Janet Boschker Beauty Exists Kevin Newsome Fads Jamie Hayes No Flash? No Problem!!! Victoria Kelly An Army of One & Blogs
Cover Art “Old Friends” by Gordon Kreplin
Chairman of the Board President
Kevin Newsome kevin@newsomesstudio.com Mary Alice Ross maryaliceross@gmail.com
1st Vice-President
Delaware District of Columbia
***Bob Blanken Joe Tessmer
Doug Peninger ncdoug01@triadbiz.rr.com
2nd Vice-President
George Singleton george.singleton6@verizon.net
Florida
Secretary/Treasurer
Anthony Rumley anthony@anthonyrumley.com
Georgia
Print Exhibition Chair Randy McNeilly randy@mcneillyphotography.com Executive Director Thomas McCollum seppa@comcast.net
Southern Exposure Southern Exposure magazine is an online publication of SEPPA and is published monthly. Editor Doug Peninger NCDOUG01@triadbiz.rr.com 336-883-7104 Ad Sales & Business Manager Thomas McCollum seppa@comcast.net 888-272-3711 Article & Ad Submission 5th of each month On-Line Publication 1st of each month
***Don Engler Peggy Parkinson
***Dana Lunden Kaye Newsome
Maryland
***Sally Jackson Spencer Smith ***Vanessa Ard David Corry
Mississippi/Alabama
North Carolina
***Darrell Ivy Gil Brady ***Karen Goforth Janet Boschker
South Carolina
***Clark Berry Greg Martin
Tennessee
***Eddie Lambert Barbara White
Virginia
***Sharon Younce Robert Holman
SEPPA
2712 Marcia Drive Lawrenceville, GA 30044 888-272-3711 www.4seppa.com Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed by Southern Exposure or any of its authors does not neccesarily reflect the positions of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association.
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West Virginia
***Brent Kepner Christie Kepner ***state president representative
Additional information of state events within the SEPPA Affiliate can be found using the state links below. Please view their websites by clicking on the web address and you will be re-directed. Delaware
Mississippi/Alabama
www.delawarephotographers.com
www.ppma.net
District of Columbia
North Carolina
www.ppsgw.org
www.ppofnc.com
South Carolina
Florida www.fpponline.org
www.ppofsc.com
Tennessee
Georgia
www.gppa.com
www.tnppa.com
Maryland
Virginia
www.marylandppa.com
SEPPA is a regional affiliate of Professional Photographers of America and hosts an annual District Image Judging. To learn more about PPA, click the PPA Logo.
www.vppa.org
West Virginia www.ppwv.org
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Old Friends I decided to write about friendships for this month. Our cover artist. Gordon Kreplin, tells us the story of something he sees every morning. For me, I want to share a few thoughts about the coming and going of old friends and the arrival of new ones. I was reading through a fun book recently, “Life’s Lessons Learned from Mayberry.” One of the quotes in that book said, “Today’s strangers are tomorrow’s best friends.” That is something to take in. We all come from different parts of the region. What is amazing is to meet folks at a convention, you know, somewhere close to the lobby bar, and just listen to the conversations erupt. You can learn as much or more in that lobby bar as any class. Give it a try and you will see what I mean. Over my years in this industry, I have met many wonderful people. Some I have lost contact with, others are new and the friendship is still budding. I am grateful for both old and new. Friends are few and far between and I cherish each of them.
The SEPPA Board of Governors, at the 2010 meeting in Franklin, TN, approved the all new SEPPA Degree Program. The Southeastern Photographic Fellowship is now a reality! You can earn your new SPF Degree in two categories. The orange ribbon is earned with a concentration in print credits, the purple ribbon with a concentration in service to the organzation. The requirements for both options are completed with education and/or service credits. You may also achieve both Degrees, signafied by a purple and orange ribbon. SEPPA will post the Credit Chart and submission forms at a later date. Be sure to check back. All events, beginning April 1, 2010 will be eligible to submit for credit.
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Pages
Learn
the
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE JUNE 2011
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Janet Boschker Beauty Exists
12
Kevin Newsome
16
Fads
Jamie Hayes
No Flash? No Problem !!!!
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Cover Artist Gordon Kreplin
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Victoria Kelly An Army of One & Blogs
Attend 1 11 13 14 18 19 24
Shop
PPWV Mississippi/Alabama Convention Florida School LaMarr School Chicks Who Click PPA Tour East Coast School
“Beautiful Figure” by Michael Busada
Inside Cover
6 7 10 12 15 25
Showcase PhotoFlex Michel Company Millers Lab Academy Productions White House Custom Color CCI Lab
Janet Boschker
I’d like to share with you an incredible experience I had this past January. I was invited by my friend, Paul Wingler, to go with him to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to teach a photography class. I had no idea what to expect, but I was up for an adventure so I agreed. The catch was – no pay, just go and share. I knew Honduras was a struggling country, but I was truly clueless. Paul has been going to Honduras for years, first with his church on mission trips and then as a teacher of photography. I thought to myself, well, Paul has been going for years, it must be okay. As I told friends what I was doing, their reaction was almost always the same: “Are you nuts? That is a dangerous place!” I was a little concerned, but had already purchased my airline ticket, so I was committed to going.
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I stayed with a host family who picked me up at the airport – Carlos had a friendly face and a huge smile – I liked him at once and immediately felt at ease. As we drove to his home I began to see that I really wasn’t in Charlotte anymore. To say that people are surviving with little or nothing is an understatement – the average monthly income in Honduras is equivalent to about $250. He drove me around the city of San Pedro Sula, one of the country’s largest, and showed me where his family members lived – homes surrounded by high cement walls with barbed wire and electric fencing around the top to keep intruders out. Some homes even had towers with armed guards posted for protection. It was shocking to see how they lived their daily lives – those who had achieved some station in life live in fear of not if something violent would happen, but simply when. The less fortunate survive any way they can – in ramshackle shanty towns with little or no modern conveniences. Everyone I met had a story – their brother-in-law had been kidnapped for ransom, their friend had been murdered, their wife had been shot. In the face of this adversity, they survive and thrive. All the men carry guns and the women don’t go out without bodyguards. Our class was held in a hotel, much like our seminars are in the states. The students were from all walks of life, some too poor to own a camera, others were professionals and former business owners. They came together to learn to be better photographers and raise the profession of photography to a respectable level. They have public exhibitions of their work as a group to bring awareness of the beauty that exists in their unstable country and to remind the people to be proud of who they are. It’s a powerful thing to see – the determination not to be overcome by circumstances beyond your control. I was nervous the first day in this strange land filled with violence, but I felt safe with my new friends. As the week progressed, we shared about ourselves and our photography. I’m not sure who learned more, me or them, but one thing I do know – they inspired me to live each day fully, and I look forward to the day when I can return.
Janet Boschker www.northlightphotography.com jbnlight@aol.com
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Kevin Newsome
Major news networks and magazines have editorial features. SEPPA is lucky to have our very own Kevin Newsome. Kevin is featured each month as he shares his latest rant. Some things may hit home, some may be surprisingly poingnant. When it’s all said and done, it’s just Kevin’s opinion and he thought he should share it. We, at Southern Exposure, hope you will enjoy this month’s installment of “A Few Moment’s With....” This month, FADS. (Click on the title, FADS, and you will be linked to the video.
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Jamie Hayes
Ok so by now you know I’m a big fan of using strobes for photography… and always will be… but what if you are in a situation where you don’t have one handy?
Hayes & Fisk: The Art of Photography 804-740-9307 www.hayesandfisk.com 16
jamie@hayesandfisk.com
Well during our week long class at Texas School (over 1000 students, 50 instructors and lots of free parties and beer) our amazing class (you all rock totally by the way) challenged me to create an image indoors with just my camera, no added strobe light or even a reflector. In photo one I used the space in-between two elevators, I’m using only the available light from the chandelier for the main illumination on the subject’s face but also as an integral design element in the background. Notice the leading lines, both directly overhead and creating a V from the subject’s hands all the way up to the top of the frame then circling back around. I metered the chandelier light with my hand held light meter (not my camera meter because I didn’t want the model’s black dress to influence the exposure and an incident light reading of the light falling on the subject would not have that clothing influence in the exposure reading). I had her look slightly up at the light creating catch lights in the eyes I lowered the shutter speed, increased the ISO and was able to capture a little bit of motion in the fabric and a little available light in the background.
In photo two, I’m using actually the window light reflecting off of the marble floor as the main source of illumination . This allows us to do a study in light and form in shadows. Here again no artificial illumination was used. The third photo was created with just the over head can style light illuminating a table against a wall. I first moved the table forward so that the model was directly under the brightest part of the halogen flood light. You will find these lights in most hotel banquet halls and lobbies. This pinpoint light source is very contrasty due not only to the small size but also the distance that this can light was from the subject. Notice how the light falls off quickly and creates very harsh shadow edges . I simply had the model look down, giving the image a more vintage look with the combination of her gown and hair style. So the next time you are in an interior area other than your studio, study the lighting around you and push yourself to create something a little out of the box.
Photo1 Camera: Canon 7D Lens: Canon 24-105 at 32mm Exposure: 1/50 sec @ f/4 1000 ISO RAW File Capture and jpeg (for viewing purposes only) Light Meter: Sekonic L-358 Photo2 Camera: Canon 7D Lens: Canon 24-105 at 65mm Exposure: 1/200sec @ f/5.6 4000 ISO RAW File Capture and jpeg (for viewing purposes only) Light Meter: Sekonic L-358 Photo3 Camera: Canon 7D Lens: Canon 24-105 at 24mm Exposure: 1/160sec @ f/5.6 4000 ISO RAW File Capture and jpeg (for viewing purposes only) Light Meter: Sekonic L-358
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Gordon Kreplin
Photography has been a lifelong passion – from childhood when he helped his father develop prints in a small dark room (notice that is two words), to photographing his student days in Europe, to his present day work in the studio of Ascencion Photography on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Gordon’s first love was music. In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in music from American University, he pursued graduate music studies in Spain at the Oscar Espla Conservatory in the coastal town of Alicante. For twenty years, he toured as a classical guitarist in the United States, South America and Europe, always with a camera nearby. He has taught in several universities, including a year at the Coservatorio da Horta, in Fail, Portugal. His passion for music later drew him to compose and record, founding Ascencion Recordings, Inc. in 1995 with his wife Cathy. Creating cover art for classical recordings with photographs taken while touring, led Gordon into photography as a profession. Four years ago, Gordon embarked on the PPA competition process, eager for professional development and feedback, with the goal of attaining his Master of Photography degree. As of last month, all of the credits needed to accomplish the M.Photog. have been earned! Kreplin anticipates the degree will be awarded at Imaging USA in January 2012.
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About the Art “Old Friends” is a scene I pass every day driving to and from our home on a small island. For a year or more, that scene piqued my imagination as an image to be acquired. One foggy day, the stillness of that image spoke softly and pulled me to a stop. A quick “do you mind?” to my wife, I was out of the car shooting. After 8-10 shots, the moment was complete. For me, the shutter click can be a reach beyond the veil - a connection to the eternal. I believe the arts are a gift that can build peace and understanding. The scene between the dock and the boat reminded me of the relationships we strive for throughout our lives - closeness to one another and to the eternal. For me, “Old Friends” is a reminder of a dear friend’s advice many years ago, “Be always present to available reality.”.
Note: Images chosen for the cover of Southern Exposure are first place, distinguished or other award winners from the annual affiliated judging.
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Victoria Kelly
You’ve heard me say before that as an army of one I must be as efficient as possible in my marketing, my photography and my workflow. I want to spend a few minutes this month talking about my blog. Yes, you heard me. I still blog and I’m going to share with you how it creates buzz for my studio. I started my blog about three years ago over the Christmas holiday downtime during the last week before the new year. I really didn’t have a concept in mind but blogs were all the rage and I figured I’d better get with it. After all...everybody who was anybody had a blog and I didn’t want to be left out. (Remember...I AM the queen of cool!) I researched all the popular blogging vehicles that were around at that time--Blogger, BlogSpot and Typepad, finally settling on Typepad because I felt it had the most user-friendly interface. I signed up for a free trial, entered some basic information into the boxes and in 15 minutes I was officially a blogger! I knew that I wanted my blog to be heavy on text so that I could direct clients to the blog for additional information after doing a telephone consultation. I also didn’t want them to have to remember a long name for it...so I set up domain masking for easy access at www.victoriakellyblog.com to keep things simple. 22
Now, as easy as Typepad is to use, I’m not going to tell you that mine was ready for primetime in just a few hours. In fact, during that week before the new year, I probably invested a good 20 hours in getting it just where I wanted it to be. As I got more familiar with Typepad, I began refining the overall look of the blog. Typepad is incredibly easy to learn...their help and support system is fabulous and frankly I can’t imagine using anything else. Typepad has a lot of templates from which to choose--but as a creative soul I wanted to include a few features like a custom banner so I opted to pay a yearly fee and purchased the professional level. My blog has seen quite a bit of re-design over the last 3 years--the last major overhaul was about a year ago when I changed my banner concept and the colors I was using. I chose a white background for a crisp, clean look and decided to incorporate lots of bright vivid colors to keep my readers interested in what I was posting. Once you visit my blog I want you to notice how items are positioned. I have key elements that I want my readers to see “above the fold” so to speak so that the reader doesn’t have to scroll down to see what’s important. Fast forward to 2011--I keep up with the stats of how many hits I get on the blog and from where they’re coming. My blog gets more traffic than my website, especially during senior season. Are you surprised? Now that it’s pretty much the way I want it, I spend only 30-45 minutes a week keeping it updated.
I use a “featured post” that always appears first when the blog loads and from March through September that includes an image of high school lockers with a recent senior that I’ve photographed. It’s titled “Look Who’s On Our Lockers” as the pinup for the week and it absolutely gets a lot of looks. I update the locker image on Mondays and leave it up for a full week...it drives seniors to the blog to see who’s posted and also gives them a mental reference for booking their session online using the BookFresh widget I have embedded on the left sidebar. I also use the blog as the portal for online viewing for those senior parents who have chosen to have their favorites posted online after purchasing their collection. I know that they’re seeing the other services the studio offers like executive portraits and special occasion photography. And it’s the vehicle I use for posting the new collection of graduation cards that I sell in the early year winter months. I prep the seniors that the new cards will be posted in February--most of the time they’ve chosen the card they want so that all we need to do when they come into the studio to place their order is decide which of their senior images they want to include.
So...are blogs now “so yesterday”? I don’t think so. I have links going both ways between my image-rich website and my text-rich blog so I’m higher in the search engines and I have something that appeals to those who don’t want to read and those who can’t read enough. If you’re still on the fence about blogging, give it a try. Typepad offers a free trial and if you find it too time-consuming or your heart just isn’t in it, all you’ve invested is a little bit of your time. But I’m thinking you’ll be a blogging pro before you know it!
Victoria Kelly vkelly@victoriakellyphotography.com www.victoriakellyphotography.com