Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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APRIL 2015 nshoremag.com | 55 Camera Coach photographs by SEE Shore Photography (this page) BY SARAH SHEMKUS Photographer Kelly Mintz shows students the light at the end of their lens. Kelly Mintz first fell for photos as a child, watching slide shows of the pictures her father took of family events. She studied photography in college and then, after she gradu- ated, in an intensive summer pro- gram. There, she was asked to teach a class to her fellow students. "I just realized very quickly that I love teaching as well as being a photog- rapher," says Mintz. Today, she channels those dual passions into SEE Shore Photogra- phy, a Newburyport–based busi- ness that offers instruction as well as more traditional wedding and portrait photography services. Weekly classes at both beginner and advanced levels are available for adults as well as children ages 9 through 14. These four-week courses give students classroom instruction and plenty of hands-on practice with their cameras, ex- plains Mintz. Each three-hour class includes a field trip to a state park, scenic beach, or interesting build- ing, allowing students to put their newly acquired skills to the test. "I am a real believer in learning by doing," says Mintz. "It creates a very positive experience for everyone." Classes also include a critique component. Students bring in the photos they have taken during the week, and the group discusses what works, what doesn't, and how the shots could be improved. Mintz encourages her students to make mistakes because she believes these Students and a class in action Opposite, student work from top, Ginger Teal; Middle row, Lysa Burns, Carl Gustin, and Isabella Rosado (age 14); Bottom row, Jack Yeomans (age 9), Liz Strauss, and Lysa Burns missteps are opportunities for learn- ing. "I really like to create an environ- ment that is nurturing and fun and not critical," she says. "It's important to create an atmosphere that people can grow and feel comfortable in." Photo I, her class for beginners, familiarizes students with their cam- eras' parts and features, introduces them to a new vocabulary, and teaches them the fundamentals of low-light photography. Photo II, an intermediate class, includes instruc- tion in composition and lighting, as well as practice shooting landscapes and people. The curriculum of this advanced course is more variable, as Mintz shapes the lessons according to her students' interests. She also offers one-day spe- cialty workshops. Recent offerings have included landscape photog- raphy and night photography. (For example, students shot the lights of Newburyport while the town was decked out for Christmas.) SEE Shore students range from new mothers eager to take bet- ter baby pictures to high school students honing their portfolios