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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. OCTOBER 21.2010
METAL ROOFING
Do you still use film?
No. It’s all digital. I’ve got my
first new film camera that I
bought in 1980. The third camera
I owned and the fist new one. But
no, I do not shoot film now. One
thing that if very different is a
wedding during the old days you
would shoot somewhere between
150-175 images and show the
bride and groom somewhere be
tween 110 and 120. Today it is
not imusual for a photographer to
have a second shooter and shoot
2,500 images and show the cou
ple over 500. You’re not burning
film. You can just shoot and
shoot and shoot. Twenty years
ago you had to hope that the five
shots you did of this particular
pose that you got it. Now I may
shoot 20 or 25 of one pose just to
get that perfect expression.
So are you saying digital pho
tography has kind of dumbed
down the profession?
Everybody wants to be a profes
sional photographer now. It has
changed so much. Back in the
old days you had to know the sci
ence behind the art.
What about the quality of digital
versus film? Can you talk about
What about young photogra
phers who want to do this as a
career. What advice do you have
for them?
Evaluate the market as well as
the art. Really evaluate the mar
ket because photography is a
wonderful profession but a terri
ble business. It is very difficult to
be profitable today.
Any other hobbies?
I like to fly fish. Because of the
business I don’t go as much now.
But I enjoy the photography
enough now that I am willing to
offset the fishing. I got to catch
up on that the 14 years I was off.
Shooting the Breeze with Alvin Stewart
By Angela Reinhardt
Pickens native Alvin Stewart
started taking photos in 1977
and by 1995, when he retired
from professional photography,
he had shot hundreds upon hun
dreds of weddings and portraits.
Stewart says he retired after
burnout got the best of him, but
in summer of 2009 he felt in
spired to reenter the world of
photography. Here Stewart talks
about his beginnings as a foren
sic photographer, digital versus
film, and apprenticing a 16-year-
old strong-willed student.
When did you become interested
in photography?
I bought my first camera right
out of high school, and from a
Vietnam veteran that he had
bought during the war. It was a
very inexpensive 35mm camera
and I started from there shooting
35mm film and that was 1977. It
just kind of progressed from
there.
So you were self taught?
I was. Now I did go to some
schools so I went to a school that
was taught by Tommy Lindsey,
once a week for eight weeks. I go
to classes now, an average of
three to four classes now for self
enrichment and to stay up on the
techniques.
When you started taking pic
tures did you think about it as a
potential career?
No. It was just cool to have a
35mm camera because I never
did anything with an instamatic.
I just decided I wanted to do it. It
wasn’t like I progressed to a 35,
I just bought one and started
shooting. I never had any idea
that I would do anything at this
level.
How long before you thought it
would be your career?
In 1980 when Sheriff Wofford
became sheriff [of Pickens
County], I knew a lot of the peo
ple at the sheriff’s department
and they knew I was able to han
dle the camera. They called me
one day and said they had a
major accident north of Jasper
and they needed photos. So I shot
those and then until the end of
the sheriff’s first term in office in
’84 I was the contract photogra
pher for the Pickens County
Sheriff’s Department. During
that time a friend of mine called
me and asked if I would do his
sister’s wedding. I said, I’ve
never done a wedding. But I did
that wedding and you know,
when I retired in 1995 I had done
literally hundreds of weddings.
But the forensic stuff got me
started.
You started taking photos back
when film was it, before the dig
ital revolution. Can you talk
about which you prefer and
what has changed?
Absolutely. The thing about the
old and the new days is when I
retired in ’95 it was almost like I
had been frozen and the digital
age came upon us. When I de
cided to go back into photogra
phy in 2009 it was like I was
thawed out and digital was here.
I did have a digital camera in
2000, but I just thought it was
cool to have one. But now every
one wants to be a professional
photographer. I was one of two
photographers in the county in
the old days. During film you
had to get it right in the camera.
That’s the difference to me. I
think you had to be more of a sci
entist during those days because
you were not allowed mistakes.
With digital you can look right
now and see if you made a mis
take and need an adjustment, and
I don’t mind admitting that I do
that. If the technology is there I
will use it.
Destiny Wormlight / Photo
Alvin Stewart once had a storefront office on Main Street in
Jasper, but is now working out of his home.
that?
To me as the technology has in
creased, the last camera I bought
was a year ago and that technol
ogy pushed us into a new level of
quality. As each generation of
digital evolves, the quality of the
final image is almost exponen
tial. I don’t think there is any ad
vantage over film other than the
nostalgic element.
You retired from photography in
1995 and got back into it 2009.
Why did you take such a long
hiatus?
I started thinking about it in July
of 2009 and I was missing it. I
left because I was burned out. I
was averaging a wedding a
weekend. In winter you wouldn’t
do any but during other times
you might do three in a weekend.
This is one profession where
when you get burned out you
need to step aside and hand it to
the next generation because you
will notice a difference in the
quality of your work. I noticed a
change in my attitude about my
work. I started resenting doing
photography when I would get
up on Saturday and go to a wed
ding knowing my friends were
fly fishing.
What did you do for those 14
years?
I have always been a controls en
gineer. A full-time photographer
today has a really tough time. I
know some that are really strug
gling. Photography is a discre
tionary luxury with people. My
other job allows me to be selec
tive about the photography jobs I
take. By trade I am a controls en
gineer but I was running a store
front operation since 1990 until
1995. It was on Hwy 515 where
the uniform shop is. The last year
I was above Weeks Jewelry.
So after all of that, being back
in it now, what do you enjoy the
most about what you do?
Making people look their best
again. The reason I started doing
people was because I was given
a gift by the Lord to make people
look good in print. In July of
2009 I was struggling and pray
ing about it, and I said I don’t
know if I want to work this hard.
Did you take any personal pho
tographs while you were retired
from professional photography?
Funny that you mention that be
cause I wouldn’t even take a
camera on vacations. I just didn’t
want to see a camera. I was that
tired. So this time it’s part time
and it’s a residential business. A
storefront business requires you
to take on more work that might
overall hamper the quality of the
work to meet the overhead. That
was part of the burnout I think
was having to service x amount
of overhead before anything
went to Alvin.
What is your favorite kind of
shoot?
High school seniors.
Why is that?
Because I can take a teenager
and they may have self esteem
issues and I can give them a
sense of confidence that they
have never had. I take great pride
in my teen and senior portraiture.
I started doing senior portraiture
really hard in 1987.
Is there anybody or anything
that you would love to photo
graph that you haven’t?
As I told you before when I was
so burned out I promised myself
this time going back into busi
ness that I would always allow
time for me. I do a lot of land
scape stuff now and a lot of na
ture stuff. I went to Yellowstone
and have been out there three
times. A lot of photography was
involved. I did not have that time
before because I was always
working for someone else. But
personalities, I can’t think of any
one particular person I want to
photograph. My important
celebrities are my clients who
come to me with the trust that I
will portray them. If it’s Sally
from the high school, that’s who
I want to portray.
You have an apprentice now.
How did that relationship de
velop?
Her name is Destiny Wormlight.
I met her at a volley ball game in
September of 2009.1 was shoot
ing the game and was shooting
the high school prom last may.
She came with one of my clients
because she is home schooled
and she was kind of acting as her
photojoumalist for the night. I
was kind of watching her, but
Destiny seems to be very prom
ising. She’s 16 years old, and we
have our ups and downs. (Laugh
ing) She is a rebel, but she has a
lot of potential. Her plans are to
attend Savannah College of Art
and Design. I’m just trying to get
her to that point. We’ll see where
it goes.
Are you enjoying the experi
ence?
(Laughing) Depending on which
day you ask me.
You can learn more about Alvin
and his work by visiting
alvinstewartphotography. com
die perfect balance between
health & care.
Piedmont Physicians Group
is pleased to welcome
Asim Kidwai, M.D., and
Islam Eltarawy, M.D.
© 2010 Piedmont Healthcare 00963-0910
Dr. Eltarawy and Dr. Kidwai are joining Dr. Schwartzman
at Piedmont Physicians at East Ellijay, 97 Hefner Road.
Asim Kidwai, M.D.
Family Medicine
Dr. Kidwai received his bachelor of science degree in biology
from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and earned his medical
degree from Universidad Iberoamericana in the Dominican
Republic. He completed his residency at Memorial Health
University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, where he was
chief resident of inpatient service and the vice-chair of the
quality improvement committee. Dr. Kidwai is certified in
advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support
and neonatal resuscitation, and a member of the American
Academy of Family Physicians, Georgia Academy of Family Physicians and the American
Medical Association. He is a devoted medical volunteer in the community and has aided in
numerous medical relief efforts. Dr. Kidwai is fluent in English and Spanish.
Islam Eltarawy, M.D.
Family Medicine
Dr. Eltarawy earned his medical degree from Alexandria
University College of Medicine in Alexandria, Egypt. He
completed his residency at Mercy Health System in Jamesville,
Wisconsin, where he served as chief academic resident and was
a research fellow at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center. Dr. Eltarawy is certified in advanced cardiac life support,
trauma life support, neonatal life support, and life support in
obstetrics. He is a member of the American Academy of
Family Physicians and board certified in family medicine.
Dr. Eltarawy is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
Piedmont Physicians at East Ellijay are
currently accepting new patients and
welcome most major insurance plans.
To schedule an appointment,
for adults or children of all
ages, call 706.635.1400.
DD
PIEDMONT
PHYSICIANS
EAST ELLIJAY
97 Hefner Street • Suite 202
East Ellijay, Georgia 30540 • 706.635.1400
piedmontphysicians.org
Steve
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STATE SENATE
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