Member Profile: Jessica Patterson
About me:
Jessica Patterson, ©Jessica Patterson
Who are you?
Hello! I’m Jessica Patterson, and I live in the California Bay Area. I am currently 50 years old and I am a psychologist. I am the clinical director of a large trauma treatment center. I am also a hobbyist photographer and an artist.
What has your photography journey looked like?
I have loved photography ever since picking up a film point-and-shoot camera in the early 1980’s. Photography runs in my family: I have my great-grandfather’s 1914 Eastman-Kodak 3A Autographic camera and I use it to shoot film. My mother also studied photography. I took film photography courses in college and had my own darkroom at home. In general, I’ve always found photography to be very soothing and meditative, and I love a good photo walk.
I first found TSOP in 2022 when searching for online photography schools, including university- or college-based programs. I had tried a couple of online courses but found them to be haphazard and organized around tips, tricks, and gimmicks. I wanted to shoot my own wedding (not recommended!) and needed to brush up on my digital photography before doing so. That’s when I found TSOP!
Even though I had some photography knowledge, I started with the Beginner’s course. It provided both a good review and a great opportunity for new learning. It is the most thorough and best-organized photography course I have ever taken. Marc provides step-by-step learning in a coherent, logical, and accessible way. I recommend it to everyone starting with TSOP! It was enough to get me shooting reasonably well for my own wedding, but I didn’t realize at the time that it was just the start of my photography journey.
Next, I took the Lightroom course. For me, THAT course is where the magic happens! I went from being a person who could take above average photos to having photos that really stood out. Knowledge of Lightroom also helped me develop my style, in terms of editing and post-processing. If you can only take two TSOP courses, take the Beginner’s and Lightroom courses! Your foundation will be rock solid.
In addition to those courses, I have enjoyed taking the Fine Art (another favorite), Macro, Wildlife, Studio Lighting, Headshot, Landscape, and Photoshop courses. I often watch a course the whole way through in a binge, and they re-watch it more methodically, practicing intently as Marc advises. That has really helped my learning.
What is your preferred genre?
My preferred genres are portrait, botanical, animal, still life, architecture, fine art, and detail photography, all with natural light, and preferably with subjects I love. I particularly enjoy crafting the idea for a photo ahead of time, planning it from stem to stern, and then working to make the final image match my conceptualization. My style is informed by my autistic brain, which values quiet, visual coherence, and simplicity. As such, I try to elevate each subject and present it in dignity and stillness, showcasing its essential nature. I know I’ve got a good image when my brain says, “AHHHHH” as I look at it. There is a soothing feeling that comes from good photos.
Blue22 Assignment Response, ©Jessica Patterson
My first posted photograph:
It was for the Blue2022 monthly assignment, and I noticed that there weren’t many (or any) portraits. Marc often asks people to do portraits in the MAC, and I thought I would give it a try for Blue. I was very intentional with my lighting and aperture to get kind of a dreamy look, so this was an early example of me intentionally crafting photos ahead of time by coming up with a strategy and then trying it out. The feedback from the group was very positive and the photo ended up being featured by TSOP. This was also when several members said I had a gift for portraits, which sent me in the direction of avidly studying portraiture.
An early photo from 2010! ©Jessica Patterson
Before TSOP:
This was with my “new” camera in 2010. I had accidentally turned the exposure compensation dial to -1 and never could figure out why my pictures were always underexposed. At the time I thought this photo was amazing. Looking at it now, I see how far I've come!
My favourite photograph:
My most cherished photograph of my mom and her cat. ©Jessica Patterson
I have many favourites; but I’d say my most cherished photograph is one I took of my mom in early January of 2023. She had just been released from the hospital and was home to recover, or so we thought. I took the photo of my mom and her cat reunited on the couch. She is visibly weary. I sent the photo to my sisters to reassure them. My mom died unexpectedly two days later, so it is my last photo of her. It taught me the importance of capturing those small moments because we just never know when it will be the last opportunity to do so.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned from TSOP?
The lessons I’ve learned from TSOP are too numerous to count, but here are some of my key takeaways:
· Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the more you improve, period. I now feel capable of capturing a good image in the moment, because I have muscle memory from all the practice.
· Related to practice, post your pictures in the group and seek feedback! It’s a powerful way to improve. We have everyone from complete beginners to seasoned veterans in the group, and everyone learns when feedback is shared.
· With foundations from TSOP in place, I now trust my intuition and creativity. I tend to think and look at things in unconventional ways, and this has resulted in some unusual photographs.
· The background is as important as the subject! I give at least as much attention to the background as to the subject, if not more. Good negative space can elevate any photograph.
· Whenever possible, I shoot with a tripod. It frees my mind to focus on composition.
A bonus: unexpectedly, learning digital photography from TSOP has made me a much better film photographer! I shoot my Nikon FM2 for fun and edit the scanned negatives in Lightroom, which brings me such joy.
What’s next for Jessica?
I envision photography as a lifelong learning process. TSOP has given me a tremendous foundation of both knowledge and skill. I am deeply grateful to Marc and the entire team for their hard work and incredible teaching.
Where can people follow you?
My work can be seen on Instagram here: @jesspattphotos
Jessica’s Gallery:
All images ©Jessica Patterson
