2008 12 03 APPRECIATE "Jason Ralston" EMAIL
Letter of Reference
- December 3, 2008
- Tonight I was contacted by a magazine editor from New York. They want me to shoot the next two covers for them, and they are flying someone down with a model for me to meet this Friday.
- And Bart, I owe this to you. I know I have thanked you before, but this isn't for your portfolio, haha. Right now my work ethic (as rated by Dan, Eric, and the rest of the staff) is rated 4.5 of 5. And I haven't missed an assignment or deadline in 13 weeks of school. My photos are shown 910 times on the walls of the school, which is more than any other student not doing a show in the gallery room. I make up roughly 1/3 of the case showing off images from Portfolio Review. This is because I took "Web 1" went to Pittsburgh (with you on project), and had you help me recognize I can accomplish anything, literally anything I set my mind to (as cliche as it sounds, it's true as hell). This semester I said I would be the student I am, not the lazy confused student I was. And now I have Eric Breitenbach telling the class (about my work), "This classic portrait is perfect, perfect light, pose, angle, and focal length." I would not be hearing that today if we wouldn't have joined paths.
- On top of that, Eric has givin me permission to use the portrait studios with 3rd semester students. I'm 2nd, I'm not supposed to be allowed. But Eric has taken responsibility for me so I am allowed to use the real studios. Our friendship (between you and I) has helped me gain friendships with other faculty, which in return helping me progress in the program. At the beginning of the semester I heard from Dan "You're Bart's student?" And I said "yes", and he didn't reply. But I knew you put in some positive words for me, and he was seeing who I was in his crowd of new students.
- I'm disappointed we don't work together as much as we did this summer with "Impact Star" and do jobs more often like the Aquarium. But I know you're busy, and that's to say the least right now
- On a different note, tomorrow I get my 50-mm F-1.4 lens, my 10-mm F-2.8 lens, and my Elinchrom 1200 w/s light kit that Eric literally told me I needed. It's 2 lamps, both putting out 600 watts per second and I know I will already be readyto make money with it since I've been renting the kits from school. I've learned having the eye is 10% of photography, the rest is work. Whether that comes in the form of post-production, photoshop, printing, or setting up the right lights. And now that I have the light kit and lenses I've needed I'm ready to take on Daytona Beach. And if you want to join me, you're more than welcome! :-)
- Jason Ralston
- Student,
- ATC and Daytona State College