[Caption: Stanley is taking pictures in Jonathan Stone’s class at Baptist Theological Seminary in Lima, Peru. Photo by Jeff Raymond]

Living with autism can be a challenging and unique experience, and it has led me on a lifelong adventure that has ultimately led me to become a professional communicator. I started not even talking until age 4, but as I learned to deal with my autism, I developed skills that now help me communicate with clients struggling to communicate their message to their audience.

Growing up with autism, I had to learn how to communicate effectively with others. This was not always easy, and I had to be creative in finding ways to communicate. However, this made me an excellent observer of body language and non-verbal cues. I learned to interpret these cues and developed the ability to share with others in ways they could understand.

As a photographer, I discovered I could communicate what I was experiencing before I could even talk with others. Photography became the key to my success in sharing my experiences with the world. Through my photos, I could capture the world around me and communicate it to others. As I progressed, I added a video, which gave me even more tools to share my message.

Today, my experience growing up with autism has given me a unique perspective on the importance of communication. I understand the struggles that individuals with communication challenges face, and I have developed skills that allow me to help others communicate their messages effectively. In addition, I recognize that effective communication is not just about the words we use but also about how we convey our message through body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues.

In many ways, I believe everyone has slight autism or at least experiences communication challenges at some point. This is where professional communicators come in. We help individuals and organizations tell their stories and connect with their audiences. Our job is to take complex ideas and make them simple, take dry facts and engage them, and help people understand the message behind the words.

In conclusion, my journey with autism has taught me valuable lessons about communication. I have developed skills to understand my client’s needs and help them communicate their messages effectively. In addition, my experience has shown me the power of observation and how it can help us communicate in ways we never thought possible. I am grateful for this journey and the opportunity to help others share their message effectively.

As a photographer, the gear you use is essential to your craft. However, the more equipment you acquire, the more difficult it becomes to keep everything organized and readily accessible. That’s why having a dedicated storage space for your gear is crucial.

Here are a few reasons why having a specific storage area for your photography gear is essential:

1. Time-Saving: When you have a designated storage space for your gear, you can quickly grab everything you need for a shoot without searching through multiple bags or cases. This can save you valuable time and ensure you don’t forget any essential pieces of equipment.
2. Protection: Keeping your gear in a specific location means that it’s less likely to get damaged or lost. If everything has a place, you can quickly notice if something is missing or if a piece of equipment has been damaged. Additionally, proper storage can help prevent mold or moisture from growing inside lenses or other equipment.
3. Convenience: Having a storage space means keeping your gear organized and within reach. You’ll be able to quickly access your equipment and focus on your photography rather than worrying about where your bag is or if you’ve forgotten something.

Overall, having a dedicated storage space for your photography gear is essential to being a photographer. It can save time, protect your equipment, and make your work more convenient and efficient.

[Caption: This is Garrett Hubbard, an award-winning photojournalist who was a speaker at the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference in 2012. This is taken when we took the group out for Cowboy Church, and we enjoyed riding some of the horses before the service and eating together.]

When you think of a freelance photographers, you might imagine them constantly clicking away behind the camera lens. But the reality is that photographers spend a significant amount of time outside of shooting assignments on other tasks essential to running a successful business. Photographers typically only pay a fraction of their time taking pictures.

So, just how much time do photographers spend shooting? Estimates vary, but it’s generally agreed that photographers spend around 20-30% of their time on shooting assignments. The rest of their time is spent on marketing, bookkeeping, website maintenance, and administrative work.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of a photographer’s business, as it’s the key to attracting new clients and keeping existing ones. This might involve reaching out to potential clients, networking with other professionals in the industry, or creating compelling social media content to showcase their work.

Creating and maintaining a website and blog is another essential task for freelance photographers. This is where they can display their portfolio, share updates on their latest projects, and provide valuable information for potential clients.

Newsletters are also becoming increasingly popular among photographers, allowing them to keep in touch with past clients and promote new services or special offers.

Bookkeeping is another crucial aspect of running a successful photography business. This includes keeping track of all expenses, such as equipment purchases, travel expenses, and office supplies, and tracking mileage driven on vehicles. Using specialized software to categorize all spending, photographers can make filing taxes much easier and more efficient.

I use Quicken for Mac to track all my spending with checking and credit cards. Each transaction is given a category. Many things may not be related to tax right-offs, like groceries, but because I am tracking everything, Quicken then works well with TurboTax for doing my taxes each year. I also recommend using TripLog for tracking your vehicle mileage and expenses. When filing for taxes, it will let you have accurate costs like repairs, gas, and insurance that might be higher deductions than the mileage, but you will not know this until the end of the year.

Of course, there are times when a photographer simply can’t afford to take time away from shooting to focus on these other tasks. In these situations, it’s all about making the best use of the time available. This might mean setting aside weekly hours to catch up on administrative work or squeezing in a few marketing tasks between shoots.

Ultimately, the success of a freelance photography business relies on a balance between shooting assignments and taking care of other essential tasks. By prioritizing marketing, website and blog maintenance, bookkeeping, and administrative work, photographers can build a strong foundation for their business and set themselves up for long-term success.

[Caption: on the far left is Ambassador Andrew Young taking a picture of his long-term friend Jesse Hill Jr, who is honored by Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College on Founder’s Day Symposium, paying tribute to Hill’s remarkable life and legacy as a Civil Rights Activist.]

In today’s social media environment, having a solid brand image is essential for any business. However, with the endless scrolling and constant sharing on social media platforms, keeping your brand relevant and in the conversation can be challenging. That’s where an image archive comes in.

Having a collection of photos and historical events in your archive allows you to showcase your brand’s evolution and participation in current events. In addition, by posting blog posts, social media updates, and electronic newsletters with these images, you can demonstrate how your brand is a part of the current conversation.

Building a solid brand is like building a personal tribe. Just as individuals share photos to establish street cred, businesses can use images to demonstrate their relevance and authenticity. An image archive is a powerful tool to keep your brand at the forefront of your customer’s minds.

By investing in an image archive, your business can benefit from a range of advantages, including improved brand awareness, increased customer loyalty, and improved engagement on social media. So don’t miss out on this powerful branding tool; start building your image archive today.

I recommend PhotoShelter, and here is a link to signup.

As a photographer, you understand the importance of capturing moments and creating memories that last a lifetime. But what happens when those memories are lost or forgotten? That’s where archiving services come in. By providing an archiving service to your clients, you ensure the longevity and safety of their precious images and offer them the convenience of a searchable, downloadable, and even printable archive.

One of the best archiving solutions for photographers is PhotoShelter, a digital asset management (DAM) system that allows you to store, organize, and share your images with clients. With PhotoShelter, you can keep and back up your pictures and add metadata to them, making them easily searchable and discoverable by clients. This metadata stays with the photos and can be transitioned to any DAM system, making the archiving process seamless for clients.

Moreover, PhotoShelter offers a range of services to clients, including printing, downloads at different resolutions, and even online galleries for clients to share their images with friends and family. By providing this service to your clients, you enhance their experience and strengthen your relationship with them.

Furthermore, by helping your clients transition to their online system using PhotoShelter, you establish yourself as a reliable and knowledgeable professional. You can guide and support them during the transition, ensuring their images are safe and secure.

In summary, archiving services are crucial for photographers who want to offer their clients a complete package. Using a DAM system like PhotoShelter, you can provide a convenient, searchable, and secure archiving solution offering additional services like printing and sharing. And by helping your clients transition to using their online system, you establish yourself as a trusted professional who values their clients’ memories and experiences.

[NIKON D3, 122.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 4500, 1/1000, ƒ/5, (35mm = 240)]

As a professional photographer, I have seen the evolution of digital cameras over the past two decades. Looking back at the photos I took with my first DSLR, the Nikon D100, I noticed the images at the upper end of the ISO range often looked soft and had motion blur. This is because the camera had a sensitivity range of ISO 200-1600, and anything above ISO 800 pushed it as far as a clean image.

It was common to shoot at slow shutter speeds to capture photos with available light, and if you used flash, the background would go black. But with my Nikon D3, which had a sensitivity range of ISO 200-6400, I was comfortably shooting at ISO 12800 with better results than previous models at ISO 800. This was a considerable change; the most significant difference regarding available light was my Nikon upgrades.

Today, with my Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera, I can get good images at ISO 25600. The increased ISO sensitivity has let me raise my shutter speed, resulting in sharp images without motion blur. In addition, the dynamic range and noise have all improved.

The one thing that helped the most for Nikon’s DSLRs was moving to a full-size sensor, which helped with ISO and noise. The camera sensors also got better at rendering color with each new camera, and the auto white balance improved, but I still prefer the custom white balance.

However, the shift from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras has brought a new wave of technology that requires some getting used to. As a result, some people post on social media about being disappointed with their new cameras. Still, most of the issues are due to needing to read the manual or watch tutorial videos.

Another significant improvement in camera technology over the past 20 years has been in autofocus. The autofocus systems in DSLR cameras have improved significantly over time, but the move to mirrorless cameras has taken autofocus to a new level. Mirrorless cameras use a different autofocus technology, allowing for more precise and faster autofocus. This technology relies on contrast and phase detection, which work together to provide incredibly accurate autofocus, especially in low-light situations. Mirrorless cameras also have more autofocus points, making tracking moving subjects and maintaining focus easier. Additionally, many mirrorless cameras have advanced features like Eye Detection autofocus, which can detect and focus on a subject’s eyes, even when moving. Overall, autofocus technology has come a long way, and the advancements in mirrorless cameras have made it easier to capture sharp, well-focused images.

As with any new technology, learning how to use it effectively takes time. YouTube has helped many people know how to use their technology, but the problem is that you must watch and learn.

In conclusion, the quality of images delivered today by digital cameras is far superior to what was possible ten or twenty years ago. The technology has improved to capture sharper images with better color and dynamic range with less noise. But to fully take advantage of these improvements, learning how to use new cameras properly is essential.

March Madness is one of the most exciting times for basketball fans, and for a good reason. The thrill of watching underdog teams compete with the best of the best to win it all is unmatched. But beyond the excitement of the tournament lies a deeper meaning to the game of basketball. It teaches us valuable lessons about life, and we can learn from some of the greatest players and coaches in the sport.

One such coach is Bobby Cremins, who has significantly impacted the Georgia Tech basketball program. His coaching philosophy emphasizes hard work, discipline, teamwork, and character, all of which have contributed to his success and the success of his players. In addition, his love for the game and his unwavering enthusiasm has inspired many, and his influence is a testament to the power of basketball to teach us valuable life lessons.

As we watch March Madness unfold, let us remember the love of the game and the lessons it teaches us. Michael Jordan once famously said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” This quote speaks to the resilience and persistence required to be successful in basketball and life.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, believed basketball was not life’s ultimate goal. Instead, he stressed the importance of teamwork and playing for a higher purpose, emphasizing hard work, discipline, and character. These lessons can be applied to our daily lives as we learn to work hard, persevere, and overcome obstacles like basketball teams do.

Beyond the lessons taught by great coaches and players, basketball also teaches us the importance of teamwork. Trusting in each other’s abilities, supporting each other, and working towards a common goal are all valuable skills that can be applied to many areas of life.

As we watch March Madness unfold, let us celebrate the love of the game and the lessons it teaches us. Let us strive to work hard, persevere, and succeed in everything we do, just as the players and coaches on the court do. And let us remember that basketball is more than just a game; it teaches valuable life lessons that can help us succeed in all areas of our lives.

Caption: Bob White and Joanna Benson Spencer reconnect at the Roswell Fire Department’s Ole Timers Dinner at Station #24 on February 28, 2023. This event has occurred with Oyster Stew served each year for over sixty years. However, this is the first event in a couple of years due to COVID restrictions.

I just did a coverage yesterday for the Roswell Fire Department’s Ole Timers Annual Dinner; the photos in the blog are from that event. Event photography is an art, and it’s not just about capturing the elements of the event but also the emotions, moments, and personalities of the attendees.

Capturing the attendees’ emotions and interactions is crucial when covering a corporate event. A great event photographer should anticipate moments and be ready to capture shots that can convey the mood and emotions of the event. These candid shots help showcase the attendees’ personalities and relationships, creating an album that reflects the true spirit of the event.

It’s also essential for an event photographer to communicate with their clients to understand their expectations. Often, clients want to have a large group photo taken. As an event photographer, it’s essential to know how to manage a large group of people, find the right spot, and ensure everyone is in the correct position.

Tips:

To ensure your photos are searchable online, it’s essential to keyword them with relevant and specific terms. This way, your photos will appear in the search results when someone searches for a particular topic or event. While it may be impossible to keyword everyone’s name, be sure to get those who are the speakers or in leadership roles. Additionally, include relevant keywords such as the event name, location, and date to improve searchability.

In conclusion, event photography requires more than just capturing the elements of the event. It’s about capturing the attendees’ emotions, moments, and personalities, which help tell the event’s story. A great event photographer anticipates moments, pays attention to the interactions between the guests, and communicates with their clients to meet their expectations. Finally, keyword your photos for online searchability and increased exposure.

Here is a link to all the photos

When training a few years ago to get my Part 107 drone certification, I first encountered a well-defined list of hazardous attitudes that can sabotage your flying and decision-making abilities. As I learned more about these attitudes, I realized that they could apply to aviation and many areas of life, including business. In this blog post, I will discuss the five hazardous attitudes and how they can impact your success as an entrepreneur.

In life, as in aviation, our decisions directly impact our endeavors’ outcome. Whether you’re a pilot or an entrepreneur, avoiding the five hazardous attitudes identified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to achieve success is essential. These attitudes are Antiauthority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation.

Antiauthority refers to a reluctance to follow the rules or regulations. In business, this can manifest as disregarding best practices, industry standards, and ethical guidelines. While being creative and thinking outside the box is essential, respecting established norms and complying with relevant laws and regulations is also crucial. This attitude can lead to legal issues, poor reputation, and a lack of trust among customers and partners.

Impulsivity is characterized by making decisions without fully considering the consequences. This can manifest as hasty investments, rash business deals, and impulsive hiring decisions. While taking risks is an integral part of entrepreneurship, weighing the pros and cons of every decision and anticipating potential outcomes is crucial. Unfortunately, this attitude can lead to financial losses, missed opportunities, and a lack of strategic vision.

Invulnerability refers to a belief that nothing wrong can happen to you. In business, this can manifest as overconfidence, complacency, and a lack of preparedness. While it’s essential to be optimistic and believe in your capabilities, it’s also crucial to be aware of potential risks and take measures to mitigate them. This attitude can lead to a false sense of security, poor crisis management, and a lack of resilience.

Macho refers to a desire to prove oneself through taking risks or showing off. In business, this can manifest as an obsession with growth, expansion, and market dominance. While it’s essential to be ambitious and strive for success, it’s also crucial to be mindful of the impact of your actions on stakeholders, society, and the environment. This attitude can lead to unethical practices, unsustainable growth, and a lack of social responsibility.

Resignation refers to a sense of helplessness or apathy. This can manifest as a lack of motivation, initiative, and business innovation. While it’s essential to be realistic and acknowledge challenges, having a growth mindset, embracing change, and seeking continuous improvement are crucial. This attitude can lead to stagnation, irrelevance, and a lack of competitiveness.

To build a successful brand and grow your business over time, avoiding these hazardous attitudes and cultivating a mindset of responsibility, resilience, and innovation is essential. This can be achieved by developing a clear vision, establishing core values, engaging with stakeholders, seeking feedback, and learning from failure. Doing so can create a culture of excellence that attracts customers, partners, and employees who share your vision and contribute to your success.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation where a friend or colleague sends you a long article or video without explanation, leaving you unsure whether it’s worth your time to review it? If so, you’re not alone. This is a common problem many of us face in today’s digital age, where we are bombarded with information from various sources daily.

As someone who values your time and attention, you want to make sure that you are investing it wisely by reading or viewing only the content that is relevant and valuable to you. This is where the importance of distilling information into a summary comes in. By providing a clear and concise summary of the material, authors can help readers quickly determine whether or not it’s worth their time to review the entire text.

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of creating short summaries that capture the essence of a larger body of work. We’ll discuss how summaries can save time, help you better understand complex ideas, and provide a valuable reference tool for future use. So, whether you’re a student, professional, or just someone who values your time and attention, read on to learn why distilling information into a summary is an essential practice in today’s fast-paced world.

In today’s fast-paced world, time is a valuable commodity, and people often have limited time to spare for reading lengthy articles, reports, or even books. As a result, it’s become increasingly essential to distill information into a summary that captures the essence of the larger body of work. In this blog post, we will explore why it is necessary to provide such summaries and how they can help people make more informed decisions about whether to spend their valuable time reviewing something that will take considerable time to read.

Firstly, providing a summary allows the reader to quickly understand the document’s main points or material without spending significant time reading through the entire text. By highlighting the essential facts and critical takeaways, readers can quickly determine whether or not the material is relevant to them and whether it is worth their time to review it in full.

Secondly, summaries can help clarify complex ideas or concepts by breaking them into more accessible, bite-sized pieces. This can be especially helpful in fields such as science, technology, or finance, where technical terms and jargon can make it difficult for non-experts to understand the material. By presenting complex ideas more straightforwardly and understandably, summaries can help readers better understand the material.

Thirdly, summaries can serve as an essential reference tool for future use. By providing a condensed version of the material, resumes can be easily stored and accessed, allowing readers to quickly review the key points without having to go back and read the entire text. This can be particularly useful for students or professionals who need to reference the material for later use.

Finally, providing a summary shows respect for the reader’s time and attention. In today’s busy world, people are inundated with information from various sources. By providing a clear and concise summary, authors can demonstrate that they value their readers’ time and are willing to try to ensure their material is accessible and easy to understand.

In conclusion, distilling information into a summary is an essential practice that can help readers save time, better understand complex ideas, and make more informed decisions about whether or not to invest their time in reviewing a larger body of work. In addition, by providing precise and concise summaries, authors can make their material more accessible and valuable to a broader audience. So, the next time you create a report or document, take the time to complete a summary that captures the essential points and makes it easier for your readers to engage with your material.

Bailey King was broken by a lifetime of poverty and dawn-to-dark labor when Don Rutledge came to spend several weeks with him and his family. Doctors claimed it was meningitis and a stroke. “It weren’t that,” a friend said. “His body just plumb wore out.” But King’s mind was keen — and his lifelong belief in accepting others and sharing what little he had shone through. Rutledge’s photographs found the windows onto his soul in the lines and ridges of King’s weathered face, in the light and shadows of his sagging clapboard house. [photo by Don Rutledge]

Learning from the greats in photography can be incredibly beneficial to aspiring photographers. It not only helps in developing an understanding of why certain photographers are considered significant, but it can also inspire one to find their unique style.

Studying the Masters

When one is interested in photography, it is essential to study the work of great photographers. By studying their work, one can better understand what makes their work stand out and how they created their masterpieces. This can be as simple as visiting an art museum or a local art gallery to examine their work in person.

Understanding the Art

To truly understand the art, one must look at the lighting, composition, and the moment captured in the photograph. Examining these elements allows one to gain insight into the artist’s vision and inspiration. For example, understanding the lighting in a portrait can help one learn how to replicate the mood and feel in their photographs.

Developing a Style

By studying the work of great photographers, one can develop their style. It is important not to worry too much about creating a kind but rather to let it happen naturally. One day someone may notice a photographer’s unique style, and that is when they know they have found it.

Lighting, Composition, and the Moment

The style we see in others’ work is usually apparent in how they handle lighting, composition, and the moment captured. Lighting can create mood and add depth to a photograph. Understanding composition can help determine what to include and exclude from a photo. Capturing the decisive moment can be challenging but can be learned with practice and experience.

Learning from the Masters

Some great photographers to study include James Nachtwey, William Albert Allard, Sebastião Salgado, Dave Black, Eugene Smith, Carolyn Cole, Joanna Pinneo, and Don Rutledge. By studying their work, one can gain a deeper understanding of the art of photography and learn how to create their unique style.

In conclusion, learning from great photographers can be an exhilarating adventure for those interested in photography. One can better understand the art and develop their unique style by studying their work. Of course, it takes time and practice to master the elements of lighting, composition, and the decisive moment, but with dedication, anyone can become a great photographer.

The photo above is a practice session where we are demonstrating how to do an interview working with a translator during our Storytellers Abroad Missions Multimedia Workshop in Togo, West Africa. This is where we teach communicators who might be photographers, writers, and videographers how to be producers who can do this as a one-man-band storyteller. Most organizations will not have the resources to send out teams, but most can send one person.

In today’s fast-paced world, effective communication has become more critical. Communicating their mission, goals, and impact is essential for nonprofit organizations to engage with donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. One way to achieve this is by having a professional communicator who can act as a one-person band if required by budget.

Having a Communications Specialist embedded in the field provides several advantages over having the position primarily at corporate headquarters with occasional travel to the area. One significant advantage is capturing and sharing stories and experiences in real time. This ensures that the content produced is authentic and relevant to the local context and can be used to inform and engage stakeholders more meaningfully.

Another advantage of having a Communications Specialist on the field is the ability to work more closely with the local staff to identify and create content that reflects the work and impact of the organization. As a result, they can collaborate more effectively to capture stories and experiences that are most relevant and impactful to the local community, ensuring that communication efforts are focused and targeted.

Furthermore, having a Communications Specialist in the field can help to ensure that communication efforts are aligned with the local context and culture. They can work more closely with the local staff to understand the nuances of the community, ensuring that communication efforts are sensitive to the local context and that messaging is appropriate and relevant.

In conclusion, having a Communications Specialist on the field provides a unique opportunity to capture and share stories and experiences that reflect the organization’s impact and work, collaborate more effectively with local staff, and ensure that communication efforts align with the local context and culture.