A still photo I took of a girl crying at the memorial.

Rarely do I dive into Apple Final Cut Motion software unless I have extra time on a project. It is very useful when you need a bit of polish to your visual effects, but it can really bog down your workflow.
When planning to cover the yearly event, remembering homeless persons’ who have died, I expected to use the names in my video.
However, while editing I was not happy with the traditional fade-in, fade-out, of their names.
Since the light in the video was so wonderful, I decided not to scrimp on the text for the names and use Motion.
It took awhile to organize the Motion timeline (as seen below) that animates each name but the final video looks very nice.

I chose a moment in the video where the text is in the midst of animating to the next name. It's a 3D revolve type animation.

OK, first today’s photo.

Vehicles drive the twin bridges over the Yakima River on Interstate 82 during wet and snowy weather that fell on the upper Yakima Valley the morning of Nov. 21, 2011. TJ Mullinax/Yakima Herald-Republic

This photo was actually a bit of an accident because my camera and I went through a ‘truck wash’ of sorts shortly before I took this photo.

My day began looking for wet weather traffic photos for Tuesday’s paper.  Unfortunately the weather had cleared up and the sky was rather dreary.

Because the sky was a flat gray, I headed out to the twin bridges in the Selah gap to shoot cars passing under the steel girders.

After shooting a few frames of cars under the bridge I saw a truck approach and decided to shoot it before moving on. Here’s the sequence.

Truck almost in frame.

Truck in frame, but not all that strong.

The truck is really too close now. This is where rubber meets the road and a lot of wet stuff hits my lens. I quickly turned away after getting peppered with muck.

I was crouched behind the guard rail protecting myself from the passing truck, but not from the slush, mud and water spray that hit me full force, soaking the camera lens and half of my face.

Wet and cold I decided to move on with the assignment and return to the warm confines of my vehicle.

But as I walked away, preparing to clean my lens I remembered an old art class trick that I learned at Washington State University.  My professor called it the “Vaseline lens trick” that made a modern lens look like an old, poorly made lens from a bygone era.

I looked at my lens that was covered in muddy, mucky water with bits of sand, dirt and whatever… then I took my thumb and tried wiping off what I could.

I lifted my camera and took a couple of frames of cars passing under the bridge and ended up getting a decent art house style photo of wet, mucky traffic weather.

If you want to learn more about the Vaseline trick there’s plenty of talk about it online — or just take a look at this post by Lifehacker.

What I see from behind the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board interviews.

Every year the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board conducts election related interviews to provide recommendations to the public.  Even though this is a relatively closed process, the YH-R actively pursues ways to make the editorial boards more transparent and available to the public.

One way the YH-R provides greater access to this process is through shooting video of the editorial board interviews and publishing the videos online. The quickest way to watch the videos is by going to yakimaherald.com’s election page.

The setup:

The goal is to record the candidates or initiative spokesperson’s responses and post them online.  It’s not the most active video because, well, it’s an interview process, not theatre.

Challenges: lighting, audio, streaming software and consistency.

1. Lighting — The room lights are dim so they must be augmented with additional lights, stands and power cords.
2. Audio — We currently use an on-camera microphone. If someone is talking quietly they are barely heard.
3. Software — We use two different services depending on the use. One has consistent quality and annoying ads.  The other has fewer annoying ads, however it has inconsistent quality and sometimes crashes.
4. Consistency — The recording area is a multiple use meeting room and the setup has subtle variations day-to-day. There are no set places for the lights, camera or computer. Also, if the software fails, portions may go unrecorded.

What I see when recording the editorial board interviews on the computer screen.

As photographers, our main tool in the creation of interesting images is light. Sure, a bunch of fancy gear helps, but really, what we do is record how light hits things and try to record things in an interesting and informative. When working with light, you have to consider the qualities of the light you’re working with. Is it soft and comfortable or harsh and hard? Is is flat and frontal or streaming in from an angle, illuminating the depth of the thing or person you’re shooting?

Yesterday, I had two assignments where side light became an essential tool in adding a bit of drama and interest to two potentially static images. In the first, I was shooting a softball pitcher who was injured when a line drive hit her in the face. While a frontal light would have shown her face, and the scar she still has, I decided to light her from both sides, creating a shadow down the center of her face. I then moved one light just slightly forward so the scar above her eyebrow was still visible. While we tend to use soft, frontal light for typical head shots — the one’s that run with a person’s quotes, I wanted something more dynamic to illustrate this story.

My second assignment was to shoot the Selah farmer’s market. It was a great time of day for the shoot — about 6 p.m. — and the sunlight was low and warm. I looked around for a good situation, a place that showed the scene while making use of the beautiful light.

This patch of sunlight hit a booth full of fresh vegetables — a perfect illustration of the farmer’s market — and the side light caught people picking out their food while also casting parts of the photo into shadow. Because the light hits Bonnie Bruenn’s face and the beans she picking, but doesn’t reach the customers behind her, you get a sense of the scene, but your eyes still go straight to her. Directionality is just one of light’s many qualities, but an important one to consider as you decide where to position yourself for a shoot.

Some photo tools work well for today and others simply stand the test of time.   For me one of those tools has been the LumiQuest Softbox II.  It’s been used and abused for over 15 years following me from my time as a journalist-in-training at WSU to today at the Yakima Herald-Republic.

And yesterday it was a faithful companion shooting exuberant Harry Potter fans outside Yakima’s Majestic Theatre.  (See gallery here) — Watch video at bottom of post…

Mariah Wildgen, 17, dressed as Harry Potter for the midnight showing of the final Harry Potter film at the Majestic Theatre in Yakima, Wash., on July 14, 2011.

No matter how much I love natural light, I oftentimes find myself wanting to dabble in strobe work.  Not often enough I admit, so I try to break out lights every now and then.

So before the Potter assignment, I broke out an old friend, my LumiQuest and Velcro’d up the head of one of my work Canon 580 EX strobes and tested it out.

My well used and abused LumiQuest Softbox II

My initial though of shooting the Potter assignment was to shoot them on a black background.  So I tested using a single strobe with the LumiQuest attached in the darkened basement of my home.

The best part, I had exuberant kids on hand to help me test.

My son Declan running around in our basement

NOTE: This is how I have almost always used the small softbox: While having the strobe on manual and on a cable or chord.  The softbox is not a ring light and can be a bit too much as a camera mounted strobe with close in subjects.

Now I know there are some LumiQuest haters out there, but I have found the medium soft light and shallow falloff a comfortable friend compared to bouncing or using a complex lighting setup.

The photo of Declan above is a good for instance.  He was running around me in circles.  There was no way I could have predicted where he would be to eliminate the background and just cast him in soft light without direct control.  I just pivoted around following him by holding the chord-mounted strobe relatively in the same place above him to get several shots to choose from.

My younger son, Liam, trying to grab the camera.

This next shot of Liam was just as challenging.  He was basically attacking me on the floor. It was really close-in.

To get precise light control, like in this situation, I prefer to put the strobe in my hand.

As for the Harry Potter portrait above and the ones in the gallery?  I used the LumiQuest to soften the bounce off a nearby wall. I did that because I didn’t have a black background at work to duplicate the tests I did with my boys.  Even with the change of plans, it helped me do my job yesterday and I expect it to help me out for years to come.

There are a few more images in the video I shot for this story.

However, I do expect equipment failures from time-to-time when working with multiple devices and situations.  Over the years, no matter how well I’ve planned for a remote camera’s success, something unexpected usually occurs.  So I plan for contingencies.  Sort of a backup camera for the backup plan.

In the case of the historic B-25 bomber “Maid in the Shade” that was visiting Yakima this week.  I planned for four video cameras: three inside of the noisy, hot and full of bad vibrations (for cameras) bomber fuselage and one in my hands on the ground.

HV20 in the B-25 after it failed to recognize the tape.

I selected three different cameras to go inside the plane because a variety of known issues that could disable either at any time during the takeoff, flight or landing.  I also chose cameras based on their size — the smallest possible.  (A common misconception exists about bombers like the B-25. If it’s a huge aircraft outside, it would be equally spacious inside.  It’s actually very tiny.  Two coach seats in a 737 is bigger than most areas of the B-25.)

Of the three cameras I mounted inside the B-25, two functioned well and one failed because of an unplanned variable — heat.

Cameras: I used 1 Canon HV20 (HDV tape based video camera with wide angle lens), 1 PowerShot 4000 IS point and shoot camera that shoots 1280 HD video (uses a solid state memory card), and 1 iPhone 3GS (it is a solid state hard drive that can shoot standard definition video for about two hours, depending on the battery.)  I used these three because they were available and I thought they could overcome known issues below.

Known issues:

#1 Vibrations:  Excess vibrations can disable video recorders that are tape and hard drive based cameras.  Vibrations can also disable a camera that is attempting to use it’s built-in image stabilization and it cuts out intermittently.  This B-25 was smooth in comparison with other WWII aircraft because it was recently restored, but it does shakes aggressively.  So much so that the crew explained how a bomb instrument mount needed to be re-welded a couple of times in the past year because of the in cabin shake.
Result: the two solid state cameras, (iPhone and the PowerShot) handled the aircraft vibration admirably.

#2 People: People are curious and if a camera is mounted in arms reach, good chance it’s going to get fiddled with or worse.  This B-25 was packed with pilots, crew and donor ridealongs.  With passengers getting up and around during the flight to look out through windows, there was a good chance the cameras would be compromised.
Result: I worked with the crew and talked with folks in the cabin before takeoff to enlist as camera monitors to ensure they did not get touched and/or if they came off because of excessive vibrations.

#3 Mount points with a view: You would assume there are plenty of great vantage points in a bomber to see part of the plane, crew, and the outside in one shot.  Well that depends on #1 and 2.  If your camera has a great vantage point, but is in the way or may come off in flight, then it’s not a good candidate.
Result: With the mounts I had on me, I was able to mount three cameras that I felt would get the shot and not hit the flight deck.

The iPhone 3GS and Powershot SD 1400 IS that survived the flight.

So everything should have worked well because I had the primary issues taken care of before the flight.  The one thing I did not take into account, that ended up killing the HV20 was HEAT.  It was over 100 degrees on the airport tarmac and inside of the aluminum skinned airframe it was sweltering.  Of the three cameras, the solid state memory cameras handled the temperatures very well.  The tape camera… well… the tape got a bit elastic and wouldn’t spool to record.  It gave me a blinky red warning saying the tape was toast.

I learned a lot about the tools that the YH-R has and what I can expect from them in this quick turnaround video.   I have embedded the final video that includes video from the ground based Canon 7D, the iPhone 3gs in the rear gunner position and the PowerShot 1400 IS.  The HV20 video never even took off after getting baked.

-TJ Mullinax

Today's front page photo illustration

Here’s a 10 step-by-step breakdown of how today’s (June 13, 2011) front page photo illustration was put together.

The story was headlined, “Prices fuel debate behind tribal gas tax exemption” (read story) which was about the complicated, and troubled Yakama Nation tribal fuel tax system.  So here’s the breakdown.

1) Coordinate with editors and reporter(s) on what the story is about.  Sort out that the story will be best served with a photo illustration instead of standard editorial photography.

2) Work with reporter on what the illustration needs to include and how the illustration helps introduce the story to readers, without being overcomplicated.  Determine what, where and how the photo part of the illustration will be created.

3) Shoot the idea, and as many variations as time allows to select from when returning to create the illustration.

4) Begin editing by selecting the best variation.

(step 4) digital contact sheet image selection

5) Begin editing selected image.  (From here on out I will be referring to what this story assignment required of the illustration.)  So, in this case, I needed to crop the photo and remove all the text from the receipt.  I selected the only receipt then copied it to a new layer (layer 3 in my layer window.)

On that new layer, I then used the clone and healing brushes to remove the text while being careful not to go beyond the natural border of the receipt or Gordon’s thumb.  I must say he was a great model, he needs an agent.

You may ask, why with a new layer when you can just work on the original photo layer?  I choose to work on an edit layer so I still have the original behind it just in case I need to go back.  I also use it for visual reference (mentioned in the steps below.)

(step 5) Croping and removing of the reciept font.

6) Time to add shading and highlights to the now very flat receipt to match or be as close to the original paper.  I use layer effects like soft light, overlay and differing opacity to replicate what the original paper looked like.  Again, I am using new layers with layer masks to ensure I can go back and fine tune specific elements throughout the process.

(step 6) spectral highlights and shades have been added, especially under the thumb and curves of the paper.

7) Add the fonts.  Select a font similar to the original receipt (in this instance), make it bigger so it can be read without a magnifier and add color where it’s important.  Thankfully Phil, the reporter, was very clear about what text needed to be in the illustration so it was easy to apply his text.  Both he and the editor went through the initial mockup (seen below) and I made their text changes.

(step 7) The original mockup text put over the receipt that was edited by the reporter and editor..

Rasterize the fonts once everything is edited.  I do this because it’s the only way to use the transform ‘warp’ on a font to make it look like it actually is printed on the curvy paper.  I then apply a layer over all the text where I brush highlights and shading on the text to match the paper’s lighting.  Notice (in the layer window) that I did not delete the unrasterized font group so if I needed to backtrack because of a late edit or whatnot, I can quickly make a change.  I do not like having to rebuild something I have already created once before.

(step Transforming the rasterized fonts to fit the paper.

9) Take another look at the nearly final version and make subtle space edits, and toning on the background image.

In this graphic, the black gas pump handle was not dominant enough for a front page illustration.  I wanted people to see that pump handle from the street then draw them into the ‘what is that.’  In this case, when standing back and looking at the illustration, I wanted that pump handle red.  The same red I used in the fuel prices on the receipt.

To do that I needed to again copy and paste a new layer of the pump handle (so I don’t mess up the original) then apply a layer style ‘color overlay’ of the desired color and apply a layer mask over that to clean it up.  When you use a color overlay, it pretty much turns everything in that layer the color you want, for the most part.  So you must clean it up.  I typically like to brush out elements with differing opacity because the spectral highlights on the pump are very important to me and I want them to look as realistic as possible.

(step 9) Create a new layer, apply color overlay to punch it up.

10) Save the psd working document, so if I must revisit the file for a last minute edit, then I can.  The last step is to save a jpg version to be used in print and online.

It’s done!

So that’s 10 easy step to create this particular front page photo illustration.  Take care everyone!

-TJ Mullinax

One of the photos I took of Marissa McCafferty while preparing the lights for her portrait. McCafferty, 19, survived cancer (Hodgkin's lymphoma,) wrapped up her high school years at East Valley in about three years and works nights at an assisted living facility. A real Supergirl.

Are the unlucky last words I said while talking with the subject of today’s portrait when a sudden storm whipped up around us.

While out in East Valley shooting a high school senior feature for the paper’s graduation coverage I had an amazing student that was declared cancer-free.

With the weather being nice at the time I planned to get outside and use the great clouds in the background.  Sort of giving it a ‘Supergirl’ type of look.

Little did I know those nice clouds would turn ominous, bringing first wind then a few sprinkles of rain.

That’s when I opened my mouth as she struggled to keep her hair under control, “all we need now is hail.”

As if on que we were grabbing lights and ducking for cover because the hail started raining down.

Once I realized the humor of everything, I laughed saying, “I’ve gotta blog this” and hastily snapped a photo of the hail on the ground next to equipment that was now slightly damp.

Whenever you get an opportunity to laugh at work — do.  This little chaotic moment made my day, because both she and I will be laughing long after the soft box dries.

-TJ Mullinax

Small hail melts next to the hastily moved lighting equipment during today's outdoor photo shoot.

So, I have always struggled with photographing baseball. I never played sports as a kid, so my understanding of every sporting event is what I’ve learned by making pictures. And while I’ve started to learn enough about football, basketball and soccer to be able to start to be able to predict peak action (and therefore get photos I like), I still am hit and miss (pun intended) when it comes to shooting baseball. So here’s the system I’ve developed. Get my safety shots first. I ALWAYS shoot the pitchers of both teams. I may not know much about baseball, but I do know that the pitcher is a pretty key player. Plus, they do the same thing, over and over and over and over. And they do it in the same spot.

Once I’ve got that. I swing my lens on over to first and wait for someone to dive back. Since this also happens fairly regularly, I can stay focused on the base and usually get a decent shot.

The final thing I look for as a basic story-telling image is a happy reaction shot, the team high-fiving someone who’s scored. Again, even if there’s action at the plate that I somehow miss, I can usually get my lens around to the team, who are standing and waiting for the action to come to them.

After these three shots, anything different, for me, is a definite score. You never know, after several games of striking out photographically, I do occasionally get a home run.

Simply put; what people hear in your video can deeply impact the viewer, so it must not be disregarded.  To this day I remember my reaction after watching some spot news raw video of the Atlas aluminum foundry explosion in Tacoma a few years back.

The scene went like this — 1 OK someone is shooting video down a long street at a column of smoke.  2 Hmm, fire and debris shoot up into the sky. 3 I jump back in my seat as the sudden sound of explosion at 12+ db on the computer speakers hits me in the chest unexpectedly.  I watch intently as the cameraman quakes and exclaims ‘whoa!’ 4 photographer darts next to a neighboring building and video ends.

Why it sticks out is that for me, in that moment, I was physically (or emotionally) captivated by the sounds within a video.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that shocking, unexpected or frightful moments make for the best video.  Certainly not. My point is that audio can add another dimension that helps the viewer identify, be captivated by, or draws a person into your story.  It takes effort to pay attention to the audio when working hard to capture video and still moments.

And that’s where this helps me out on assignments when I cannot risk missing an audio moment.

Rode powered shotgun mic with an Olympus digital voice recorder strapped to it's back, atop a Joby mini tripod.

What is this?  Well it’s an audio recorder on steroids.  Normally the audio recorder does a great job for simple interviews or meetings.  Simply press record and let it run, and run, and run, and run… you get the point.  It’s easy, can record for a very long time without fear of it running out of space or battery power.

I usually don’t go crazy with the audio recorder unless of special circumstances.  Yesterday was one of those special gear up days for me when covering the community of White Swan as they buried a young Marine who was killed in Afghanistan by an improvised explosive device.

When covering funerals and other sacred events, you only get one shot yet you usually need to be far back from where things happen.  If you are too far back, you won’t get decent audio.

So I put together a quick mic stand from an available Joby mini tripod.  Put the Rode powered shotgun mic on top, then strapped the audio recorder to it’s back.  Before the ceremony I put it about 15 feet away from the podium, discreetly hidden in some grass and behind a tombstone.  I pointed it in the direction of the podium, rifle team and the trumpet player for taps to capture the primary military sounds.  I hit record and walked away, only checking on it periodically.

To it’s credit, I used it for nearly the entire sound track of the Marine’s funeral because my camera audio was going in and out depending on where I was pointing the camera and whether I had it recording or not.

It also avoided the occasional “clackety-clack” sounds of still photographers, Ted Warren from the AP and YH-R’s Andy Sawyer, who were near me and my video camera.  (In the video below, you may hear some audio variances, because at one point someone near the audio recorder started making noise so I had to switch to my on camera microphone)

When I reviewed my audio recorder track, then the video clips, I wasn’t surprised that many audio moments in the raw video were not as clear, truncated or simply missed because I was focusing more on the visual elements.

I was able to tell a more complete account of the funeral because I prepared a second audio recording device.

Thank you weird looking little audio recorder.