Leary Family Photo 2020 at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. [NIKON Z 6, Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/8, (35mm = 24)]

Every year when my family gets together for our family reunion at the beach we do a family photo.

I always go out a few minutes early and setup my strobes. This year I am using the Flashpoint XPlor 600 HSS TTL with Nikon Z6.

While this isn’t my favorite time of day to shoot photos you quickly learn through the years that you are needing to pick the friction free time of the day.

Up till now i was always trying to do late afternoon near sunset. That tended to complicate dinner time.

This year 1:00 pm. Probably the worst time as far as lighting to shoot the photo.

I usually get my wife to stand in for some test shots before I have everyone show up.

Not a flattering photo, but works to balance the TTL flash to the sunlight. Here I have them set at 0 and the camera -0.3 underexposed for the photos.

We figured the far left and far right and a line in the sand for them to stand on. We were done in 20 minutes. I tried to keep it short for my mother and a couple others who had some difficulty with the sand and the heat.

It was easy to just switch folks out. Again we were celebrating my mother’s birthday today as well.

Had I been planning a photo shoot with a couple and just their children I would have done a completely different approach.

Hope these tips help you with your “family photo”.

Fledgling Red-Tailed Hawk in our Backyard. Every year we get a new nest. [NIKON D5, Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports + Sigma 2.0x Teleconverter TC-2001, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2500, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]

This past week I have been reminded that there are many things beyond our control when it comes to posting photos on social media and if they get a few likes or even thousands.

First of all, I am fully aware that the content you publish has to be strong or it will not take off.

Just compare the first photo to the second one. While both show a red-tailed juvenile hawk in our backyard, seeing the wings spread is more interesting. So for the most part when these were shared on social media the one with the wings spread got much more likes. It is a stronger photo.

The key is to create great content using the “5 W’s & the H”.

• Who
• What
• When
• Where
• Why
• How

These will impact how the audience responds. So this photo of the young lady protestor isn’t all that different than this one here:

Tapping into Social Media Influencers

Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers, people, and organizations who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field.

Some of my followers have their own network that if they choose to do more than just like my post, but re-share it then this is where “Opportunity is Knocking”.

The difference was who my audience is on social media. Many of my followers knew people in the event with the young lady protesting in June 2nd photo, but not the same for the June 3rd photo.

The first event also was on the first night we were seeing protestors in Roswell, GA. After posting many people were commenting and sending me emails to know where the next protest was happening.

So once a few of my followers posted me on their social media my photos they took off. WSB-TV the local ABC-affiliated television station for Atlanta asked to use them as well as many other news outlets.

The Roswell Police Department also asked to use the photo since it was a Peaceful Protest and they wanted to show they supported the community.

That one photo of all the protestors laying down on their stomachs and hands behind their backs like George Floyd was shared so many times I cannot even begin to count. On my Instagram Page alone 385+ likes. Just my Facebook Page 100+. But then when you start adding up all the shares and their likes the photo has thousands of likes.

f/8 and be there is an expression popularly used by photographers as representing the importance of taking the opportunity for a picture rather than concern for the technologies with which one does so.

WeeGee
Ascher (Usher) Fellig

Being at the right place, at the right time, and having your camera settings so that you will get a well-exposed, in-focus photo is part of the equation. You must know in your head the “5 W’s & the H” so that you have the right lens, position, and composition to make a photo that connects with the audience.

when opportunity knocks

Clean Plate – You cannot take on new work if you have too much on your plate already. Make it a priority to always get your projects done in a timely matter.

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

― Benjamin Franklin

Observe what’s happening around you – You have to know what is happening in your community, state and world. Nextdoor.com is the best way to stay in the know about what’s going on in your neighborhood—whether it’s finding a last-minute babysitter, learning about an upcoming block party, or hearing about a rash of car break-ins.

Give people a reason to follow you – You should look to strategically use each social media channel based on its strengths and demographics, and give your target audience a good reason to connect with you on that specific network. What value are you providing? What are you offering that will entice them to stay tuned in? Think about the reasons people use each network, then formulate a plan to consistently post and share content that will resonate with your specific audience, wherever they congregate online.

Never, ever buy followers and fans – Some people assume that purchasing fans and followers is a shortcut to building a huge online community. This is not only bad practice, but it will largely end up being more of a problem than it’s worth.

Authenticity – At the end of the day, authenticity is what makes influencers influential to the public. Therefore, authenticity needs to be a top priority.

Here is a video from the first protest and the second. Which one do you think got more views & why?

Ever since we started to experience the pandemic of 2020, I have been reminded of the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can, and

The wisdom to know the difference.

One of the ways we have taken action these past few months was to 1) Wash your hands frequently, 2) Practice social distancing & 3) Wear a mask when you do go out into public.

While many have been practicing these CDC guidelines we still have the COVID-19 virus.

Then in the midst of all this, we have been reminded that this virus is affecting some in our community more than others. This is especially true of the African American community.

In the midst of this George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, & Breonna Taylor were all brutally murdered. Finally, enough is enough was being said by not just the African American community but my Roswell Community.

Gwendolyn Dukes, Richard Bonito, and their friends organized a peaceful protest on behalf of George Floyd at the corner of King Road and Hwy 92 in Roswell, Georgia on June 2, 2020. Dukes said, “Action speaks louder than words” as to why she and her friends wanted to get out and protest. Richard Bonito added, “We are not mad at the police, we are mad at the system.” They want to see changes for better policing, fixing systemic racism in our society, and encouraging their friends to get out and vote. While Richard Bonito voted in the last presidential election most in the crowd are closer to Gwendolyn’s age and this will be their first election.

My daughter’s generation is tired of seeing their friends mistreated. They want change.

I believe the timing of these deaths amid this pandemic might just be the perfect storm for bringing about change to fix systemic racism in our society.

Roswell young people in the protest realize that protesting alone isn’t enough. They know that this is part of the process to get their communities to make changes to the policies that allow for racism.

They are asking people to become informed about who is running in our elections and vote for those people who will enact change the changes tide of Systemic Racism.

Rather than being fearful of the rioting that has taken place, Peaceful Protestors are taking back the streets of their communities. They don’t want the rioters and looters to take over the conversation.

All over social media groups are forming to have peaceful protests. Go online and find a protest near you.

Plan to protest? Here are tips to reduce the risk of spreading #COVID19:

Wear a face covering

Wear eye protection to prevent injury

Stay hydrated

Use hand sanitizer

Don’t yell; use signs & noise makers instead

Stick to a small group

Keep 6 feet from other groups

Update. On January 4, 2022 Steve Hixon passed away. I did some minor updates.

This past week has brought back some of the words that Steve Hixon, my roommate from freshman year at East Carolina University, had challenged me. He had grown up in the racism of the deep south. By just being white I had no idea of all the privileges I had due to skin color alone.

I have never been pulled over just because of the color of my skin. I haven’t had people avoid me walking down the street.

I had not experienced not being looked at as a human being as Steve had been treated.

“Iceman” is what Steve Hixon’s nickname was on the basketball court. While we were put together as roommates at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, I saw “Iceman” more on the basketball court than in our room.

We were both Social Work majors. We both did our concentrations in Alcohol and Drug Abuse. However, while I went in the direction of using photojournalism as my way of helping people, Steve went on to work as a Social Worker in Richmond, Virginia.

Now Steve wasn’t my first African American friend, but Steve was the first one that I would live with and get to have lots of conversations with during our college years.

Steve said I would never have him in my home. Sadly that never happened. My home at the time was in Englishtown, NJ and I had just come home during the semester breaks.

This past week watching George Floyd being killed by white police officers while other police officers stood by and condoned his actions was sickening. What is sad is this has been played out over and over throughout my life.

I see people constantly treating people of color unjustly. The lady in Central Park treats a man based on the color of his skin alone with such disdain.

I think the response of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his op-ed piece in the LATimes is good.

Too many people are not realizing how not just the George Floyd case isn’t fueling this civil unrest. The COVID-19 Pandemic has opened up many wounds in the African American community. Do you remember the Brown vs Board of Education?

Children were not equal when it came to staying home and going online to do school work. Many don’t have computers or internet connections.

Without the schools, many of our children go hungry because they no longer get the meals through the school they desperately need. Why? Not because their parents don’t work, but because their employers pay them so little that no one can feed their family and put a roof over their head with these wages.

Then think of all the people who are working from home. Sadly there are many whose work cannot be done from home. This is hitting the minority communities the most.

This is where those of privilege have blinders. They fail to see how they got into a college not based on their grades alone, but because of legacy. A study of thirty elite colleges found that primary legacy students are an astonishing 45% more likely to get into a highly selective college or university than a non-legacy. Secondary legacies receive a lesser pick-me-up of 13%. [Article]

How do we fix this?

I do not hold the silver bullet that will answer this question. I can only say I can see some things we can do that could help.

• Open your homes – the eleven o’clock hour on Sunday morning in America has been called the most segregated time in America. We cannot just learn to work with people of different races. We need to truly create all-inclusive communities. This means we need to invite our co-workers and neighbors into our homes and build friendships.
• Get out of your comfort zone – Say yes to opportunities in your community. Volunteer for a Habitat for Humanity Build. Be intentional that you are looking for ways to move beyond your homogeneous circle.
• Challenge your Faith Community – See if your faith community could find another different faith community and do activities together to get to know each other. My church Roswell Presbyterian Church did a Race Reconciliation project where we were paired up with another socio-economic similar church that was African American. So we were mainly just different in skin tone and not economically. That was eye-opening for so many.

Steve Hixon and I talked a lot through college and this past year before he died, we talked by phone for a couple of hours. We were catching up, but the conversation went to our passions–helping people and our society. Steve didn’t have all the same opportunities that I had growing up. He was treated differently due to his skin color. I was also treated differently. If you don’t remember being refused anything due to your skin color, good chance you were experiencing privilege.

Steve realized we all needed to work together to overcome our past.

I believe tolerance and understanding are intertwined in the path toward human progress.

Let’s not let all the rioting make all of the white community uppity. Not much has changed since Steve Hixon, my college roommate, challenged me that I wouldn’t be welcomed into my home.

We must do as Keisha Lance Bottoms and Police Chief Erika Shields did on Sunday. They realized they cannot let justice be handled in the same way when it came to the night before when officers pulled two college students from their car on live TV and tased the male and roughed up the female student. They put everything else aside and reviewed all the body cameras from that event and moved swiftly and fired two of the officers. They put the others involved on desk duty for the time being.

Atlanta mayor: Two police officers fired over excessive use of force during George Floyd protest

It is time for action not more research on racism. I think Michael Jackson’s video Man in the Mirror hits perfectly.

“I am starting with the man in the mirror.”

– Michael Jacson

Okay people I need advice: Camera A or Camera B?

This type of question is asked over and over and over in every photography group I have been a part of in my entire life.

For all who continue to ask for advice, here is my response:

More Information

You need to give us more information or the advice you get will show you that those offering their advice know as little as you about it.

They make different cameras for many reasons.

1) Price drives so many people’s purchases that they make cameras stripped down to cater to those who price is the most important issue. If you have a budget range you need to stay in that is always helpful to know. There is the Best and then there is the Best you can afford.

2) What type of photography are you doing?
* Landscapes
* Headshots
* Events
* Sports
* Astronomy

3) How will the photos be used? This impacts the size of the sensor.
* Huge Prints
* Web

4) Available light or strobes? This also affects the type of sensor you need in the camera.

5) Do you need video capabilities?

These are just some of the many, many more things one considers when buying gear.

For example if you are doing headshots, the odds are high you will be using strobes. You don’t need a camera with high ISO and can get by with a much cheaper camera.

If you are shooting sports you need a camera with large buffer and frame shooting rate.

Anytime you ask for advice it is always best to tell us what you are primarily purchasing the equipment to shoot. The tell us where the photos are used. If you do this then the advice will be better for you.

Okay people I need advice: Lens A, Lens B or Lens C?

See advice above!

I am learning something new every time I use this software. It is packed with so many features. Personally I think it is ready, but I don’t have the inside scoop or all the possible things it does that might still be glitchy. For me it is awesome.

391864 is the total number of images I have put into the database of the program. Remember it is basically Photo Mechanic 6 + the database.

You can add the images when you ingest your cards into the database by just clicking the Auto Catalog option on the ingest screen. I am not doing this, because I am really only interested in a catalogue of the JPEGs that I have processed.

I just select all the JPEGs after exporting them from Lightroom and right click for this menu to add them to the catalogue. As you can see you can also remove them just as simply this way.

The reminder still pops up to let you know this is a beta version. I hope it comes out soon.

Like I mentioned last time the left pane looks the same with the addition of the Folder and Catalog tabs. Here I am in the Photo Mechanic 6 folders and basically not much different than what you are used to using.

In the catalog you can click on filter and then new and you will see this pop up as the default. I changed from rating to all the other ones and tested some of them. Works great.

I chose date created and got this menu. So you can find things easily by year, month and day by drilling down.

You can also get to similar searches through the browse tab on the side.

This is great for those who just want to drill down by different methods.

If you rate by colors you can see all those you have in a catalog that are rated any color. The same for number rating.

I think this is a great way to find your best work.

When you find photos they will appear the same as they do in Photo Mechanic 6 with one exception. There is a circle in the bottom next to the file name. If it is empty as here, you can see the image, but the image is offline.

If it is green, then the image is online and you can do more than just see it, you have access to the original image.

This one feature is what I think takes a while for images to pop up. The database is checking to see if they are connected.

For the photographer who wants to find what they have created this is awesome tool. I will be buying it once it is available.

I think I would love to see this integrated with online galleries like PhotoShelter, Flickr, SmugMug and all the other software that are part of your uploading process with Photo Mechanic 6. What I would love to see is maybe another circle or something that lets you know if you have this online for others to see.

I am just ready for the software to be permanently on my computer and no longer a Beta Version.

Sibling Red Shouldered Hawk is nesting in our Backyard in Roswell, Georgia. [NIKON Z 6, Sigma 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Sports + Sigma 2.0x Teleconverter TC-2001, Mode = Manual, ISO 5600, 1/1000, ƒ/8, (35mm = 550)]

Humanity has always been connected to animals around them. Many of us have pets we feel connected to for love and support.

“Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
    and spread its wings toward the south?

Job 39:26

Some Native American tribes’ traditions provide that each person is connected with nine different animals that will accompany him or her through life, acting as guides. Each animal is symbolic.

If you frequently see hawks in your life, it may be a call to see things from a higher perspective and focus on your observation skills. 

The Hawk is thought to represent a messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship.

Having a Red-Shouldered Hawk nest in our yard each year has been so much fun. Right now, during this Pandemic, it is a good distraction.

SEEING HAWKS OFTEN CAN MEAN …

• Hawks can easily reach incredible heights and touch the higher realms, heightening your spiritual awareness.
• Hawks soar high in the sky and can view life from this perspective. We need to look at the big picture and not get too wrapped up in the petty details. This might mean deepening our focus on the tasks at hand and not allowing ourselves to get distracted by the more minor details of life.
• Hawks represent leadership and taking the initiative. Hawks, take action. Maybe this is to remind us to take action.
• Hawks observe their area before taking action. You can study your situation thoroughly before making rash decisions, as every action has consequences.
• Hawks means that you are on the right path in life, and your spirit animal is there to ensure you keep on this path.

For Native Americans, hawks will show up when you need guidance from the universe and support from something beyond yourself. The hawk represents focus, strength, and poise and can show you your hidden abilities to lead yourself and others to a more positive outcome. Hawks can also help you to see the bigger picture and avoid getting caught up in the small details, so look to this powerful spirit animal the next time you need perspective on a particular situation.

Eloi DeLma pumps water while Mano Bilarga Tiendeno waits for water at the theology school in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. (Photo By: Stanley Leary)
[NIKON D2X, Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/400, ƒ/5, (35mm = 27)]

“Priming the Pump” is the operation of older pumps – a suction valve had to be primed with water so that the pump would function properly.

Priming the pump allows your customers to experience your product or service and start the buzz. You need to get people talking, hopefully in a positive way, about what you are offering.

Sales Funnel

This is the process through which a company finds, qualifies, and sells its products to buyers.

What many creatives struggle with the most is the business side of their work. While it can be very difficult and not very fun to do, it is the necessary part of getting those customers that will pay you to do what you love doing.

Don Miller of StoryBrand says that their experience is they have to work hard at building Familiarity and Trust before the prospect makes a purchase. They have found from just sending out free email content in various ways that it takes more than 80 of these before a customer makes a purchase.

I think this is why the funnel shape is so great for the visual person. It is large at one end and small at the other. You must do a lot of work to get that one client.

For someone like myself, it is getting examples of my work and how it helped other businesses in front of prospects.

One Campaign

Here is the video that helped this restaurant during the pandemic. I shared this with my prospective audience. But I needed another way to get this content in front of them.

I then did a blog post talking about what I did to give a peak into the process. [Click here to see that post]

Still, I needed to be sure I got in front of the client with more “Free Content” to give them a sample of what I do.

Then I did an “e-mail blast” to be sure they didn’t miss the blog post.

Remember what Don Miller said. He had to do more than 80 of these interactions before the prospect became a client.

I then thought can’t the prospect see how great these videos are for small businesses. I believe more and more that you must connect the dots for your prospects. I then decided to go back to the restaurant and find out how the video helped them.

I did another video capturing their comments and review. I was not just happy about their comments but blown away by how much they helped them.

I did this same process many times and plan to continue doing this to get my name out as well as what I can do for companies to improve their sales and for nonprofits to increase their giving.

I shared the original video of I Canita Cake and then followed up with the review video and posted it on my blog.

I am also posting these links on all the social media I can think of that would be helpful to those audiences.

If you are a communications colleague of mine I hope this inspires you to work on your sales funnel. If you are a prospect, please consider partnering with me so together we can help you work on your sales funnel by using storytelling as a way to engage your audience.

Paul Tiendeno at the theology school in Koudougou, Burkina Faso. They not only teach theology but farming to help the pastors feed their families while they minister as bi-vocational pastors. (Photo By: Stanley Leary)
[NIKON D2X, 18.0-50.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/320, ƒ/5, (35mm = 27)]

I am thinking about Chauncey Gardiner, the main character in Jerzy Kosinski’s classic novel, “Being There.” He said, “As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden. … There is much to be done during the winter, I must start the seeds for the spring, I must work the soil.”

Right now I am making the most of my time by doing projects to show my skills in storytelling.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

Every day I wake up and look for something I can do. One of the ways I have been keeping myself busy was doing videos to help businesses and organizations message out about what they are doing during this pandemic.

While the actual amount of time will depend on your business and circumstances, for a small to medium-sized business, a strong content marketing strategy generally takes between six and nine months to yield real results. I have also heard six to eighteen months as well as a realistic time to see a return on your investment.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

I am reminded through scripture that throughout history you can only do what you can control, your actions. You cannot be a puppet master and control others or God. You do what you can and must realize much is out of your hands.

I am doing videos to help my neighbors in Roswell, GA. These are my seeds.

What are your seeds? Are you working in your garden?

Here are a few videos I have done this past week.

Mendel Rashi, a Hungarian Jewish homeless gentleman who couldn’t quite remember his age, was headed to a Kroger store in Atlanta where he planned to sleep in a corner outside as protection from the cold weather. He likes to spend his days being free to roam with his carts of ‘silver and gold’ treasures. He has but four teeth and isn’t able to eat much except soft fruit, especially bananas. photo by © Robin Rayne/ZUMA PRESS

To minimize the risk of infection, photojournalist Robin Rayne is equipped with masks and gloves, in addition to disinfecting all the photographic equipment he carries on a daily basis. In search of stories, Robin has been on duty in visiting those on the fringes of society. Robin knows many journalists are covering the “Front Lines”, but he sees the need to show those who often fall through the cracks during crisis are not forgotten.

1 Corinthians 15:8-10 

8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Most of the stories I see from Robin make me say “there but for the grace of God go I.”

Every story must have a conflict and with Robin’s camera he puts that conflict front and center. The photos will be in your face and make you “Feel” and not just “See” the story.

While Robin has been looking for stories to do on those who often fall through the cracks, I have been looking for people and businesses to tell their story during this pandemic. I decided to tell Robin’s story. Here is a video I did on Robin.

Do you know of a nonprofit or business that is in a crisis due to this pandemic? Tell them about how I can help them get their story in front of their audience.

Take a look at the other videos I have done for businesses to help them tell what they are doing during this pandemic. Consider passing my information on to them.

Maybe you want to donate to me to do more stories like this one here.

Go here and there is more information for you.

Horse is a basketball shooting game where players take turns shooting at the hoop from different locations. If someone makes a shot but everyone else misses, those people get a letter toward the word ‘HORSE‘. The last person left standing wins! In photography we have shoot outs. Where we all are shooting the same subject at the same time.

There are events where people are not just interested in posting a picture for the fun of it, but need a hug. They need affirmation.

During the Southwestern Photojournalism Conference speaker Scott Kelby joked, “You go to Flickr for a hug.” The whole room started laughing and knew exactly what Scott was talking about.

You see all photographers love to have people respond to their photos.

So yesterday in Atlanta we had a joint effort from the Navy and the Air Force is part of multiple flyovers across the nation called America Strong — a “collaborative salute” to honor healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers as they combat COVID-19.

Before the event I was asked in an online chat with Zoom of other photographers where the best place to photograph them would be. Well, this is a clue that photographers all want a shot at getting an iconic image if possible and frankly to “Get A Hug”. To do this online you just look for those “LIKES”.

When it comes to likes on your photos my wife has me beat. She posted her photos on 11 Alive Weather group page. On this page as of writing this post she had 296 LIKES.

I gave her one of my cameras to shoot during the fly over. So Dorie shot the photos with the Nikon Z6 and the Nikon 28-300mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 lens. I set the camera up for her to shoot at the fastest shutter speed of 1/8000 and Auto ISO.

I did get likes on my Facebook and Instagram pages for the photos.

This was the one comment that made my day. It was my “Virtual Hug” .

I like it when someone notices something that I did that made my images “Different”. Notice I didn’t say “Better”.

Nikon Ambassador Dave Black changed my perspective on always trying to improve my photography. He opened my perspective by this one comment. Look for something “Different” not necessarily “Better”. Dave had discovered through his career that when something is “Different” the audience will stop and look.

So earlier this year I went to the Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta with my daughter Chelle. I had just bought the Flashpoint XPlor 600 HSS TTL monolights. We had fun playing around and looking for something “Different”.

It is easier to stand out by not shooting what everyone else photographs.

What I had hoped to get with the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds was them passing the King and Queen, but the location I picked didn’t have the advantage point I thought it had. Rather than spending time driving to look for a better angle, I just stayed put.

By the way once you go pro everyone expects you to have awesome photos, so you get less likes, unless you really get that “Different” photo that Dave Black talked about.