Shooting theater with the Fujifilm X-E2 and Nikon D750

by Stanley LearyJuly 24, 2015August 20, 2022Nikon D750

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/300

When it comes to shooting from an audience, I prefer the Fujifilm X-E2 over my Nikon D750 because it is so quiet.

The quality of the images is excellent for shooting theater, which is a real bonus since my daughter loves theater. She is the witch in the Georgia Ensemble Theatre Conservatory play Shrek The Musical JR this summer.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/320

Not having the optical low-pass filter, the images are super sharp right out of the camera.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.8, 1/500

Here you can see the enlargement of the photo above.

The other thing that helps the sharpness of the photos is LMO.

The advanced Lens Modulation Optimizer (LMO) technology in the FUJIFILM X-E2 was made possible by the integrated development of the lens, sensor, and processor. For each mounted lens, LMO high-precision processing of the lens focal length and aperture, as well as data from the screen center to the edges, corrects diffraction blur when shooting with a stopped down aperture compensates for the slight blurring in the lens periphery. The result is edge-to-edge image quality, incredible sharpness, and a sense of dimensional reality.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/4.8, 1/480

I enjoy sitting towards the back of the theater to shoot rather than down front. This way, I can see the character’s feet and adjust to wherever they are on the stage quickly.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4.5, 1/480

Now just for comparison, here are two different photos below. One is with the Fuji and the other with the Nikon.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR,, ISO 4500, ƒ/5.6, 1/250

Just a minute later with the Fuji System

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/4, 1/420

First, the slower AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR compared to the FUJINON XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Lens made it possible to shoot at 1/420 vs. 1/250. Then the comparison of the bodies is the mirrorless didn’t have a mirror to add vibration.

However, the plus side of the Nikon is more lens choices than the Fujifilm system. I preferred the lens range of 28-300mm to 55-200mm.

Going back for the second performance and will see if I have any more thoughts for a post on Monday.

Des Moines Skyline

by Stanley LearyJuly 23, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 1/1.7

I used a new function on the Nikon D750 for the Des Moines Skyline. One can use the optional ML-L3 remote control to reduce camera shake.

Choose the “Remote mirror-up” setting, which will let you lock the mirror up and take a photo. You press it once, and the mirror locks up, and then a second time to take the picture.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 160, ƒ/16, 1/100 and 2 Neewer T850 flashes triggered by the Neewer radio remote.

Here is a photo of me taken by Mary Smith with my camera while in the Art area of Des Moines.

Combating Portfolio Depression

by Stanley LearyJuly 17, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D2X / Nikon D3s / Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Nikon D2X, Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Macro Lens, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/160

Most photographers grow despondent of their portfolios over time due to having little new work that can replace their best work. I call this Portfolio Depression.

There are times in life when we need some intervention. Sometimes this is medical, where we may even have to undergo surgery to get rid of something harmful to our body.

Photographers are like many other artists and find themselves under the knife trimming the fat to become more lean and effective in our craft.

My Workflow

After a shoot, I ingest my photos from the camera and do a rough edit in PhotoMechanic. All I am doing at this point is deciding if the images are OK. Out of focus, extremely harmful exposure, accidental frame shot, bad expressions, and other things that rule a photo from keeping it are what I am evaluating.

Usually, I am eliminating 50% to 75% of the images at this point.

Nikon D2X, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG HSM, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/80

Consistency

A few weeks ago, one of my clients talked about my consistency. He said he could always count on solid professional work and people like working with me.

The hardest part of the edit is during the Lightroom phase, where I straighten horizons, maybe crop a little bit, and were correct for the lens profile and minor burning and dodging. I am often feeling left very flat emotionally.

It doesn’t take long, and I find myself sinking emotionally. But then, I look at my work and realize I do not see many grand slams.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 2.5 sec

Skyline

To compensate for my frustrations, I started planning skyline shots of some of the cities I was visiting. Here is the Seattle Skyline I did back in April.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 20 sec

What has been happening on my photo shoots that is making things more and more complex is clients sending me to locations with very little information about the area. It wasn’t something they could fix either. It just is what it is.

Kyle Petty’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 1986 Miller High Life 400 Richmond, Va. Here is where Bill Elliott ended up on the wall. After the race, Earnhardt had to pay a $3,000 fine ($6,454.46 when adjusted for inflation) plus a $10,000 security bond for an incident involving himself and the back end of Darrell Waltrip’s vehicle ($21,514.88 when adjusted for inflation).

In the days of breaking news, it was difficult for you to plan. So the best I could do was position myself as I did here, covering the 1986 Miller High Life 400 at the Richmond Speedway to catch where many of the wrecks happened on that track.

ƒ/8 and Be There

Photojournalists have a saying, “ƒ/8 and be there”, meaning that being on the scene is more important than worrying about technical details. Practically, ƒ/8 allows the adequate depth of field and sufficient lens speed for a decent base exposure in most daylight situations.

It doesn’t take long in this profession to realize that the “ƒ/8 and Be There” attitude is concise.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/22, 25 sec

Google Photo Search

A few weeks ago, while in Bucharest, Romania, I went online and found some signature shots of the city before getting to Romania. While it felt good to get this photo like all of my other skyline shots, the part frustrating with these photos is the many photos other photographers have taken. I was more proud of the Bucharest photos since these particular angles didn’t show up right away on the Google searches when I was researching.

Nikon D3S, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/320

Perspective

I learned early on that if your photos are not very exciting, then change your perspective. So this is what my wife and I did one day by taking a balloon ride in the North Georgia mountains.

Nikon D3, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 720, ƒ/5.3, 1/1000

By just getting up in the air, I saw things from a different perspective than 6’2″, my height standing.

Nikon D3, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 400, ƒ/8, 1/30

While getting a different perspective by getting high or low and shooting late or early, I still need the essential content photos with most of my assignment work.

Conflict

OK, you are now reading my story of conflict. My photos are not exciting enough and lack the surprise factor that I want to get every time I go out. I remember watching my mentor Don Rutledge struggle with the same issue. Just one thing majorly different is my mentor was a lot better than I have been with photography.

I watched Don buy new camera systems to see if that would help give him some creative edge. Don bought new Singh-Ray filters for all his camera lenses, which helped give him a unique look.

Don shot Nikon, then shot Olympus, and then went on to Leica cameras before returning to the Nikon cameras. All these moves were to help him keep creative and get the very best out of a situation he was shooting.

The sad reality is that you can produce some very excellent professional photography, but you still need content that isn’t as visually interesting. Nevertheless, you have done just about all you can to make the very best photo you could have made.

Staying Truthful

The danger for the photojournalist is you don’t want to manufacture moments. A photojournalist is who I am most of the time. I want to stand flat-footed, find the angle, and then help tell the story as authentically as possible.

The number one thing that has helped the most with accomplishing a sense of satisfaction has been doing multimedia projects. I realize that the subject’s words often were missing in photos, and having them tell their own stories took my work to a different level. Are the images better? No. However, the stories are complete.

What often feels like depression after an assignment is me looking at the conflict in my story. Then usually, I will look at other photographers’ work on similar topics and see how they treated the story. In addition, I am finding other resources through photography magazines, online galleries, and, most important is through professional associations. Associations are where my colleagues publish, like NPPA’s News Photographer Magazine and ASMP’s Bulletin magazine, which help keep me updated on trends and gear.

The best advice to help combat this portfolio depression is to create your project. This way, you can plan and control more of the variables and allow you to show people what you can do.

Summary

If you love all your work, then you are not growing
If you are depressed after reviewing your latest work – that is normal
If you look to get better by studying other people’s work – you are smart
Do your special project
Take a Workshop

Tom Kilpatrick 72 years old and still learning

by Stanley LearyJuly 16, 2015July 14, 2024Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/8, 1/200

This photo of Tom Kilpatrick caught how I see him. He is such a kid. He loves to explore and have fun.

He has taught photography for more than 30 years. He has been a photojournalist for years, yet he decided to join us in Romania for the Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop.

Tom shows his wisdom here by not getting on the car’s roof like James Dockery.

Tom brought the skills of shooting great still images to the table but had not put together his pictures with video and controlled the entire project.

Tom interviewed a Romanian pastor with a vision for creating an evangelistic outreach for the Romanian Baptist church.

Here is Tom’s interview and his package.

https://vimeo.com/video/133373960 password: ABWE

On the last day we were in Romania, Tom’s computer decided to crash. It took a few days for us to recover all of Tom’s work. Finally, after James Dockery worked on the external hard drive, James recovered the package.

You can see Tom working hard here while one of his former students from teaching at Temple College, Jon Franz, is busy working on his project.

Tom worked hard and stretched his comfort zone a great deal.

When digital photography finally became economically feasible for most photojournalists to switch from film, Tom was not the first to adopt the new technology. Unfortunately, the learning curve of moving from analog to digital just about had Tom giving up on photography.

Tom’s heart couldn’t let him give up on storytelling with pictures. So he bought a new camera system and pushed himself to learn the latest technology.

Tom loves helping missionaries tell their stories. The most likely place to find Tom is in a country other than the USA, shooting photos of missionaries and the people they work with daily. Tom loves to capture the love of God being shared through people’s lives worldwide.

Now, Tom will be helping the missionaries to tell their own stories in their voices through the power of multimedia.

If you have experience in the industry like Tom Kilpatrick but haven’t had the chance to do it all by yourself, then email me, and I will put you on the list to tell you about the upcoming workshops I am doing next year, just like this workshop. Here is my email address: [email protected].

How To Improve Your Camp Photos

by Stanley LearyJuly 15, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 450, ƒ/4, 1/100

If the kid moves a few more inches forward, he will touch my camera. That is how close I am when shooting most of the time. People feel me right there, but the viewer, THE AUDIENCE, is also that close.

If you want better photos, you get closer with your feet and not zoom across the room.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 7200, ƒ/8, 1/100

When you get this close, I often shoot at a higher aperture like ƒ/8 to be sure the essential parts of the photo are all in focus.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 5600, ƒ/8, 1/100

Do you feel like you are in the room with the campers at this summer camp? I hope so.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1600, ƒ/5, 1/100

I did shoot with longer lenses occasionally, but I usually use those super wide lenses to put you in the room with the people.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 3600, ƒ/8, 1/100

By the way, I am shooting at 1/100 since I am under fluorescent lights. Anything faster, and I will have banding with streaks in some of the frames.

The lesson is simple. Put the widest lens on your camera and get so close that the subject fills that frame.

Shooting St Louis Skyline

by Stanley LearyJuly 14, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/16, 20 sec

To get this photo, we need to go back a week. So I researched online to find the pictures I liked of the skyline. After digging a little, I found that the best place for skyline shots is 185 W. Trendley Ave., East St. Louis, IL 62201.

I knew I wanted to shoot the photo about 20 minutes after sunset. So I shot this top photo at 8:56 pm. Sunset was at 8:26 pm tonight.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/13, 1/250

This photo I took earlier in the day at 3:58 pm, which for me, was pretty flat and uninteresting. I came to scout the location. I noticed the powerlines and how flat the light was at this time of day.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/13, 1/320

We came back and started to shoot at 8:11 pm. Here I noticed we were getting a very orange skyline shot.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/10, 1/2

Notice that even at 8:11 pm, the light is much better than at 3:58 pm.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1100, ƒ/8, 1/100

The sky was gorgeous, but I felt like the atmosphere overpowered the skyline of St. Louis.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 125, ƒ/2.8, 1/100

I also liked this photo, where I captured more about the Mississippi River than just the St. Louis skyline.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 100, ƒ/10, 2 sec

We are moving from the ramp to see over the levee. Walking across the rain tracks up to the levee gave us the best view.

I was using a tripod to keep the camera still. With the Nikon D750, I used the Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote Control Infrared to trigger the camera. The best thing is to use the 2-second delay to minimize all the motion.

Tips:

Go online and research where you are going. You will find a lot of photos that are signatures for a city.
Find the locations where many of the photographers are shooting these photos.
Go during the daylight to be sure you can see all the landscape and see if there are some things like the powerlines that you need to work around.
Find the time for sunrise or sunset
Arrive 20 to 30 minutes before sunrise or sunset
Stay at least 20 to 30 minutes after sunrise or sunset.

Creative directors used to large crews chose to go alone to Romania to cover Gypsies.

by Stanley LearyJuly 10, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 9000, ƒ/6.3, 1/100

Jon Franz, senior creative director for Kimberly-Clark, was a joy to get to know on our trip to Romania. For Jon, this is the first time I have had a role reversal while teaching a creative director. Typically creative directors hire people like me and give them direction.

As you can see from these first two photos, Jon likes to have fun. In the second photo is James Dockery, senior editor with ESPN, on the left; Tom Kilpatrick, adjunct professor of photography at Covenant College and Lee University; and Jon Franz is photobombing. Tom Kilpatrick was one of Jon’s teachers at Temple College.

Jon is trying to get some moving b-roll from the top of the car as we drive into a Romanian village.

As hard as Jon liked to play, he also put much effort into hard work.

Jon spent a lot of time reviewing his work and looking for ways to improve it, and then would go back out and shoot more b-roll to help refine his project. So here he is, working next to Hannah Strayer.

You can see how much Jon reviewed his work with workshop leader Jeff Raymond. Next, Jon went to all three instructors to see how we reacted to the package. Each of us had an opinion, and Jon would decide how to proceed. Sometimes taking our ideas, and other times just inspiring him to come up with another way to help fix a problem.

He had a difficult job of capturing a Romanian pastor who was doing work with the Gypsies. He wanted to capture their poverty but also treat them with honor, dignity, and respect in how he told their story.

Jon found stock photography that he had rights to use for the project to help tell the history. I think he did a great job of blending b-roll with his audio. Could you take a look at his project?

Maybe you are like Jon Franz. Jon had directed significant projects but had never done it all himself. He also realized that if he wanted to help out his church covering missions, they wouldn’t have the budget to send what was his regular working crew for him to direct. So Jon used this trip to learn to do it alone as a one-person communications force.

If you have experience in the industry but haven’t had the chance to do it all by yourself like Jon, then send me an email, and I will put you on the list to tell you about the upcoming workshops I am doing next year just like this workshop. Here is my email address [email protected].

We are doing a multimedia package when you can’t show the subjects’ faces.

by Stanley LearyJuly 8, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 800, ƒ/3.5, 1/100

Hannah Strayer listens to James Dockery as he gives editing suggestions to her project on the Romanian Prostitution story she put together during the Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop in Bucharest, Romania.

Hannah, a recent graduate of Baptist Bible College who has been doing short-term missionary work already, was looking for the opportunity to do missions and learn how to put a multimedia package together herself.

Hannah’s assignment was a lady who had been a prostitute and is now working with prostitutes trying to help them off the streets. Unfortunately, she couldn’t show the prostitute’s faces and had to find creative ways to create a b-roll for her project.

Using music and some creative photography, she put together a great project. Please take a look at it here.

Hannah used many different techniques to create a mood. First, she adjusted the exposure on her photos to be sure she was capturing that night atmosphere of the women working on the streets. Picking music that fit the piece was also tricky.

I think she did a great job and can’t wait to see her next project.

If you think you are ready to learn to put it all together and want to learn how to do multimedia, then send me a note, so you are on my email list. I will be shortly putting up my workshops for next year. So here is my email [email protected].

Multimedia Workshop helps a participant navigate through the fog.

by Stanley LearyJuly 7, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 280, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

I’m sorry, I haven’t the foggiest. But, in fog is how the story process was starting for Liz Ortiz. Liz’s thoughts were clouded by a thick fog early in capturing her story as a workshop participant in the Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop in Bucharest, Romania.

Many things were contributing to the fog.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/500

I could tell Liz’s questions during her interview with the subject that she was stuck. The subject didn’t answer the question the way she was anticipating, and it appeared as if the subject didn’t answer the question.

After a few times, Liz just moved on. Liz’s question assumed that her subject, Nicolette, understood how a story about her could help not just her but bring more workers and resources to satisfy all of Romania.

Liz was learning to move beyond her preconceived ideas of what she thought the story would be and understanding to help explore the subject through observation and questions.

The missionaries are working to help the Romanians think about more than just their church. For example, Liz grew up as a Baptist and assumed that all Christians believe in evangelizing worldwide. However, this is not how most Romanians think about their faith.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/500

So due to this, Nicolette never discussed the need to evangelize other communities or Romania. Instead, she saw she could use more workers for her classes at her church.

The missing part of Nicolette’s story was why the audience should care and how they could get involved. Liz initially produced the package to help a missionary raise awareness to the audience and ask them for support for children’s ministry in Romania.

After talking it through with Liz, she decided to add the missionaries to the package to help complete the storyline. Watch Liz’s first package that she did all by herself on Romania Discipleship.

Liz also had some other fun experiences while in Romania. One of them was getting licked by this cow walking down the street in the village of Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 500, ƒ/8, 1/500

Liz Ortiz just graduated from Liberty University and is doing an internship with ABWE this year in addition to the workshop. Maybe you are in a similar position, just graduated this coming year you are a Junior or Senior in a communication program.

If you do not have a multimedia package you produced solely by yourself in your portfolio, then you might be the perfect candidate for a workshop like this. If you are interested, then send me an email so I can put you on the list for the announcement of next year’s workshops that I am doing. Here is my email address [email protected].

Romania Orphan Ministry

by Stanley LearyJuly 5, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 400, ƒ/3.6, 1/2200

Last year I met Korinna Waggoner for the first time. She was one of the participants of the Lisbon, Portugal Storytellers Abroad Multimedia Workshop.

She liked the experience so much that she wanted to do this again, so she joined us in Bucharest, Romania, this year.

While hearing all the content for teaching mainly was a repeat, hearing it for the second time was beneficial to Korinna.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/60

Last year Korinna experienced more bumps in the road with access to the subject. With all the preplanning we do, there is still a chance scheduling may need some adjusting. However, Korinna’s subject was more accessible this year and made for a much better story.

Here is her story from this year on Orphan Ministry in Romania.

When asked the most important things learned she learned this year, Korinna had three that rose to the top:

Video/Storytelling Confidence
How I can do storytelling on my own
Social Media

After doing this 2nd workshop, Korinna was saying sign me up for storytelling for missions.

I believe that after two of these workshops, most people would be ready to adventure out on their own. However, if you are a mid-career in the communications field or towards the end of your career, you could probably take just one of these workshops and be ready.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 12800, ƒ/8, 1/250

A critical aspect of a successful workshop is feeling like you can just be yourself. Now I hope this was taking place as we drove to different locations. I think Korinna was having fun. Ha Ha, Well, I was at least.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 2200, ƒ/4, 1/100

Here Korinna is talking with James Dockery, senior editor with ESPN, about her story. Having these one-on-one times with each workshop participant is where James and I feel like we were able to help the most.

photo by: Jeff Raymond

We also did some lectures, but this was only about 10% to 20% of the workshop. Only a small percentage of classes is because we needed everyone to be hands-on and learn from doing rather than by being lectured.

You can go online and listen to all you want tips on how to use software and see lots of examples of how to do multimedia projects. The workshop helped all these students by having someone walk beside them every step of their journey and having someone who pulled from all their experience and not just doing it alone for the first time.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 900, ƒ/3.2, 1/500

Here is Korinna shooting in the village of Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania.

Korinna’s advice to those considering a Multimedia Workshop:

Do it! What you will learn on this trip is far more than you can ever expect!

Email me if you are interested in taking a multimedia workshop next year.

Romanian Camp Ministry

by Stanley LearyJuly 4, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1800, ƒ/5.6, 1/500

This photo is how I see Keziah Khoo. She is always having fun and making lots of friends all over the world.

Here she is with her new friends in Bucharest, Romania. I first met Keziah in February 2014 at the School of Photography 1 class at the Youth With A Mission campus in Kona, Hawaii. She went with a group that I was teaching on an around the Island tour before the class started.

Fuji X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 400, ƒ/7.1, 1/600

She just exudes fun, so much so that even the horses like posing with Keziah. As you can see, Keziah is all about everyone having fun, so I wasn’t surprised when she chose to do a story on camps in Romania.

Here is her finished package.

Throughout the process, Keziah would get tips from the leaders.

Nikon D750, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 500, ƒ/1.8, 1/100

James Dockery, ESPN Video Editor–James works as a lead video editor for ESPN and operates his own business in Charlotte, NC, where he is a photographer/ videographer. James has been a photographer for over 30 years and a videographer for over 20 years. He is helping Keziah with her edits in Adobe Premier Pro.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 2200, ƒ/5.6, 1/500

Jeff Raymond, ABWE Director of Visual Communications–Jeff works closely with ABWE missionaries to train them to use visual storytelling as the basis of their communications strategies. He also has a passion for investing in others with creative skills and creating an avenue for them to serve the Lord in missions. He is shooting beside Keziah on one of our b-roll gathering adventures in Bucharest, Romania.

Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1800, ƒ/5.6, 1/100

We drove out to Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania, a small village outside of Bucharest, about an hour by car. Here Keziah is taking a photo of some of the local guys.

So what did Keziah think of the experience:

The teaching was really good and covered everything I needed to know about creating a multimedia piece.

Keziah listed to list 2 or 3 of the essential things she learned. She said this:

Patience – When technical stuff went wrong

Focus – in pushing through, finishing the edits no matter how frustrating it was

Flexibility – plans

It has been fun watching Keziah grow in her skills. She has also taught me how valuable it is to have photos of yourself with those you meet along your journey.

Want to be a better photographer or storyteller? Take Multimedia & Marketing Workshop

by Stanley LearyJuly 3, 2015August 21, 2022Nikon D4 / Nikon D750

James Dockery saw this little boy on the steps as we went to buy some water at this corner convenience store in Bucharest, Romania. After asking his mother if he could take a photo, I captured him and the boy. [Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1600, ƒ/7.1, 1/100]

Take on more responsibility than just taking photos for your projects; this will improve your photography skills.

Today you can take on more responsibility with a project, whereas that just wasn’t possible in the past. In addition, you can easily be in control of the entire project from start to finish today due to the access we now have.

James Dockery works as a lead video editor for ESPN and also operates his own business in Charlotte, NC, where he is a photographer/ videographer. Here he is teaching the class about sliders and how they work. [Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 1000, ƒ/4.5, 1/100]

Due to computers becoming less intimidating and easier to use, barriers no longer exist. Before the Internet, you had to use print media, radio, or TV to reach your audience. Most of these mediums require you to gain the trust of those gatekeepers to use your content. Getting their faith took a lot of time, and you not only had to have outstanding work, but they had to like you.

In the past, you shot your images and handed these to someone like an editor, designer, or publisher, who would then take it from that point to reach the audience. Today you can find your audience and get them literally with just a few clicks.

Workshop participant Liz Ortiz interviewed a small village; and was her first interview, and was having to work with a translator as well. [Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 1000, ƒ/5.6, 1/500]

By creating your project, you can control the entire process. Today learning how to do this for yourself will improve your skills in any of these parts, like photography. I know from editing a project it is rare that I don’t realize I could have used more b-roll. Had I not been responsible for the entire project, I would not be the one yelling at myself to do a better job.

Nothing beats you holding yourself accountable.

Pictures alone do not tell a story. All these years as a photojournalist, the only way my photos communicated the story entirely was when accompanied by text or audio. If you wrote your own story, shot the images, and laid them out in a newspaper, it didn’t take long to see the holes you left while covering a story. Understanding the role of the producer would help you the next time to have a better checklist to be sure your account was even better than your last one.

On our last night in Bucharest, Romania, the workshop participants and hosts got together for a premier of the projects shot that week. While they are not the primary audience, they live there and see this firsthand; they are the ones that will use these stories to help tell their mission supporters back home what they are doing. [Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/25]

The biggest mistake made today–forgetting your audience is not there.

We too often spend all our time with a subject and think this is our story. Instead, we need to take responsibility for the account connecting with the audience.

Why should the audience care? If you know your audience, you will not only be able to answer that question but also learn how to engage them; by the way, your cover the story. If the audience is kindergartners versus working professionals, they will have different interests in the take on the story.

Here is my advice. Take on a personal project that an audience will be interested in or should be interested in and do the story from start to finish.

Maybe help a local nonprofit tell its story and help them raise funds. The key here is not to say to the report, but be sure it is put on the web or in some printed piece and gets to the audience. Then you need to measure the success of your story. Did you help them raise more money than they did last year without your help?

Keziah Khoo, the workshop participant from Singapore, listens to James Dockery giving some editing tips in Adobe Premier Pro to help polish up her project. [Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 12800, ƒ16, 1/50]

In telling the story, you need to do it all. I recommend using multimedia. Multimedia is where you can interview subjects and capture them telling their stories. Use great b-roll to support their comments. Then put this on the web. Be sure you are promoting it as you are producing it.

When you take a photo of the subject on the first day, write a small paragraph and put it on social media. Then, tell people to stay tuned to see the whole story.

This photo is an example of a still image in that you would write a small paragraph about the lady and her community. Then you would say stay tuned and look for the story on your blog or YouTube feed, for example. [Nikon D750, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, ISO 900, ƒ/5.6, 1/100]

After you have taken on a project, you will start to see how all the pieces fit together. You will understand how to ask better questions in the future to help you do your role better when you are just part of the team and not doing it solo.

If you are used to just taking pictures of a story, will your photography suffer by doing it all? YES! However, will the project have more impact? YES!

I just got back from Romania, where the workshop participants I helped teach with James Dockery and Jeff Raymond for the first time did the entire project from start to finish.

Please take a look here at what Jon Franz did with his story. I know Jon’s work is helping because I didn’t just “LIKE” the package; I am “SHARING” it.

Does all this sound too intimidating? I recommend taking a multimedia workshop like the one I led in Bucharest, Romania, and last year in Lisbon, Portugal.

More than 80% to 90% of the time you are in the workshop, you produce the package. 10% to 20% is formal class time. James Dockery and I have discovered that getting people doing it hands-on works better than lecture. We then come alongside you and advise. We found that each workshop participant is different.

This approach lets the workshop participants draw upon our years of experience.

I am working on two workshops right now for next year. One will be in Roswell, Georgia, and one more in a foreign country. These will be 5 to 6-day workshops.

The workshop will match you with a local nonprofit to create a powerful photo story about their mission. We will have lectures, hands-on instruction, and business skills seminars throughout the week. Finally, we end with a public slideshow.

You will work directly with nonprofit staff and clients with an end project designed to be a call to action for the audience. You will have 1-on-1, personalized editing for each student happening every day. Our lectures will contain some of our work with storytelling, teaching storyline, how to interview subjects, getting that all-important b-roll, and how to put it all together using Adobe Premier Pro.

If you are interested, contact me at [email protected] so I can put you on the mailing list for more details.