Don Rutledge my mentor

Don's awareness of body language is sometimes very clear-cut like here in this photograph of teacher and students. Often the body language is more subtle in Don's photographs. Body language is always important in Don's photographs.

I am processing film at the Hickory Daily Record when I get a phone call from Don Rutledge. He told me about an entry-level photographer position for the International Mission Board.

The chance to learn from Don Rutledge was one of the best opportunities in my life. While I wanted Don to look at my work, it was Don taking time to walk me through his contact sheets that helped me the most.

Don’s storytelling with his camera helped missionaries realize God's calling for them. Those impacted by his work is vast.  Just as vast as his stories are those he mentored.

Harley Shields is a Southern Baptist Home Missionary whose work place is Selawik, Alaska. Don photographed him in 1978.

Unless Don was on the phone his door was open at the office. While I worked with Don I cannot remember how many people that came by or called to ask for Don’s advice. No matter how bad their work, Don treated each and everyone with honor, dignity and respect.

He always looked for something positive to talk about with them. I learned that when Don would look through my contact sheets if he passed over a sheet then he couldn’t find something to say something positive. He was often very quiet while looking at my work early on.  He would then reach for his contact sheets to talk—rather than say my work stunk.

In 1967 Don Rutledge went inside the Arctic Circle and captured this Eskimo child playing.

What Don taught me was how important it was to not use visual gimmicks to create interest in a subject. Don taught me to learn how to compose a scene like you might see a stage in theater. When the curtain rises the composition has been done, but then the scene develops. The audience doesn’t get different camera angles; they see the subjects moving in the scene. Don helped me to understand the rise, the peak and the fall of the action. He showed me my contact sheets should show this rise, peak and fall.

"Don discovered these two youngsters who proudly displayed the results of their morning hunt. In that section of Cincinnati, rats were not particularly difficult quarry to locate," said Walker Knight.

Don then taught me how important it was to understand body language. I remember him showing me a series on a contact sheet. See the mother reaching out to the baby.  See how just before she touches the baby it is more powerful image than we she actually touches the baby. The anticipation is stronger than the actual touch. He then reminded me of Michael Angelo’s Sistine Chapel painting of the creation of Adam. Reaching of God and not touching.

Don understood how important the relationship of people to each other in the photo is the real power of the storytelling image.

In the Philippines families cluster together for meal.

Don understood that his God gave his life for a relationship with each one of us. Nothing was more important than to establish and grow relationships. All of Don’s work was to show the power of God’s love. You either see the celebration of God’s love or you feel the sadness of someone who isn’t letting God into their life.

Don helped me to realize how I could fulfill my call to ministry with the camera. Don was a pastor who realized the camera was a pulpit and the congregation wasn’t limited by the walls of a church.

Don Rutledge

My clients today tell me often how much they like my storytelling. My success is due to Don taking me under his wing and teaching me.

Some of my friends who were also mentored by Don have commented to me that they can see Don’s influence in my work. While this always brings a tear and lump in my throat it has been photographers who thank me for teaching them that makes me the proudest.

The greatest way I have to honor Don is to make photos that respect the subject and tell their story. Also helping other photographers like Don helped me is a way to pay it forward.

I can never thank Don enough for helping me to see the world through God's eyes.

Reuinted after 33 years

Dr. Ken Day enjoys catching up with Knolan Benfield after some 33 years.

A couple of days ago Nicholas Spratlen sent me an email that he and his friend Dr. Ken Day wanted to come and see the missions photo exhibit at Roswell Presbyterian Church.  They both get my e.Newsletters and read my blog and were fascinated with the concept.

I was pretty excited because they didn't know that my uncle Knolan Benfield was coming to town the same day for a visit.  We met them at the church and frankly Nicholas and I barely got a word in, Knolan and Ken were just enjoying catching up and swapping stories about what it was like working together for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board during the 1960s and 70s. 

Dr. Ken Day and Knolan Benfield

"What impressed me the most about Ken was when he became the head of the communications division he went back to school and got his Phd in communications from the University of Georgia," said Knolan. Today for the first time he told Ken about how he felt.  Ken was sort of paralyzed for a moment. No one had ever thanked him for doing that.

It reminded me how important it is to tell people the positive things they do for you.

The other day I wrote to my friend John Spink, a photographer for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.  I was just taken back at how consistent his work was in the paper and with all the cutbacks it is hard to work for a newspaper these days.  I just wrote and told him I was really impressed with his work.

John's response was unbelievable.  He said the comments made a big difference for him that day.

The reason for the get together, the missions photo exhibit that I curated for Roswell Presbyterian Church.

Take the time today and pick up the phone, get on facebook, send an email or just send a hand written card to someone.  Thank them for what they did in your life.

I had to share these photos of Ken and Knolan, because you can see in their faces that they really were enjoying each other.  We all need that in our lives.

Learning from the Masters

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery…

Last week someone said to me, “I love the Rembrandt lighting you used in the portrait of our CEO.” A day or so after that a photographer friend of mine mentioned that she could see Eugene Smith’s influence in my photography.

Well, I don’t mind telling you I felt really good. Those familiar with the work of Eugene Smith know how flattered I felt.

As my interest in photography developed (pardon the pun) I became fascinated with the work of great photographers. I studied their work until I felt I knew why they were considered Greats.

Several years into the profession I was privileged to work with Don Rutledge; an extraordinary photographer. Don had an encyclopedic knowledge of photographers both legendary and contemporary. 

 “Writers,” Don would say, “can talk at length about famous writers, but most photographers don’t know anything about the greats in our field. How can they expect to learn if they don’t study”?

An interest in learning from the masters can turn a trip to an art museum or a stroll through local art galleries into an exhilarating adventure.

What kind lighting did the painter use: Was it midday sun, window light or was it a single candle creating the mood?

Why did the artist choose this moment, that expression, those surroundings? This is a fascinating study and it all comes back to you as you are composing a photo a few days or even years later.

Just studying what was done alone doesn’t help much. It is necessary to learn how to replicate what you’ve learned. This knowledge along with your own way of “seeing” will one day result in your own style.

The best advice I ever received about developing a style of my own was, “Don’t worry about it.” That’s easy for some well-established pro to say to a fledging photographer.

However, he was right. Sure enough, someday someone will say how much they like your style. Don’t say, “Oh wow! I didn’t even know I had a style.” Be cool.

The style we see in other’s work is usually apparent in the way they handle (1) Lighting, (2) Composition and (3) the Moment.

Lighting creates mood. The warm light of an evening campfire sets the mood. What do we include in the photo we are about to make? What do we exclude? Is the girl facing the fire lost in thought when we shoot or is she looking into the shadows the texture of her skin catching the light? Do we wait to see her eyes or capture that tilt of her head that seems to say so much?

I cut my teeth in photography using the available light. It was a good five years before I started experimenting with studio lights. This was a good because I learned to see what is natural and then I learned to duplicate it with artificial lights.

Making a photograph that grabs the attention of the viewer is a good thing, but learning how to hold that attention can take time. Something that holds attention is called “the decisive moment.”

It’s easy to know the decisive moment in sports photography. A basket is made or the pass is caught. Knowing the decisive moment and capturing it with the camera is not exactly the same thing, but the capturing part can be learned.

At first glance a committee sitting around a conference table brings to mind all the excitement and action of a chess match. However, there is action there to capture just as in a sports event albeit more like golf than rugby. Still, there are pivotal moments that tell the story of what is transpiring in the meeting.

Some of the photographers I’ve studied and continue to study are: James Nachtwey, William Albert Allard, Sebastião Salgado, Dave Black, Eugene Smith, Carolyn Cole, Joanna Pinneo and Don Rutledge.

Google these names and check them out yourself. If you know of others whose work you appreciate please send me an email and let me know who they are. I am always looking to improve and grow.