klingståhl and he is a high school student, who has a school assignment to do a replica of an image from a three-year-old-child’s perspective. And as a starting point, he had chosen one of my “puddles” images. I responded on Markus mail and asked him if he could share his work with me and if he was ok with me writing about him and school assignment. He said yes and even gave me permission to share one of his first images in trying to make a replica. You can see Markus picture below.
(c) Markus Klingståhl
Through my eyes this picture is amazing. I love the perspective and how selective the focus is. It works so well when you know that the thought is that the perspective is from a three-year-old-child. As a viewer, the picture makes my imagining wondering to all the three-year-old’s I know and have known, for whom any stick in the woods would have been preferred to walk with the parents. I think the picture is clever in the way it plays with focus and how well it works when Markus has made the stick the main object in this picture. Looking at Markus’ picture makes me ask things like: What is in the end of the forest? What is the goal for these figures in the woods?
Markus also told me that he dreams of becoming a photographer that others will look up to, to become a role model. And when I look at his pictures, I think if he continue to tell stories like this one that goal won’t be far away. I’m also happy that I through my work have inspired him to try still life as a genre and that I through picture is part of what inspired him. Thank you Markus and good luck.
Kristina
A meeting with a dinosaur
When I first read this post I was struck how similar the challenge give to your student was to the challenges e are giving ourselves. I felt strongly vindicated by that, I know we are on the right track for our own personal growth. Also how pleased must you be to know that you are a photographer that someone admires! How cool is that!! Congratulations on helping to shape and inspire the next generation of photographers!