How To Make Compelling Storytelling Photos

Photos that engage me the most at the ones that communicate emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically.

It is easier for a photo to do this with the photographer getting close enough to connect with people. This is especially necessary for photos whose purpose is to communicate a particular message to an audience.

Home owners and volunteers cleaning up after tornado struck in Moore, Oklahoma.

Photojournalism is highly objective, and while some images can be stunning, there is little scope for direction or altering lighting conditions.

This little boy shepherd is part of the Fulani tribe, known for being herders and working in Soubakamedougou, Burkina Faso, on October 15, 2005. The Marlboro company gives hats to young cowboys to promote their product in Burkina Faso.

Documentary photography is very close to photojournalism, about recording an event or telling a viewer about something through a series of pictures. However, documentary photography needn’t be as objective as photojournalism, and the documentary photographer has more freedom to direct subjects, change the scene, modify the light, etc.

Editorial photography is about shooting for newspapers or magazines, but it is not photojournalism. Typically an editorial photographer will be producing portraits or documenting a workplace or an event of some kind for a feature in a magazine. The photographer does not need to be objective like a photojournalist but needs to meet the brief, often producing polished images that border on being commercial.

While I started in this profession as a photojournalist, I often worked as an editorial photographer. After working for a newspaper, I went to work for The Commission Magazine and the Foreign Mission Board. We were all photojournalists by training who were doing editorial work.

We were sent stories with a call to action, which is not part of photojournalism. We constantly asked the audience to take action and support the organization’s work.

Why do organizations continue to call me to help communicate their message? First, my portfolio shows that I can capture the emotional, spiritual, or psychological storyline for the audience.

Rose Nantonah, the nurse, is setting the IV with a minor child patient at the Baptist Medical Center in Nalerigu, Ghana.

So how do I consistently do this for my clients?

Before I go around the world for a client to do a story, I spend a reasonable amount of time asking questions to the client. These questions are what I need to know to be on purpose when I am working on the story.

  1. What is the story or assignment? This is where I hear them tell me what they believe the story is about.
  2. What is the call to action for this story?
  3. Who is the audience, and how will they see or hear the story? For example, is this a printed piece, in a blog, will it be a video online, or will it be shown at a meeting?
  4. Logistics questions come next.
    • Who is my contact on the field?
    • How long do I have with the subject to do the story? I am often negotiating this part.
    • When is the deadline for the photos, text, and video?
    • If a video which will be reviewing this and making editing decisions?

Most of the time, I try to connect with the subjects before I leave for my coverage. First, I will do a preliminary interview, which verifies what I have been told the story is about. This process involves getting to know the subject and building a relationship.

Once I am on location with the subject, I sit down and converse with them. I learn about them in general and not just about the story—things we may have in common to build upon. I get them talking as much as possible and only inject something about me and my connections into their lives to help develop a bond.

Once I have their story, I summarize the storyline to them and ask them if I have it correct. They may alter a point or two at this point. Once we agree on that storyline, I get to work.

At this point, I will transition to capturing the story with photos and video. I let them know what I need to do to get the content. Often if the story has to do about their work, then I ask them to follow them and often will see if we can be sure I get a list of things they do that relates to the storyline. This is the editorial photographer role. I am just asking them to do what they usually do, but we schedule when I am with them.

Witch Doctor in Togo, West Africa

I give a little direction when we start and then let everything happen naturally. Then, since I am shooting to the brief of the organization that sent me there, I may ask them to repeat something so that I can get the photo from a different angle, or maybe I need to set up lights to reveal their faces or what they are doing.

Throughout my time with them, I will occasionally direct, but this is usually more like a movie director who asks for the actors to repeat a scene. I may have to move something out of the location that can be distracting. This would be a no-no for the photojournalist but OK for the editorial photographer. This is because the organization I am telling the story for isn’t a journalistic outlet. They are telling their story.

Depending on the lens, the audience will get a different vibe. A wide-angle lens requires me to get closer to the subject to fill the frame. Since I am more immediate, the audience will feel more intimate. I usually am less than three feet from the subject when shooting with a 14mm, 20mm, or 24mm lens.

While a portrait lens, like an 85mm lens, helps me compose a pretty tight headshot at a comfortable distance from them and keeps the proportions of the face looking good, I am usually about four feet from the subject.

Sometimes, I must back up and use a wide-angle lens to establish the subject in a location. The purpose of that photo is to show the context more than to see the expression on their face. Being further back to where you can see the person, but maybe the rest of the room will mean, at first glance, the audience is seeing the room. They may study the photo more and see a good expression, which is secondary to establishing context.

With video, I often need a sequence to help tell the story. So I may require the person to get into their car, drive to work, get out of the car, open the door to work, and so on. When necessary, I maybe use all my lenses and add lights inside the vehicle to show them without them being silhouetted.

As you can see, I need much cooperation from the subject to tell their story. You do not do this by just showing up and taking pictures or videos. You need first to get to know them. Throughout the entire process, I am still getting to know them.

To help make this easy to remember, start by talking your way in with the subject and then shooting your mode out of the story.

It is much easier to pull out a camera with a wide-angle lens and take some photos of a person you are having coffee with over a table than to start taking pictures and walking closer and closer with your camera.

Madam Secretary Hilda L. Solis, U.S. Labor Secretary behind her, is Rev. Dr. Marvin Anthony Moss, Cascade United Methodist Church US Department of Labor Symposium at Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta, GA

I know from my degree in Social Work that the process of doing an intake interview and understanding their real needs is very similar to the storyline process.

Often after I have finished a story, it feels the same as a therapy session. The subject feels like someone has helped to tell their story more efficiently than they could and, in the process, feel like they understand how to tell people their story in the future much better.

How do you make better photos? First, get to know your subjects!

“You Really Know How To Capture The Perfect Moment.”

What Does it Mean to Capture the Moment? When we talk of capturing the moment in photography, we reference the feeling, emotion, vibe, atmosphere, or photo. And that comes from more than just the subjects or the scenery; it comes from the photographer, too.

It’s essential to capture these moments because they’re fleeting and forgettable—it may take a year or more to forget them. Still, without a timeless visual reminder, you can lose the feeling and never dig it up again. A photo can bring back the emotions, memories, and scents attached to the image.

It’s Called Anticipation

In photography, looking into the future involves imagining with high probability how the scene will play out in a time that’s later than “right now.”

When most people take their first photographs, they react to moments. Isn’t that so cute? Then they reach for the camera. They may love the photo because it is a memory jogger for them, but other people do not look at that photo and get the same feeling. The reason is that what made the moment “cute” is gone.

Anticipation is a skill that all great photographers use when searching for the right moment to press the shutter release.

Even if you are not a sports fan, you can understand why I use sports as a metaphor for how to anticipate a moment.

We know in baseball when the pitcher will throw a pitch and even when the batter will most likely swing. You can get in position with the right camera and lens and have the photo well composed. What decides when you push the shutter button is showing the pitcher in their windup or release of the baseball to home plate. If your camera is focused on the batter, you know that you must push that shutter release the moment you see the batter start to swing to capture the ball’s crack on the bat.

You can follow the action in sports because it is usually where the ball is in the game. I recommend new photographers shoot sports to get your sense of the moment by squeezing the shutter release so that you are getting those “moments.”

No matter where you are, there is an invisible ball at play. When people are conversing with another person, it is the same as a pitcher and a batter. One person comments, like a pitch, and the other person swings, like the batter.

People Watching

People-watching or crowd-watching is observing people and their interactions. It involves picking up on idiosyncrasies to interpret or guess another person’s story, exchanges, and relationships with the little details they have. This includes speech in action, relationship interactions, body language, expressions, clothing, and activities.

Studying body language can be very helpful in broadening the way you shoot and being more effective in your photographic storytelling, establishing mood, and heightening your awareness of how your clients and audience likely perceive the moments you capture (even subconsciously). You can use this knowledge to direct your subjects, aid in your observations, and know when a moment is right to illustrate your story or vision.

Many psychologists believe that non-verbal communication reveals as much or more than talking. People’s physical appearance, how they dress, and how they move and position themselves speak volumes. Much of what happens with body language is unconscious. People can monitor and control it to a certain degree. Still, often, their physical movement conveys their feelings when they aren’t verbalizing them, even when they don’t want to or can’t verbalize them because those feelings are unconscious. For example, research suggests that people, without even realizing it, lean slightly forward when thinking about the future and slightly backward when thinking about the past. This is because the body doesn’t know how to lie.

Two Tips

My two tips for capturing the moment are first aesthetic and second technical. But, of course, you must first have a sense of curiosity about the world in which you live. So, let’s start with something that gets you excited.

Many people taking photos will concentrate on nature, while others may focus on sports. So, pick a topic that gets your heart racing.

Someone who loves wildlife and nature will know when the best time to take photos is. For example, if you love wildlife, your curiosity will have you researching the best times and places to capture an image. Bird photographers know where to find those birds, and many even know how to attract a bird to get those photos. For example, they may put food out and wait for the birds to start coming to the food. They will have even anticipated which branch they will perch on before eating to get that photo.

So whatever your subject, become an expert in that subject. If it is your family, you may already know enough to start shooting.

The technical part of getting those moments is mastering squeezing the shutter release to get the “moment.” Part of that is knowing how to set the camera to get good exposure and position yourself to have the light work for you.

As you can see, capturing the “moment” is more than just seeing something and clicking. I hope you now know that those who capture “moments” consistently see the subject and anticipate those “moments.”

Last Day Canvassing in Georgia

As a voter, you will help decide who will lead us. You make your voice heard on important issues that affect the future of our state and nation. Every time you use your precious right to vote, our democracy grows stronger. Participating in elections is easy when you have the tools and information.

Yesterday on election day here in Georgia, voters were deciding who would represent them in the Senate. This was a runoff election between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.

Working America, AFL-CIO Canvassing Atlanta

A canvassing group hired me to capture their people going door to door in Atlanta to find out what motivated people for this election. Canvassing is used by political parties and issue groups to identify supporters, persuade the undecided, and add voters to the voter’s list through voter registration, and it is central to get-out-the-vote operations. It is the core element of what political campaigns call the ground game or field.

I was listening to some of their responses and topics like the economy, healthcare, and women’s rights, and picking someone they wanted to represent them that they could trust would vote in their best interest was the top reason I was hearing from the voters.

No Images found.

These are just some of the photos from the day, and I hope you enjoy seeing how democracy in action looks in Atlanta on election day.

Food As Cross-Cultural Experience

Food is an essential context for global and cross-cultural understanding. It is both highly international, as it is consumed worldwide, yet highly local, as there are significant variations in food across countries and cultures. 

One of the best experiences when traveling is the ability to taste food from different parts of the world.

All Americans are fascinated by the cook here in El Aguila, Mexico.

Leisurely Meals Build Trust

In my family, I have the record for the most extended birthday meal. My family lived in Eastern North Carolina, and my parents had heard about Fondue. Since five of us put pieces of meat into the oil at one time, it took forever to cook. Fondue invites you to enjoy more than a meal. It invites conversation, laughter, and coming together over artisan cheeses, fresh salads, savory entrees, and indulgent desserts.

You will have to slow down if you are used to grabbing a quick bite to eat and continuing your work day.

A grocery store owner in Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania, is showing some of the products she carries for sale.

Eating is a social act, even more so: a social event central to family and public life. Meals are the foundation of socialization, in the twofold meaning of the word: the place to learn the rules of living together and the place for social interaction, sharing, and friendly exchange.

When I travel, I try to take pictures of my food because this is one of the things that is an experience worth sharing with others. When I was on staff with an organization, the photo library staff told me to take pictures of the food because many children’s magazines loved to show children what other children around the world ate for their meals.

I asked to see her cooking for lunch that day in Nicaragua. I love seeing how people cook around the world. But, as always, the conversation became even better once in the kitchen.

Dining Is A Collective Experience

For me, the best meals I have enjoyed are when I have been in the kitchen while there are cooking the meal. I get to know the people and see how they make the meal. But the best part is the food makes the experience more enriching for me.

All the photos are more of Grab Shots around the world. These are not studio food shots, just what others served me in many countries.

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Venetian Blind Type Of Lines With Z9 And High-Speed Sync Flash

Top Photo Settings [NIKON Z 9, NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/8000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 100)]

Due to a mistake, I came across something I had not seen with other digital cameras.

After shooting inside with flash and balancing it with available light, I went outside for another setup. Unfortunately, I did not change the ISO from ISO 2000 to ISO 64. Due to this, I was shooting with a shutter speed of 1/8000.

The results you see in the top photo. It looks like Venetian blinds where a little light is getting through, and the existing light is still bright enough to light the rest of the face.

Another example for you to see the lines of bright and darker exposure on the skin [NIKON Z 9, NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/8000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 76)]

This is not the same as what you see with flickering lights that cause banding. Instead, mixing the flash duration with the 1/8000 created two exposures where the flash was hitting the subject.

There is no effect on the background because the flash wasn’t affecting it.

I used the Flashpoint XPlor 600 HSS TTL on a light stand and the 7” reflector with a diffuser. I was triggering it with my Godox X1. I was using TTL mode for the flash.

I was shooting in Aperture Priority, Auto ISO with the lowest setting turned to ISO 2000 due to shooting inside earlier. So the shutter speed would vary as the light changed.

[NIKON Z 9, NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/4000, ƒ/4, (35mm = 104)]

Those photos shot at slower shutter speeds of 1/4000 didn’t have those lines.

This could easily be due to the Flashpoint lights and their flash duration in TTL mode.

This is the downside of not seeing your images on a large screen. Unfortunately, on the back of the camera, I did not think to zoom in to look for such an anomaly.

My setup for the reshoot

I immediately called my client and reshot those particular photos on my dime. Here is a couple of them here. I did change and use a softbox as well. I shot with the Nikon Z9, 85mm ƒ/1.8, with ISO 64, 1/125, ƒ/2.

Many other photos I have taken at 1/8000 and similar ISO have not had this issue. I hope to figure out what is causing this in the future, but I know that when I choose the lowest ISO possible, I have never seen those lines. Double-checking your settings is the takeaway from this unexpected failure.

What Is My Favorite Photo I Have Shot?

People often ask me my favorite story or photo I have ever taken. That is like asking a parent who is their favorite child.

What that question has done to me over the years is make me think more and more about what I like to photograph the most. This has led me to ponder a great deal about what is important to me.

There are two types of assignments that I am continually pursuing. First, my needs require me to pursue those jobs that pay the bills. The second has me seeking those assignments that move my heart.

Mother and her little boy carried in kitenge. They are staying here at the Hôpital Baptiste Biblique in Tsiko, Togo, West Africa. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1800, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 32)]

Surprise!

Seldom do I have a photo shoot where I don’t learn something new or meet a new person that enriched my life in some way.

I am always asking people about themselves and learning about their stories. Most of the time, I know so much more than the photos from those assignments reveal. Often I know things that are outside the project. So sometimes, I will come back later and do a story on what I discovered from that encounter.

Chick-fil-A Supply DC is being built in Cartersville, GA; Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia, is the keynote. The CFA Supply team is in attendance as a Cathy family member, CFA leadership, other key partners on the project, local government stakeholders, and a few local media outlets. Jessica Ferrell’s team, including Emily Broussard as the designated Event Planner, is assisting us in planning this event. Paul Trotti, Brent Ragsdale, Dan Cathy, Commissioner Pat Wilson, Governor Brian Kemp, Tim Tassopoulos, Commissioner Steve Taylor, Glenn Jordan, Mike Haselton, & Matt Rumsey

ROI – Return On Investment

Everyone wants the work they do to be valued. I want my work to make a difference.

While working at The Hickory Daily Record, I shot images in print the next day and helped to inform the public. Since I lived in the same town, I covered stories over time and got personal feedback from the community.

Cowgirl Barrel Racing at the 27th Annual Pana’Ewa Stampede Rodeo in Hilo, Hawaii. [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1600, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

Most of the feedback was that people enjoyed seeing their family and friends in the newspaper. They would even ask for copies of the photo for themselves. Another type of feedback was when people asked more questions about the stories. Again, my photography engaged them and had them interested in the story.

While on staff at Georgia Tech, I often photographed research, and those photos helped those researchers with more funding. For example, I once helped a researcher who told me that my work helped his team get a multi-million dollar contract with the Department of Defense.

When I did work with Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy asked the staff at the home office, “Are you helping the restaurants sell more Chicken?”

One of the first stories I did for Chick-fil-A was to help tell how an Operator in Kansas had created a Daddy Daughter Date Night event. This was used internally for the chain, and I would later hear that people were stopping my video and copying as much as they could from that video to do in their restaurants. That became the most successful event for Chick-fil-A. This helped in building their brand as the company that CARES.

I learned through the years that every type of photography, from headshots to sports, editorial, product, humanitarian, etc., impacts the bottom line. They could all make a difference.

President George W. Bush speaks at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

The best part of my job is meeting people and hearing their stories. Even when taking a photo of a product, I have to meet someone and learn about that product to understand what I am trying to highlight.

I enjoy photojournalism and humanitarian work the most of all types of photography. The reason is that when I am done with the project, I will be able to share what I learned about the people I met with the audience.

My favorite type of assignment with photojournalism and humanitarian work is cross-cultural work. I love just going to another part of my town and meeting people from a different culture than my own.

It is like getting to try out new food. This reminds me that my happy place in the story is usually me sitting with the subject and eating some food. The best site for this is in their home and their kitchen. I love hearing their stories as they cook.

Togo, West Africa

My Favorite Assignment

My next assignment is my favorite because this is when I will meet someone new and learn something I didn’t know before. The best part of this process is when I have figured out how to package this for you, the audience, to see. My greatest reward is doing those stories with a call to action.

I love telling stories that ask the audience not just to enjoy the story’s entertainment but to do something—asking them to get involved by giving financially or of their time. Stories like Habitat for Humanity are so rewarding.

Kona, Hawaii [DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 810, 1/6, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]

Next Chapter

While I love telling stories, my greatest joy may be teaching others how to tell stories.

The most rewarding thing I can do right now, at this point in my life, is to be sure there are others to continue telling stories way past my time. I love doing workshops where the students are working on a story, and I get to help coach them through the process.

If you want to learn how to tell stories, drop me a line, and I would love to help you become a storyteller.

These children were playing while their parents were building a new church and well in Becanchen, Yucatan, Mexico.

7 Simple Tips To Improve Your Portraits

Over the years of teaching studio portrait lighting, I have slowly been creating a small tips list that I share with my students.

I have never just stopped and said hey, here are ten tips for you, but this is the first time I have put these down in writing. I hope some of these help you improve your portraits.

I am demonstrating how to make a portrait with my camera on a tripod with the YWAM School of Photography in Kona, Hawaii, in August 2021. [photo by Dennis Fahringer]

1) Tripod

One of the essential tools you can use is a tripod when doing portraits. Sometimes you may not need to use one, but here are some reasons it can help you.

  1. Consistent composition – This is helpful when your background isn’t huge. Over the years, I had found that when I didn’t use a tripod, I would have more photos that needed to be retouched because I had more in the background than I had planned for the portrait.
  2. Two or more people – I cannot tell you how many times in group photos I have a wonderful picture of people in different frames that are easy to combine into one image in photoshop if you have been using a tripod.

2) Fixed Focal Length Lens

While zoom lenses have their place, and I occasionally use them for portraits, the advantage of the fixed focal length is consistency with the face proportions. The wider you go, and the tighter you go, you change how the face appears. For example, noses can get bigger and the face more distorted with wider angle lenses.

Having a fixed focal length helps keep the headshots consistent, especially when doing many headshots for organizations.

Using modeling lights helps you see the reflections before they appear in the photos. If the subject reacts to something you say, sometimes they move their head, and you may get a glare.

3) Use Modeling Lights

Studio strobes come with modeling lights that you can turn on and off. This helps you see the modeling of the light before you take the photo. Also, this helps see the glare in glasses and shadows cast by people onto others in group photos.

You can also use constant light sources instead of flashes, but the downside to those on-camera hot shoe flashes is not seeing what you are getting before you push the shutter.

If you have no choice but to use a flash without a modeling light, remind yourself to stop and look at the results before shooting many photos.

I have my camera tethered to the monitor so the students can see each photo. It is also an excellent way for anyone to see more details than you can on the back of the camera’s monitor. [photo by Dennis Fahringer]

4) Use A Larger Monitor

You can shoot tethered and then glance at the larger screen to see your results. Seeing images larger will help you see details lost in the smaller image on your camera’s LCD.

Sometimes just plugging your camera into a TV using the HDMI connection is all you need to review the images quickly.

5) Review The Images With The Client Before They Leave

The most important thing you can do is let the client see themselves before they leave. I do this all the time. I do not take the time to find the one photo they like over all the others; I am looking to see if they don’t want any of them. If they don’t like them, I ask them what they don’t like so we can continue to shoot until they are pleased with the results.

This is a photo of me showing how to get a custom white balance using the ExpoDisc to the YWAM School of Photography in Kona, Hawaii, in August 2021. [photo by Dennis Fahringer]

6) Custom White Balance

I have found that getting a custom white balance is critical to speeding up the editing process. This is even more true when on location. I have shot in a room with a giant red wall beside me. Had I not don’t a custom white balance, finding the correct skin tones would take forever. I speak of my experience of making that mistake before.

7) Model And Actors Vs. Everyone Else

While everyone needs feedback from you as a photographer for a portrait session, know your client.

Actors who have been around for years in the profession typically need a little direction and may even teach you a great deal by the end of your session.

The average public needs much more guidance. I find that most people benefit once you have an excellent pose to shoot many different photos looking for other expressions. If you move too slowly, people feel awkward and will not enjoy the time. It will also appear that you need more time to be ready.

Those who are just starting as Actors or Models will probably need more direction and coaching and may be similar to the average person. Some people were told they should be models or actors based on their looks.

I can tell that many newbies need much coaching and don’t realize that looks alone are not why people are successful actors or models; it takes an awareness of how you appear to others and the ability to control that, which will determine your career.

Wax On, Wax Off

Often, I feel like I am watching people pass me by as they reach their destinations while I seem stuck in life. Today I know differently. I often only saw people way into their journey and missed seeing their start.

Last week while teaching three students in their 20s studio lighting, I had an “Ah Ha Moment.”

I turned 60 this year and was reminded that I was 40 years older than these young women.

They were not sure what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives, and in a way, we’re doing a GAP Year type of program by studying photography for three months.

Clamshell Lighting

While teaching them how to use studio lights, I knew I could share some insights that come only with hindsight.

 When I graduated from college, the movie Karate Kid came out. There is a scene where the kid is fed up with doing chores around the teacher’s house. So he demanded to learn Karate. Pardon the language, and watch this clip.

I am on the autism spectrum and realized in hindsight that God had given me opportunities through my life that was like 1) Sand the Floor; 2) Wax on, Wax Off; 3) Paint the Fence; and 4) Paint the house.

Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel always to keep eye contact and, from inside, respond.

I wanted to impart to these young ladies that it isn’t the destination but the critical journey. I had learned that God was with me on the trip, but I was always to focus on the destination. However, I think the goal was the carrot I needed to be like Daniel and learn through repetition skills that I would later need to perform from inside and not have to think so much about what I was doing in photography.

I needed to look people in the eye that I was photographing. I would be doing this while looking through my camera lens.

Taken during my time as a photojournalist for The Hickory Daily Record

Sand The Floor: Learning the fundamentals of photography

From the time my dad and mother gave me my first DSLR until the end of my first year working in a newspaper was about five years. I was primarily learning to take available light photos with occasional flash photos.

This was when I mastered how to expose photos properly and understood elemental composition and capturing the moment. Getting the moment was easier for me to know during this time with sports than in meetings.

I had to learn how to listen to people and communicate with them to understand the story I was covering and then capture it to tell that story to the public using primarily photos and adding captions to complete the message.

This is from my story on Philip Newberry, whose parents were missionaries to Brazil. While on Furlough, Philip got spiral meningitis, and they had to amputate his legs and arms to save his life. I did this coverage while working for the International Missions Board in Richmond, Virginia.

Wax On Wax Off: Learning Lighting

One of my primary responsibilities when I worked for the International Missions Board, was doing portraits and covering meetings. As a result, I learned how to light people and objects with lights.

What I was also learning was how to interact with people. I had to meet people and get the best expressions that captured their personalities in just a few minutes. I would often photograph 30 to close to 100 people in a day at some of those conferences.

I would work here for five years. When I left my job here, I spent ten years learning photography and how to talk to people.

During these five years, I also had a wonderful mentor Don Rutledge. He had studied psychology and was teaching me the body language and how to incorporate that into my photos. I would spend hours with him as he was editing coverages worldwide. I asked questions, and he taught me so much.

I did not get any overseas coverage during this time, but I did fly around the USA doing stories on churches and missionaries on furlough.

Paint the Fence: Manager of One-Hour Photo Labs & Computer Sales

Due to the recession, I lost my job, and my wife and I moved in with my parents on Long Island, New York. I would work for Tandy selling computer systems to schools and businesses.

I had bought a PC a few years earlier and understood them well enough to sell them. Next, Tandy sent me to workshops on making sales, which helped me understand marketing.

I also decided this was an excellent time to go to seminary. I had started on this path earlier but took a ten-year detour to learn photography. At the seminary I chose, they had a master’s in communications. I did that program hoping the recession would be over when I finished and then off to work with some missions agency, but this time covering the world.

I managed a couple of one-hour photo labs to pay the bills while in school. This taught me to work with people as a manager and with customers. This also helped me learn my color wheel even better. I was learning that if I saw magenta in the negative, that would print green, and where I saw cyan would print red, for example. This would later help me with choosing colors for clients.

Paint the House: Studio Lights on Location

For the next ten years, I worked at Georgia Tech. I would be putting everything I had done before into practice. Everything I shot I would have to process in our photo lab. I would have to do occasional portraits but found myself using studio strobes to light classrooms, coliseums, and research labs.

I was doing photojournalism, recruiting photography, sports photography, portraits, editorial, and just about any style of photography you can imagine.

Putting it all together: Full-Time Freelancer

Since 2002 I have been a full-time freelancer, which means I own a business. My income surpassed my staff job positions in just a few years. I finally was making money without always having a credit card balance.

The primary thing I was doing as a freelancer that I wasn’t doing as a staff photographer was all the business side of the job.

I had to market myself. In many ways, this was me telling my own story. I had been telling other people’s stories for twenty years. Now I would have to tell my own story, emphasizing how I can tell others’ stories to grow their business.

A few years into freelancing, my friend Bill Bangham asked me to go to West Africa for almost a month to do some stories for him.

Today I have been to many countries to tell stories and teach others how to tell stories.

Summary

Today I am doing work that I could only do because I had spent years perfecting those skills necessary to do the job today. The only way I could look people in the eye today and let those skills that had become muscle memory work for my clients was from learning like Daniel the hard way.

While I don’t have a Mr. Miyagi who led me to where I am today, I think God was there with me on this journey. I look back today on almost all of those milestones of knowledge and remember the people I met and the stories I got to tell. Those experiences helped mold me into someone with a lot of scar tissue, which translates into wisdom.

In each of those places on my journey, I was making mistakes. I seldom made those mistakes again. Instead, I learned from those moments. However, I was still going to be doing something new in the future; I would make new mistakes and learn from those as well.

While I thought I would be telling stories around the world when I first started at the International Missions Board in 1985, it was twenty years later when Bill Bangham sent me on my first international coverage trip in 2005.

Malcolm Gladwell says:

in my book “Outliers,” when I wrote about the “ten-thousand-hour rule.” No one succeeds at a high level without innate talent; I wrote: “achievement is talent plus preparation.” But the ten-thousand-hour research reminds us that “the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger the role preparation seems to play.” In cognitively demanding fields, there are no naturals. Nobody walks into an operating room straight out of a surgical rotation and does world-class neurosurgery.

To be a successful photographer is to be a successful artist. It takes time to develop the skills that allow you to create art from within. I am a communications artist; therefore, my work must help tell a story.

I told the students this last week, so they know not to be discouraged but to enjoy the journey.

One Week Lighting Workshop With Stanley

Since 2006 I have been doing a one-week lighting workshop as part of the School of Photography program of YWAM with Dennis Fahringer in Kona, Hawaii.

This year I was asked by two of his former students to come to Dunham, Quebec, Canada, and teach the same thing, but this time to a school that will be in French and English.

This was their very first time leading a School of Photography for YWAM. The leaders Raphael Paquet and Julie Gavillet hosted me during the week and translated me into French.

We did four lighting assignments.

Rembrandt

© Heidi Bergeron

The students were learning where to place the leading light for a starting position with portraits. They also were learning not to light everything evenly.

Students in class working on Rembrandt Lighting

1:3 Lighting Ratio

© Heidi Bergeron

Clamshell Lighting

To demonstrate the Clamshell/Butterfly lighting, I took everyone’s photo. Here are the three students.

Tent Lighting for Products

This is because some students work with the tent lighting setup to photograph products.

Table Top Photography

I also told about my journey in photography and how it took time before I got the assignments I wanted. I also taught them a little about how to make a living with Business Practices.

You may be interested in a Lighting Workshop. Drop me a line if you are interested.

College Recruitment Photography

This past week I spent a few days in the small town of West Point, Georgia, photographing a reasonably new college at Point University.

Colleges need strong images to sell their campus life to prospective students and parents.

If you need to recruit, you must show and tell your story. Photos will be a great way to convey what it looks like and feels like to study or work with you.

If you want to do this type of photography, then master lighting. Know how to use off-camera flash and reflectors to make the light work for you.

What A Professional Photographer Provides

Now compare that top photo to the one below. Can you see the difference?

The difference is the light on the subjects. The photographer added light to the people to make them pop out in the photo.

Point University Lacross Team
Point University Lacross Team
Point University Cross-Country Team

The majority of the students play a sport. Approximately seventy percent of those who helped us with the photos were athletes.

Point University Biblical Studies Class

With approximately 500 students, you get to know everyone pretty quickly.

Dorm Room

Whenever I went to make a photo, we needed to add some light to the image. There are a couple of reasons for this, but almost everyone can understand that they have already been shooting lots of photos with their phones and could tell from the results that they wanted something better.

Friends

I loved doing a lot of portraits of the students. My favorite during my time was these three volleyball players, who you could tell had become good friends.

Point University Alumni House

The town welcomed the school a few years ago. Many of the buildings were donated to the school, like this house they use for Alumni events.

Point University Dining Facility

Every school needs to show its dining facilities. I always notice that if the food is good, the conversations are also good. If it isn’t, then they are looking to leave soon.

Point University Bookstore and coffee shop

Today I think every college must also show some places to hang out and get coffee.

Point University Recreation Room

While seeing classrooms is essential, people want to know what to do outside of class, like playing pool with friends.

Point University Science Class

How big are your classes? That is always something I try and show through photos.

Point University Biblical Studies Class

Now the wide shot shows quickly how small their class size is. For most classes, you also want to see engagement.

I encourage all my clients that I need time for these moments to happen. I try and schedule about 20 minutes to be in a classroom to get those moments of engagement. You have to be there long enough that the students relax and then for a moment to happen. It would be best if you had a few moments from each classroom to pick your recruiting guide.

Point University Student As Pastor

Every school has a few unique things to offer. For example, this school has a network of churches for those students who want to do Biblical studies and have a chance to work in the local churches. Some work as pastors or youth leaders, for example.

No Flash

I kept this photo as an example of why using flash makes a difference in the photo.

Riverwalk

The school is right on the Chattahoochee river and has parks for the students to enjoy.

Internship

Some of the education students have internships in town with different schools. For example, here is one student working in early childhood education.

Point University

Some students are in the downtown of West Point, Georgia, which offers shopping and restaurants.

Success & Failure Are Often The Results Of Our Communications

Communication plays a critical role in everything we do here on earth. We communicate in so many ways.

When we talk to another person face-to-face, we have our words, tone, body language, and the ability to have a dialogue. Using our ears and eyes, we can observe how our message is received or how we interpret what we see and hear.

We lose tone and body language when we use words in an email or text. Even the most skilled writers don’t consistently deliver a message received and understood as it was intended.

Without dialogue, which is about helping us get feedback and our ability to clarify our message, we are left to the person receiving the message’s interpretation of what was sent to them.

There is another way we communicate, and that is in what we do every day. Our actions each day help people interpret what we are speaking. This is where people can observe how we treat other people than just ourselves.

If you know someone pretty well and you get an unusual message from them that doesn’t match the tone of how you perceive them, this usually makes you want to clarify what you are hearing from them.

Now, if you don’t have a relationship with that person, you may or may not take the time to clarify their message.

I fail every once in a while in my communications with others, and most of the time, it is due to rushing my communications. The place I fail more often than others is in written communications.

This is why I have bought software for my business that comes with email templates. I wish I had software with every possible email. I need a template to help me in those situations I need to communicate quickly. It will help me avoid those pitfalls due to needing more time to craft a message that conveys a statement in an appropriate tone and creates a positive response.

If I know that I will have to write a similar email in the future, I save an email I crafted and save it as a template.

When proofreading our work, we know the meaning we want to convey. Because we expect that meaning to be there, it’s easier to miss when parts (or all) of it are absent. It isn’t about just catching grammar issues.

This is why you can make a mistake even if you try to be careful.

Another part of the problem with communication is that your audience also has a role in this. It isn’t uncommon for the audience to read a tone into something that has more to do with how they interpret than the words themselves.

Your choice of words or a saying can even trigger an audience’s emotions. The way you said something might remind them of someone they despise.

Summary

Take the time and proofread your work. Try and read for tone.

When reading someone’s words, if you are concerned with the tone of the email, take the time to get some clarification. If possible, talk to them in person, via zoom call, or via phone call.

The relationship is what communication is built upon. It is also true that how you communicate is how you develop a relationship.

If you think about it, even your best friends and you will often go through a rough patch due to communication breaking down.

The key to being a good communicator is caring for others.

Best Addition to the Nikon Z9 Camera Bag

Whenever I create a blog post on gear, I get five to ten times the number of people reading those posts.

There are a few things that people are looking for when they click on one of my blogs on gear.

First, if it is new to the market, they are looking for information to help them know if they should buy this lens themselves.

Second, they want tips on how to use their new piece of camera gear. This is very true regarding camera bodies and different shooting situations. So, I can take the same camera body and do separate blog posts on how to shoot things like Sports, Portraits, Strobes, and Landscapes, and people are interested in my experience.

While not everyone will agree with my assessment, they are interested in seeing if there is something I discovered they haven’t yet experienced.

DSLR to Mirrorless Challenges

My transition from DSLR to Mirrorless was the most challenging change of any camera body, including getting started with the Pentax K1000.

To summarize the difficulty is to understand that with an introductory film camera, you had these adjustments:

  1. ISO – But only once. You set it for the film you were shooting and only changed it when you changed a roll of film.
  2. Shutter Speed
  3. Aperture
  4. Focus – you turned the focus until the image looked sharp.

With the latest Nikon Z9, you have so many options for each of those settings. What makes it even more complex is when you start combining all the options for each of those main settings with others. This is where you get Aperture priority, but do you want to set the ISO or use Auto ISO?

So here is a simple tip to add to your camera bag. Download the manuals and keep them on your phone or get them printed and put in your camera bag—linkhttps://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/589/Z_9.html.

Nikon even has special manuals for Sports, Video, and even shooting in RAW video, for example. If they are on your computer or phone, you can search for the setting you are trying to understand and know the right one to pick for your shooting situation.

They also have a troubleshooting guide. Check it out here.

Footnote

Don’t go on social media and complain that the camera will not do something if you haven’t first read the manual. You will only undermine your credibility in those social media forums.