If you’re here then I will assume you are, at a minimum, a fan of good photography. Perhaps it interests you as a craft, or an art, or more likely you are a photographer that wants to improve their skill set. That means you and I have something in common. I love the art of photography, the skill it takes to not only freeze a moment in time, but to know what moment to freeze and how best to freeze it. I am constantly trying to learn more about photography, and in that endeavor I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of articles, only to be disappointed in the quality of both the content and the person delivering it. So, when you find someone that consistently delivers fantastic content, and delivers it in a way that it can be understood by photographers of every skill level, that is special. That is Ant Pruitt.
It seems like a recurring theme that an I.T. Pro gets into photography. That describes me, and so many others I know, and I am not entirely sure why it happens. Still, I have an idea. As a geek myself, I often say that if I’d known photography was geeky when I was younger I would have gotten into it way sooner in life – and I wish I had. Photography is tech, and if you don’t believe me just check out my friend Don Komarechka’s Photo Geek Weekly podcast.
I met Ant because I am a fan of podcasts. The first podcasts I every subscribed to, and some of the ones I still never miss, were This Week in Tech, or TWiT, and MacBreak Weekly. In fact, when I started podcasting my dream was always to be on tech podcasts like those. These are two of the many podcasts on the TWiT network created by ‘The Tech Guy’ Leo Laporte. Early on it was obvious Leo was into photography. He has a photo segment on his radio show, and when I started taking pictures I used to join in the weekly challenges. Years later the TWiT network started a show called Focus on Photography, and knowing the network I had to check it out. The host was Ant Pruitt, a technology professional-turned photographer, videographer, and content creator. Immediately there was something different, a calmness in the storm that is photography education in the tech age. Over time that show was retired to make way for TWiT’s current photography show Hands on Photography, where Ant shares tips, tricks, and techniques that can help creatives at every level. Again, it’s hard to describe a show beyond the content, but if I could explain the brilliance of this show it would go to Ant’s ability to share knowledge in a way that can be absorbed.
Ant was born and raised in South Carolina, and was an enterprise I.T. pro for more than ten years in North Carolina, where he spent most of his adult life. I don’t know if his ability is tied to his Southern Charm, but everything about Ant feels like home, like family. Eventually, he turned his creativity into a small business, providing writing, photography, video, and post-production services. He handled a range of assignments, including portraits, event photography, social media marketing, and interview videos. He also worked as a freelance writer for TechRepublic, covering consumer tech, enterprise IT, and tips for beginner content creators.
A few weeks ago I was editing a show and, having recently had Ant on a Behind the Shot critique show as a panelist, started thinking about the normal Behind the Shot episode he had been on…. except there wasn’t one. I emailed him about 30 seconds later to correct that mistake, and here we go…
Join photographer, I.T. pro, writer, blogger, YouTuber, educator and all around creative Ant Pruitt and me as we dive into one of his long exposure images, and the life of being a creative, on this episode of Behind the Shot.
Connect with Ant
Website: antpruitt.com
Instagram: @ant_pruitt
Twitter: @ant_pruitt
YouTube: @antpruitt
Hands on Photography Podcast
Website: twit.tv
Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experiences Workshops – New Orleans
Website: wanderersphoto.com
Ant’s Photographer Picks
Joseph Akbrud: josephakbrud.com
Bryan Minear: bryanminear.com
Merelyjim: @merelyjim
