Final Thoughts: The Instructors

My final thoughts on the instructors at Hallmark. Remember please that these are all based purely on my own experience and personality, and may or may not reflect the way you would feel about each individual.

Rob Archer
Rob is probably the first instructor I befriended as I was late to the first three days of class (hooray for killing an alarm clock and having a different time than Hallmark!) and found out how basic the web design was at first. He has the best voice I have ever heard, and sometimes I forgot to pay attention in class because my mind was too busy memorizing how his voice sounded. If this man were a voice actor, I would go out of my way to watch everything he spoke in, just like I do for Illich (see Gojyo in Saiyuki). Rob teaches web design at Hallmark, and he is insanely knowledgeable on the topic. He's warm and friendly, and always willing to help you out. Plus, his hair is amazing. And he did the hair flip for us. TOTAL WIN. Do not ever shave your head Rob, for I will be sad!!!

Rich Barnes
Rich is a rare sight during the beginning of the year, or at least he was for us, since he owns his own studio (Barnes Portrait Photography) and works under a special contract with Hallmark. But he graduated from Hallmark, and is an amazing portrait artist. He has a funny personality, and a personal "war" against Michael Zide that you will either enjoy (like me) or find bothersome. But it keeps things lively and entertaining at Hallmark, which is always good. Rich was the guy whose opinion I valued most on my portraits, because I felt a major draw towards him. I think it's because he's iving my dream, studio wise. That, and he has some of the BEST STORIES you will ever hear. Ever. Class is never boring with Rich, it's just not possible.

Paul Bissex
Paul was fun, and he always had a smile on his face. He's not one of the stronger people in my mind though, and I think that's because he taught web design along side Rob, who as you know, was busy making my brain lull to memorization of vocal tones mode. But I have no bad memories of him either, except for the car accident at the end of the year, and I sincerely hope that he is well enough to return to Hallmark in September. He has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to getting a domain name, and where to get it, along with writing your resume. And I know a resource like him is hard to come by. So pray for him however you prefer, and all of the Class of 2009 hope to be able to meet him.

Thom Burden
Thom wasn't an instructor, but he's David Fraizer's look-alike, and the man behind the technology at Hallmark. When it comes to the projector units, and all things related, he knows how to work it. Without him, Hallmark would not function at such a wonderful standard. Thank you Thom, and have fun sailing!

Peter Chilton
Peter... is the Hallmark Giant to me. This man TOWERS over me, and I swear he could use me as an armrest. Which, in a way, is kinda cool. But yes, anyone who is barely 5', watch out for this guy. He's the super tall one with awesome indie glasses. Peter helped teach design to us, and he's the kind of Photoshop user that you see all over the internet these days. The ones that are hip with the times and compositing with super amounts of layers and textures. You know, things I can't do. So if you're interested in that, hit up Peter for knowledge on it, because he's the man. Also check out his bands, Bane and Silent Drive. Both are AWESOME.

Dick D'Alessandro
Dick is down-to-earth, and he tells it like it is. He's the one that won't bullshit you about the program, and about what's going on. And when it comes to the commercial studio, watch out, because this guy is ON FIRE. He has an amazing commercial knowledge that he loves to share, and he will inspire you just as much as you can inspire him. He loves to have fun, and so long as you discuss the more involved (aka dangerous) ideas with him first, you can do pretty much anything. I really loved him for that, because he truly understands the inhibition of creativity.

Tony Downer
Tony is the guy who made me first feel noticed at Hallmark, because he found me to be intimidating in determination. And that meant something to me, because it meant I was leaving a good impression. Tony is the guy that doesn't bullshit about your images, or about what's going on in ANYTHING. He's going to tell you straight to your face if your photo sucks or not, so if you go to see him you better have some balls. But you'll be a better photographer for it. He has a goofy love for odd clothing as well, so watch out for this crazy green and white checked suit that he has. It's retina burning in crazy. But his orange jumpsuit during aerial photography is faaaar better.

David Fraizer
David is probably the zaniest of the bunch, in that he's like a seven year old kid trapped in an adult's body. This guy comes to class with sound effects and energy no matter what! And he's cut back from coffee to tea! Some people are really annoyed by this, but I find it refreshing and relaxing. I've found that I always learn better in a fun environment. I will admit though, David can be too thorough sometimes in his lectures, going over things a few too many times, and I fell asleep on him more than once. I feel bad about it, but if my mind gets bored, and with the chilly air from the AC keeping the computers cool... I just sort of dozed. >.< However, thanks to David, I can now comfortably work with InDesign. He is the master of that program, and it submits to him.

Gabriel Hmieleski
Gabe taught us about how to care for our computers, and was the preacher of Macs. This man has a vendetta for Windows, so us Windows users couldn't help but pick on the poor guy. But you can't help but love him, because he's like a computer hippie. He has this big beard, and he always, ALWAYS, smiles when he sees you. And he has these awesome love analogies. Gabe tels us he's a painter, but we secretly know he's a computer geek deep down inside. And we love him for it.

David Langley
David is probably the CUTEST elderly man I have ever met. And I mean that in a platonic way. He's just so sweet, and helpful, and it's wonderful to work with him. He has a wide variety of interests, and a ton of experience as a working commercial photographer. When it comes to the industry, and what's looked for in an assistant, he's the guy to go to. Sometimes he can seem harsh, and like he doesn't care, but that's in his nature from work. And there is no way you can hate him for it. If you're looking into doing anything commercial or assistant related, and you don't speak to David, you've wasted your money. He's a powerhouse of knowledge on it, and willing to share. All you have to do is ask.

Michael Merrit
Michael was not one of my favourite instructors. He tries very hard to add humour to the class, and while there are those who enjoyed it I'm sure, I wasn't one of them. To me it felt like he talked Photoshop to death, and that just kind of made things boring. As a person though, he seems like a really nice guy, and he's more than willing to help you out. I know I received some from him before. He knows his stuff, it can just be hard to pay attention. And I blame the system for a lot of it, but I'll discuss that in another post.

Tammy Murphey
Tammy is the "mom" of Hallmark, and basically the guidance counselor. I didn't get along too well with her though, due to a severe personality clash. Something about her I just didn't like, and so I kept a bit of distance. But she really is always there if you need anything, so don't hesitate to go see her.

Lindsay Nelson
Lindsay was often the model for the other portrait instructors, and I'm going for the reason being that she's the youngest and lacked seniority. But she's a good sport, and she knows her stuff. Sadly, that's all I can tell you because I had trouble telling the three female instructors apart. They all looked the same to me; probably because they were all blonde with short hair. o.o;;; But I can tell you that she's a very nice person.

Shelly Nicholson
Shelly was responsible for the school store, and a lot of our student records. I found her to be a good friend, always having a smile for us students, and a really friendly personality. She's a great one to talk to.

John Nordell
John is the local photojournalist, and he was the one who reviewed my portfolio during my interview at Hallmark. He and I made a connection then, and I felt like I had a connection to him all year. He's a really neat guy with some interesting stories to tell. Some of his classes seem a bit hokey though, but bear with him, they all serve a purpose. In the end, he teaches the oddball side of photography, and the thought process and creativity behind it, in a sense. He's also the guy to go to when you have an event you're going to photograph, and you want some pointers. This guy is renowned for his photojournalism, and you'd do good to learn about it.

Danica Perry
Danica was another of the females. She helps with portraiture stuff, and weddings I think, but I don't remember much else. Possibly Quickbooks... but like I said, the females all blended together to me. ^^; I know she was nice!

Tom Prutisto
Tom is the head guy in Photoshop, and he's the epitome of what you'd figure an artist would look like. Like Michael it seemed lie his lessons dragged though, and once again I blame the system. But he was a cool guy, and good for looking at your prints to check their quality. Make sure you have him look at your stuff. He's got a really good eye for quality control.

George Rosa III
George is the most involved president I've ever seen, and he's willing to work with the students as much as the instructors because he truly believes in his school. This helps to make the learning experience better, and I respect him a lot for all his efforts.

Christina Sheppard
The last of the three blonde females. Christina I think is the one whose going to teach you about taxes at 8am on a Monday morning, but I won't swear to it. She's got a very business-like nature to her though, I remember that much. And I respected it greatly.

Joey Skroski
Joey runs the equipment room where you can borrow stuff. He's fun and likes to joke around, but don't piss this guy off because it never ends well. He can get revenge like no tomorrow! But in a fun way.

Paul Teeling
Paul was not someone I saw eye-to-eye with. His idea of what made a photograph good and mine differed a lot. But still, he has his own vision and that was cool. Something to watch out for with him though, is that his voice is very monotone. It put me to sleep more than once, which I regret. He will teach all girls how to be as strong as a guy though if they're interested in doing commercial work, which is awesome. And add to that a very open personality, and you have a very likable guy. Sometimes I'm sad my personality seemed to clash with his.

Joan Terry
Joan is the hardest design expert to get in to see. She often has a line at her door, and will spend a good two hours talking to you and helping you out. But the information she can give you, and the advice she has, is priceless. If you are at all interested in design, this is the woman to see. What's really strange though, now that I think about it, is that she's the only female I recognized on sight. I think it's because she's a brunette, and not blonde.

Michael Zide
Michael is the guy to see if you're into weird stuff like me. He and I made an instant connection the day he was playing Beach Boys and talking about El Chupacabra. He has this wonderful personality that full of charm and humour, and he'll never fail to keep you entertained if you're a little bit out in left field like me. Any time I had an oddball item, or idea, I went to him, and he shared the same with me. I will never forget when he demonstrated a bad diagonal to us. He's just super funny, and a wealth of information when it comes to landscapes and fine art.

So there you have it, my final views on all the instructors and some assorted staff.