About me
I'm a videographer with an insatiable curiosity about cameras, light, sound, editing, all things video and photography. We live in an amazing age when intelligent, creative people freely share information. Almost everything one needs to know technically about photography and videography can be found online for free.
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Most of what I know about camera work and editing, I've learned online and through practice and experimentation. Most of what I find by way of instruction has an indi-film or hopeful-Hollywood angle. My interests are more commercial and marketing. There's immense overlap but my passion is more for small-scale, often one-person, production. I write this so you'll know going in what filters I'm using when selecting content for my notebook.
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There's another reason for the title. I hope to show respect to those gifted artists and technicians who've gifted their knowledge to the world for free by holding them up above the rest.
Dr. Charles Massey Jr. is an artist and was a wonderful professor in lithography at Ohio State University, now retired. I learned a great deal from Dr. Massey but one thing I remember most and still talk about regularly was his patience with and expectations of students; Charles would take all of the time in the world to explain things so long as you could "show me your notebook."
Lithography, like all camera work, is a highly technical creative process. There were many rules in the litho lab. Some for safety, some for necessity, and some for order. The one rule I remember from all those years ago is, when Dr. Massey teaches, students take notes.
The reason was never fully explained but, having now been both student and instructor, I believe that I understand. Taking notes is an expression of respect for the instructor, interest in the material, and commitment to learning. Even badly taken notes can show an effort to understand. A student who made the effort to learn the first time may be granted precious expounding and explaining if a second pass is needed. A student who does not make an effort to take notes will be instructed to ask for help from a student who did. There was never scorn, ridicule, or embarrassment, merely an acknowledgment that additional effort would not be forthcoming from the instructor until a minimum effort is made by the student. "Show me your notes."
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Charles taught more than lithography. He taught how to be a respectful inheritor of knowledge.
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So this is my notebook. When I find a kernel of knowledge about my craft that I find worth remembering or sharing, I'll post it here. Don't look for a lot of original content. Most of what I do is commercial or marketing, not instructional, and there are people who do instruction well. I may post my own take on things but by-and-large, My Notebook will be just that, notes on lessons learned from others, hopefully organized in a way that is concise and helpful for others.
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Charles, if you ever stumble upon this page, thank you for teaching lessons beyond those in the syllabus. I have only the warmest memories of you and my time as your student.