Tag: missions

Meet Storyteller Hannah Bohrer

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 3 minutes

I walked over to Hannah Bohrer and asked her about her story. The night before, she had met her subject of the tale Marlen Talledo.

Marlen and Hannah at the premier showing of the videos. [Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, ISO 3200, ƒ/6.3, 1/60]

Marlen’s story moved Hannah. When Marlen showed up for the event we had for the community to see the videos we had been working on our last night in Lima, Hannah was excited to see Marlen.

When we were working with Hannah on the story, she was passionate about the content and all that she had learned about Marlen’s story.

Hannah talks with Pat Davison about her story. [Canon EOS 7D, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, ISO 3200, ƒ/4, 1/60]

One of the hardest things each student struggled with and through was cutting their videos down in time.

Andrea Carhuachîn helped translate Hannah’s video. Andrea lives in Peru and is in college studying communications and joined our workshop for the week as a translator. [Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, ISO 1600, ƒ/4.5, 1/60]

There were a few criteria for which we made our decisions. First, the missionaries picked people whose lives were changed by a particular ministry. We did stories on the seminary, a radio station, and the prenatal center.

Marlen Talledo is the director of Centro Prenatal Vida Nueva [english “New Life Prenatal Center”]. If the content didn’t help tell the story of how the Prenatal center changed her life, we cut that out of the story.

The other thing that was driving our stories was the audience. Why should the audience care, and how can they get involved? If the audience was to be at a conference where this video would be shown, we kept them in mind. If the audience were churches in the United States supporting the ABWE missionaries, we would be sure the content would engage them.

One way I helped teach this simple yet fundamental concept of storytelling was to ask people to think of communicating something to the mother or dad. Would how they tell the story change depending on which parent they were talking to at the moment.

Most of the videos were made for the United States churches that support ABWE and for the missionaries to use them with the Peruvian churches that support these ministries.

Hopefully, this gives you enough of the context for which Hannah made this video. Please comment below about what you think of the story.

If you want to learn how to have an experience like Hannah in a storytelling workshop, please consider joining us this June in Romania with Storytellers Abroad.

If you have a group that would like to have us come and teach you storytelling, then write to me so we can create a special workshop for your organization.

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Meet Storyteller Naomi Harward

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 2 minutes

I met Naomi Harward a couple of years ago at our Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Nicaragua. Naomi is one of the quietest people I have ever met.

Naomi working with James Dockery on her project. [Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, ISO 1600, ƒ/4, 1/60]

Naomi said many times that video isn’t something she likes. She prefers writing. We continued to push her out of her comfort zone.

Pat Davison looks at Naomi’s project. [Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, ISO 1600, ƒ/5.6, 1/60]

Each one of the instructors is direct when advising students. We do not beat around the bush. They give their strong opinions because they want the best story possible for the subject and audience.

Naomi is the only workshop participant who did her story in English and then had it translated into Spanish for subtitles.

Listen to Sara Lu tell her story and see how Naomi captured it for you here:

If you want to learn how to have an experience like Naomi in a storytelling workshop, please consider joining us this June in Romania with Storytellers Abroad.

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Meet Storyteller Stephanie Simmons

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 2 minutes

[photo above is of the seminary night classes that share the space with a school]

Jorge Quintana is a seminary student whose storyteller Stephanie Simmons was given to tell his story.

See the story she captured here.

Stephanie has lots of positive energy. She is always smiling.

Stephanie Simmons. Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/400, Focal Length = 35]

What I admired the most about Stephanie was her focus. She wanted to learn.

[X-E3, XF55-200mm ƒ/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS, ISO 5000, ƒ/7.1, 1/100, Focal Length = 300]

When I talked to her about her story before she did the interview, I could tell she had listened to the subjects. I could tell she cared for them and was sure she would stay true to the story.

[X-E3, XF18-55mm ƒ/2.8-4 R LM OIS, ISO 6400, ƒ/7.1, 1/100, Focal Length = 36]

Now I love to watch people and observe them. I noticed Stephanie would be on the edges of the group, participating but also listening.

[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 12800, ƒ/4, 1/200, Focal Length = 24]

When the instructors met each night to see who might need more help the next day on their stories, we all talked about how Stephanie welcomed ideas and was eager to learn.

If you want to learn how to tell a mission story like Stephanie, join us this June in Romania with Storytellers Abroad.

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Meet Storyteller Jay York

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Jay York is working on his story for the Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 32000, ƒ/6.3, 1/200, Focal Length = 24]

I have known Jay York for years. We met at the Southwestern Photojournalism Seminar in Fort Worth, Texas. Jay was using his vacations to photograph for the ABWE.

Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/800, Focal Length = 35]

Many years ago, photographers volunteered their time to help ABWE missionaries by taking photos of work worldwide that went into a database. During the film years, missionaries would have to go to Harrisburg, PA offices, look through all the 35mm slides, and get copies to use in their slide shows that they showed to churches and supporters on leave.

Jay York and translator Andrea Carhuachîn. Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 51200, ƒ/4, 1/200, Focal Length = 62]

During our week in Lima, Peru, Jay worked on a story about Elvira Cuevas Bolívar. Here is the package that Jay produced.

Jay worked methodically in ensuring he understood Elvira’s story, which is much bigger than told in this package, and worked with three instructors, Pat Davison, James Dockery, and me.

Jay York’s Story on Elvira Cuevas with Andrea Carhuachîn serving as translator. Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 2200, ƒ/4, 1/200, Focal Length = 24]

Jay wanted to understand every aspect of the storytelling process.

Elvira Cuevas – Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 4500, ƒ/4.5, 1/200, Focal Length = 68]

A couple of months before the trip, Jay switched camera systems to the Fuji mirrorless. Jay shot most of this project on the Fuji X-T3.

Jay York with Elvira Cuevas and her son Chris. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4.5, 1/200, Focal Length = 68]

If you want to learn how to tell a mission story like Jay, check out the opportunity with Storytellers Abroad.

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Meet Storyteller Josh Hart

by Stanley LearyPhotography
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Josh Hart Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 28800, ƒ/4, 1/200, Focal Length = 24]

Mr. Positivity is how I would describe Josh Hart. He was the first person to introduce himself to me when I first met the group in Lima, Peru. He was eager to learn and had a wonderful smile.

We sat by his computer and talked about his story on Darwin and Azucena Diaz. He went out and interviewed them, and then the next day, I was able to go with Josh as he spent more time getting B-Roll.

In film and television production, B-roll, B roll, B-reel, or B reel is supplemental or alternative footage intercut with the main shot. 

Here is the story that Josh produced during his week in Lima, Peru.

Josh Hart’s story on Darwin & Vanessa Diaz. He is a teacher at the Iglesia Evangelica Bautista “Las Flores” in San Juan de Lurigancho area of Lima, Peru. To the left is ABWE missionary Jon Stone who teaches at the seminary. During our time in Lima, Jon was a translator, driver, food coordinator, and more for the Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru
  [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/640, Focal Length = 28]

Each student had time with their subjects at a meal with everyone when we arrived. Then the following day, they hung out with them again, getting to know them better.

Josh Hart’s story on Darwin & Vanessa Diaz. Storytellers Abroad Workshop in Lima, Peru [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/640, Focal Length = 28]

Josh loves technology and shot his interviews in 4k. If you are not a geek, he shot the video with a high-resolution camera. This way, he could shoot the couple side by side and zoom in on one person at a time. This made it possible to shoot with one camera but get some variety out of the interview.

While working together shooting his B-Roll, I just hung back and watched. Since he had told me what he wanted to capture, I would add suggestions when he ran out of ideas.

Josh Hart’s story on Darwin & Vanessa Diaz. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/640, Focal Length = 28]

The one thing I was helping Josh with was how to put into words his direction to the couple and translate what he needed next. He could tell them he needed them to walk in order, but he was having difficulty telling them what they should think about when they were filmed.

“We capture you when you come to the church and have to take the taxi and unlock the building. Please do this a few times so I can film you from your front, back and side. Just do what you do every day when you make this trip.”

[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, ISO 100, ƒ/4, 1/640, Focal Length = 28]

“I want to capture the two of you doing a bible study together that you talked about in the interview. Find a passage you guys have been working on together. I need you both to talk back and forth.”

If you want to learn how to tell a mission story like Josh, join us this June in Romania with Storytellers Abroad.

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