Welcome Home for Local Hero James Hogue

Last night my neighborhood, along with those from the surrounding community, welcomed home U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer James Hogue after serving in after serving two years in Afghanistan.

This is one of the few events happening around America where in the crowd are truly a mix of this country. I was seeing those from the left and right of politics and a blend of faiths all welcoming a soldier who was defending our rights to disagree and for this reason we all were gathering in agreement that this hero needing a warm welcome home.

While the pictures cannot reveal the differences politically they do show the common joy of appreciation for Hogue’s service to our community and country.

Welcome sign donated by Sign-a-rama

Hogue returns to his home in my neighborhood with a police escort and The Sons of Liberty.

Dorie Griggs, my wife thanks James Hogue for his service.

State Sen. John Albers was on hand to present Hogue with a proclamation.

Sons of Liberty Ridersgave presentation to Hogue and his wife as well as a gift certificate for dinner.

More than 100 folks turned out to welcome Hogue home.  Many had never met him before the event.

Sons of Liberty Rider, officials and Hogue with his daughter

One of the boy scouts was so excited to meet Hogue and find out he was a former boy scout. The scout is reciting the scouts pledge to Hogue.

Probably no one is more grateful for Hogue's safe return home than his daughter.

June 8th our son Nelson will report to Fort Benning to start his journey of service as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army.  I am thankful that our community supports our troops and am proud to have him make this sacrifice for our nation.

Emotional Intelligence

I really enjoy picking up books and reading from all aspects of life. The latest book I read was Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves.

Here is a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/097432...

What strikes me as a photographer is how my experiences with other photographers seems to support the notion that emotional intelligence does predict your success as a photographer better than your IQ does.

There are 4 areas the book covers:

1) Self-Awareness
2) Self-Management
3) Social Awareness
4) Relationship Management

I personally feel that this is a great book to read for the photographer who wants to grow. People skills are extremely important and I believe can make or break your career. 

Emotional Intelligence is the dimension of intelligence responsible for our ability to manage ourselves and our relationships with others. The culture you grow up in can help give you an advantage here.  What was amazing in the book was how China's managers from business tested higher than Americans.  The book attributes this to their culture.


The good news that the book gives us is that while our IQ doesn't change all that much, because it is more about your capacity to learn the emotional intelligence is more about how you choose to react to situations and events and that over time you can change this.  


The research showed how over many years American's tested higher each year than before until 2008 when the economy affected us in so many ways.  It is difficult for all of us to know how to respond when your career choice no longer exists and you have to remake yourself overnight to survive.  


If you are a person who likes to follow the rules and when following the rules hasn't always led to success then this is a great book for you.  It will help you to see how logic isn't the only way to problem solve.

Hire a professional photographer for technical and for the artistic

When you hire a professional photographer, they show up with the right equipment to deliver high quality images.  One thing is a seasoned pro shows up with is flashes to use outside with group photos on sunny or cloudy days.

I used a flash on this overcast day to help with being sure you see everyone's eyes.  If you don't use a flash you will often have raccoon eyes, where those with deep socket eyes have shadows covering the eyes.  The flash also gives a catch light.  One more thing is often on overcast days the color shift can rob a photo of the color that the flash can put back.

This is the time of year for diploma presentations to graduates as in this photo.  A seasoned pro will be sure the background is appropriate and the lighting looks natural and you can see everyone's faces.

While posed photos are often the ones chosen, today people always like to have a "fun" shot.  While you would never have a person who is part of a group photo up above everyone else for the "fun" photo it can work.  Again the photographer needs to be ready for the moment when it happens.  This is not a 1, 2 and 3 count off photo and then fire the camera--you have to anticipate.  If you wait until you see it--it is too late.

Using flashes effectively comes from years of not using a flash like in this photo.  You have to see the light before you can make it look natural.  It is also another reason to hire the seasoned pro, they will deliver "moments" rather than just lining people up and getting good expressions in a group photo cannot replicate.  This requires a photographer to feel the moments and capture the mood. 

Graduations are ceremonies for change.  We need them to help us say goodbye to the way things were and help us to prepare for the future.  Weddings are as much a funeral celebration to the single life as they are to the future as husband and wife.  Graduations are a time when people are saying goodbye to the friends they shared for the past year or years on a journey.

Photography plays a really big part in helping us with these transitions in life.  They give us something tangible to help us remember.  We will remember the friends and maybe want to reconnect after looking back at the photos.

If you hired the pro rather than having your friends with cameras take the photos you are more likely to have memories that tell the story to future generations. The professional photos capture your personality and tell something about you to your grandchildren that words alone would not capture.

Is it real or is it Memorex?

Back before digital Memorex ran a commercial asking the audience, "Is it live or is it Memorex?"

I have found that when instrumentalists are warming up for a concert is a great time to make photos.  The look is the same for the most part, but you can get closer to the subject with the camera.

Some of the photos bellow are from the actual concert and others are from the time warming up, can you tell the difference?

Student stands up during his solo

I like showing a perspective to put the musicians in context

It is important to keep your eye on the conductor and look for his tempo

Conductors use all their bodies to communicate what they want from the musicians.  Here the conductor uses his face expressions in addition to his hands.

Not everything has to be about them playing.  The conductor letting the audience know something is just as important.

OK you can tell this wasn't during the performance, but I like it because it communicates that music is fun.

Get close and show the intensity of the musicians.

Use the background to help complement the foreground.

Next time you are at event, especially for your children, don't wait to take pictures when they start to perform.  Take photos of them warming up.  Be sure you don't wait till the end, because they all leave right away.

Want better photos then start early.

"Photos Keep the Memories Alive"

Just some photos from this past weekend capturing the moments of Nelson Lalli, my step-son, graduating from the Citadel.



"Photos keep the memories alive," is what I heard one of the Citadel seniors during graduation. My son's friends came up to me over and over this weekend thanking me for the past four years of taking pictures of them at the Citadel and sharing them with them.

Parents came up and told me often they couldn't be at an event and really appreciated the photos we would post for them to see.

What I had reaffirmed this past weekend is that photos help make emotional connections and keep them alive.

My son was ambivalent about graduating. He was thankful he had accomplished his goal and done so with honors in so many ways. He was sad that next fall he will not be joining his friends for another year at the Citadel.  I hope that as the years go by the photos I made will help him remember and stay connected to his friends from school.

Nelson, my son, and his graduating senior friends from Bravo Company

John Ogle and Nelson Lalli goofing around like close friends do.

Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, SC

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We are in Charleston, SC this weekend to celebrate our oldest son graduating from The Citadel.

We had some time to stop by the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and just wanted to share with you some of my sights while here.

Which ones are your favorite?

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Success is in the Details

Coffee grown in El Aguila, Chiapas

The great successful men of the world have used their imagination…they think ahead and create their mental picture in all its details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building - steadily building.

- Robert Collier

On the left is Robusta Coffee and on the right is Arabica Coffee.

Whenever you are doing a story on a subject be sure and add some detail shots to the coverage.

Just picked coffee

I often think of these photos as eye candy to the story. Graphic designers will often use these photos to help round out a layout on a page or website. Sometimes these photos are used as a background or just an accent point.

One of the places I use these images in my work is in multimedia packages. They can help with transitions just as a writer helps the reader move from one thought to the next with transitions the visual communicator also can do this with things like detail photos.

While getting really close can create impact and even be a cool abstract, sometimes you need things in the photo to give the items a sense of scale. I often use things like hands to give a sense of size to an object.

Compare this to the first photo of coffee on the tree without the hand. 

Just remember to always try and find some detail shots to add to your coverage.

Variety is the spice of life

Preparing for the assignment

When I am asked to cover an event I try to think of it like telling a story.  So there are 7 things I try to always have in my coverage.  What I discovered just this week that my friend Mark Sandlin, Director of Photography for Southern Living, uses this same list.  Actually this is the list all photojournalists have drilled into them.

Mark Sandlin, Director of Photography at Southern Living.

1. Opener: Sets the scene for the story
2. Decisive moment: The one moment that can by itself tell the story
3. Details: Besides being like visual candy to the story, help often with transitions--especially in multimedia packages
4. Sequences: give a little variety to a situation
5. High overall shot: Gives a good perspective to how the elements all fit together
6. Closer: Besides the classic shot of the cowboy riding off into the sunset there are other visual ways to help bring the story to a close
7. Portraits: These photos are great for introducing the characters of the story

This is coverage of an annual meeting where the investors are brought in and the company gives them an overview of what they have done and where they are going.

One thing I am working really hard to do is make each photo have impact to draw the viewer in.  I use light, angles, composition and most important expressions of people to engage the viewer.  I wanted my photos to help this company communicate they are vibrant and viable in today's market.

This photo is to show how the attendees could interact with the leadership team. I wanted to show them engaging in conversation, so I shot a few to finally capture not just a good expression, but use the environment to draw you in.  If you notice even the lady in the mural seems to be paying attention to the conversation in the foreground.

Details for me are a way to just have fun. I am looking for unique angles, color and light to help create impact and entertain the audience. 

A high angle is usually successful today because it is unique to our everyday lives.  Seldom are we tall enough to see this angle, so it looks different than you just walking around.  Even the lady in this mural is looking from above to see what is below.

The man to the far right is the CEO and while he will be on stage later in more formal roles, I like to show him more relaxed and approachable.  I am using the lines from the window to help draw you into the picture.  I want you to see the conversation first in the foreground and then you should drift to the background.  This just keeps you engaged.

While you can see everyone on the panel and I always shoot the obvious, it isn't as compelling to me as some other angles below here.  But I always need to be sure everyone on the panel is well seen in one photo in case they need this.

As a panelist responds to the question you will find often that the rest of the panel may or may not be engaged. 

In this photo the CEO is the focus point and while the other panelist are not looking directly at him you can see from their expressions and slight turning of their heads to catch what he is saying as showing they are engaged.

PowerPoint presentations can be really difficult to capture the slide and the speaker in one photo. Thank goodness they had a spotlight on the speaker and had it balanced. The reason it was balanced it was being webcast live.  If you organize an event like this--always have a spot light on the speaker to make them not disappear into the dark.

While this isn't a really close-up portrait, I think in this situation it is a nice portrait of him working.

As I mentioned before they were putting this live on the web and I have a photo that can help say that for them.

Another high overall shot to help tell another part of the story.

The decisive moment photo should be the one that used alone and not part of the package could tell the story.  Which of the ones above did you see that would work for you?

Did you notice the sequence of the panel?  Now the hard part is often a closer.  Sometimes you don't have an ending.  This is because you want to communicate there was so much to see you want to leave the audience visually craving for more rather than wrapping it up to say well that is everything.

I suggest sitting down before you arrive to shoot a story and think through all that you have been told about the assignment and make a list.  Write down on a notepad that you will carry with you the outline of the 7 shots.  Under each one list a couple of options for each one.

As you shoot your story, check off the photos that you get.  Use your notepad to get names of people for the captions.

Once you have everything checked off on your list don't stop shooting.  I continue to shoot more photos, but now I may be looking more and taking fewer shots.  I am cherry picking the moments that I think will be better moments than I already have.

I want to thank my friend Mark Sandlin for reminding me of what I do at every assignment so that I could share this with you.

By the way Mark said he wished he had said one more thing to those attending the class.  He wanted to say "if you haven't made any mistakes, you are trying hard enough."