Fostering Talent

Jerod Foster in his office.

Jerod Foster had three goals he wanted to accomplish before he turned 30 years old: shoot a cover of a magazine, earn three degrees, and publish a book.

Foster, a photography professor of practice in the College of Media and Communication, recently had his third photography book published, titled “Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Directing the Eye, Creating Visual Depth, and Conveying Emotion.”

Foster said he has always been creative. He said he has always enjoyed drawing, and was even in a band. While studying agricultural communications at Texas Tech, he met nature photographer Wyman Meinzer. He said that Meinzer took him on as a protégé and teaching assistant, becoming great friends in the process.

“With that one particular magazine, I’ve seen how my technique and style has really grown.”

While attending graduate school, Foster said he began photographing professionally. He said one of his first gigs was with the Texas Tech Alumni Association magazine, The Techsan. Foster still takes pictures for them today.

Foster takes many pictures at Texas Tech. Photographs courtesy of Jerod Foster.

“With that one particular magazine, I’ve seen how my technique and style has really grown,” Foster said. “Since then, it’s just gone up and up,” as he gestures with his hands.

Among his many projects, Foster said he has taken pictures for The New York Times, The Texas Tribune and ESPN. He said he has had the opportunity to shoot many interesting projects.

“The greatest thing about being the type of photographer I am is all the access,” Foster said. “It’s not like access to celebrities, I could care less. I don’t get star struck like that. It’s access to just cool things that are going on, and the opportunity to be a little bit objective about it.”

“My passion is telling stories with pictures, and it’s not necessarily photography.”

Foster said he was contacted by David duChemin from Peachpit Press about writing a book, after duChemin read Foster’s blog.

Foster avidly promotes visual storytelling, which is what his first book, “Storytellers: A Photographer’s Guide to Developing Themes and Creating Stories with Pictures,” is about. Foster said that this book is used in many photography classes.

“My passion is telling stories with pictures, and it’s not necessarily photography,” Foster said. “It’s being able to use photography to tell stories, and do what a photographer does. And hopefully students are catching on to that.”

His second book, “Sony NEX-6: From Snapshots to Great Shots,” is a manual on how to use that particular camera successfully. Foster said he wrote that manual at the beginning of 2013.

Starting in May 2013, Foster began work on “Colors.” Foster described the book as a look at color through a photographer’s eyes. He said that the book covers how and why the human eye is attracted color, the subjective nature of color, and how to make color look the best without using editing software.

Foster shows how important color is in this photograph. Photographs courtesy of Jerod Foster.

“The big thing was having a color book not from a software expert,” Foster said. “Not from an academic, per se, but from a photographer and having that perspective on color.”

“He has no ego at all,”

Justin Keene, a fellow professor in the College of Media and Communication and personal friend of Foster’s, said that he is amazed at how accomplished, yet humble Foster is.

“He has no ego at all, when in fact given his pedigree and what he’s accomplished, I think he could be a pretty egotistical guy, and it would be within his bounds to do it,” Keene said.

After such a busy year, Foster said he hopes to slow down a little bit. He is teaching three classes this semester, and continues to do freelance photography. He will also be a part of a study abroad course in New Zealand this summer. Foster said he would like to spend more time with his family and take some vacations with them.