Acclaimed for his photography skills across the South Campus, junior Evan Robinson can often be seen with his camera and equipment on assignments as photo editor of both The Paw Print and Oakleaves. He also does work outside of school, sometimes accompanying Jennifer Godwin Minto, the head of Poly’s photography program, on assignments.
Robinson is mostly self-taught, having taken only one Poly photography class. He describes getting into photography as a “gradual thing,” evolving first from the role as his family’s designated cameraman to a motivated photographer who dedicated much of his summer to learning about his art. His passion for the art is evident in his commitment to teaching himself about it. In addition to working with lighting and reading on the subject, he spent hours analyzing and reverse engineering the photos of top professionals. He says of his art, “I’ve tried to keep things interesting for myself by playing with interesting concepts and ideas for photographs that I think will have great visual appeal.”
Portraiture is Robinson’s favorite area of photography and the field where he has the greatest expertise. Though he has experience with architectural and landscape photography, his favorite subjects are people in both natural and formal environments, though he prefers natural settings. He still prefers to have an element of control, however, over the light and subjects of the article so he can create the image as envisioned.
Next year, he hopes to improve his already impressive skills by assisting other photographers, shooting on his own and working as an intern with a professional photographer. He also hopes he can offer his services to next year’s senior class so seniors can have options for their senior portrait photography.
Godwin-Minto says of Robinson, “He’s very self-motivated, confident, approachable, talented, creative, all of that.” One of his most noteworthy accomplishments, according to her, is commanding the respect of his peers, to the point where one senior playfully calls him “Ansel Adams 2.0.”
Much of Robinson’s work from within and outside of Poly can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinsonphotography.
Sarah Chen
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