"I'd encourage any photographer, at any level, to keep an eye out for future opportunities through the mentorship...

"I'd encourage any photographer, at any level, to keep an eye out for future opportunities through the mentorship program. It really does amount to an intensive, graduate-level course in the art and craft of photography." ~ Pat Kight 

I'm loving these creative photos! Check out Pat's great work that she created during her time in Alex Lapidus' mentorship.

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For anyone who has read this far, consider mentoring someone else here (or more) ... some people don't even know where to start with their cameras and you could be the change they need in their lives. Even the smallest bit of knowledge can be passed on and you can create your mentorship in many different ways. Imagine the feeling of taking someone to their next level, paying forward the knowledge you've received and watching someone blossom with enthusiasm and accomplishment!

Originally shared by Pat Kight

Blurs and Unsharp Photography Mentorship
Final PLUS Post

I've been privileged to spend the past eight weeks or so learning, working and playing (oh, the playing!) with a remarkable group of photographers under the able, inspiring and encouraging guidance of Alex Lapidus, who has mentored us through exploring the strange and wonderful world of intentional blur and unsharp photography. The course - and that's exactly what it amounted to, complete with lessons, assignments and thoughtful, encouraging critiques - was part of the wonderful G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers established by Robin Griggs Wood.

It's been an amazing experience - the perfect combination of hard work and exuberant, liberating play as some three dozen of us explored every imaginable method of what I've come to think of as "doing the wrong things for all the right reasons."

My fellow mentees (is that a word?) include photographers I know from other G+ projects as well as people I hadn't met before this, and every one of them was unfailingly friendly, inspiring, generous and supportive. Together,  with the help of a great group of moderators  - Nathan Beaulne, Jetski Jones, D Stuart, Julianne Bockius, Heiko Mahr, Gazzaroonii T., Jacob Dix Paul Brown, Diana Boyd and Linda Villers (I hope I didn't miss anybody) - who not only gave advice and encouragement but often played along with us, we've explored everything from intentional motion blur to long exposure, multiple exposure, freeing ourselves from focus, playing with film and toy cameras, and torturing our gear (free-lensing!), to marvelous and surprising results.

Now it's graduation time, and while I'm sad to see the mentorship end, I'm delighted to find that I know how to use these techniques to achieve fascinating images. They've become part of my toolkit (or as Alex put it, toybox), and I look forward to using them in my work. I also look forward, with joy, to continuing to follow and interact with the people I've met through this course.

I'd encourage any photographer, at any level, to keep an eye out for future opportunities through the mentorship program. It really does amount to an intensive, graduate-level course in the art and craft of photography.

With graduation, we get to share some of the images we've produced over the past two months with the world. Here are a dozen of mine.