If
you work for BIT you have probably met, worked with, talked to, or heard of
Andy Ogan. If you work outside of BIT, you have probably viewed some of his
photography work without even knowing! Andy Ogan is a valuable employee to BIT
and an outstanding photographer outside of BIT who produces stunning photos of
landscapes, architecture, wildlife and children.
Andy’s
first interest in photography started about 15 years ago, as he found he
enjoyed being behind the lens far more than he enjoyed being in front of the
lens. His first real photography jobs involved digital photos and website
content creation back in 1999-2003. While his career in network
administration took him professionally away from photography and content
creation, it always remained a hobby of his.
Andy
is an active member of the Central South Dakota Photography Club and some other
local / state-level clubs and groups, as well as the National Association of
Photoshop Professionals. His preferences in photography are photos of
landscapes, travel, architecture, wildlife, nature, and kids. Andy is
hoping to start up a small side business selling his photo prints online
sometime during 2014.
First,
practice practice practice. In the world of digital, it only costs you
your time to practice.
Feel
free to visit Andy Ogan’s photography site, Ogan.smugmug.com, to view more
outstanding photos!
Andy
Ogan’s job in BIT is multi-faceted. His primary work is part of the
Network Technologies group, working predominantly in the core networks of State
Government, the Digital Dakota Network for K-12, and the REED network for the
Board of Regents. To list a few, he is involved in GIS mapping, the South
Dakota Broadband Initiative project management, cellular drive testing,
technology project reviews, traffic shaping, research, documentation, data
presentation and writing. Lucky for us, Andy is also the unofficial BIT
photographer!
Andy’s
first interest in photography started about 15 years ago, as he found he
enjoyed being behind the lens far more than he enjoyed being in front of the
lens. His first real photography jobs involved digital photos and website
content creation back in 1999-2003. While his career in network
administration took him professionally away from photography and content
creation, it always remained a hobby of his.
In
2010, Andy finally decided to upgrade to his first DSLR camera, a Canon 60d,
and a pair of lenses. Since then, he has added to his camera kit.
Andy now has two DSLR’s, five lenses, lights, flashes, filters, a film
SLR, two point and shoots, two antique 1930’s cameras that all still work, and
a 1959 TLR film camera that still works.
Andy
is an active member of the Central South Dakota Photography Club and some other
local / state-level clubs and groups, as well as the National Association of
Photoshop Professionals. His preferences in photography are photos of
landscapes, travel, architecture, wildlife, nature, and kids. Andy is
hoping to start up a small side business selling his photo prints online
sometime during 2014.
For
anyone aspiring to get into photography, Andy offers a few points that have
helped him over the years!
First,
practice practice practice. In the world of digital, it only costs you
your time to practice.
Second,
change your elevation. A lot of photos of children online are taken from
“parent height”, and you lose some of the connection with the children that you
would have if you knelt down to their level. It’s amazing how big of an
impact you can make in your kid photos by just kneeling down.
Third,
if you are interested in photography but don’t have the equipment, there are
great places online to rent equipment from at reasonable prices. If you
are interested in those, let Andy know and he can point you towards them.