Thanksgiving is a lot about food

Charleston, SC [X-E2, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/10, 1/100]

Thanksgiving is a time for many people to stuff themselves with food.

Just Coffee Cooperative in Salvador Urbina, Chiapas, Mexico [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 720, ƒ/7.1, 1/100]

I am reminded of the many meals I have shared with people worldwide.

Just Coffee Cooperative in El Aguila, Chiapas, Mexico [NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/200]

Our family traditionally cooks a turkey.

Thanksgiving 2013 [COOLPIX P7000, ISO 1600, ƒ/8, 1/18]
Thanksgiving 2013 [COOLPIX P7000, ISO 1600, ƒ/2.8, 1/210]

We get together around food a lot throughout our lives.

Tami Chappel organized a memorial time for us at Manuel’s Tavern to celebrate the life of Dave “Mullet” Martin [X-E2, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/40]
Manuel’s Tavern to celebrate the life of Dave “Mullet” Martin [X-E2, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/3.6, 1/35]

My family loves to get together for food.

Family Vacation with the Leary Clan at Emerald Isle Beach [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 65535, ƒ/14, 1/80]

I am reminded today also how some people around the world cook their food and how little they have to eat.

A lady showed us her kitchen in Nicaragua [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 4500, ƒ/4, 1/100]

I stopped with David and Tammy Woods, where we bought some goat and lamb to eat while I covered them in Burkina Faso in West Africa.

This is a roadside restaurant on the way to BoBo from Ouagadougou.
(Photo By: Stanley Leary) [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 18-50mm f/2.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/400]
This young boy runs his restaurant roadside cafe in Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso, where they serve food, petrol, and drinks. (Photo by: Stanley Leary) [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 18-50mm f/2.8G, ISO 400, ƒ/2.8, 1/50]

After making me some coffee, the boy cooked some eggs for me to eat.

(Photo by: Stanley Leary) [NIKON D2X, AF Zoom 18-50mm f/2.8G, ISO 400, f/2.8, 1/90]

For the past few years, I have enjoyed traveling with Jeff Raymond, Pat Davison, and James Dockery, where we have tasted the food in many different countries together.

James Dockery in San Benito, Nicaragua [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 57600, ƒ/4, 1/100]
Jeff Raymond, James Dockery and Pat Davison in Kosovo [X-E2, XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1600, ƒ/4, 1/100] 
Togo, West Africa [NIKON D5, 35.0 mm f/1.4, ISO 1600, ƒ/1.4, 1/200]

I don’t always remember what the food was called, but I did enjoy it.

Shrimp and Grits – Charleston, SC [NIKON D5, Sigma24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 1400, ƒ/5.6, 1/100]

One thing Dorie, my wife, and I love to eat is Shrimp and Grits. We have had wide varieties in Charleston, SC.

Charleston, SC [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 2200, ƒ/8, 1/100]

In Lisbon, Portugal, we waited a couple of hours to eat at this restaurant where they serve the meat on a hot stone that you then cook your meat.

Lisbon Mission Storytelling Workshop [X-E2, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/2.8, 1/80]

I wish you a pleased and blessed Thanksgiving! Wishing you the gift of faith and the blessing of hope this thanksgiving day! We gather on this day to be thankful for what we have, the family we love, the friends we cherish, and the blessings that will come. Happy Thanksgiving!

The exotic can be next door

Umbrella Cockatoo [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1000, ƒ/4, 1/200]

I didn’t travel to Indonesia for these photos of the Umbrella Cockatoo where they originated. I walked down the street to my neighbor’s house.

Peggy Hewitt and her Green-Winged Macaws Parrot [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1250, ƒ/2.8, 1/200]

Peggy Hewitt, my neighbor, has 14 exotic birds she has rescued and is trying to find bird lovers to buy them from her.

Someone wanting to adopt a parrot must know they live a very long time as far as pets. The umbrella cockatoo is a long-term commitment for an owner — this species can live up to 70 years with proper care and attention.

Green-winged macaw parrot [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 2500, ƒ/4, 1/200]

Often photographers think that they must go somewhere exotic to find the unknown.

Well, my mentor Don Rutledge always said that the best stories are often in your backyard, or in my case, next door.

Conures Parrott [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1600, ƒ/3.6, 1/200]

I have lived at my house for the past nine years, and this is the very first time I have been to Peggy’s house and seen her birds.

When we first moved to our home, my daughter, Chelle, talked to her and saw all her birds.

When teaching photography one-on-one to a student at my house, I was trying to create some things we could photograph around the neighborhood. We ran into her and asked when we were out photographing the fall colors.

Peggy Hewitt holding her Umbrella Cockatoo [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 800, ƒ/3.6, 1/200]

I think the one thing that keeps most photographers from ever getting better is the fear of talking to people.

Fall in our yard [X-E3, XF55-200mm ƒ/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4.5, 1/100]

It is much easier to walk outside and look for nature shots than to walk next door and say hello to your neighbor.

While nature photos can be stunning, I don’t think any pictures from my yard were as exciting to look at until I talked to my neighbor. By taking the time to get to know my neighbor, I discovered something much more exotic than I would expect to find when I travel the world, but it was just next door.

Have you met your neighbors and found out what their hobbies are or what they do for work? Maybe your best pictures have been in your neighborhood all this time, and you were too scared to talk to people to find out.

This is Bull Dog, an Amazon parrot. He got his name after Peggy got him from his previous owner, who died. They figured out that the guy must be loved watching University of Georgia football because when football games were on TV, the bird yelled GO BULLDOGS!! [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1250, ƒ/2.8, 1/200]

Fighting the wrong fight with copyright

We have been fighting the wrong fight for copyright registration. That is my opinion.

For most of my career, we have told everyone that you own your copyright when you click your shutter. If you are on a company’s payroll, they hold that photo unless there is some written agreement giving you the copyright.

We know that is where the work-for-hire agreement came from when dealing with usage rights and copyright.

While the ownership of the copyright hasn’t been up for debate other than who owns it based on who is paying for the creation, the issue has been about the courts.

I was informed that you needed to register your copyright with the copyright office to be able to collect legal fees. Those are all the fees you can award if you win a case. The judge reviews all the legal fees and makes a separate ruling on how much the other side must pay for you taking this to court.

I learned early on that the going rate for copyright infringement cases was about $100,000 and took at least a year or more in the courts.

For the past 30 years, ASMP and NPPA that I am a member, have spent lots of money lobbying Congress to protect that registration process.

I believe there is a better solution today. Do away with copyright registration. Get congress to change the law that you can collect legal fees if you can show copyright infringement.

As far as proving your images are yours, there is Blockchain technology already on the market.

The idea of a blockchain — protecting data through an extensive network of computers — and applies the concept to managing photo rights. It is an “encrypted digital ledger of rights ownership for photographers.” Photographers can add new images as well as archive images to the system. Because of the blockchain structure, the data is stored on an extensive network of computers that helps create a public ledger, adds a layer of protection, and prevents data loss.

There are centralized and decentralized solutions right now available for Blockchain.

The point I make is that the current registration of your images with the copyright office is outdated. With blockchain, these servers can also police the web and find anyone using your images without rights.

Because Blockchain works so well with digital photographs, it will let you sell and track any usage of your images and keeps them from being used illegally since it codes pictures and makes them no longer easily copied and shared.

Blockchain can help us not just prove we shot an image. It serves as an agency and collector.

We need to change the copyright laws and not continue to use a system that is outdated and not serving the artist community well at all.

Millimeter Can Make The Difference

I have talked about shooting enough photos of a subject to allow our imagination and creativity to kick in.  Now that we are all doing just that (making plenty of pictures every time we approach a subject), we can see how even a millimeter’s change in angle can make the difference between a good and a great photograph.  Or, for that matter, it doesn’t take much to make the difference between a good shot and a crummy one.

If we print all the digital images from a shoot as large thumbnails, we’ll have several pages of images we can study side-by-side.  This should give us some insight about our work that is looking at our photos one at a time will never give us.

Editing software like PhotoShop allows us to rate photos from zero to five stars.  Here are some guides to use as we look to see if we have any FIVE STAR photos in that shoot.

Exposure.  Not just the technically correct one, but the proper exposure for the effect we wish to convey.  We can under-expose a little to emphasize graphics or over-exposed (this is done a lot in fashion photography to diminish skin tones or to highlight eyes and lips).

Model Hannah Broeils [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/125]

Focus.  I love selective focus, where the depth of field is very shallow.  This lets me direct the viewer’s attention to where I want it to go.  It makes the subject pop out.  We see this used in fashion and sports photography a lot.  Just the opposite (a deep depth of field) may be just what is needed in landscape photos, and indeed, it is a necessity in macro photography.

Togo, West Africa [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm ƒ/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/1.8, 1/125]

Anytime we make someone feel as if they can see into our photography, we have accomplished something.  After all, it is only a two-dimensional object.

The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden is a nonprofit botanical garden and nature preserve located on the 4-mile scenic route off Route 19 at 27-717 Old Māmalahoa Highway, Pāpa’ikou, Hawaii, Hawaii. [X-E3, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/18, 1/100]

Composition.  Medical students are told, “First, do no harm.” Photographers should take the same advice and leave out all unnecessary elements.  All composition is the selection of what should be in and out of the frame when we release the shutter.  Speaking of framing… to add depth to a picture, frame it as you take it.   Shoot under the branch of a tree or through a door or window.  A frame is only one of many visual elements that can draw a viewer into our photo.  Elements like leading lines will give it a three-dimensional feel.

Anytime we make someone feel as if they can see into our photography, we have accomplished something.  After all, it is only a two-dimensional object.

Matriculation Day 2017 The Citadel [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/320]

See how the feet are cut off.

Matriculation Day 2017
The Citadel [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/320]

We can include the feet and anchor the photo, barely moving the camera.

[Nikon D3, 24-120mm, ISO 200, ƒ/14, 1/250 – Alienbees B1600 for fill flash]

Lighting.  Light can draw one into the photo, too.  Light is probably the most dramatic, mood-setting tool we have as photographers, next to expression and body language.  The color temperature can be powerful.  The warm late evening light, the cool early morning colors, or the green cast of fluorescent office light each carries a mood of its own.

Togo, West Africa [Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/200]

Expression.  Realtors like to say what matters is location, location, location.  Portrait photographers KNOW that the composition may be beautiful, the lighting creative, the clothing and background perfect, but if the EXPRESSION isn’t what it needs to be…. No sale!  Is a smile what is needed? (By the way, NEVER tell ANYONE to smile.)  Most adults can’t turn it on an off and kids will come up with some rather unusual expression, but generally NOT a real smile.  If, as a photographer we need the to smile – naturally – then it is up to us to elicit one from them.  We owe them that.  After all, we ARE the photographers.  Usually pictures of people should show their faces.  Sounds obvious, but if our subjects are watching something happening, say a ball game or a birthday party, we must be sure we are not so distracted by the event that we forget what is important… our main subject, the faces of our subjects.

Body Language. We can photograph someone several feet away (and not even show their face) and still communicate much about them if we watch their body language.  Watch their arms.  It’s incredible what we say just by the position of our arms.  Do our subject’s arms communicate what we want?  Are they open or closed?  Is the person in our photo leaning forward or backward?  Does their position engage or pull back?  Do they appear to be sensitive or cold? Are they reaching out to another or pushing them away?

This little boy shepherd is part of the Fulani tribe known for being herders and working in the village of Soubakamedougou, Burkina Faso, on October 15, 2005. The Marlboro company gives hats to the young boy cowboys to promote their product in Burkina Faso. [NIKON D2X, 18.0-125.0 mm f/3.3-5.6, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/90]

The Eyes.  An eye doctor may tell us that the eyes don’t change.  Perhaps that is true in a technical sense.  Be that as it may, watch the eyes.  They describe it all!  However, it happens the eyes are the essence of a portrait.

Togo, West Africa [Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8G, ISO 100, ƒ/1.8, 1/200]

The Head.  A millimeter’s turn of the head and a slight tilt is all it takes to distinguish between zero and five-star photography.

This is in no way a comprehensive list; it is only a sampling of many things we must consider when “grading” photos.

By moving the camera merely a millimeter, you can include their feet rather than chop them off, leave them out, or have another person change the mood.

A millimeter can keep the tree from growing out of your spouse’s head.  Moving an inch to the left may let the camera see a person’s face better or distinguish the main subject from their surroundings.

When we shoot enough photos, we see the difference that just a millimeter’s change can make.  Then we will begin to see why one image is terrible and another is good.

In the Olympics, the difference in millimeters determines who wins and loses a race.  In photography, it can be what differentiates a great photo from the others.

Tips from Robin Rayne

SARAH ALLEN is both single mother and full-time — though untrained –nurse to her son Aidan, born with cerebral palsy and complex medical issues. State Medicaid regulations severely limit the number of hours her medically fragile son can have in-home nursing care, regardless of his doctor’s orders for medical necessity. Aidan needs 24-7 care and constant tube feeding. Sarah may soon be homeless because the house where she lives will be sold, and she has limited resources to find another home suitable for a severely disabled child. Her story illustrates several serious shortfalls within the Medicaid and Social Security Disability systems. PICTURED: Sarah cleans her son from a diaper changing. (photo by Robin Rayne/Zuma Press) [NIKON D4, 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 1000, f/5.6, 1/80]

Robin Rayne says, “Make your emotion work for you and not against you; remember, God gave you tears.”

Robin spends most of his time photographing today in the disabilities community. He is a photojournalist and documentary producer for the University of Georgia’s Institute on Human Development and Disability. His compelling images illustrating human rights, disability, and gender diversity issues are distributed internationally by Zuma Press.

Chelle Leary and her friends are attending their senior prom on March 10, 2017. (photo by Robin Rayne) [NIKON D4, 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 320, f/7.1, 1/25]

When I was traveling and could not photograph my daughter’s senior prom, Robin helped out for our family by getting photos of the critical event in our family.

Kelemen Szab, Dorie Griggs, and Chelle Leary are getting formal photos before Chelle’s Senior Prom. (photo by Robin Rayne) [NIKON D4, 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/40]

I can always count on Robin to capture those moments. I called Robin when I knew I was away for that all too important Prom.

Parents watch as the limo pulls away, taking our kids away for senior prom. (photo by Robin Rayne) [NIKON D4, 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 320, f/7.1, 1/60]

Robin sees moments and captures the emotions we feel. When asked how he does it with such emotional moments, he says, “I am thankful for autofocus when covering some stories because of all the tears.”

Great photojournalists embrace their emotions.

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

– Don McCullin
Robin Rayne was the keynote speaker for the FOCUS Atlanta event held at Professional Photographic Resources on March 10, 2018. [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 12800, ƒ/5, 1/30]

After Robin spoke this past weekend at the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, he commented that after talking with people about their portfolios, he always asked the critical question “WHY?” for the photos.

WHY does this story need to be told? WHY should the public care?

What is surprising to myself and Robin is asking this question you see the “deer in the headlights look” on their face.

Though it may be interesting or even entertaining, the maximum value of news is as a utility to empower the informed. The purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, communities, societies, and governments.

Ben and Sam Schwenker, now eight years old, were both diagnosed with autism when they were 18 months old. “Raising them is a daily challenge. We were unprepared, but we learn more daily,” says Jennifer, the boys’ mother.
     Autism spectrum disorders cut across all lines of race, class, and ethnicity. Autism impacts millions of children, adults, and their families worldwide. Boys have a significantly higher incidence of autism than girls: four out of every five people with autism are male. Because of the genetic link, siblings of a child with autism have a greater chance of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Autism spectrum disorders affect not only the person diagnosed with the disorder but also significantly impact the entire family with a variety of social, financial, and other practical demands.
     PICTURED: Now eight years old, Sam (in yellow) and Ben still spend much of their day after school and weekends on their trampoline. They are still non-verbal but understand some of what they hear. (photo by Robin Rayne/Zuma Press) [NIKON D700, 24.0-70.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 250, ƒ/8, 1/80]
 

Robin is a photojournalist and not just a photographer. Robin is not interested in just entertaining the public; he is interested in informing the public. He is most concerned with telling the stories of people who cannot tell their own stories.

Robin is the voice for the voiceless. Robin also sees his role as one who is calling the next generation to take up the call of photojournalism. He knows he alone cannot tell all the stories needing to be said.

When I asked Robin to speak to my Intro to Photojournalism class at Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, he challenged the class.

If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our “WHY.”

Robin explained how his why probably came about having a son with disabilities.

You have to find your niche. The combination of your WHY and HOWs is exclusively yours as your fingerprint.

Tips from covering event to celebrate Mohammad Ali

Valerie Jackson interviews Maryum Ali during the Islamic Speakers Bureau celebrating the Legacy of Mohammad Ali at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 25600, ƒ/5.6, 1/250]

Covering events requires you to think as a photographer. This event was to honor Mohammad Ali; to do so, they had his daughter Maryum Ali as the keynote address.

On the stage off to the sides, were banners with Mohammad Ali’s photo. I worked to the side to get that behind Maryum, so it helped to tell the story using primarily visuals.

Nouha Zaabab is a student at Georgia Tech studying International Affairs with a minor in pre-law. Coming from a liberal arts background at Georgia Tech, Nouha believes in the importance of interdisciplinary understanding to tackle global challenges. Upon completing her degree at Georgia Tech, Nouha plans to pursue a legal education. She is speaking at the Islamic Speakers Bureau celebrating the Legacy of Mohammad Ali at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. [NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 16000, ƒ/5.6, 1/250]
 

Now another issue in covering a dinner is the lighting.

Bill Bolling and Dorie Griggs at the Islamic Speakers Bureau celebrate Mohammad Ali’s Legacy at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, November 10, 2018. Bill Bolling served as executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank from founding the organization in 1979 until June 2015. [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 16000, ƒ/7.1, 1/13]

To be sure the people’s faces looked good, I had to use a flash, but the problem was then the background would go black.

I used a higher ISO 16000 to keep the background visible.

Islamic Speakers Bureau celebrates the Legacy of Mohammad Ali at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 16000, ƒ/7.1, 1/10]

I arrived early and had the guys running the sound and lighting board turn the lights on as they would be during the event. I then walked onto the stage and did a custom white balance using the ExpoDisc.

Using the ExpoDisc, I put this over the front of the lens and did an incident light reading and custom white balance.

Notice the direction of the light hitting the subject.  You move to the same position to get the light reading below.
Point the camera toward the direction of the light falling on the subject.

With the perfect color space from doing a custom white balance, the dynamic range is increased to the fullest potential with that light source.

Tips for covering events

  • Arrive Early and Leave Late
  • Adjust your ISO to work with your flash to show context
  • Look for angles to help capture visually what you need words to say about the event
  • Get custom white balance
  • Shoot RAW – Because no information is compressed with RAW, you’re able to produce higher quality images, as well as correct problem images that would be unrecoverable if shot in the JPEG format.

Improve your outside photos with flash

[NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 500, ƒ/5.6, 1/125]

When should you use a flash, inside or outside? Would it surprise you that I use the flash more often outside than most people?

[NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 640, ƒ/5.6, 1/100]

Compare this photo without a flash of the couple exchanging vows to celebrate their 25 years of marriage—no flash in this photo.

Carmen & Reaves Newsome 25th Anniversary Party [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 500, ƒ/5.6, 1/80]

Now, having a flash of the camera could put some light on the husband’s face.

You see, outside, you get some sunlight that will create harsh shadows. Off-camera flash lets you put the light where it needs to be.

[NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 640, ƒ/5.6, 1/80]

Often outside, like at this party, the background is so bright, and the people are in the shade. Without a flash, you would have blown out the background and very flat light on their faces.

[NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 2000, ƒ/9, 1/25]

In this group photo, I have the flashes off at 45º from my camera, which lets me improve the faces’ light.

[NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 1000, ƒ/4, 1/100]

I find that an off-camera flash at 45º to 90º creates three dimensions to an object.

[NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 25600, ƒ/3.5, 1/100]

I also take photos without the flash outside. Knowing when to use a flash and when not to use one is good. Sometimes the image can look great both ways, with and without a flash.

I recommend you try using off-camera flash outside. See what it can do for your photos.

Here is the Godox flash system I use and tips on using it.

Looking for fall color at Gibbs Gardens

Gibbs Gardens [X-E3, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 250, ƒ/9, 1/100]

This time of year, we are supposed to have the temperature drop and autumn set in, but today the low in my area was 51º, and the high of 76º Fahrenheit.

I drove up to Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia, to see if Mother Nature painted the treetops in vibrant red, orange, and gold hues.

Colors reflecting in the water at Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 640, ƒ/5.6, 1/100]

While the foliage isn’t widespread, I could isolate some colors.

Colors reflecting in the water at Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 3600, ƒ/10, 1/100]

Here are some of the colors I captured today. Enjoy!

Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, AF 35mm f/1.4G, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/800]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, AF 35mm f/1.4G, ISO 200, ƒ/1.4, 1/320]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/320]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/160]
Gibbs Gardens [X-E3, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 250, ƒ/8, 1/100]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 280, ƒ/11, 1/100]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 1800, ƒ/11, 1/100]
Gibbs Gardens [NIKON D5, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, ISO 220, ƒ/5.6, 1/100]

WHY??? WIIFM

It is Matriculation Day 2017 at The Citadel. Here each student goes from one line to another throughout the day. These are the student officers who will train the Knobs. They are part of the cadre. [Nikon D5, Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/1.8, 1/1600]

Why?

Well, there are many “WHY?” questions when it comes to communication. One that I am discovering is not asked enough is, “Why should the audience care?”

Most organizations want to communicate with an audience to get that audience to help them. But the most obvious question they are missing is the WIIFM question. What’s In It For Me?

WIIFM is the stuff that shows how or why what you have to sell or say matters to those to who you are trying to sell or say it too. It’s the value proposition, the thing that makes them realize that what you’re offering is worth their money or their time.

Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia on Saturday, October 6, 2018. [X-E2, XF55-200mm ƒ/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4.8, 1/1700]

I think most people think they have something important and that everyone will want to know.

The latest group of missionaries I worked with thought that churches should see their role as supporting them.

Picturing Justice at the Atlanta Legal Society – Featuring the work of Dustin Chambers, Melissa Golden, Andrew Lichtenstein, Robin Rayne & Beate Sass [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 640, ƒ/3.6, 1/60]

Now in consulting missionaries trying to connect with their supporters back home I had to remind them about WIIFM.

So, never forget that relationship building comes BEFORE favor asking. And there has to be a much bigger and better WIIFM when you approach people cold, without a solid relationship.

Teenager in San Benito, Nicaragua [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/1.8, 1/160]

That said, sometimes people will offer favors if they are charmed by you, like you, or are just in a good mood. But given how overwhelmed most people are these days, they usually appreciate and respond well to clear propositions with a straightforward action attached—and a benefit. Otherwise, you just become part of the noise.

For the journalist, WIIFM is the stuff that shows how or why what you have to say matters to those to who you are trying to say it.

Storytellers Abroad Multimedia Workshop – Kosovo Leadership Academy (KLA) [X-E2, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4, 1/105]

Wrapped up trip to Lima, Peru

Jeff Raymond talks with missionaries during our time planning the workshop logistics in January in Lima, Peru. [X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 640, ƒ/3.6, 1/100]

Spending time in Lima, Peru, this week has proven helpful. We could answer all the people’s questions later when we come back with 12 students and all the instructors.

Jeff talks with the leadership team in Lima, Peru. [X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 5000, ƒ/8, 1/100]

We covered what we are doing each day and how the team is helping us interview the people they recommended for stories.

[X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 2000, ƒ/4, 1/100]

We went to the presidential palace to see about this being where we would bring the group for an outing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwiTx1Ho_U
The Changing of the Guards ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Lima, Peru. Exterior … You shouldn’t miss the changing of the guards, which takes place each day at 11:30 am. [X-E2, XF55-200mm ƒ/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4.7, 1/1300]

At this moment, we still have like one spot left.

Go to Storytellers Abroad to see how to register and come with us to Peru.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrXTq_lvGE

Jon Stone is a professor at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Lima, Peru, and also one of those hosting the Storytellers Abroad team in January.

Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, Lima. [X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/7.1, 1/1400]

This is a must-visit for those interested in the early culture and how Christianity made its way to Peru. The Cathedral is beautifully designed, exterior and interior with natural skylights, and has a lovely garden within its compound. One of the most extensive libraries in Peru – a 2 tier, balconied library with spiral staircases that look very much like the movie of Harry Potter.

Underground Catacombs [X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/34]

The highlight of the visit is to the underground catacombs – up to 3 different basement tiers, and you would need a guide to bring you through. The catacombs served as a burial place for all in that era, i.e., the rich, the poor, and the priests, and the bones and esp skulls are arranged in neat rows of up to some 70,000 dead.

The Larcomar is a shopping center in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. [X-E3, XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 200, ƒ/3.6, 1/2900]

Larcomar is located on Avenida Jose Larco, along the cliff next to the ocean (mar means ‘sea’ in Spanish), thus the name Larcomar.

Souvenir Shopping. [X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4, 1/140]

Just one block from the big roundabout in Miraflores, you find Av. Petit Thouars. On blocks, 52 to 55 are many artisan markets selling nearly everything Peruvian craftsmanship. You get the typical souvenirs, nice artisan craftworks, beautiful silver jewelry and other silverware, clothes made of Peru’s famous alpaca, funny T-Shirts, pottery, paintings, wooden pieces, and much more from all over Peru.

[X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4, 1/150]

Traditional Peruvian clothing and products, from shoes to tote bags, are made of bright, bold textiles.

Vision Trip to Lima, Peru [X-E2, XF10-24mm ƒ/4 R OIS, ISO 5000, ƒ/4, 1/100]

The traditional Peruvian art form, known as ‘mates burilados,’ dates back 3,500 years.  The gourds tell a story of the customs, culture, people, history, and animals.  Hang them from a Christmas tree or use them as a decorative piece around your home.

[X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 800, ƒ/4, 1/100]

Research Trip to Lima, Peru

You can see where we are in Lima, Peru. This is the desert. Also, you know how this is a major city with over 10 million people living. [X-E3, XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/5, 1/2500]

Editor note: we still have two slots available for this trip in January. Go to Storytellers Abroad to see how to register and come with us to Peru.

Lima, Peru, is a desert. The weather patterns for South America generally move from East to West. Most of the moisture gets helped up in the Andes Mountains. The Andes is the most extended continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America.

There is a haze over the city due to so much dust from the desert.

People are building where they can live in Lima, Peru [X-E3, XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 800, ƒ/5.6, 1/2500]

People find places all over the area to build. Some rooms have some buildings similar to squatters in the United States. They make housing without plumbing and electricity.

One of the schools we will help tell stories about when we return in January. [X-E3, XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 1250, ƒ/4, 1/2000]

During this trip, we are talking to the locals and our hosts for our Storytellers Abroad trip this January.  We are visiting some possible locations where our students will be doing stories. We are doing this to see any potential issues we may need to plan around.

Some of the taxis are on the perimeter of the city. They are not allowed in some parts of Lima. [X-E2, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, ISO 200, ƒ/8, 1/180]

We have visited the location we will use as the classroom part of the workshop.

The classroom we will use. It will be reconfigured for our group with work tables. [X-E2, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, ISO 2000, ƒ/8, 1/100]

Simple things like planning for power strips, projectors, sound, food, and where we are staying are all being looked at and planned for in this trip.

We are asking security questions about is it safe to walk with cameras from where we are staying to the classroom each day?

John Stone is teaching at the seminary in Lima, Peru. He has been hosting and showing us around for this visit with his wife and parents. [X-E2, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, ISO 2500, ƒ/4, 1/100]

John’s credit card company sent him a promotion to eat at his favorite steak restaurant for 50% off. This place would likely be too expensive later for the class, but we love steak and a good deal.

Jeff Raymond and Stanley Leary at Ossa El Restaurante with our Tenderloin Steaks. [X-E3, XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 8000, ƒ/3.6, 1/100]

The food was outstanding.

Tenderloin Steak [X-E3, XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 5000, ƒ/3.6, 1/100]

Today we will meet with their team and visit the prenatal clinic they started to help pregnant mothers.

Anyone doing a story must plan. You need to know how you will get places and if the people are available and willing to participate in the story process.

Today we will talk to those helping us identify stories to be sure those subjects will be available when we return for us to follow them for three to five days solid.

We are also planning for the transportation of how we will get all 12 students to each of their stories and who will help them also with the translation during their interviews. We have four people coming on the trip who speak Spanish, but the rest will need translators.

Today we have to help get everyone to see these stories as the stories “WE” want to tell together. The subject, the translator, the transportation, the storyteller, the caterer, and more are all helping make these stories come alive.

Night class at the seminary in Lima, Peru. [X-E2, XF10-24mmF4 R OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/15]

We are still exploring today and tomorrow. The more we prepare to do a story, the better the story will be for the audience.

We see the older and newer generations on the streets in Lima, Peru. [X-E3, XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 800, ƒ/4.8, 1/2500]

Reviewing Photos for Portfolio

Alex Gomez & Kevin Williams [NIKON D5, 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/4000]

Every time I review images I have taken to see if I can update my website. I have found fewer “Portfolio” ideas when I pull from assignment work.

[Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8, TC-2001, ISO 22800, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000]Reviewing

What do I want to put on my website?

Georgia National Cemetery is the second national cemetery in Georgia and the 123rd in the national cemetery system. [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 220, ƒ/1.8, 1/8000]

Often I shoot things that are just important to me. They are actual photos you would put in your journal.

Cowgirls compete in barrel racing during the Celebrate Freedom Rodeo at Wills Park in Alpharetta, GA. [Nikon D5, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 Sport, ISO 64000, ƒ/2.8, 1/2500]

People are not always hiring photographers to document everything, but I see the value in it for no one else but me. I love to look back and remember what I have done and seen.

Paradise Helicopter Tour –– Kīlauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands and the most active of the five volcanoes forming the island of Hawaiʻi.[NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 1400, ƒ/8, 1/2000]

For example, I took a helicopter ride this year over the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. This is so different than what I shoot most of the time.

Hannah Broeils [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/125]
Debrinja Watts [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/5.6, 1/125]

I do many headshots like these actors studying at Columbus State University each year.

Chelle Leary [NIKON D5, 85.0 mm f/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/9, 1/160]

As every parent, I love doing things with our children. Making my daughter’s headshot for her to use in her career as an actress brings me great joy.

Oxnard Chick-fil-A Soccer [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, ISO 50, ƒ/11, 1/200]

While this isn’t a soccer game photo, I do find myself making interesting sports photos. So who will hire you to shoot this? Should this be on my website?

[Nikon D4, Sigma 35mm ƒ/1.4, ISO 50, ƒ/8, 1/200 – (2) Godox V860IIN + Godox X1NT]

How about a group photo? Well, many people do hire me to do team photos of their co-workers and, yes, sports teams as well.

Drive-Thru Bankhead Hwy FSR [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 2500, ƒ/14, 1/100]

Clients also hire me to photograph new things their company is doing. For example, Chick-fil-A started using canopies to help protect their team members, which helped speed up the drive-thru by being outside taking orders.

Staff in the newly renovated open work spaces at the Chick-fil-A Support Center [NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 220, ƒ/8, 1/100]

Do you put things on your website that are more of a trend? For example, many offices are renovating to the open office space design.

Stockton McGuire [NIKON D5, 85.0mm ƒ/1.8, ISO 100, ƒ/1.8, 1/320]

The biggest issue now facing corporate America is the lack of employees. The industry refers to this as attracting talent.

Margarett Phillips, Operator Commerce FSU & Highway Heroes Coordinator [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 400, ƒ/6.3, 1/40]

Companies are also trying to be sure they communicate their culture.

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]

So this year, I captured some fun things as well for clients. Do they belong in a portfolio?

Roswell Fireworks. [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 100, ƒ/11, 8]

While fireworks are fun to see, would anyone hire me to shoot any for them?

Boats in the bay of Hilo, Hawaiʻi. [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, ISO 250, ƒ/5.6, 1/200]

I got a lot of likes for this photo on my Instagram account, but does this go into my website to help me get jobs?

The hood ornament from a vintage Cadillac at the Old Car City in White, Georgia. [Fuji X-E3, 10-24mm, ISO 5000, ƒ/16, 1/200]

This year, I took an afternoon to go and explore the Old Car City in White, GA. I got some fantastic shots. Again many people liked them on Instagram, so does this mean they go into my website portfolio?

Sunnyvale FSU. [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 800, ƒ/5.6, 1/60]

I can see companies hiring me to shoot photos of their properties. They do want to remind people how to find them.

The Islamic Speakers Bureau gives Sally Yates the Courage award during their Change Makers Award Gala held at the Cobb Galleria on November 4, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia.[NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/200]

Now speakers at podiums lit by stage lighting are not that difficult to do, but should they be part of my portfolio? Can people figure out that those skills often transfer to something else if I can do one type of photography?

The California Honeydrops play at Terminal West in Atlanta, Georgia. [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 6400, ƒ/5.6, 1/200]

People are often more interested in the photos themselves, and if I have enough compelling images, I might get a call to shoot their event.

It is capturing the memory that is cherished for a lifetime for daughters. It was a great Chick-fil-A Daddy Daughter Date Night held at the Memphis Zoo on November 16, 2017.[NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 1250, ƒ/4, 1/10]

So how many images is enough? How many photos of events should I post?

The Summerall Guards perform half-time at the Parent’s Weekend football game at The Citadel in Charleston, SC.[NIKON D5, 120.0-300.0 mm ƒ/2.8, ISO 450, ƒ/5.6, 1/4000]

What will draw people to my website?

The Citadel. [X-E2, XF55-200mm ƒ/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 400, ƒ/4.2, 1/250]

I can tell you these are the thoughts of not just me but every photographer working today in this profession.

Roswell Fire Department is monitoring a tree whose branches are in the transformer, causing some arcing from power lines.[NIKON D5, 24.0-105.0 mm ƒ/4.0, ISO 65535, ƒ/9, 1/100]

What do you think? Do any of these photos need to be on my website as part of my portfolio? Should some never be in my portfolio?