Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 4 sec
Sometimes looking for that perfect angle requires more than moving a foot to the left or right; sometimes, it means driving 10 to 20 miles around the subject. Driving around is what I was doing yesterday in Portland, Oregon.
Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/250
I Googled the best places to see the Portland skyline, and then we drove to a few of those locations and tried to get a different angle.
Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/400
So these are three that I was willing to share from our adventures in finding the establishing shots for a video package I am working on about Chick-fil-A having their Grand Opening in Portland Market.
Tips
Google images of a city and see what pops up.
Look for great places to shoot the skyline.
When is the best time to photograph from those locations
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 320, ƒ/4, 1/250
How often do you photograph the same subject but try and mix it up?
I find many young photographers with lenses apertures glued to the wide open to give a shallow depth of field photos.
Maybe just closing down the aperture to ƒ/14 versus ƒ/4 can give your photos a little more relevant to what is going on in the photograph.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 4000, ƒ/14, 1/250
Notice how the greater depth of field helps you know this is outside a church. Well trying to say this is a photo about Easter Sunday that needed, in my opinion, a little more depth of field.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/140
I was photographing Tenebrae: Service of Darkness on Good Friday at my church. Now because I sat down near the front, I ended up with the microphone on the minister’s nose. Not all that flattering.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/6.4, 1/250
On Easter Sunday, I sat on the balcony and got a much better photo of the minister at the podium.
Remember to move around and find those perspectives that help keep the photo on message with little few distractions as possible.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 4000, ƒ/4.8, 1/250
Now no matter where you choose to shoot from and at what aperture, you still need to pay attention to the best moment.
Here I think the photo with the minister’s arms open wide is much better than the one below.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 3200, ƒ/4.4, 1/250
Seeing her hands here takes a little while, and the message isn’t as straightforward.
Tips to remember:
Shoot a variety of apertures–not just wide open or closed down
Look for different camera angles
Work the aperture/angle that you picked for the best moment
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/60
Col. Tom Clark, director for Citadel’s Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics, spoke last night to the Atlanta Citadel Club. Clark brought his leadership tool bag, and the first thing he pulled out of the bag was a hammer.
When he was a cadet at the Citadel, this was the tool used by the leadership at that time. But, of course, the downside of this being your only tool is applying a hammer to every situation doesn’t get the results you need.
“Ever tried hammering a screw?” was a question he asked us.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/60
Then he pulled out a screwdriver with many different tips that I could switch out.
This tool reminds us that we must look at the head of the screw and figure out which of the tips: Flat Head, Philips, Square, or something else is needed to fit the head of the screw.
Nikon D3s, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 900, ƒ/5.6, 1/80
Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A, also has a leadership tool bag he uses when talking to people about leadership. Dan Cathy has a slinky as one of his tools. Dan says:
Just as one end of the Slinky has to be the first to descend a staircase in order to put the whole thing in motion, leaders must be the first to move forward in any endeavor in order to put the rest of the team in unified motion. Just as the Slinky won’t work without one part of it “leading the charge”, any team endeavor we desire to complete—whether as a family, a group of friends, or an entire organization—will not happen unless a leader takes the first step. Let’s remember this the next time we’re on the precipice of a new endeavor, and let’s be leaders who get the whole thing moving.
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 7200, ƒ/5.6, 1/500
Col. Tom Clark and Dan Cathy are leaders who teach leadership to people. They realize that these tool bags filled with examples are those “visual” reminders that help people grasp the concepts of good leadership and remind them to put those into practice.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 1250, ƒ/4, 1/250
Compass as Ethics Tool
A compass is a relatively simple instrument based on a simple concept. Its northward-facing needle is a consistent and accurate indicator of physical direction. By placing “moral” in front of the compass, we evoke a clear picture of mental processes that point a person in a particular order in life. These processes are consistent and accurate indicators upon which personal belief and action can be based.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
No system of morality is accepted as universal. Many people use their faith as the set of doctrines that will be their true north for their morality compass.
Leadership? But it is just me.
You may have passed over all those leadership books because you are an independent photographer. You don’t even use assistants, so how could this help me?
Control Time–You should be focusing on your top priorities for that moment. When you get up and start your day, the first things you do for your business should be the highest priority. When you finish your day and go home, you should focus your preferences on your family and what is most important. Knowing how to get the most out of your time during the day is an excellent leadership skill.
Temper Emotions–I struggle with it the most. The reason it is such a struggle is that I am so passionate about my work. You have to be to get emotionally impactful images.
Gutek said about tempering emotions, “at times, it is critical to practice the discipline of being dispassionate.
Being dispassionate allows a leader to protect the environment from becoming toxic and engaging in the wrong battles. Leaders should fuel their energy by investing in their passions, but keep things from running off the rails by not pouring gas on a volatile situation.”
Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 200, ƒ/7.1, 1/750
You are playing Chess, not Checkers.
The greatest thing you will learn in dealing with clients is how different every situation is from one another.
Almost nothing looks more orderly than chess pieces before a match starts. The first move, however, begins a spiral into chaos. After both players move, 400 possible board setups exist. After the second pair of turns, there are 197,742 possible games, and after three moves, 121 million. – Popular Science
James 1:5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
All these tool bags of leaders have one thing in common–Strategy. A strategy is a high-level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. Strategy is essential because the resources available to achieve these goals are usually limited. Strategy generally involves setting goals, determining actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions.
Does your tool bag have only a hammer? What are you doing to learn the best tools to put into your leadership toolkit bag?
Today it just struck me that I probably have enough content for a Theater category in my portfolio.
I have shot theater productions through the years, but it was when my daughter became involved in the theater that had me shoot a lot like a proud dad.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/6.3, 1/8000
Here is my daughter as the Witch for the musical Into the Woods. By the way, I must promote the musical and encourage you to come to it if you are in Roswell, GA. Here is a link for it RHSIntoTheWoods.com.
Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/400
Besides getting photos of the actual productions, I do headshots for the programs.
A consistent look for all the headshots makes a considerable difference in the quality of the programs and promotional pieces.
Nikon D4, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 140, ƒ/1.8, 1/100
I try to capture some shots of the audience and overall stage at some point. But, most of the time, I concentrate on the actors as I did in the performance of Steel Magnolias.
Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM S, 2x, ISO 1100, ƒ/5.6, 1/100
I am using my Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM S with a 2X converter to shoot these from the back of the auditorium.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/420
I even have the opportunity to work with professional companies like Georgia Ensemble Theater, conveniently near my home in Roswell, GA.
Access & Interest
What often will make up your portfolio are things you shoot because you have access and genuine interest. For example, I not only wanted good photos of my daughter in these performances; I knew parents and the theater companies would judge me for my work.
They knew I was a professional photographer, and I had to deliver. Well, for the most part, I am consistently getting the best images of the productions they have ever seen everywhere I am shooting. How do I know? They are telling me.
I have been doing headshots for actors for many years, but now taking more interest beyond just the headshots and the productions. I am now very interested in helping with the marketing of these plays.
I helped by shooting the promotion photo and creating the banner for Into The Woods musical at Roswell High School.
I knew we were onto something when we were shooting the photos. Because of the contract, we could not tell anyone what we were doing before February 22 this year. After that, we could post the picture.
I teased folks with the photo and asked them what musical they thought they were doing.
Pretty much everyone guessed it. That is when you know people are driving by and instantly see a banner or the posters in stores around town will know what they were doing.
With Atlanta growing in theater and TV productions, I guess this might be an excellent category to toss my hat into.
Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 7200, ƒ/5.6, 1/250
Ernest Hemingway used this long quotation from Ephesians in his book The Sun Also Rises:
“What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.”
Hemingway thought the characters in The Sun Also Rises may have been “battered” but were not lost.
Do you feel “Battered”?
For many reasons, you, too, may feel frustrated and even depressed with your plot in life.
Are you suffering from any of these:
Loss of a client
Not sure what potential clients want or need
Camera gear is old and not financially able to upgrade
Feeling betrayed by another photographer
Losing clients to younger photographers
Feeling old
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 500, ƒ/4, 1/500
“I have told you these things so that you may have peace in me. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33
First, I cannot tell you to read something or take something; it will all be better. However, I can say from my life experiences that it can suck all you are dealing with. One of the best things when feeling this way is having someone there with you who listens and doesn’t give advice but is willing to be with you during this time.
Psalms 23:4 is a Bible verse that reminds me that I am not alone:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
– Psalm 23:4
You may feel like Joseph and Mary are on their way to Bethlehem. You are going there to pay your taxes, and you arrive, and you have nowhere to stay. It is the end of the year, and you also have a child on the way.
I doubt they were all excited about this trip with all they were dealing with in life.
Nikon D3S, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 200, ƒ/8, 1/500
Carry one another’s burdens
Galatians 6:2 – Help carry each other’s burdens. In this way you will follow Christ’s teachings.
Now, if you can, I highly recommend helping others when you are down. However, if you are unable, this is a clear sign you need to see a doctor.
It will help you to get your attention off of your problems. Sometimes we get in such a hole that we can’t see anything else or find the way out. Helping others works to break this cycle and opens our vision. It gives perspective and shows that your problems are not insurmountable.
When I started giving to others of my time and talents was when things finally turned around for me. Now let me tell you, just because you start helping someone doesn’t mean there is instant gratification for the work you are doing.
Like the mule here helping carry the farmer’s burden, you too will feel the weight of your work. Helping others will once again reveal you’re true self-worth. It will show you that you have value and can make a difference.
While helping with other people’s burdens, which sometimes are wounds, you will help heal yourself.
You will find that you aren’t the only one with problems. We know this intellectually, but seeing it firsthand is healing. Sometimes we feel like we have been singled out for pain. We are not that special. It comes to all. Receive healing as you work to heal others. Do something; get out.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.7, 1/200–Electronic Shutter
As promised, I shot the same theater show as last night and my previous blog post after I updated the firmware.
Electronic Shutter
Well, one of the first things I fell in love with was the electronic shutter. So I turned the camera to this and shot a few images out my window of the backyard. Overall looked OK. Then I even turned the sound off on the shutter, and I mean, it is silent.
You can see in the top photo that the right wall should be straight. However, looking at the actor’s lips, you can see a softness that shouldn’t be there. My friend Gary Chapman warned me about this banding effect.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.6, 1/500–Electronic Shutter
Here you can see the banding effect. To compare this to one without the electronic shutter, I reset the camera quickly when I noticed this, and here is the one I shot after changing the setting.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.5, 1/300–Regular Shutter
Now I went back and read the upgrades in the PDF by Fujifilm:
High-speed electronic shutter with a maximum speed of 1/32000sec. (*)
The FUJINON XF Lens series lineup includes a number of fast fixed focal length lenses which boast very high sharpness with the aperture wide open, producing excellent out of focus “bokeh”. However, fast apertures are difficult to use if the light is too bright, so to ensure users can create shallow depth-of-field effects, the camera is now equipped with a fully electronic shutter offering a maximum shutter speed of 1/32000sec. The mechanical shutter will not operate at all when any speed for the electronic shutter is selected, which also delivers a completely silent shooting experience; perfect for shots of sleeping children, pets, weddings, and more. In addition, it is possible to set the electronic shutter in 1/3 steps from a range of 1sec to 1/32000sec.
Notes: Shutter Sound
The shutter sound can be muted if desired. Use the new “SHUTTER SOUND” and “SHUTTER VOLUME” options in the setup menu to choose the type and volume of the sound made when the shutter is released.
I believe from my tests that you can get the banding effect if you are inside and shooting at a pretty fast shutter speed. However, I think the electronic shutter is better for shooting outside in bright light where you may want to shoot at ƒ/1.2 and need the super fast shutter speeds.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/180–Firmware 3.10
This photo is from the first night’s performance with the older firmware 3.10
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/250
The main difference in the shooting was the AF locked on faces better than before. So since the autofocus and face recognition was better, the exposures were better because once the camera recognized the face, the exposure was based on them.
Here are the notes about the improved AF
New AF System
(1) New AF system with Zone and Wide/Tracking modes for effortless capture of moving subjects.
The AF System complements the fast and accurate 49-single-point autofocus system with new Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, which use 77 autofocus points across a wider area to substantially improve the camera’s ability to capture moving subjects.
(2) Improvement of AF accuracy.
Single-point AF divides the focus area into smaller sections to more accurately determine the distance to the subject for even greater focusing accuracy. The built-in phase detection pixels have the detection range of 0.5EV, an improvement from the previous 2.5EV, delivering phase detection AF performance that enables fast focusing in low-light conditions and on low-contrast subjects.
(3) Eye Detection AF. (*)
The firmware update provides Fujifilm’s Eye Detection AF, which automatically detects and focuses on human eyes.
The function allows you to easily focus on the eyes even in difficult conditions, e.g. when shooting a portrait wide open to obtain a beautiful bokeh background.
My hopes of using the Electronic Shutter were dashed; the firmware upgrade significantly improved the performance of the Fuji X-E2, and I like buying a newer model camera. So thanks, Fuji!
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.6, 1/400
I had to post one photo of my daughter’s performance tonight.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/125
NEWS UPDATE!!!
This morning I went to Fujifilm.com and discovered there was a firmware update on the Fuji X-E2. Go here if you need to upgrade to the latest Firmware, 4.00.
Due to the upgrade and having the opportunity tonight to reshoot the same play, I will write a new follow-up post on Monday about the firmware upgrade and how it helped improve my experience. Well, that is what I anticipate.
One huge update is an electronic shutter release that you can make silent. The camera, on default, actually plays a recorded sound that you can change to different noises, just like ring tones, or turn it off completely. So, in essence, a silent camera. So this I can tell you already will be better than last night.
Observations from last night’s photoshoot
When shooting a theater performance, you can quickly hear how quiet the auditorium will get so everyone can appreciate the dialogue. However, in a high school play like the one, I shot last night, the actors’ ability to all project like professionals is not the same.
Some of the actors required the audience to work hard to hear them, which is when you quickly realize how loud a camera can be in this environment.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.5, 1/280
The Fuji X-E2 is a pretty quiet camera. One of the main reasons it is silent compared to other DSLR cameras is the lack of a mirror.
Do you get the same quality if you get rid of the mirror? Well, in this case, it does help. However, because you have no mirror, you are also eliminating one of the things that often affects the sharpness of DSLR cameras–the mirror. In a DSLR, a mirror lets you see through the lens, and when you press the shutter release, the mirror goes up, the shutter opens, and then the mirror goes back down. In addition, moving mechanical parts introduces some vibration in the camera, which often can add just enough vibration to make your images not quite as sharp.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.4, 1/110
The second thing that helped with the photo quality was the Fujinon XF 55-200mm ƒ/3.5–4.8 lens. It has built into the lens optical image stabilization for effective 4.5 stops improvement. So if you breathe a little in the photo, the camera will, in essence, take care of the vibration you introduce into the camera.
The 55-200mm lens is quite sharp for zooms. Fuji makes some of the world’s best lenses.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.4, 1/150
One of the best attributes of shooting mirrorless is seeing what you are shooting before you shoot. Before you shoot, you are visiting the processed image in terms of exposure and white balance in the viewfinder or on the LCD. Therefore, you can see if the color or exposure is off and correct it before shooting.
With the DSLR, you can REVIEW, but you cannot PREVIEW. This ability to PREVIEW an image helps you know if you will be getting the image correct before you push the shutter.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/8, 1/80
While shooting this scene where the one actress on the floor is quite far from the other actors, I knew I wanted both of them in focus. So I cranked the aperture to ƒ/8. So now I could see everyone was in focus.
Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.8, 1/45
The 55-200mm at 200mm is the same as a full-frame camera with a 300mm lens. The rule would be to have the shutter speed at 1/300 to avoid motion blur, but the camera and lens did a great job at almost 3-stops lower than the recommended shutter speed for this lens.
Side Note
Since downloading the new Firmware this morning, I am again falling in love with the Fuji X-E2. You see, Fuji is doing what Nikon nor Canon is doing with their cameras. When the ability to write better software comes along, other manufacturers save this for the new cameras. Therefore manufacturers are forcing you to buy a new camera.
Tune in Monday for my new CAMERA review due to Fuji upgrading the Fuji X-E2 with new Firmware.
Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1400, ƒ/5.6, 1/100
McDonald’s
Most people don’t realize it, but McDonald’s is not a burger-flipping restaurant chain; it is one of the world’s best real estate portfolios. Franchisees flip the burgers. McDonald’s owns the best commercial property all over the world.
Well, through the years and more so lately, it has struggled. At one point, Ray Kroc said, “McDonald’s is a people business, and that smile on that counter girl’s face when she takes your order is a vital part of our image.” However, that wasn’t a consistent quote from their leader.
Another time Kroc said, “We’re not in the hamburger business. We’re in show business.” But the one I hear the most often when you are at business schools is, “We are in the real estate business, not the hamburger business.”
The founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy, said, “My business grew on my understanding that customers are always looking for somebody who is dependable and polite and will take care of them.”
Today Chick-fil-A has a corporate purpose in front of their headquarters that everyone in their company if you ask them, can pretty much quote this for memory.
To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.
I have been in countless meetings where I continue to hear, “we have committed to take care of the people who take care of our communities.”
Dan Cathy says,
At Chick-fil-A, we are convinced that Jesus had it right in Matthew 20:26 when He said, “Those who want to become great (leaders) must be willing to become servants.” WE built our leadership competency model around the word SERVE, because we believe that great leaders…
S ee the future E ngage and develop others R einvent continuously V alue results and relationships E mbody the values
In the lobby of Chick-fil-A Support Center is this statue of Jesus washing Peter’s feet. Here you can see a tour group in the background.
Nikon D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 11400, ƒ/4.8, 1/100
Every manager goes through training on the SERVE model, and when they complete the training, they get a miniature replica of this statue to put on their desks and remind them of their role.
Communication Professionals
Are you in the people business, or are you defining what you do differently? I believe the core of what we do is all about people. When you ask the question of WHY it will lead you to a group of people or a person.
Many of you might think that Jesus was just a pushover and a doormat based on washing his subordinate’s feet.
If you read John 2:13-22, you will see Jesus clearing the temple with a whip.
Nikon D2X, Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/320
Humanitarian Communication
Excellent communication with an audience requires the communicator to ask, “Why should the audience care?”
The key to great humanitarian photography is tapping into people’s compassion for one another.
Compassion means “to suffer together.” Emotion researchers define it as the feeling that arises when confronting another’s suffering and feeling motivated to relieve that suffering.
Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. While heart generally refers to our ability to take the perspective of and feel another person’s emotions, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.
Sadly today, it takes a lot to move the human spirit to get the audience’s attention on caring for those in need. Covering those worldwide who, by no fault of their own, are struggling to live and find audiences not responding can cause the heart of the communicator to break.
Summary
You can define your business as Ray Kroc or as Truett Cathy did with their models.
In 2015, McDonald’s closed down more than 700 of its restaurants.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 3600, ƒ/8, 1/100
Chick-fil-A just celebrated its 2000th store opening in Springfield, IL. Here is the story. They have plans to open 95 stores this year.
You may think this is nothing compared to all the McDonald’s worldwide, but the reputations of the two chains couldn’t be further apart.
Chick-fil-A is the highest ranking fast food restaurant in the U.S. for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant Report 2015.
If you are in the people business, then the most important thing is customer satisfaction because sales are always there with this model.
Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 12800, ƒ/4, 1/250
Jeffrey Masin is a one-person band that entertains New Yorkers in the subway stations. I ran into him a few times while in NYC.
I am using Jeffrey as a point of reference because his performances are stopping folks, and they not only listen, but many of them are posting videos of him on their YouTube channels. Isn’t that what you want your work to do to make people STOP and LISTEN?
Here is a taste of his music:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy_Pudxacps] Here is another music performance, but this is by a band, The Queens Cartoonists. They, too, have audiences STOPPING and LISTENING.
Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 12800, ƒ/8, 1/160
You also want to hear them, so here is a clip of them playing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwe02zWr94E] It is essential to realize that they are both entertaining and very different. From a purely economic perspective, I doubt that the Queen’s Cartoonists are being tipped in the subways all that much more than Jeffrey Masin.
Just doing the simple math, you can see that there are now six verses, only one person. So for the Queen’s Cartoonists to make a similar living to Jeffrey Masin, they need to book bigger venues where they are not relying on tips. By the way, when you Google both groups, you quickly understand what appears to be happening.
The Queens Cartoonists are getting paid to do commercial work for recording and play in clubs.
photo by Jeff Raymond
Today I am a multimedia storyteller. The hats I wear look like Jeffrey Masin, the one-person band. I am the producer, camera guy, sound guy, lighting director, editor, and marketer for many projects I am working on for my clients.
They also love the sound of the six-piece band, but most of them cannot afford to hire that size band compared to hiring me. So you need to figure out expenses on top of the creative fee. The costs for six people push your price to the client beyond their budget.
But just like The Queens Cartoonists, Jeffrey Masin stops the crowds on the subways of NYC and gets their attention.
By all means, you need to learn to collaborate and work with a team to get the best product quality, but you also need to know how to do it all yourself, or you might not be working that often.
Nikon D750, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 4000, ƒ/4, 1/60
To make music, you don’t need to play every instrument, but for the most part, those songs that resonate with people are often stories. So in this way, if you are aware of the storyline, you can, as a producer, figure out how to tell that story with your abilities.
The difference between working and begging for work is how to craft a solid storyline.
I will teach this skill this year in Nicaragua, Hawaii, and Honduras. The Honduras trip still has openings. Go here http://workshop.stanleyleary.com to learn more about how to do storytelling and do it as a one-person band because many that will hire you cannot afford the expenses of a larger band.
Gary S. Chapman is the other instructor on the Honduras trip. Gary works with NGOs and other organizations, helping them to tell stories. Gary’s clients include Delta, World Vision, Atlanta Mission, National Geographic publications, National Geographic TV, and TOMS Shoes. Check out Gary’s marvelous work on his website http://www.garyschapman.com.
What do all these musicians above have in common with me?
We are not just creating great content; we are fully responsible for the performance and finding our audience.
What do musicians and photographers not working have in common?
I would say that the main thing I see from my perspective is that they are all calling up other groups and asking if they can join them. They are not storytellers. They are technicians wanting a storyteller to hire them to help that storyteller tell a story.
Just look at the tens of thousands of “performers” on TV shows The Voice and American Idol. The overwhelming majority of them are just technicians. They are not songwriters. That is why you might think they sound good performing another writer’s song, but you don’t see 99% of them making a living in the industry.
Almost every successful photographer, videographer, and writer I know has taken on a personal project where they produce their content and find an audience.
I can never do all that.
If you are saying this, I understand. I, too, felt that way. If you come with me to Honduras, Gary and I will walk beside you and help you navigate the deep waters of storytelling. Register today!! Come with us and learn how to become a creator of content and not just performers.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, 2 – Alienbees B1600, Pocketwizard TTL system, ISO 250, ƒ/5.6, 1/200
Location
First, pick a location before you do anything else. The public was the location my daughter and her friends had picked out.
Many years ago, I did her brother’s prom pictures [2008] in one of the family’s backyards. So look at how much location impacts your photos.
Nikon D3S, 14-24mm, ISO 200, ƒ/9, 1/60
At the time of these proms, spring isn’t in full swing. Look for a place with evergreens in the background or a lovely building.
This photo was from her oldest brother’s prom pictures in front of Bulloch Hall Plantation.
Arrive Early
I recommend getting there long before the kids are to show up. I suggest a minimum of 30 minutes, but believe me, an hour goes by quickly when you are doing all your test shots.
Here I am setting up my lights. After a couple of test shots, I moved the lights again.
My wife, who filled in as the test subject, took this of me setting up. I like to make this super simple and where I can crank the people through many poses. You know they are always running behind and have dinner reservations requiring you to move quickly.
Please keep it simple.
USE STROBES!!!!!
I cannot emphasize enough that adding an off-camera flash makes a HUGE difference. One significant way it helps is being sure you don’t have raccoon eyes due to the sun overhead. t was overcast on this day, which can be good without flashes. However, I chose to use the flash to give a suitable color temperature to be sure all those outfits they spent time picking out looked their absolute best.
Here you can see me working.
I suggest taking test shots and trying your best to use the lowest ISO setting where you can capture some of the available light and still use your strobes. I recommend that you are about -1 stop underexposed and use your strobes to make up the difference on the subjects to give you great exposure.
Use a Tripod
I was using a tripod for all the photos. It helped me to keep the pretty camera level. Also, in group photos, if everyone is great in a picture except for one person, then because I am taking multiple shots on a tripod, I can then take the one person and clone them into the other photo with ease.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, 2 – Alienbees B1600, Pocketwizard TTL system, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/200
Another great reason to use a tripod is that you can set everything up to get into the picture if you need to, as I did here with my wife and daughter. Now I can tell you the most cherished photos are the ones with the parents and their kids. I now know why as a very proud papa myself. Now, where has all the time gone?
Shoot Loose
Here is the photo I was taking when my wife captured me shooting. I intentionally shot these a little loose for cropping later purposes.
5×7 Crop Marks
The crop marks here for 5×7 and the 8×10 show how this can affect what is in the final print.
8×10 Crop Marks
Put Photos Online
Put your photos online for people to download, buy prints, and whatever else they need.
When people click to order, there are many options because you shot the photo loose for that reason.
Make it easy for people to download as I have here:
Business Cards & Take Email Addresses
We gave out my business card to everyone, and we took down their email so we could send them an email with the link to the gallery, directions on how to use the online system [with screen shots], and the ability now to have made my name known to the community. f we cannot read the email address, or it no longer works, they can reach out to us with my contact information.
I did this for free for my daughter and her friends. They were given a password to download the images for free. I also made it that if they wanted to order prints online, I would make some money to offset some of my time, but they could get the photos for free, with no strings attached.
There you have it. Remember these points for your Prom Pictures:
Location
Arrive Early
Use Strobes
Use Tripod
Shoot Loose
Put Photos Online
Give out your information and take their information.
I got much closer. That is the most significant difference between the two photos. I could also control the background more when I got closer and cleaned it up.
I took pictures of the food closeup without touching the food laid out for the media to see at the most recent Chick-fil-A Grand Opening in Springfield, IL. Look at how great photos are from almost no work except getting the correct Custom White Balance and getting close.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 1600, ƒ/4, 1/250
Here I chose to single out the breakfast lineup of some of the chicken sandwiches on Chick-fil-A’s breakfast menu.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2500, ƒ/4, 1/250
Here I moved around and isolated the grilled chicken you can get at Chick-fil-A.
Nikon D4, Sigma 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art Lens, ISO 2000, ƒ/4, 1/250
I also shot some of the new power food kale salad of Chick-fil-A’s. I was surprised to hear that the Kale salad from McDonald’s had more calories than the Big Mac. So much for healthy from McDonald’s. Here is the nutrition information for the Kale Superside at Chick-fil-A:
For most of my career, I thought I understood communication pretty well. But then, I worked on staff as a photographer who went out and captured stories.
Here is the basic process of that communication for most of my life:
First, I captured content, which was the Message, and I became the Messenger, using my camera to connect with the Audience.
From the first time I picked up the camera in the early 1980s until about 1995, the only way the Audience saw my work was in print. So, this is how I communicated with the Audience in newspapers, magazines, brochures, posters, and other printed material.
Now all the other messengers I worked with would have competition through the years and still do. So we entered our work [Message] into competitions judged by other [Messengers] and then received our accolades if we won awards.
I have won many different awards through the years.
A little side note is I stopped entering many competitions because the people I admired most [Messengers] were not entering those same competitions. However, I still had my work entered by the institutions I worked with and still won those awards.
I had it all wrong
The problem now with the industry is that jobs are disappearing from those traditional institutions like newspapers. The [Audience] has slowly been leaving. There are many reasons for this, but I believe one problem is as journalists, we may have been asking the five Ws:
Who did that?
What happened?
Where did it take place?
When did it take place?
Why did that happen?
I was good at asking these questions of the subjects of the stories. I also added the sixth question that a seasoned journalist always added–How did it happen?
While working on my master’s degree in communication, I decided to do this at a Seminary. It was one of the best things I ever did. First, I had some of the same core classes the M. Div. students take. Then, later, when I met my wife, she could use some of my libraries when she did her M. Div.
My communications program was in the education school, and I had to take some basic education classes. So what would typically be a one-year master’s program was two years.
Now I learned in Seminary through preaching and education classes as you need to concentrate on the Audience. The education classes drove this home to me.
Communication experts didn’t pay as much attention to the Audience except to write at a particular grade level. That was all I ever heard about getting to know your Audience up until then.
In the youth education class, I learned that when working with high school students, you must understand their perspectives. For example, talking to theater students using sports metaphors is about as successful as expecting a toddler to read my dissertation paper.
We learned that for education to take place, the educator [Messenger] had to close the loop. So they gave tests that helped the teacher and the student know if the [Message] was received and understood.
Why should the audience care?
We have all been in school and asked the teacher why I needed to know this stuff. Maybe you were lucky like I have been and then had a teacher take the time to help me understand why knowing the material will help me in life.
We need to reverse the process if we want to be effective as communicators. First, we need to start just like teachers and understand our Audience. Then we find the stories that are most relevant to them.
Often teachers give tests on the first of the year to look at what skills the students lack that they must know before going to the next grade. So now they know what the audience needs.
NGO Example
Let’s say you are working for an NGO as a communicator. First, you must always start with who your Audience is, and secondly, why should they care?
I was helping coffee growers in Mexico communicate to their Audience potential buyers of coffee in the United States. But why should someone even consider buying coffee from them versus just buying Folgers coffee, for example?
I interviewed an American who had been buying and selling coffee in his coffee shop in California. I think he helped me answer the WHY? for the Audience. Listen and see if you agree.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4QNgR9t7Qo] Where should you first start when telling a story? THE AUDIENCE
