Create Checklists and Digital Workflow

The top photo is one of the laminated lists I used in 2002.

When I mentioned in a recent post about creating a Digital Workflow that you laminate, one person asked for that list.

I have been doing this so long that I no longer need the list, but I came across one of my laminated lists in my van to help me be sure I had everything before I left the house for a photo shoot.

This list had four sides of two laminated cards with a clip.

“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.”

John Ruskin

I was shooting many college basketball games then and had to arrive early to put up remotes and turn on my strobes.

I also did many headshots and a couple of shots for a missionary agency.

Each assignment was often so different that I would bring some gear I wouldn’t use for another project.

Today, I still take the time to pack before I leave for a trip or photo shoot the day before.

Here are some things I am doing that impact my Digital Workflow.

Day Before Photo Shoot Preparation

·  Charge all camera batteries and other batteries

·  Format all XQD Memory Cards for Cameras in Camera

·  Inspect all camera sensors with Sensor Loupe

·  Clean, if necessary, the sensor with a Cleaning Kit

·  Make a list of gear needed for the photoshoot

  • Do I need a studio?
  • Do I need a tripod?
  • Am I doing a video?
  • Do I need microphones?
  • Do I need a constant light source for video?

·  Pack the necessary gear into cases

  • If flying, then I will weigh all the cases
  • Often, this is rearranging items to stay within the weight limit
  • If overweight, I will arrive extra early at the airport to get the Media Baggage Rate. This applies to only working media and not a hobbyist.

Day of Shoot

  • Check cameras one last time for battery power
  • Pack Van and leave
  • Meet contact and brief on expectations and any last-minute changes
  • Scout location – Often with client
  • Take gear out and assemble what is necessary
  • Go to each site and do a custom white balance
  • Pick all settings for the shoot
  • When changing locations, pick the custom white balance [on Nikon, I can store six different WB settings and just like the one needed or do a new custom white balance]
  • Go to spots I identified during scouting that would be ideal locations to shoot from just before the best time to be in those locations.
  • If there is a long shot list, I will pull this out, ensure I am on track, and help remind me of the next shot or place for the photoshoot.
  • Shoot the event
  • Check-in with the client before leaving

Post Processing

  1. Ingest to PhotoMechanic
  2. IPTC information is filled out, and part of the ingesting process
  3. Select the keepers
  4. Delete all untagged images
  5. Import into because I am shooting RAW
  6. Using metadata, I select all the photos with the same lens
  7. Select all with the same lens
  8. Go to the Develop Module “D” shortcut.
  9. On the far right, go to lens correction.
  10. Go back to the Library, pick another lens, and do the same until all photos have been lens-corrected
  11. Click on the profile and enable the profile for Adobe Color, or select another more appropriate profile by browsing in the menu.
  12. Tip for choosing multiple images shot in the same scene and making corrections all at once
  13. Go to settings and then tell it to Match Exposure on all those selected
  14. ⌘D unselect
  15. Go through them one by one and check that they are correct. Repeat this step for different scenes.
  16. Correct for blown-out highlights
  17. Pull in blacks if necessary
  18. I often use the Dehaze and Texture sliders.
  19. For sharpening, I use this technique
  20. Export all images to sRGB JPEGs Quality 80
  21. Open PhotoMechanic
  22. Upload to my PhotoShelter account for the client

I love the updated Adobe Lightroom. I am using three of the controls that, if used correctly, can help out some photos that, in the past, without these controls, would have been so-so photos.

I love the Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze sliders. I cannot recommend them enough.

I hold the Option key on the Mac for sharpening while sliding the Masking control. The masking is around 70 for my older cameras, 12 megapixels or less. Eighty is for my Nikon D5, and 90 is for the higher resolution cameras. Once I see the white edges, I slide the sharpening amount to 150.

When your quality isn’t up to standards, it is often because you skipped a step in your Digital Workflow.

“The highest cost of poor quality is when your customer buys it from someone else because they didn’t like yours.”

W. Edwards Deming

Become the best version of yourself

Pam Goldsmith is an emeritus winner of the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Her viola playing has been heard on countless records, films, and television shows. 
[NIKON D4, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5600, 1/125, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 28)]

“If you just focus on getting better, and not being the best, you have such a good time.”

James Acaster

The other day I was reminded I am working with many people at the top of the field, and when I work with those starting, I have to be patient. This post is about how to become a better you by reflecting on how I got to where I am today.

I have been so blessed to know some of the world’s best in a few fields. One of those is my sister-in-law Pam Goldsmith. I have written about her before.

She plays in the studio musicians group that plays for many of the movies, TV, records, and other places you would be surprised about. She sits in the first chair most of the time. When the studio musicians show up to play the music for a movie that has never been played, they don’t practice it–they play it for the first time, and 95% of the time, that was the last time they played it for the final recorded version you see in the movie. The 5% of the time, they do it again, it wasn’t due to their execution, but the composer realized during the recording that they made a mistake, and after a rewrite, they re-recorded it.

At the Suzuki Institute, children are nurtured through daily master classes. Each student receives focused attention from an expert teacher, group lessons, ensemble experiences, performances, and related musical enrichments. [NIKON D4, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 8000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 105)]

It takes a long time to get to that point of expertise from just learning to play the instrument.

Don Rutledge (photo by Ken Touchton)

In 1984 during my Spring Break, I was hired by Robert Reed at the Hickory Daily Record and would start working after graduating that May. While driving from Delaware to Hickory, North Carolina, I stopped by the International Mission Board to meet Don Rutledge.

Knolan Benfield is in Hawaii with me, helping teach posing to photography students with Youth With a Mission. (Photo by: Dennis Fahringer)

My uncle, Knolan Benfield, had worked with Don for more than nine years when they were on staff for the North American Mission Board in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the 1950s, Don was shooting stories for all the top magazines. He would go on to work with and help lift the quality of photography done by the mission magazines to compete with LIFE, Look, and National Geographic Magazine.

Pam Goldsmith grew up in California near all the great musicians and became one due to being surrounded by great viola players. In some ways, I was growing up in an environment of great photographers and storytellers.

I remember my uncle Knolan Benfield talking to me about getting to the top. You go and talk to the people at the top. He told me about many of the experiences where he noticed famous photographers at conferences standing by themselves because people feared them. He just walked up and talked to them and got to know them.

Today I know that very few at the very top of the profession can help others. These are the ones that can teach and not just do. Don Rutledge happened to be one of those few.

While Don taught me a lot about composition, body language, and learning to see the light, Knolan taught me how to create using lights.

Researchers are testing a new jet nozzle using a laser to measure its efficiency at the Georgia Tech Jet Propulsion Lab.

In 1993 I started to work at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech has been named one of the most prestigious schools in the world. My role there was storytelling on research, education, athletics, and alumni for distribution through campus publications and outside media. I worked there until 2002, and during this time, I perfected lighting.

Greg Thompson, Director of Corporate Communications, Chick-fil-A [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, Ä/1.8, 1/30]

In 2008 Greg Thompson, Director of Corporate Communications for Chick-fil-A, asked me to come and help him build his team. Chick-fil-A is the third largest American fast food restaurant chain and the largest whose specialty is chicken sandwiches.

Greg was building an incredible team. He recruited Ken Willis, who had run the largest PR agencies in Atlanta. He had just sold one of them and started a new agency KWI.

Greg was scooping up talent from Coke and Porter Novelli and recruiting some of the best students to start their careers with Chick-fil-A.

Again I was surrounded by some of the best in the storytelling profession.

Mark Johnson and Andrea Briscoe are in Mark’s office enjoying some time together. [Fuji X-E3, 18-55mm, ISO 1600, ƒ/5, 1/10]

In 2018 Mark Johnson, Senior Lecturer, Journalism at Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication for the University of Georgia, asked me to come and teach for the year Intro to Photojournalism to four different classes while they looked for a full-time professor with a Ph.D.

I quickly learned that I had worked my entire career with people at the top of their game. Everyone I worked with was always doing whatever it took to tell the story in the most effective way possible.

Many of these students were not desiring to be visual storytellers. Many took journalism as an undergrad degree before going to another profession like law.

Dennis Fahringer has been leading photography schools for 30+ years as the leader of the School of Photography at the University of the Nations in Kailua-Kona, HI, [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, Ä/14, 1/250]

In 2006 I got a call from Dennis Fahringer asking me to come to Kona, Hawaii, to teach his students lighting. He initially requested Joanna Pinneo, photographer for National Geographic Magazine, who told him to contact me. Joanna and I both worked with Don Rutledge.

Dennis’ students in YWAM had a passion for God. Most taking the class explored if photography was one of the ways they could serve the church or learn how to work their faith into running a photography business.

Using Studio Strobe for a “Walk and Talk”

Again I was asked to dial back from shooting at the highest level in my profession to talking to newbies about literally “Step One” in photography.

Michael Schwarz speaking to a group of photographers

I am often hiring photographers to help me with projects at Chick-fil-A. Two that I love to hire over and over are Michael Schwarz and Robin Rayne.

Robin Rayne

I have hired so many through the years, but only a few consistently meet the customer’s demands. When I hire either of them to do work, I know that I am sending to the customer storytellers who are not just as good as me but better than me. This is how I see them.

Be the best version of yourself!

  • Show Up! – It is incredible how many people don’t show up
  • Start With Baby Steps – you can’t skip the line. You have to start at the beginning
  • Stop Looking For Shortcut – “Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity” While it may look like a shortcut, it is often years of working hard, and you get a lucky break. If you are not prepared, then you may have just lost your one chance.
  • Accept Help From Others – Most of those at the top didn’t get along. Don’t be prideful; take the help.
  • Celebrate Small Accomplishments – Realize that learning at the level you are at at the moment is just as important as the finish line. Break down the “Big Goals” into bite-size pieces.
  • Help Others – Pay it forward. Don’t be about taking. Be known for giving.

“Become the BEST VERSION of Yourself!” | Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) | Top 10 Rules

How I Covered A Gala at The Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Harpist plays for the VIP Reception at Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala.”
[NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 4000, 1/200, ƒ/3.2, (35mm = 14)]

On October 12th, I was covering the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

This is how you take a group selfie inside the atrium of the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/200, ƒ/3.2, (35mm = 14)]

If you ever have to cover an event like this, I recommend a few things.

Two or More Cameras

Anytime you shoot professionally, you need a backup camera. This is in case one stops working for any reason at all. I tend to put the Nikon 28-300mm on one camera and the Nikon 14-24mm on the other.

I can get everything I need with this range of glass.

Andrea Young accepting her award at Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 16000, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 460)]

For this event, I had a third camera on a tripod with the Sigma 120-300mm & 2X converter so that I could shoot more straight into people’s faces from across the room rather than everything shooting up at them when I was closer.

Dr. Farah Khan introduces the award winner Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 14400, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

I had to be down front sometimes and shoot up at the speakers on the podium, as you see here.

Ann Cramer, Faraz Iqbal, Hiba Ghalib & Dr. Houda Abadi at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5600, 1/200, ƒ/4.8, (35mm = 62)]

After introducing a speaker to an award winner, I snapped a photo of them with some of the board members.

Award winner Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur’s acceptance speech at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/200, ƒ/5.3, (35mm = 100)]

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I went on stage before the event started and did a custom white balance with my Nikon Cameras. On the Nikon Z6 & Nikon D5, you can store up to 6 different presets. This way, you can do a custom white balance for the stage and then go to another room with a different setting and set it on an additional Preset.

Soumaya Khalifa, Executive Director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau with this year’s Award Winners Jill Savitt, Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur, Andrea Young, Dr. Houda Abadi & Duriya Farooqui at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5600, 1/200, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 36)]

Have a Flash

Now with the stage having two sets of lights at 45º to the location, it was even lighting. However, walking around in the Atrium of the Marriott Marquis, the light needed help with flash.

Duriya Farooqui in the center at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 7200, 1/200, ƒ/4, (35mm = 32)]

Laura Espeut, the second shooter, got this photo of me with the Nikon Z6 with a 28-300mm and the Godox V860ii on the camera and the MagMod Magshpere on the hot-shoe.

Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala [Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, Mode = Manual, ISO 3200, 1/80, ƒ/4, (35mm = 40)]

Save your Back

To carry two cameras, I use the HoldFast Gear Money Maker Two-Camera Harness with Silver Hardware (English Bridle, Chestnut)

HoldFast Gear Money Maker Two-Camera Harness with Silver Hardware (English Bridle, Chestnut, Medium)
Former Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta introduces Jill Savitt at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 22800, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

Quality Photography Demands A Digital Workflow

The bottom line is you need a workflow. You prepare days ahead, from talking with the client to managing expectations to getting a shot list. You then must prepare before the event by charging batteries and checking the sensor of each camera for dust.

I recommend you create a workflow list of things you need to do for every photo shoot. Be sure that the order you do things is in the correct order. Please print it out and even laminate that list and keep it with you in your camera bag.

Jill Savitt at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta during the Islamic Speakers Bureau’s “Celebrating Women of Influence ISB Gala” [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 180)]

In my last blog post, I showed you some of the white balance when done without a custom white balance and then doing one.

I hope you are hearing from me today that if the quality isn’t up to the standards you want to represent what you can do for clients, the answer is most likely in your workflow. It is something you skipped or modified from what is the ideal way to shoot the assignment.

Why You Should Use Custom White Balance

While I try to be consistent and do a custom white balance all the time, I confess I sometimes get sloppy and choose to try and fix it in Lightroom.

Here is a photo I shot with my Nikon Z6 shooting with Auto White Balance.

Temp: 3,350 Tent: +26 [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

When the camera is seeing this scene it is factoring in the projection screen behind the speaker which was a different color temperature than the speaker.

I realized all the photos on the stage were off, so I selected all of them and did a color balance based on my calibrated monitor. Here is the result.

Temp: 3,250 Tent: +4 [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 10000, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]

I had used the eye dropper on a microphone. Well, it is close but not perfect.

Then the next day I got there early and asked the lighting guy to turn the lights on so I could go on the stage and get a custom white balance using the ExpoDisc. Here is another blog post on using the ExpoDisc.

Temp: 3,650 Tint: +11 [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 11400, 1/200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 150)]

This is shot with the custom white balance. Big difference in nailing the skin tone.

Moral of the Story: Get A Custom White Balance

I recommend using the ExpoDisc. You can use it to help you 1) White Balance, 2) Set Exposure & 3) Dust Mapping. Here are the instructions for doing all this if you didn’t already know how.

Take the Time to Caption Your Photos

[Cristina Baccay Holdsworth, Eleanor Baccay Reece, & Blair D. Sullivan]

Back when I was on staff at Georgia Tech [1993 – 2001] Facebook had not been created and the iPhone didn’t exist. I was still shooting film.

While Match.com was founded in 1995 students were still doing silly things at Georgia Tech to get dates in 2001.

Clockwise: Qing Xu (dark grey shirt and back to camera), Roger Buggrabe, David Lee, Dan Ketuaryure & Gordon Jones

I was shooting with ISO 100 most of the time. This meant I was lighting almost everything inside.

L/R Benjamin Hobson, Jaclyn Schlieper and Blair Dowling

The cool thing is we did have PhotoShop. It was released February 19, 1990. This let me scan all the images we were making and put Metadata with each photo. So most of the photos we would put some caption information on each photo.

“Bucky” Johnson retires as director of bands at Georgia Tech the fall of 2001. Behind “Bucky” is Dr. Wayne Clough and Dean Galloway.

So often when we go back to photos the biggest problem is having some context around the photo.

2001 ground breaking for Georgia Tech’s Technology Square Groundbreaking are (left to right) Hilton Howell, chair, University System of Georgia; Georgia Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor; Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell; Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough; Susan Mendheim, president and chief executive, Midtown Alliance; and Buck Stith, Georgia Tech Foundation.

This week I stumbled over a folder of images that I created when I left Georgia Tech to start freelancing in April 2002.

Michelle Leary points to computer as mother Dorie Griggs looks on.

Seeing the family photos during this time of starting my new season as a full-time freelancer has put into perspective how long I have now been freelancing full-time.

Scott Godwin is being measured by Radar for his gate. Operating the radar is Jonathan Geisheimer.

Today it is easier than ever to just take a moment when you are in Lightroom, PhotoShop or Bridge to add just a few words about the photo that will help give context.

This is the info box in PhotoMechanic, which I use primarily for captioning and key-wording all my photos today.
PhotoShop Info box
Adobe Bridge info box
David & Bonita Leary wedding August 20, 1958. The reception was held at the Kistler house. This was the house my grandparents lived in during his early years as the pastor of First Baptist Church in Morganton, NC.

Without some captions generations in the future will not know any of the significance or who people are in the photos that you have been taking.

Don’t Rely on Social Media to Store Your Photos

My Samsung Galaxy S10 takes the wide shots at 3456 x 4608 pixels. When I upload this to Facebook it will cut that size to 1500 x 2000 pixels. This is basically cutting the quality in half.

For social media that is fine, but if later you want a large wall print now you are limited greatly to the size you can print.

There are many online services that you can use with your phone to store all your images at high resolution. Google Photos, Amazon Photos and many others can do a great job of storing images for you.

Adding Text with Google Photos

The process of adding a custom description to a single photo is the same whether you’re on the Google Photos app or website:

  1. Tap or click in to view a single photo, then select the information button (a small “i” icon) to view more details on the photo.
  2. You’ll see things like the capture date, file name, camera model and location — select “Add a description” to add more to it.
  3. There doesn’t seem to be a character limit (or if there is one it’s quite large), so go ahead and add in any extra information you think is relevant to the photo. Maybe a little back story, what’s going on in the picture or perhaps some other bit of information that can’t be picked up from the plain EXIF data of the photo.

The extra details should help if you’re searching for pictures in the future on Google Photos, but at least right now you’ll have those details synced up to that photo for your own benefit when you view it manually. Go forth and add all of the extra info your pictures deserve!

Looking Back 17 Years Ago

I came across a folder of images from when I was on staff at Georgia Tech. Just take a look at some of these memories. Can you find pictures on your computer from years ago?

In the past 20 years, technology has improved. Here is a scan I did 18 years ago:

Original [Gregory Abowd at the AWARE Home]

Then today using the latest Adobe PhotoShop software I was able to get this with just minor editing:

Gregory Abowd at the AWARE Home

The Raw Camera Filter has some cool features.

The best feature for scans is the Dehaze slider.

When you slide it to the right, you get less haze, which comes from a backlight that scans the film transparency.

The other feature is all the tools at the top of the Camera Raw. I use the Detail tool [two triangles] to adjust for noise and sharpening.

By the way, the Develop Module of Lightroom is the same as the Camera RAW filter of PhotoShop.

Hope this tip helps you if you have old transparency photos that you scanned and look washed out.

Here some photos I fixed just today

In 1996 I photographed Dr. Sam Shelton, the guy who designed the Olympic Torch.

Then in 2002, Dr. Sam Shelton designed the Winter Olympic Torch. These are some of the photos from then that were used to promote Georgia Tech’s involvement in the Olympics.

The Salt Lake City Olympic Games Torch 2002

While the cameras are better today, with enough light, the past cameras also did a great job.

The Olympic Torch for the Salt Lake Olympic Games in 2002.
Sam Shelton with the Olympic Cauldron SUV.
Olympic Cauldron

I have been going through old photos from 17 years ago during my last staff job before going full-time freelance in 2002.

Buzz

I worked at Georgia Tech as their only staff photographer, which I have done since 1993. I took lots of photos of Buzz, the mascot during those years.

Tech Square was just being built.

Christyn Magill

I was always in the research labs capturing the latest technology.

Mark Hay pulls a fishing net through the coast of Savannah to catch crabs for research. Erica A. Kinard is assisting him.

Sometimes those researchers were working on the coast of Georgia.

GT #35 Joe Burns takes on Citadel #4 Rob Nichols and knocks off his helmet.

Georgia Tech beat The Citadel back then. This year they lost to them.

GT #98 Merrix Watson tackles UNC # 33 Maurice Murphy.
Student Maria J. Kommeth sets a lens for the laser as professor Jeannette Yen looks on. This is research about microorganisms in the Biology Department.
Michelle E. Grant

I was often capturing lasers and the researchers working on projects.

Atlanta Beat Soccer

Be sure you store your images on hard drives. I recommend using SSD and having your pictures in 3 places. 

Travel Photography

A Jamaican dancer dances the limbo under a stick of fire held in place by coke bottles. 

Today’s digital camera makes travel photography more accessible than ever.

NEXTO DI NPS-10 Nexto Photo Storage – You add an SSD hard drive of your choice and size. Many photographers use the Samsung 2TB 860 EVO SATA III 2.5″ Internal SSD.

You’ll need several memory cards if you plan to take many pictures, or you can carry a small Memory Card Back-up Device to store and view your digital images. These are available in various hard drive capacities and are equipped with screens for viewing your pictures. You can keep your photos on your laptop and free up your digital cards for more photographs. 

The Island Breeze Lu’au at the Kona Beach Hotel in Kona, Hawaii, takes place just at dusk and makes for dramatic lighting. 

A single zoom lens such as an 18mm – 200 mm may be all you need to carry. Traveling light makes your trip more accessible and enjoyable and has some hidden advantages. I love shooting with my Nikon 28-300mm.

Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus

It is easier to make natural photos when people don’t perceive you as a professional photographer. They relax and are more themselves. Whipping out a considerable lens or lugging a large camera bag around can intimidate your subjects. Another advantage to traveling light – you want to attract as many thieves. 

Buy a good guidebook about the places you plan to visit. National Geographic publishes excellent travel guides that help you plan your trip and your photography. We used their book for our trip to Hawaii. 

Guidebooks tell you about incredible places, and many describe the best time of day to photograph specific locations. Guidebooks are a must-have. They’ll keep you from being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the bad light for great photos. 

Check out the postcards. They can save you time finding the best angle. Looking at the postcards and perhaps asking the locals where they were made puts you on the trail to the most scenic locations for great photos. Once you find that general area look around, and you can probably improve on the postcard picture. 

At the Holei Pali Lookout, just before the 15-mile marker, there is an excellent view of the mountain lava flows, where you get a feel for the volume of a’a and pahoehoe that drooled down the mountain.

Make the best photograph possible when you find the perfect spot, then do the obligatory “in-front-of” shot. You know, the one that shows that you and yours were there, but be careful. There are a couple of things to watch out for. Place the family so that where you are is (1) the only place that photo could have been made. Place the people to one side, perhaps up close, so that (2) the folks are recognizable and be sure the “scenic attraction” is also identifiable in the photo. If you covered it up, you could have stayed home and taken the picture in the backyard. 

Compose the background first
And then put the people in the photo. South Point, Hawaii, is the southernmost tip of the United States. 

Overshooting ensures excellent photos. Give yourself room to edit when you’re back home. If you seldom write, you probably wouldn’t use the first sentence you thought of to start a paper. In writing, we usually put down as many thoughts as we can and then edit. From all the thoughts and ideas jotted down, we find the ones that work best. 

A young boy makes me some coffee using Nescafe Instant coffee at a roadside cafe in Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso, where they serve food, petrol, and drinks. [Nikon D2X, Sigma 18-50mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/50, Focal Length = 27]

Do the same in photography. Take lots and lots of photos. It gets the creative juices flowing. Besides, it’s fun. Try different angles: close-up, wide angle, zooming in. Shoot at low angles, climb up high and look for new ways of seeing the subject. Back up and take the long, establishing shot. Turn around and see what’s behind you; it could be just as exciting as what is in front. 

Use your camera to journal your trip. Photograph the food you eat, where you stay, and the people you meet. Some of these “notes” may appear in large print on your wall. 

Different angle highlights the cultural differences of these kids in a class in West Africa.  [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 18-50mm f/2.8G, ISO 400, ƒ/6.3, 1/50, Focal Length = 75]

With digital, you can shoot a thousand rolls of film and fit it into a memory card. Talk about traveling light… and cheap -no film cost. 

I’ve never heard anyone say they took too many photos on their trip. I have listened to the sad stories of many people who left the camera in the room and missed golden opportunities. 

Expression

A person’s expression can make the photograph or break it.

Everyone recognizes and is affected by people’s expressions of being happy, sleepy, cheerful, silly… you get the idea.

[NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/250, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

Understanding how our feelings we translated into expressions helps you understand and capture these moments. 

You need to learn to look at people’s expressions and immediately be able to know how this makes you feel.  Your reactions to others’ expressions help you understand the power of what they are communicating to the world through their expressions.  One of the benefits of this exercise is realizing each of us is expressing how we feel to the world through our expressions.

Storytellers Abroad Multimedia Workshop Kosovo Leadership Academy (KLA) [NIKON D5, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 400, 1/100, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

Once you have taken the time to realize what an expression communicates, you can then ask what causes this expression.  The answer to this question will help one to anticipate.  What caused them to smile?  This cause and effect help you know when you recognize those events that get reactions—you need only point the camera in the right direction and zoom in for a successful photograph.

Chelle celebrated her 11th birthday on Sunday, November 1st, with Julia, Katarina & her sister, Simone, Fiona, and Erin Snedeker [NIKON D3, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1250, 1/20, ƒ/4, (35mm = 14)]

When people open their birthday presents, those who bought the gifts will often know if this was on the person’s wish list.  Watching my daughter open her presents on her birthday and Christmas was easy to anticipate the expressions of joy.

Alfred Eisenstaedt, known to millions worldwide through his work for LIFE Magazine, made a famous photograph of children’s reactions to a puppet show.  Today professional photographers point their cameras as much to the reactions as the actions for storytelling expressions.

Monday in Trinidad [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/250, ƒ/4, (35mm = 48)]

Where are some of the best places to start making great expression-driven photos?  I think special events with some obvious timeline scheduled events are the best places to start—opening the presents we have already mentioned.  Another would be an audience reaction to a speaker. 

RPC Children’s Choirs present “Table for Five. . . Thousand! The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes” A musical by Tom S. Long and Allen Pote Mother’s Day [NIKON D3S, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5600, 1/500, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 120)]

Some funniest expressions are when people forget they are the center of attention—like a children’s performance.  Parents can capture great photos of their children during performances.  But to capture the expressions, you have to be close.

[NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 51200, 1/80, ƒ/16, (35mm = 105)]

A good rule of thumb for ensuring an expression is seen to remember can you tell time by the size of the person’s face.  There is a convenient reason we do not have wristwatches hanging on walls to tell time and just a good reason we don’t wear wall clocks on our wrists.  When you look at a wristwatch on your hand, it is very close to your face.  It is almost the same size as the clock face on the wall across the room when you hold your hand up with the clock on the wall in the background.

Military Appreciation Event [NIKON D4, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/250, ƒ/5, (35mm = 40)]

So, if you want people to see the expressions get close.  Great expressions only work if they have the “WOW” factor, which is achieved by the expression being large enough for people to see.

Are you a Hawker or Fixer?

Hawker – a person who travels around selling goods, typically advertising them by shouting.

Fixer – A fixer is someone who carries out assignments for someone else or is good at solving problems for others. The term has different meanings in different contexts. In British usage, the time is neutral, meaning “the sort of person who solves problems and gets things done.” 

Stanley Leary Portrait

I have always been a fixer. I am a fixer. I like problems, and I like puzzles, and I like to help people, so I have been a fixer, and I have always been an educator.

Tabatha Coffey

I feel like Tabatha says what I believe about myself so reasonably. Just the other day, a college student came and stayed with us. He had an event to go to the next day in our town.

While we were sitting around, he pulled out his Macbook Pro and a separate keyboard and mouse. I asked why he was using the keyboard.

His trackpad and keyboard were no longer working. He was a poor student; before he left our house, I had the trackpad and mouse working again. It was my mission to solve his problem.

Become a fixer, not just a fixture.

Anthony J. D’Angelo

Sometimes you need to be a Hawker because you cannot find anything to fix for others. Hawking is then a matter of telling people the skills you have to fix things they have forgotten to mention.

Cesare Bambaro (male Lay Leader) is the lay leader of 1st Baptist Garango. Jay Shafto helps with the translation from the Bissa language into English. (Photo by: Stanley Leary) [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 70-200mm f/2.8D, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/250, Focal Length = 270]

The problem is if you see yourself as a Hawker, you cannot become the Fixer. You are too busy, Hawking.

Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You’d be amazed how many companies don’t listen to their customers.

Ross Perot

I would change that quote to “Spend a lot of time asking questions and listening to customers face to face.”

Your questions should not be “do you have photography needs,” but what keeps you up at night? What are the most significant problems your customers are struggling with today? How is that different than a few years ago?

Get to know their business, not just look for how they can use your business. Sometimes the best way to build a client is to refer them to someone else for something you don’t do, but someone you know does well. They will remember you.

While there are times you may need to be a Hawker, spend most of your time trying to be a Fixer.

Want to be a full-time Pro?

I have written several posts in the past talking about business practices to make it.

Today I want to address what I have noticed is the difference between those who are successful and those who fail.

Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) breaks up an interception attempt by Duke cornerback Josh Blackwell (31) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday, August 31, 2019. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 22800, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 380)]

What kind of a Dreamer are you?

There are typically two types of photographers—some dream about having the experience of enjoying the perks of being a photographer.

Former President Jimmy Carter speaks to the moderator Karin Ryan, senior policy advisor on human rights and special representative on women and girls at the Carter Center during the Harmonizing Religion and Human Rights Conversations at The Carter Center on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. [NIKON Z 6, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 10000, ƒ/5.6, 1/200]

I know many people are fascinated by who I have met as a photographer.

Tonight’s Sunset is looking towards the Andes Mountains from Santiago, Chile. [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 450, 1/100, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 75)]

Many people want the experience of seeing the world. Whatever they dream about is more about the experience of being a photographer that occupies their dreams.

The other type of photographer dreams as well. They are thinking about their clients and prospects. They are thinking of how their photography can help them.

Cosmic Bowling for 2014 Awards Book [NIKON D750, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2200, 1/80, ƒ/1.8, (35mm = 85)]

I often find myself thinking through assignments and what I will need to help take the end product up a notch. I am thinking about questions I need to ask to understand the expectations of clients and prospects better.

If you dream about how fun it would be to have a career, then don’t pursue this as a career; keep it as a hobby.

However, if you are thinking of how to problem solve for people to use your skills to improve their lives–you might make it.

Creating a Portfolio

[NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/160, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

Creating a portfolio should be about showing what you can do so that others can decide to hire you. The decisions on what should go into your portfolio should be to persuade people that your work style will help them promote their business.

Island Breeze Performance [NIKON D3S, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 400, 1/500, ƒ/3.2, (35mm = 14)]

With my portfolio, I like to show my skills to educated buyers. Most of the time, I am hired by people who are used to hiring photographers and therefore are looking for competency and warmth.

I like to show my ability to create using light and not just capturing the natural light.

Fire Dancer [NIKON D3S, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/100]

My good friend Tony Messano, an art director, coached me to show a different skill with each photo. Once you have established you can do something, don’t just show the same talent over and over.

Duke 3 vs Alabama 42 Final Score [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]

One of the skills I like to show is my ability to get the moment. Sports photos show this, but everyday life that seems to be moving slowly is just as fast as a sports game. This is true when looking for that “slice of life” to grab people’s attention and move their hearts, as you need to do with nonprofits.

The Cows at Roswell Town Center celebrate Cow Appreciation Day 2018 in Roswell, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma 24-105mm, ISO 400, ƒ/5.6, 1/3200 – Godox V860IIN + Godox X1NT]

Some clients want to know that I can “Create a Moment” as much as capture it.

This police officer is modeling the AmeriGlo serrated ghost ring. AmeriGlo sights are machined from solid bar stock steel and assembled with laser-sealed tritium lamps. Unsurpassed tritium brightness makes this ideal for law enforcement, public safety, personal defense, and recreational use. This photo was made for the client to use in a display for a trade show.
 [NIKON D100, 24-120mm , Mode = Manual, ISO , 1/160, ƒ/22, (35mm = 300)]
Dodge Viper [COOLPIX P7000, , Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/1000, ƒ/7.1, (35mm = 119)]

While the ability to get the norm is required, bringing the unexpected is what can separate you from others.

Bertil Brahn, Clean Air [NIKON D2Xs, AF Zoom 122-300mm f/2.8D, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/8, ƒ/14, (35mm = 330)]

My tips for a portfolio

  • Your Best Technically Executed Photos
  • Photos that evoke emotions and engage the viewer
  • Show your technical versatility
  • Each image shows something different
  • Show you can work with a subject
  • Show who has already used you
  • Show what you love to shoot – Your Passion [that people will pay you to shoot]
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl 2018 Florida vs. Michigan [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 32000, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 550)]
Fruits sold in Chick-fil-A [NIKON D750, 120.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/40, ƒ/6.3, (35mm = 270)]
Father and Son Campout [NIKON D3S, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 3200, 1/25, ƒ/3.8, (35mm = 28)]

I like to show clients I know how to capture lasers which are invisible to the eye most of the time.

Researchers are testing a new jet nozzle using a laser to measure its efficiency at the Georgia Tech Jet Propulsion Lab.

Photography is about transporting people to a moment in time that they would also like to be a part of.

People’s Fest @ Atlantic Station Celebrating the launch of People’s Food Truck Featuring Marc Broussard [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/125, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 14)]
Early morning walk on the beach at Ocean Isle, North Carolina. Leary Family Vacation [NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 24-105mm f/4G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 110, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 48)]

You are busy but not Happy

Sometimes you have done an excellent job promoting yourself, but you forget to pursue your passion. This is why you should do personal projects that help define what you are most passionate about. While you may still need to do some of the work you are good at to pay the bills, you must also have projects on your calendar that you look forward to.

Children of the local pastor in his corn field in Togo, West Africa [NIKON D5, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/2000, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]

I love shooting the work missionaries are doing around the world. I love meeting people from all walks of life.

Herăști, Giurgiu, Romania [NIKON D750, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 1400, 1/100, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 250)]
Work in remote village of El Pedrero, Honduras. [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 15)]
Father Flor Maria Rigoni, “a world leader in the field of migration,” after working in Europe and Africa, Father Rigoni settled in Mexico in 1985. Since then, he has fought tirelessly to better the lives of migrants seeking relief at the Scalabrinians’ Bethlehem shelter in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
  [NIKON D3S, 24.0-120.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 800, 1/250, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 82)]

Check out how I have presented my work on my website under “Portfolio” http://stanleyleary.com/.

Calibrating the Face for Portraits

Christi Lamb
[NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

Every semester I go down to Columbus, Georgia, and help Columbus State University Theatre majors by doing headshots for a small price.

I find that getting actors in front of the camera requires permission to show what they can do with their faces. To be a good actor, they often spend a lot of time in front of a mirror perfecting expressions.

I think of this as stretching before you run or warming up the voice.

Then when you hit an expression, you are more relaxed.

Debrinja Watts [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4.5, (35mm = 85)]

When you laugh, it is more genuine.

Gabrielle Solomon [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

I always have so much fun with the actors.

Jasmine Campbell [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

This year we had more freshmen than in the past. It was great to meet so many new students. I can’t wait to see them in performances.

Britt Woods [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

While often this is all you will see as the final headshot they use, we had fun working on this to get those natural and authentic expressions.

Next time you have your portrait made, ask the photographer to let you try a range of expressions.

Kiki Ellis [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

Ian Rossin is not trying to be an actor; he is studying theatre tech. Those guys deal with lighting, sound, costumes, and set design. He, however, could easily find himself on stage or in front of the camera.

I had a couple who just tried more expressions than I have seen out of one person.

Coco Holt [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

To be a professional actor/actress, you have to be able to do more than just one expression: the more you can do, the more opportunities for different roles.

Coco Holt [NIKON Z 6, 85.0 mm f/1.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/125, ƒ/4, (35mm = 85)]

Now my clients are promoting me since I started doing this