Here we go

I have looked through a lens for years. It’s been a hobby. Friends ask me to take pictures. Then their friends ask. Then it’s the friends of friends and the milkman. I have a full time career and never thought of doing photos full time. Not once.

Then my son caught the photography bug.

The camera came out of the bag and got an upgrade. The lenses were all brought up to the non-film era. I still working full time but I do want to encourage him to grow in his potential career. Thus EiForPhotos was born.

The goal of this endeavor is not to help me have a second career. The goal is to continue to encourage teens to have a career in the Arts. Schools are cutting their budgets. We can all site at least one horror story at our high school where funding for the Arts was chopped. No student in the Arts can afford to pop over to Amazon and buy professional equipment. As I sat watching videos on current photoshop techniques, I thought the best way to serve would be to stand side by side with these teens and teach them the tricks of an old school film photographer – where you had one shot to get it right.

In addition, here in West Virginia, not every family can afford to have a beautiful family photo. Giving these families a memorable gift gives these students the practice they need while learning the other half of the Arts is Humanities.

During the year they work with me they are required to think about their artistic style, blog about why they are enjoying this craft, and complete at least one project. I look forward to seeing this year’s students project in July, 2019.

Join me in welcoming these students into the community of photographers! If you see us out and about (we are going to do some out of state field trips), stop over and encourage them. It only takes one person to break their spirit, and a village to raise them into a profession they will enjoy for a lifetime.

Eilleen McCulloch