ASMP NorCal Presents 'Photojournalism Today'

Please join me and four accomplished photojournalists on Tuesday, March 13 in San Francisco for a panel discussion about the challenges of working in the news media today.

Hosted by the Northern California chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers, the "Photojournalism Today" panel includes:

Noah Berger, a freelancer who has spent the past 17 years covering Bay Area news for editorial, corporate, and government clients. On the news side, Berger works principally for the Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, Bloomberg News and the New York Times. He also covers transportation/development issues for state agencies and health care for the Blue Shield Foundation and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Mike Kepka (pictured), a San Francisco Chronicle staff photographer since 1999. Five years ago, he started producing his own photo/multimedia column for the Chronicle called The City Exposed, which celebrates San Francisco’s quirky collection of characters. In the past year he has transformed his column into a venue for new forms of multimedia techniques that continue to follow a true “one-man-band” style of reporting and production. You can follow Kepka’s work at www.Sfgate.com/cityexposed and vimeo.com/sfchronicle and on Twitter at @thecityexposed.

Jane Tyska, a photo and videojournalist at the Oakland Tribune/Bay Area News Group. Tyska spent a month in Nepal and Bhutan in 2010, following a Bhutanese refugee family from a camp in eastern Nepal to their new home in Oakland, and continued to document them until the birth of their first baby. Tyska also documented the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and a local contractor’s efforts to help rebuild. She has won a national award for the Bhutan project from the South Asian Journalists Association and a YIPPA international press photo award for her Haiti work. Tyska has also received recent awards from the California Newspapers Publishers Association and the East Bay and Peninsula Press Clubs.

Judy Walgren, the Director of Photography at the San Francisco Chronicle for just over one year. She faces daily challenges involving a depleted budget and fewer photojournalists to shoot the increasing number of Chronicle iPad app assignments, which require panoramas, galleries, and multimedia. Before coming to the Chronicle, Walgren was staff photographer at the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News and the Dallas Morning News, where she was part of a team that received the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting on violent human rights abuses against women worldwide. She has been awarded the Barbara Jordan Award for reporting on people with disabilities, the Sidney Hillman Award, and multiple Harry Chapin World Hunger Awards, in addition to other honors.


I'll be debuting segments of my new documentary feature, "Deadline Every Second: On Assignment with 12 AP Photojournalists."

Price:

ASMP NorCal members:     5.00

Affiliates, students            10.00

Non-members                  15.00

Pizza and drinks will be available with the purchase of a $5 food ticket.

Time:
6-7 pm Social hour with pizza and drink
7-9:30 pm Panel discussion

Location:
Left Space Studios
2055 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

 http://www.leftspace.com/   

ASMP Studies Leap to Video & Offers Seminars

The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) recently formed a Study Group, chaired by Gail Mooney, to explore how members have embraced video. Their report is illuminating and exhaustive -- a must-read for any visual journalist who intends to start or hang on to a career in the years ahead.

ASMP is also hosting a series of affordable seminars throughout the U.S. for photographers making the leap to video. (Scroll down for course info below.)

Video has become much more prevalent in visual communications as electronic publishing continues to replace traditional print media. The increased availability and low cost of broadband has enabled and created a huge demand for video. At the same time, there is a convergence of our tools as “hybrid” cameras are capable of shooting both stills and video.

As head of the Motion/Video Study Group, [Gail Mooney] spoke at length with fourteen ASMP members who have integrated video into their businesses. A list of questions pertaining to all aspects of video was sent to these study group participants.

The results are organized into the following categories, all well worth your attention:

* General Observations
* Getting Started
* Roles
* General Business Issues
* Rights & Licensing
* Technical Issues
* Insurance


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Here is information pertaining to ASMP's upcoming Video Seminars:

Should I Be Thinking About Video?

Gail Mooney will discuss the increased demand for video and how to identify potential opportunities for you. What tools do you need? How do you change your thinking from still to motion? What are the business models for video production?

Seminar topics:
* Markets for video
* Tips for shooting motion
* How to get good audio
* How to shoot great interviews
* Camera gear suggestions
* Editing hardware and software suggestions
* Business of video production — how not to be just a content provider
* Common mistakes photographers make and how to avoid them

More info here.

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The Art and Commerce of Multimedia

Adding audio to still images can turn a simple web gallery into a much more powerful storytelling tool. The demand for such presentations is growing and presents photographers with new opportunities for those who are willing to expand their skill set. Paula Lerner will discuss how to make this transition and what you need to know to get there.

Seminar Topics
* Being a good storyteller
* The power of adding audio to your stills
* What is good audio and how to get it
* Equipment you will need
* Tips on capturing and editing for multimedia
* The business side of multimedia

More info here.

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Multimedia and Video: New Opportunities for the Still Photographer

Is video or multimedia an option for your business? How do you get started? How steep is the learning curve? Paula Lerner and Gail Mooney, two accomplished still photographers, are expanding their markets and the reach of their work through the use of multimedia and video. Come learn how photographers can apply their skills to these new outlets. Lerner and Mooney will share their work; discuss the basics of each medium, the critical nature of good audio and careful lighting. This is a four-hour seminar.

Seminar Topics:
* Technology is changing how our clients communicate
* An introduction to multimedia
* An introduction to video
* Capture considerations for both mediums
* The importance of good audio
* The importance of good lighting
* Equipment considerations
* Making the business side work

More info here.