Jun 08 2010

Tony Wu Heads into the Uncharted Waters of Final Cut Pro

Category: Creative Process, Multimedia & Video — Ethan G. Salwen @ 11:19 am

How’s that for timing? Last Thursday I feature the underwater storytelling of Tony Wu, on Friday I make a case that we should embrace the opportunities of learning multimedia on the job, and then today I hear from Wu. “I’ve been offline for a while,” he writes. “I was in the midst of editing this.”

“This” lead me to Wu’s “Adventures with Craig” blog post, which features his latest video, “Captain Craig,” a project which required Wu to head into uncharted waters with Final Cut Pro. “This is the first time I’ve edited anything with Final Cut Pro and Motion,” Wu notes in his post, and asks us cut him some slack regarding aspects of his video that might need improvement.

Cut some slack? Huh??? The piece is great –  successful in terms of what might be considered “traditional multimedia journalism,” but which also focuses on the more “cinematic experience” that Ian Shive told me about.

Dangerous, Uncharted, Satisfying Waters

Continue reading “Tony Wu Heads into the Uncharted Waters of Final Cut Pro”

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May 25 2010

Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!

Category: Multimedia & Video, Photographers, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 2:33 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_1Today, May 25, 2010, marks the bicentenary of the revolution that marked the beginning of Argentina’s road to independence. It seems appropriate that Chance decided that today would also be the day that Gail Mooney would set off on her 3-month, round-the-world trip to create “Opening Our Eyes”, a documentary film project she is making in partnership with her daughter, Erin Kelly.

I say that the connection to Argentina’s revolution (and ultimate independence) is appropriate because of all the photographers I know personally, without a doubt, Gail Mooney is the most revolutionary- and independent-minded.

Since I introduced “Opening Our Eyes” in March, the project has taken much fuller shape. You can get a good sense of the trip at the main website. Keep in mind that a year ago Mooney hadn’t even thought up this trip. From initial concept to flying out of Newark airport today, Mooney and Kelly have orchestrated all details of this massive undertaking in only a little over six months.

AfterCapture Blog_100525_Open Our Eyes_2Be sure to also check out “Journeys of a Hybrid”, Mooney’s excellent blog full of insights — from the personal and creative to the technical and business side — from a photographer who has lived her life to the fullest, and who seems to be just warming up.

Mooney, who has been in the business for 33 years, has focused primarily on still photographic coverage of travel assignments for magazines. However, she has also worked plenty in the commercial realm in partnership with her husband, Tom Kelly.

Mooney not only made a smooth transition to digital photography, but she is one of the new bread photographers who is fully embracing the possibilities of video and, just as fully, the exciting possibilities of Web publication and social media.

Good Lu. . .

Continue reading “Opening Our Eyes: They’re Off!”

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May 06 2010

Excellent Interactive Guides Explore Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Category: Technology Insights, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 8:53 am

Excellent Interactive Guides Explore Gulf Coast Oil Spill

On January 14 I mentioned my frustration with “A Closer Look at the Destruction in Haiti,” an interactive Web feature produced by “The New York Times.” On January 20 I highlighted “In Haiti, a Struggle Barely Begun,” (also by the “Times”), praising the power of classic photojournalism.

My two posts together might come off as a Luddite, suggesting that old fashioned reporting is better than newer-tech reporting. This is certainly not the case. Just think abut Vietnam. While we might best  remember a handful of iconic still photographic images from the Vietnam War, it was the daily TV news coverage that most effectively brought the war into the homes of Americans.

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Today 10,000 Words features a great sample of interactive, online media done right. “7 interactive guides to the Gulf Coast oil spill” show that simple, well-conceived multimedia reporting can be far more effective than still images alone, and that they can help put still images (both news and stock) to best use.

Samples include reporting by USA Today, The New York Times, MSNBC, CNN, and the Times-Picayune. All of these are basically the same — showing the progress of the spill over time, using Flash driven graphics.

Continue reading “Excellent Interactive Guides Explore Gulf Coast Oil Spill”

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Apr 19 2010

Craig F. Walker Wins (the New) Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography

Category: Photographers, The Industry — Ethan G. Salwen @ 9:19 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100419_Pulitzer_1On April 12, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Feature photography was awarded to Craig F. Walker of “The Denver Post.” As the prize citation notes, Walker won the award “for his intimate portrait of a teenager who joins the Army at the height of insurgent violence in Iraq, poignantly searching for meaning and manhood.”

Winning a Pulitzer is a big deal. There is no doubt that Walker’s work is  worthy of recognition. What is more confusing is exactly what makes photography eligible for a Pulitzer Prize, how this relates to digital journalism and how Pulitzer judges chose winning images in relation to online presentations.

This post is about the Pulitzer Prizes in photography — thus “(the New)” I put in the title — and not about whether Walker’s work deserves the prize. I want to make that clear. For more than two years Walker photographed a young man named Ian Fisher as he went from considering joining the military and his induction into the Army through his training — which included a number of personal problems — to his eventual deployment to Iraq and his return to the States.

Not only did Walker photograph Fisher at key moments during a 27-month period, but he recorded his family, friends and many aspects of the modern military not often seen. It is a truly compelling body of work.

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The main reason I know that Walker’s body of  work is compelling is because of an online, multimedia site hosted by “The Denver Post.” By heading to “Ian Fisher: American Soldier” I was able to delve into Walker’s work far, far more in depth than I could have by merely viewing the 20 images presented in the “Works” section connected to Walker’s citation on The Pulitzer Prizes site.

Confusing Evolutions in Pulitzer Eligibility

I first heard about Walker’s winning work from a post on 10,000 Words. The post’s introduction says: Continue reading “Craig F. Walker Wins (the New) Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography”

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Apr 02 2010

The Fine Art of Photojournalism Multimedia

Category: Multimedia & Video, Technology Insights, The Industry, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:27 pm

Photojournalism has never been as “straight” as most people seem to assume, especially those outside the specialty. With the advent of digital multimedia as a way to share still photojournalism, increasing numbers of photojournalists seem quite comfortable pushing the line between “straight” photography and fine art image making.

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One amazing example can be found on the website of photojournalist Antonin Kratochvil, whose work is represented by the photo agency VII.

The only explanation offered within the multimedia piece “Road Work” is the text that says, “by U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jack Lewis.” Presumably the haunting, personal narration is by Sergeant Lewis, and presumably it is based on his real experience, and presumably the images in the piece were made by Kratochvil. Continue reading “The Fine Art of Photojournalism Multimedia”

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Mar 26 2010

James Nachtwey’s Searing Words On War

Category: Photographers — Ethan G. Salwen @ 12:01 pm

“Photojournalist James Nachtwey is considered by many to be the greatest war photographer of recent decades.” This is from Nachtwey’s bio on the TED Talks website. This is true — that Nachtwey is often considered the greatest living war photographer. However, whether or not James Nachtwey is the “greatest” war photographer is really not that interesting of a question.

In fact, the question itself belittles the photographic contributions of all image makers of conflict. (Good god, this is not the Oscars!)  Even talking about there being one, greatest war photographer (as in, “I vote for Robert Capa!”) overly romanticizes a photographic specialty that is not romantic at all. (Just check out  what Don McCullin has to say on the topic.)

While Nachtwey’s brilliance as an image maker seems unquestionable, to me what makes him truly intriguing is his personality. This man has an intense charisma that is impossible to ignore, whether you are drawn to it or repelled by it. When you are in a room with him — craning your neck as you try to hear his soft words — he has the power of attraction that rivals the gravitational pull of a black hole.

I have seen Natchwey speak two times, and I feel like I’ve been on assignment with him, having watched “War Photographer,” the incredible documentary by Christian Frei. Continue reading “James Nachtwey’s Searing Words On War”

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Mar 05 2010

Still, Video and Social Media: Gail Mooney Will Open Our Eyes

Category: Creative Process, Photographers, The Industry — Ethan G. Salwen @ 10:30 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100305_Opening Our Eyes_1“We are two people — a mother and a daughter — embarking on a journey around the world to document and film the stories of individuals — ordinary people who are following their own dreams, passions and ambitions and doing extraordinary things.”

This is from the Gail Mooney’s new website, “Opening Our Eyes: Global Stories About the Power of One.” As the site explains, Mooney — an accomplished documentary photographer and filmmaker — will be heading around the world with her daughter, Erin Kelly, to gather the material they need to create a feature length film.

This is a project worth keeping tabs on. For one thing, it’s Mooney’s latest personal project, which are always impressive, as she uses them to push her photography forward, both creatively and in terms of business.

“Opening Our Eyes” is particularly interesting to those of us in the industry because Mooney will be pushing her limits in terms of working in both still and motion, employing light and affordable equipment. In short, she will be heading into waters that many of us will heading into ourselves — still & motion — and she does so with the insights of an impressive background in traditional still and motion.

Mooney is in a perfect position to show us how to capture both great stills and motion, ensuring that both get put to the best use. (To see what Mooney’s capable of, check out her shorts for “The Delta Blues Musicians” and “Freedom’s Ride.”)

Freedom’s Ride from Gail Mooney on Vimeo.

This is not to suggest that “Opening Our Eyes” will be about photography for photographers. Hardly. As always, Mooney will focus on the story — on her subjects — focusing on the task of best communicating that story to the most appropriate audience. Continue reading “Still, Video and Social Media: Gail Mooney Will Open Our Eyes”

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Feb 26 2010

When Frozen Professionally, Focus on Your Passion

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process, Photographers — Ethan G. Salwen @ 9:18 am

Gail Mooney, commercial and documentary photographer and filmmaker, continues to inspire with her honest, insightful writing in her blog, “Journeys of a Hybrid.” The last paragraph of her February 22 post, “Standing on a 10 Foot Frozen Wave,” reads:

“So I looked out over the endless view of frozen waves and into the orange glow of the setting sun. For an instant I became fearful of where I was when I looked behind me and saw a deep crevice that I could easily fall into if I lost my footing. But then I looked ahead to the orange glow on the horizon and I felt hope and with that a sense of security because I knew where I came from and I have the heart and spirit to survive.”

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Mooney is finishing up a tale of recently photographing on frozen lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a personal documentary movie project. She likens her experience on the ice to some of the issues she and other photographers has been facing professionally: Continue reading “When Frozen Professionally, Focus on Your Passion”

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Feb 12 2010

Fear: A Critical Topic Impossible to Discuss?

Category: Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:38 pm

AfterCapture_Blog_100210_Fear_1_RF1108_Fear_Salwen.pdf (page 1 of 4)How we address our fears is critical to our creative and business success. I clearly see this trait of dealing in all successful photographers, and I have questioned many of them on the topic. I have wanted to say something insightful on this fear theme, but I am not sure I have gotten beyond clichés.

In “Triumph Over Fear,” an article I wrote for Rangefinder, I did my best to explore some of the implications of fear as part of success in photography. My strategy was to share the stories of four photographers. This seemed the only honest, valuable way to explore the topic.

However, I admit, it was hard not to try to write the article in such a way that it suggested: “Embrace your fears, even appreciate them. What you are afraid of makes you stronger.”

See how lame that sounds? It’s not like I’m Franklin D. Roosevelt inspiring a nation. What the hell do I know? It scares the shit out of me just to learn new keyboard shortcuts — and I’m not kidding. Continue reading “Fear: A Critical Topic Impossible to Discuss?”

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Feb 03 2010

Don McCullin Speaks Candidly About Photographing War

Category: Photographers — Ethan G. Salwen @ 2:13 pm

AC_Blog_100203_Don_McCullin_1“I don’t want to be remembered as a war photographer, or even classified as one. I hate it.” So begins Don McCullin’s narration of a four-minute audiovisual show posted today by BCC News. McCullin finishes his frank, surprisingly personal reflections of the experience of photographing wars by saying:

“I didn’t feel bad about taking this picture because he and I were hit by the same mortar shell in an ambush in Nam Pen. This was his last plea for life. I’ve seen my own blood. I’ve seen their blood. I’ve felt pain. I’ve felt shock. I’ve had some of the experiences. I suppose I’m speaking as if I’m trying to exonerate myself.”

I am not sure what McCullin means by this last thought — that we might hear his words as if he were tying to exonerate himself.

I do know McCullin’s frank, emotional reflections are rare for photographers who have covered war — at least when talking in the public realm. Continue reading “Don McCullin Speaks Candidly About Photographing War”

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