While attending a community college in pursuit of a Visual Arts: Photography degree I was aggressively pursuing better methods to improve my photographs by understanding the placement of the figure in the setting, the posture, and most of all the lighting. I struggled to understand how important the lighting was to a photograph, until one of my teachers suggested I attend a drawing class titled "Figure Drawing" which concentrated on drawing the human body. She explained that learning how to intentionally examine the light in a drawing would make it easier for me to see the light in a photograph and understand how to manipulate the light to create more beautiful images.
However, when I happily signed up for the class to better my photography skills, I assumed that the class would be like other drawing classes I had attended. I expected using posable wooden figurines, photographs, or statues as references to draw. I was completely unprepared for what I walked into though when I attended class on the first day. The class was introduced to a live model, a young lady whom had just finished modeling school, who proceeded to remove her clothing and pose on an elevated platform in the center of the room surrounded by drawing tables. I was invited to choose a table at the angle which I wanted to draw the woman, and was then instructed by our densely-accented Australian, leather jacket wearing professor. He, in a richly exotic inflection which made the lesson sound similar to a documentary, explained the techniques we would be employing and dimmed the lights for us to create a vast range of shadows and glow effects across the model's flesh.
I was stunned, to say the least, at the revelation of this scandalous-seeming curriculum but managed to maintain my artistic professionalism to concentrate on drawing. And when I had tuned out the fact that I was staring at a real naked human body, I was able to notice the details of her curves and how the light bent around her frame and created darker tones. Class by class, experimenting with drawing several different models of different genders, ages, races, and physiques, I developed the skills I had been searching for. To be able to see the light in an image, to understand how one's perspective and awareness of detail can alter depending on the artist's skill to observe to those details, and the ability to tune out distractions to focus on seeing what I needed to see to create a beautiful image.
Anyone similarly pursuing photography who may struggle with light and perspective when taking photos, I recommend you take a Figure Drawing class as well. Despite the initial awkwardness, it was extremely beneficial to me and sharpened my skills as a photographer over time.
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