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January 17, 2012 by heber vega

Guest Blogging – “Haunted Memories”

Today I’m guest blogging at a friend’s Blog. The special thing about this post is that it isn’t just another Blog post for me. This is a very intimate, deep and difficult story of my childhood that I had to put into words and photographs. I’m really thankful for this challenge, thanks to Jose Martinez. This is a great idea. The whole project made me a better and a more sensitive artist.

NOTE: The Blog where I posted this work has been deleted for unknown reasons. I will publish this article on my Blog again.

 

Here are some of the images I used for this self-assignment. I will be probably blogging about these images as most of them were taken with my iPhone and post processed with a new software available for mac. Stay tuned for that.

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December 12, 2011 by heber vega

This is just the beginning!

For the last couple of months, I’ve been involved in the most ambitious project ever in my life. And that also involves my family as well. I once blogged about it here, Photography for Good!, and today I want to share with all of you the very first fruits of our work at The ONE-SHOT Project. Enjoy it!
Thanks for all your support specially to the ones that have helped, donated and volunteered for this cause.

See the following video.

ONE-SHOT – 2011 Workshop Iraq from Heber Vega on Vimeo.

What do you get when you mix Iraqi students and volunteers from four continents with donated digital cameras, classes and photo walks? You get a set of remarkable images, three months of fun, and a lifetime of memories.

The ONE-SHOT Project staged it’s first workshop in the fall of 2011, in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq. The volunteers brought instruction in photography. The students brought an incredible eagerness to learn. And together they all learned a different way to see the world.
http://www.theoneshotproject.com

Credits:
Photography: Heber Vega and ONE-SHOT Students.
Production: Oscar Leon.
Music:
Ukelele Smile
By Robert Critchley and Brent Robitaille
Copyright 2011
Used by permission.

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October 27, 2011 by heber vega

Assignment: The Other Iraq (And the other Me)


A couple months ago, I contacted one of the main newspapers in Chile, called La Tercera. It publishes a Sunday magazine that has a very unique approach to storytelling. This magazine, El Semanal, is not based on documentaries, reports, analysis or interviews, which is the norm for a publication like that in Chile. Instead, El Semanal features people telling their own stories, speaking in first person, talking about what they have experienced or what they have witnessed around certain issues, places and life in general.
From the very beginning I really liked their editorial work and approach to storytelling, because it identifies with the way I personally feel related to stories. For example, in most cases, my role is to tell the story of someone else and make it visual. At the same time, that person’s story, more often that not, begins to influence my own personal views and my experience as photographer. In most cases, I am touched, moved, or changed by either the subject’s life or the lessons hidden within their stories.
As you can see, my approach isn’t that of a photojournalist, but from someone who wants to relate and make a personal contact with his subject. I am someone who wants to get involved and be part of the story.
Back to my assignment, I talked several times with one of the editors of El Semanal, and we agreed on the story that we wanted to cover. The story was about the part of Iraq where I live, where life is so much different than what you have seen on the news. We wanted to talk about the story of progress and the economical renaissance that northern Iraq is going through, looking at the city of Erbil, the capital of the area best known as Kurdistan Iraq. The bottom line is the whole assignment produced 20 useable images and a chronicle of 8000 characters (two full Word pages).

The premise was to capture scenes that would show a different Iraq, so in the end, it was more like a travel photography assignment than a story about a specific person. Because of this, it was a totally new thing for me. I had never done a story about a place before, so I wasn’t totally sure how to approach it. I did not photograph people, except in few frames, but learned by the end of the assignment that if you are covering a story, no matter what it is, people always have to be included. Somehow people give “life” to a story and without them the story of that place is incomplete.

TIP: If you are working on an editorial shoot, always take a lot of photographs of people. You are going to need them, and those images will probably end up being picked by your editors over other images.
From the moment I started shooting this assignment, two things were on my mind: I had to shoot everything I needed within 48 hours, and I had to write as well as the images I photographed. I was nervous… here was another assignment based on my fears and doubts, wondering why in the word I had accepted entirely something new. Why didn’t I stay with what I already knew? Why not stay in my safe zone? Why?

These thoughts can play in your favor sometimes (I will explain more in another post). But more often than not, they will play against you. So you’d better shut those doubts off quickly once you start working… if not, you will miss something. In my case, I was grumpy during the whole assignment, a little bit tense, and I ended up missing some photographs that could have made this a much better visual story. Don’t bring your fears to work, please. Besides, you’ll miss enjoying the company of wonderful people during this assignment.

TIP: Whatever fear you have, use it for good. Work harder, and don’t listen to the voices of fear. They are the worse kind of advisors.

This was a very rushed assignment. As I said, I only had 48 hours total to shoot what I needed, which I don’t recommend to anybody. I was running for two days straight and because of that, I did not have those pauses that allows you to sit back and reflect on what you are actually doing. This is something crucial when you have the goal of telling a story. This time, trusting my gut worked well, but I can’t rely on that. It’s not good for my body or the story. Make sure you have those “time outs” to review what you have done and what else needs to be accomplished before finishing your work.

TIP: Build in time to think throughout your assignment. Check your lists, goals, editorial aims, and story. Confirm everything you need to bring back with you.

Now let me show you some images from this assignment. And let me tell you that my favorite photograph did not make the cut! Why? Because it was not part of the main body of the story. The editors chose images that were related to my writing. So if you want your favorite images to be part of the published story, then make sure to talk about them in your story.

During the assignment I thought that shooting from a higher place would give a better perspective, so I tried to find places with a high vantage point. The only thing at hand was a cable car – the poor man’s alternative to a helicopter. We jumped in, and I made my best shots from there. Because we couldn’t shoot through the windows, my local fixer decided that the best solution was to open the doors. I cannot tell you how terrified I was shooting with the doors open, but in the end it turned out to be a great solution.

Here are the final printed images from this article. I hope to have the time to translate it into English so that one day you can understand what I said here. So once again… the story about someone else, in the end, changed my own story. Right now I find myself loving creating photographs for magazines and writing. Perhaps this will take me on a new path in photography, but for now I can see a small shift. We’ll see if that’s enough.

 

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October 18, 2011 by heber vega

How off-camera light can improve your photography

This weekend I assisted at a very special wedding party. It was the wedding of one of my good friends, teammate and former editor of this blog, DeeDee Baumgarner. It was so special because she married a local Kurdish friend, and for this region of Iraq that is not the norm (to say the least). This wedding was a good opportunity to try a couple of new things photographically, especially the off-camera flash images I’ve been working on lately.
After getting some of “those shots” that I was after, and especially after posting them on Facebook, I realized that using off-camera strobe has improved my photography all around, and I want to explain how I have noticed those changes.
Before I get into that, I have to tell you that it’s only been recently that I’ve been working more seriously on making these types of images, so I don’t have “years” of experience. I hope this will encourage you to start trying out new things. My lighting set-up is very basic, portable and affordable for most people. Nothing fancy here…
So, let see how using strobes is improving my photography.

1. Getting it done in camera.
First of all, I must say that I’m not one of those photographers who does a lot to his images in post processing. Not because of “moral” issues ;-) Not at all. But because I don’t think I have mastered that area yet. I don’t use Photoshop, although I’d like to. I do most of my post-processing in Lightroom 3 and some plugins.
So, with all that said, having to do less in PP is a welcome thing for me. Most of these images, shot using strobes, don’t need my imagination to foresee the end result in post. They look pretty much “finished” once you see them on the back of your camera. Let me explain it in a little different way. When shooting with available light, most of the time I end up correcting white balance, exposure, and levels to get the light to look the way I want. But when using flash, I’m getting it done in camera. At the same time, I’m somehow getting rid of that Raw (washed out) look that I’d usually get when making a photo without off-camera light.

2. Adding drama to photography.
Along with looking great right on your camera screen, the photographs made using strobes look a lot more dramatic than a photo made with available light. I mean, if you know how to use these tools and understand distance, light, angles, diffusers, etc., you can add that drama to your images with off-camera light.
Once you have learned the basics about how to use these tools, you will enter into a new level, where many things can be created by the light of these strobes, and how you manage that light. Where you used to seek out available light, now you are able to create it.
Most of the images coming out my camera with this technique are far more dramatic than they could have been if I would have used only available light. That “look” that I’m talking about was one of the reasons I wanted to start using strobes in the first place.

3. Making you more creative.
Because you can create light, you can become more creative. You develop confidence in having this power, where resources (more lights) and imagination are the only limits. Think for a while about those great photographers out there using lighting systems. Think about their portfolios, and where they have used off-camera lights. Aren’t those photographs amazing? Those photographers stopped waiting for the right conditions. Now they are creating the conditions for great shots.
Don’t get me wrong, natural light is still really important. What I’m saying is that having this tool in your hands and knowing how to use it it can only improve what you are capable of. With these lights, I’ve been able to create photographs that would have looked normal otherwise, “boring” in other words.
In sum, I no longer feel restricted.

4. Making your photography more attractive.
Okay, I’m not talking about my personal appearance here. There’s not fix for that ;-) What I’m talking about, is that people seem to prefer the shots where I have been using strobes. I know you may not want to let people rule your photography or product, but at the same time you have to recognize that those same people are the source of your earnings. So they are indeed important.
Every time I show my portfolio to friends, clients, and people in general, they seems to linger on the shots where off-camera light was used. They have noticed the “dramatic” look, they have talked about “dimension”, saying that they look more 3-dimensional. Women have said that their hair looks great. Others have told me that they look prettier with these lights. And others have said that even if you aren’t that “attractive”, you still look great. In the end, isn’t that what matters in a portrait?
Somehow the photos made with off-camera flash are calling the attention of more people than my earlier shots.

5. Making you a “special” photographer.
Because of the previous point, people are starting to talk about how great they would look if I made their portrait. Because of this last shoot, people are talking about my photography and especially my portraits, which is good for gaining new clients.
In the last couple weeks, I have had people asking me for this type of “environmental” portrait. They seem to love them because of the light, so they want to be photographed with this setup. I’ve also had friends approaching me, who are normally shy in front of a camera because they have had problems looking good in photographs. And business aside, I love that! As a humanitarian photographer I like to see people feeling alive and beautiful in front of my camera, I think this is another way of giving back that does not need to be overlooked by photographers.
Well, I hope that this “honeymoon” I’m having with off-camera light can encourage you too. As I said, you don’t need to invest that much and the improvement can be quite a lot. Think about it!

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October 12, 2011 by heber vega

Photographing a celebrity within one hour

In my short one-and-a-half year career as photographer, nothing really prepared me for a shoot like this. I mean, I’d read a couple times about what it takes to shoot a celebrity, but it is something totally different when you finally have to pull the trigger. At least it felt that way.
Today I want to share some of the things that went well that day, with the hope that it can help you whenever an opportunity like this presents itself. Let me tell you, these opportunities sometimes come out of nowhere, so the best we can do is to be as prepared as possible. I will add though, that while every assignment differs from one another, there are always some common elements. Here I go…

At the beginning of this year, while still in Chile on a break with family, I got a call from an old friend I had not seen or talked to in 6-7 years. He was working now as the rep for one of the most recognizable Chilean miners rescued in the 2010 disaster. They needed some portraits of Mario Sepulveda to use for international media, website, ad campaign and some billboards as well. As you can see, it was a great photographic opportunity and it came completely unexpected. When I asked about the date of the assignment I was not ready to hear… “well, within two days…”. You know, it’s one thing to get an exciting gig and to feel happy about it, but when rushed, excitement becomes anxiety and nervousness. You know what I’m talking about.

What were the client’s requirements? Create the typical “heroic” look of a presidential candidate, with a “countryside” spin, because Mario is a man born into a farming family. Besides all this, the other important requirement was to complete the whole shoot in an hour!! The man was really busy, with a tight schedule, and he only had a short time frame so everything had to go smoothly and quickly. Did I mention that I was nervous?

Because of the time issue, I thought of a location that wouldn’t be more than a 30 minutes drive. The idea was take the least time possible from him, while still having some versatility for the shoot. We went to a church that I’ve known for quite some time, where I knew I could find the different environments I was looking for. My plan was to get there at least two hours ahead, try some test shots and to use the least amount of equipment to light him. That way I could move quickly and not have to depend on the available light. What did I use? The Lastolite Ezybox I talked about earlier.

The day before the shoot, I went to the location to scout some backgrounds. On the day of the shoot, I arrived an hour early with one assistant, so that I could try some test shots before Mario arrived. From the moment we started shooting our subject until we’d shot the last frame, according to my metadata only 36 minutes had passed! That includes the time it took him to change clothes once or twice. So I think everything “flew” the way it was suppose to.

When did we stop? Mario’s rep was checking the pictures that I was making on my camera’s LCD and once he felt that I “got” what they were looking for, then that was the end of the shoot. Later on, I processed these images and sent them all the keepers.
You can see some of the photographs from this assignment at these links:
Video – Website – Campaign
Some other ideas we tried that day

Here are some important things to keep in mind if you’re shooting in a hurry.
1. Chose a location that can be versatile, where you can find different environments and “looks”.
2. Know the location well. Visit it a couple times ahead of time, if possible.

3. Try out some test shots if you are using an off-camera light system, or know your equipment and settings very well.

4. Make sure your equipment is light and portable, so you can move quickly and not have to depend exclusively on available light.

5. Be flexible! And that involves your own thoughts. Sometime the end results differ from what you had in mind. Don’t get frustrated; keep working and find something new.

6. Try as many things as you can during the shoot. You never know what’s going to happen. There may be some surprising shots to be made.

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October 10, 2011 by heber vega

Photographing Women in a Muslim country

© Heber Vega | Assignment work for Prosperity Candle 2010

A couple of weeks ago, one of my good friends, Canadian photographer Erin Wilson, suggested I write about this topic after revising my 2010 portfolio. This was the second time that another photographer mentioned this to me. I guess in all these years I have found my own way, as male photographer, to photograph women in Iraq.

I must say though that after almost eight years in Iraq, photographing local islamic women still represents a big challenge for me and I always need to be cautious and thoughtful in the way I approach women here. This post is not a manual or recipe to be followed exactly. The way I see it, this post shares the insights behind the photographs I have made of women in Iraq. I have also traveled all around the Middle East, and know these thoughts will help you in most of these countries as well. This blog post was specially made for male photographers dealing with this issue in their assignments.

But before we even start, I’d advise you to check with people in the country where you want to shoot, to find out what’s alright (or not) to do. For example, in many of the so-called markets or bazaars here in Iraq, it can really be a problem if you start photographing women in public. For sure you will have some men or police officers coming your way after a few minutes. That’s besides the “angry” look most of these women will give you.

One more thing… If you are a female photographer and you want to photograph women in muslim areas, then I think you are in a much better situation than men are. As a woman, you will find far fewer obstacles for talking, sharing and spending time with women here. So for you, the need for respect and understanding of the culture that I mention in this post still applies.

Photographs at a Women’s Center.

© Heber Vega | The Women Center - Rapareen 2010

These photographs were made in a Women’s Center in the Kurdish area of Iraq. These are the students of a sewing/tailoring class. I needed to invest time in order to get close to this group of women, which took a couple of weeks. First I met the people working with them (NGO) including the teacher, and I spent some time getting to know the program and the things that they were making there. From the very beginning they knew I was a photographer, and saw me carrying a camera. But they also understood that I was respectful of them. How? Well, I did not take any pictures of them for the first several classes. I just asked questions, observed, and learned about them and their work. Later on, once I was familiar with them, I started to photograph their class and the work they were doing.

© Heber Vega | The Women Center - Rapareen 2010

In the end, they invited me to take a photograph of their group, and to join a meal that they’d brought from home to share at class. But any time I wanted to photograph one of them individually, I would ask first.

I would add that depending on the family tradition, some women would never give permission to make a portrait of them separate from the group. That’s totally fine with me.

Prosperity Candle.

© Heber Vega | www.prosperitycandle.com 2010

This group of women are from Baghdad, another area in Iraq. I don’t know their language and culture as well as I know that of the Kurds. Once I knew the details of this assignment, and the tight timeline, I knew that it was going to be really difficult to get in the “zone” with these women. I had to make them trust me right away (first impression kind of thing) so that I could portray their life and work at manufacturing candles during that weekend.

What did I do? Because they came to my city to get photographed, instead of going to where they were staying, I invited them to my house and introduced them to my wife and two sons. [The home and hospitality are very important in middle eastern cultures.] The women felt at home right away, even though we could not speak the same language (except for the woman who translated). They felt welcomed by my wife, another woman who shared the same life challenges as them, being a mom.

So my wife was my assistant for the whole weekend and she did all the talking. I just tried to be kind and smile. A few times I had to ask questions that would tell more about their emotions and experiences in the hard life of Baghdad. After many hours, they shared how one of them became a widow, and how it’s been to take care of the whole family since then. It was a bonding experience, and I think that is clear in most of these photographs.

© Heber Vega | www.prosperitycandle.com 2010

© Heber Vega | www.prosperitycandle.com 2010

What if I couldn’t bring my wife? Or if I was single? Well, my approach would be to find a female assistant that could translate and share with the women. That assistant would have to be someone who the women could respect. These women are from a very “traditional” environment, and if you have a very “western” assistant or someone who does not treat the women well, then things will not work out well for the shoot. In that case, whoever hired me would have to provide an appropriate person or liaison for that shoot.

Remedy Mission.

© Heber Vega | www.preemptivelove.org 2010

© Heber Vega | www.preemptivelove.org 2010

These photographs were taken in an Iraqi hospital. These women were taking care of their children, while waiting for them to have life-saving surgery. As you can imagine, the situation at any moment could be tense, emotional, heart-breaking, sad, deep, hopeless and finally happy, once their children came through the surgery alive. Because of all this, I had to be sensitive about when I could photograph them.

My approach was always respectful and I tried to bring some comfort to the situation. During the long wait before surgery, I played with most of those kids and showed them some movies on my computer. I shared pictures of my own kids. I asked questions to understand their stories and listened to them talk about what they were going through at that moment.

Among all the women there, there was a particular woman, covered in black, that I could tell was from a more “traditional” family. This meant I had to work harder to get her photograph with her little baby.

What did I do? I started with her husband. I knew that if I could make him feel comfortable with me and my camera, then I would have a better chance to photograph his family too. So I spent couple days photographing him, which turned out to be really good as he was one of my best subjects that week. His photographs and story about his little baby Sozan, were one of the most touching stories from that Remedy Mission.

I still wanted to make a photograph with his wife and baby. So on the third day at the hospital’s ward, after trusting me for a while, I found her contemplating her baby after surgery. The way she was looking toward her baby was so deep and full of emotion, it was one of those key moments in life. I took a risk and went for the photograph that could capture that. When she realized that I was there, she turned to me and showed me her baby, as if saying “we have made it!”

© Heber Vega | www.preemptivelove.org 2010

© Heber Vega | www.preemptivelove.org 2010

Without starting with her husband, I don’t think I could have made this photograph, and this is one the most intimate photographs that I have ever made. It was totally worth the wait.

A good summary of the stories I have shared today is:
-Have a respectful attitude.
-Have a basic understanding of cultural taboos.
-I recommend that you have a sensitive female translator.
-Have time to invest on your subject’s story. Get comfortable around each other.

Finally I want to share a more personal thought on this issue. I guess some of you are wondering if it would’ve been easier to just hand these assignments to a female photographer, due to all the restrictive norms. Well, If I would’ve done that I would have missed tremendous opportunities. I’m not talking only about photographic opportunities that can make your skills as photographer better. No, I’m talking about those opportunities that make you a better person because you have listened, because you have tried to understand their perspective and stories, and because you have done what you could to showcase their lives to a world which has not had access to those stories. That’s why, in my perspective, it is worth the work.

To not understand the incredible work of women in this world, is to fail to understand the beauty and strength that has sustained all societies and cultures since the beginning of the world. In Islamic countries, I have confirmed that traditions, religion, values and many other rich aspects of culture are transmitted from one generation to another due to the hard work of the women of this world.

I hope this post can be a good starting point for your assignment and that my experience can benefit yours. Please, if you have further questions, just leave a comment here at this post.

© Heber Vega | University of Sulaymaniyah 2010

© Heber Vega | www.prosperitycandle.com 2010

© Heber Vega | Freedom Fighter - Photo Essay 2010

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July 27, 2011 by heber vega

10.Q Interviews: Photographer Guillem Lopez

Hi everyone! thank you for joining me on this new series of 10.Q Interviews. I know you’ve missed this section of my Blog and so I have. As you will notice, I have changed the set of questions for 10.Q, making these interviews less “general” and a bit more “personal” with each photographer.
If you have suggestions for this section, please, let me know. You can shoot me an email or better yet leave me a comment at the bottom of this post.
Thank you!

Guillem Lopez “Travel & Editorial Photographer”.

“Although Guilem is originally from Barcelona, more than ten years traveling the world with his camera have given him the opportunity to extend his skills and knowledge of photography.This has enabled him to develop a sound understanding of what makes a powerful picture.
From the big cities in Europe to the secluded villages of the Silk Road, Guillem has used his natural talent and professional capability to create a worthy and stunning portfolio. His pictures, worldwide published, successfully convey a visual message or idea from himself or his subject to the audience that is both simple and powerful.
Based in Barcelona but more than happy to work abroad, Guillem is passionate and focused on creating powerful Travel, Editorial and Commercial images.”

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

1. You say in your website that you have been traveling with a camera for more than 10 years now, Do you call yourself a travel photographer? Is that what you do?

First of all, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be included in this blog among some very talented photographers.
I remember my first big trip abroad when I had just turned 18. For the first time, I had the chance to use one of my dad’s cameras for over a month so I could document my trip and return with some nice memories on paper. During that time, photography was just a hobby for me, but I can remember a growing feeling of nervousness as my time to go back home and develop the films grew closer. Since then, I have always traveled with a camera. That passion turned into a profession around five years ago when a good friend and photographer helped me to step further into photography.
I consider myself a travel & editorial photographer. Being able to travel and photograph different places and cultures around the globe is like a dream come true for me. With time, however, I have also understood that what I really love is people and the stories behind them. That’s why I also undertake editorial shots where I have the chance to photograph people in a location much closer to mine.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

2. How did you come up with this idea of photographing while traveling? Where did this vision come from?

After my first long trip around the world, I came back with over three hundred films full of pictures. When I went back to the UK, where I was living at that time, I contacted a good friend of mine, photographer, and showed him some of the shots I came back with. He thought that some of the shots had commercial potential and he introduced me to some editors and agencies in the UK.
The idea of traveling while you do photographic work assignments was always the perfect dream job for me, so having the chance to work in what I love is enough reason for me to keep pushing and learning all the time. I guess, being able to learn from other cultures and meet amazing people is my vision if you want to call it that, even though the concept of vision is still confusing for me.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

3. What does a normal photographer have to think about before stepping into a career like yours? What does it take? How and to whom do you sell your work?

I think you need to have a non-materialistic lifestyle; learn to live with the idea that you’re going to spend a lot of time out of your home, away from your loved ones, traveling on your own and most of the time under rough conditions, in order to get to know what you will be photographing.
I have some agencies in the UK and Spain that represent my work around the globe. Licensing images through my website for magazines and newspapers, combined with private assignments for them and other clients, are the biggest part of my income.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

4. Do you believe in the concept of having a vision for the work you do? Can you tell us a little bit about yours?

For sure! Knowing what you love to do and having an idea of what you want to achieve and transmit with your work are truly essential to moving forward in everything you do. I do not know if that is called vision, but for me, as I mentioned before, having the chance to get to know other cultures and amazing people who have their own stories, and then photograph them, is what pushes me forward every day, even if I am away on a plane or in front of my computer.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

5. How do you prepare (photographically speaking) before taking a trip? I mean, do you go to a place already knowing what you want to shoot, or do you improvise while there? What is that process?

I try to get as much information from the Internet, guidebooks, and embassies if possible, and I especially always try to contact other photographers that have been shooting in the area I want to photograph. I find their advice always the most useful, as it is always more precise for what I will be doing.
Working on assignment, I normally have an idea (briefed by the client) of what I want to achieve on the trip, but I am always open to improvisation while trying to give new and fresh ideas to my clients. When working on personal projects I also like to have an idea or concept of what I want to achieve, but in those cases I am much more flexible in following interesting stories that pop up along the trip. Those moments that are open to the unexpected are always the part that I enjoy the most, as I believe that following your instincts in each place and situation will lead you to the most interesting subjects and stories.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

6. Tell us a place that you have felt bound to, or let’s say more inspired than in others? Why was it so? What do you think?

It is very hard to name just one, as every country is special in its own way, but I would probably say Iran. What I really loved about Iran were its people, above any other. Coming from western civilization, and thanks to what I would call “influenced media” I grew up with a biased concept about countries like Iran. When I had the chance to visit and get to know the people and amazing culture, I realized how wrong we are. In Iran, I met the most hospitable, kind and cultured people, but unfortunately, most of the time, they are identified by the acts of their political representation, even if it’s not chosen by them.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

7. How do you engage people in so many different places? What’s your secret?

I always try to learn as much as possible from the culture and language, as well as observing and being respectful to people and their way of life. When possible, I try to travel with enough time so people can get used and to know me before photographing them.
Having the help of someone acting as a “guide/translator” that understands your job and what your goals are can be crucial as well as having a big smile!

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

8. What’s the most difficult part of living the life you have chosen to live?

Probably being away from family and friends for long periods of time.

9. Are there any things that you would have done differently if you would start all over again? What would advice would you give to other photographers thinking about this type of life?

To be honest, I consider myself very lucky and I believe all the steps and decisions taken so far have brought me to where I am at the moment, so I probably would not change anything major. Of course, I would love to go back and have the chance and photograph some amazing people I met in my early travels, now that I have more skill and experience, but I believe that is all part of the process of growing as a person as well as a photographer.
For those starting like me, I would say just be ready to really push and persevere in what you really love doing and do not stop believing in yourself.

© Guillem Lopez | www.guillemlopez.com

10. OK. This is free speech. If you could have 5 minutes in front of a big crowd of photographers, what would you tell them?

For those with a long time in the profession, please share your knowledge as much as possible. For those starting, just keep pushing and never stop believing in your craft. We are very lucky to be able to share with others the beauty of small fractions of time captured through our lenses.
Always love and value your work.

You can follow Guillem Lopez at:
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May 23, 2011 by heber vega

Reconstruction Stories – What I’m learning about Multimedia

The Joy of a new House.

© Heber Vega | Reconstruction Stories | One of the beneficiaries of this project, enjoying her new house.

Well, it’s very busy these days in Iraq. So many things to do and so few hours to accomplish them! Anyway, after a whole week of working on administrative things, meaning by that, no photography work, it was great to have had time over the weekend to finish my work on this multimedia piece. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before. This is the work I did while I was back in Chile with the victims of last 8.8 magnitude earthquake in my home country.
In this post, I’m going to tell you some of things I’ve learned throughout this experience, and how I did some of those things as well. I’m not going to be that extensive in my writing today ;-) , so if you have any questions, please leave me a comment at the bottom and I’ll answer you right away.

The Things I Learned:

1. Sometimes the most amazing stories are right in front of your nose.
While I was heading back to Chile, I was contacted by a couple of organizations who wanted some work done, most of it related to the last earthquake in Chile. The problem was that my time in Chile was not meant to be work, so I was reluctant to take these assignments. As things were moving forward though, I started to realize that some of my best friends in Chile were all involved in a project that was somehow unique, important, and more than that, a life-changing-situation for some of the victims in that little fishing town called Iloca, the epicenter of this catastrophe. So, I ended up working on this project instead of the other ones offered. Why? The story! Totally different, inspirational, and uplifting from anything else I heard at the moment.
In the end the most attractive story was right in front of me. I just needed to listen to my friends!

2. Confirmed! A multimedia piece is a ton of work.
Two weeks ago I was trying to figure out the time involved in this project and all the things I had to do in order to produce it. At project end, it took 15 – 8-hour days of my life. I traveled three times to Iloca, which is 500 Km from Santiago! In total, I spent at least 5 entire days shooting. At the end, I was still lacking images for the story (more on this later). I spent another 2 days working on my recorded sounds and interviews, including editing/selecting them, another day to put them together in a story. 2-3 days on editing and post processing all the images, including cropping them to a 16:9 ratio (more on this later). Another 2-3 days went into putting all the selected images and sound clips all together in a final unique piece. 1-2 days were involved in writing the scripts (dialogs), getting them translated, and finally “burning” them to this English version of the video. So, If you want to work on a multimedia piece, just be aware that it will involve a lot of time and hard work!

3. The dilemma of the Software!
I ended up working on a software call FotoMagico Pro, where I put together the final sound clip and all the selected images, plus video footage. The thing I learned the most is that there’s only one piece of software that’s up to a task like this, and that is Final Cut Pro. That’s why it’s the industry standard workhorse software for this type of thing. All the rest will only give you headaches at some point. I lost time and got frustrated with other softwares. So, at moment, I’m learning FCPro (lynda.com) because I don’t want to waste my time again.

4. For a project like this, thousands of images are never enough.
You realize, once you are working on the audio clip, that you are still lacking images for some of the parts of the story. That’s why it’s good to have time to go back to the place and shoot some more after you have made the final audio piece. If you know in advance that you won’t have that chance, then make sure to shoot as much as possible, and cover all the different angles every time – every single place and every single character. For example, there was one person in this story that talked about his son a lot, and I was never able to shoot his son or his wife… so I had to use other images instead, not the ideal! So, shoot details, portrait, wide angle, etc. everything that comes to your mind.

5. The Crop Factor!
Crop to a 16:9 ratio if you want to be able to show your video on a widescreen monitor, HDTV, projector, etc., or to have an HD video (1080p/720p) You have to crop all your images at this ratio. So what’s the deal with this? When you are shooting, you’ve got to be thinking about this all the time. Your portrait-oriented images are NOT going to work here, unless you want black space on the sides of your image. Even the normal 3:2 ratio images that most of the DSLR are based on, are not going to look that great sometimes. TIP: you can draw lines on your camera display and see how the image will look once they’re cropped. Or, you can leave space at the top and bottom when you are framing and use your imagination ;-) .

6. Recording Audio.
Recording good audio is the most important thing. I need to learn a lot here. Also, I need to buy some gear as well. If you are planning on doing this often, besides a sound recorder, you are going to need a good microphone. This is elemental – PERIOD! In my case, I had to make sure I was using my sound recorder really well, at a good distance and using headphones all the time to check the levels. At the same time, I used cars and rooms to isolate the sound. Doing an interview with ambient sound in the background is a nightmare. So, make sure to record your interviews without any other noise and then in post you will be able to add ambient sounds that you have grabbed separately.

7. The Story!
Writing the story line is the most difficult part. Once you have done that, the rest is a piece of cake (not quiet that, but it feels like it ;-) ) When I said the story line, I meant the idea of how your story will unfold. In my case I always prefer to have this recorded as a final audio clip and later on I just need to “fill” that with images or footage. But again, to find out the story line among all of the images, sounds recorded and footage is a HUGE deal! So here’s when you need good storytelling tips (Which you will have to find but not here ;-) . I’m still learning…

Well, I hope to have helped with this insight on multimedia, but as I said at the beginning if you have any questions that aren’t well covered here, I will be glad to answer them in the comments below. Peace!

Ah! And here’s the multimedia video: “Reconstruction Stories”, I hope you like it!

Reconstruction Stories from Heber Vega on Vimeo.

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May 6, 2011 by heber vega

10.Q Interviews: Photographer Piper Mackay

Hi everyone! thank you for joining me on this new series of 10.Q Interviews. I know you’ve missed this section of my Blog and so I have. As you will notice, I have changed the set of questions for 10.Q, making these interviews less “general” and a bit more “personal” with each photographer.
If you are wondering, I will post these interviews not only on Fridays, as it used to be, and they might not be posted once a week as I really want to do a better job this time.
If you have suggestions for this section, please, let me know. You can shoot me an email or better yet leave me a comment at the bottom of this post.
Thank you!

PIPER MACKAY, “WORLD, WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER.”

“Piper Mackay is a world, wildlife and cultural photographer, based in Long Beach, California. She believes compelling visual images help to protect what is right in the world. Her work takes her to very remote locations, living cross culturally in the villages and environments that she is documenting…” [read more]

http://www.pipermackayphotography.com/

10.Q Interviews: Piper Mackay | www.pipermackayphotography.com

How is it that you are both a wildlife photographer and a cultural photographer at the same time?
Which happened first, and how is it that you added the other one later? (Assuming that it happened that way…)

“I have such an incredible passion for both that I just could not chose one over the other. I struggled with this in my first years as a photographer knowing it would be a challenge to market both. Becoming both a wildlife and cultural photographer happened simultaneously. My career as a photographer actually happened quite by accident and it all started with a lifelong calling and dream to go to Africa. It was on my first trip to Africa that I was exposed to both and photographed both.

When first discovering this incredible passion for photography I wanted to experience other area’s of photography so I went on a workshop in India with a top travel photographer. I loved the rich colors of India but while I was there we also went into the national parks and photographed the tigers. My love for both wildlife and culture photography grew equally and I began focusing on area’s that offered both. However, at the beginning my focus was much more on wildlife and now it is swaying back to culture photography and an emphasis on African wildlife. I am focusing most of my time in Eastern Africa and have just started a long term project in Ethiopia.”

If you were forced to choose only one of these fields, which one would you pick? Why?

“If I had to choose one it would be the culture photography also leading into humanitarian photography as well. As much as I enjoy wildlife photography I am a very social and compassionate person. Wildlife photography can be very solitary and when I photograph cultures I immerse my self into their lives, most times staying directly in their villages and homes. I gain so much personally from these experiences and my life has been so enriched by them that I would have to let go of the wildlife if forced to make that decision. On my site is the slogan More than a photograph, an experience. As I travel through the adventures of life, creating stories for the rocking chair, I want to look back through the photographs I have taken and see my footsteps in the amazing world that we live in.”

How do you normally handle those two photographic fields during one trip? Do you have separate trips for them?

“Carrying a lot of heavy gear. The upside is I am working in environments which usually have both, native indigenous cultures living near an abundance of exotic wildlife and so I do try to combine the trips. The only down side is carrying around a 500mm when your not going to be shooting with it, but I usually try to find a place to store it. I take separate trips more often for wildlife when photographing a particular species, such as the Jaguar down in the Pantanal in Brazil.”

http://www.pipermackayphotography.com/

10.Q Interviews: Piper Mackay | www.pipermackayphotography.com

How did you start in photography? What brought you there?

“Since I was a child I had a desire to go to africa brought on by all the amazing shows I watched on TV, such as wild kingdom and a special place near my house called Lion Country Safari. The animals roamed free through the Park and you drove your own car through it just like being on a safari in AFrica. Much later in life I finally went on my dream trip of a life time to Africa. I signed up on a trip with the sierra club and on the trip list it recommended a min of a 300mm lens. Prior to this I had never even held a professional camera in my hands. I fell in love with Africa from the moment my feet landed on her rich red soil. I returned two more times in the 5 months following the first trip with cameras in hand and a lot more gear. Rangfinder Magazine is running a feature article on my wildlife photography this month where you can read more about my story into photography. I also have a more in-depth radio interview with Rangefinder which should be up by the end of the month and I did a separate interview with NIK radio.”

Do you agree on the necessity of having a vision for photography? Why so?

“Having a vision is incredibly important as it really connects me to the message I am trying to tell through powerful imagery.
I feel lost with out vision. Going out to shoot just to take photographs can be a good exercise but one I find very empty. My work is one of compassion for my subjects, hoping to create a relationship between the viewer and the subjects as a means to inspire others to explore this amazing world we live in.”

http://www.pipermackayphotography.com/

10.Q Interviews: Piper Mackay | www.pipermackayphotography.com

How do you get inspired? What things make your ideas spin in your head?

“I love to read amazing stories in distant lands creating all kinds of visual images. I also watch independent and documentary films. I recently wrote a blog post on this exact subject (“Staying Inspired”). When I am home in Long Beach (Los Angeles) there are so many great venues promoting photography and photographers and I take advantage of that. I have been to lectures by some of the most talented and passionate photographers ranging from war photographers, photojournalist and extreme climate photographers. Hearing their stories and seeing their work is incredibly inspiring. Viewing the work of others outside of my field has given me great idea’s for some of my most intriguing photographs. And of coarse there is no better fun than being in a room full of crazy passionate photographers.”

What’s the most difficult part of being a photographer?

“Staying true to my passion and shooting what I love can mean making great financial sacrifices and making the hard choices. On this journey there have been many challenges and changes as I have became more clear on my vision. One difficult choice was using my talents in the fashion industry to work freelance jobs (non-photography related) to pay the bills instead of using my talent as a photographer to create images that do not line up with my vision.
It just did not make sense to put my energy into photographing weddings, portraits, stock, or the likes, and compromising feeling to burnt out when it came to the work that is most important to me.”

http://www.pipermackayphotography.com/

10.Q Interviews: Piper Mackay | www.pipermackayphotography.com

What’s our responsibility as photographers in this world?

“To use our passion and images to create a better world for all those who live in it.
We have an opportunity to make a visual impact of our commonalities of dignity, beauty, love, dreams, human emotions, and help break down the stereotypes that we are not as different as the modern world would have us believe. We can create a desire for others to participate in a global community and help protect what is right in our world.”

Is there any importance in getting the “story” in your photography? Do you see yourself as a storyteller? If so, why?

“Absolutely, I see myself as a story teller. My photography is about sharing the stories of others both in humanity and wildlife. Telling their stories through compelling images can help to emotionally connect the viewer to the subjects and help them to understand an environment different than their own.”

How do you engage with your subjects?

“When I photograph indigenous cultures I make arrangements to stay with them in their communities. I have slept in small tents in their villages, in their huts, and up in huts on stilts in Panama. I like to take time to get to know them, learn about their cultures and their stories. The more compelling images come when you live the stories you are trying to tell.
During my years of photographing wildlife I have joined in with the rangers to walk the beat in the hot African sun on despairing missions. I have accompanied veterinarians to rescue hurt animals and have walked amongst the mountain gorillas as well as walking with a lion, holding its tail. There is a photograph of me doing this on my website, and it was one of the most trilling moments I have experienced.”

http://www.pipermackayphotography.com/

10.Q Interviews: Piper Mackay | www.pipermackayphotography.com

Reading your “about” you said: ‘The world has enough images of poverty, pain and disaster.’ What’s wrong with that? In your opinion, what other type of images do we need to focus on?

“There is nothing wrong with images of poverty, pain and disaster as it is important that we are educated on these issues and events, but I have chosen to focus on the beauty in this world. Photographs that bring hope and that can have a positive effect on the world. My hope is by sharing compelling imagery it will inspire others to experience these amazing cultures and wildlife and I believe that great change is made by one person who has been emotionally touched by a personal experience. People act with passion when they are emotionally and physically involved. More need are photographs that show the beauty and dignity of those who have less than us materialistically but that are, other than their place in the world, emotionally the same, with hopes and dreams.”

Finally, what are your final words to encourage or to critique the community of photographers around you?

* Stay true to your passion as this is how you will excel at your craft. What is the point of working so hard to discover you veered so far from the path that you don’t get to where you were so driven to go.
* Don’t let fear keep you from taking risk. When you get to the end of this journey you don’t want to look back and ask, “What if?”
* Don’t give up, you only fail if you quit. Not being successful along the path will give you the tools necessary to be successful.
* No means not now. Your work just does not fit their platform at the moment and is not a refection on your abilities.
* Enjoy the journey as you are fortunate to experience so many incredible moments that others may never get to.

You can follow Piper Mackay in:
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April 28, 2011 by heber vega

Photographers – How to work with NGOs?

At Sulaymaniyah bazaar by Heber Vega

© Heber Vega | At Sulaymaniyah bazaar, Iraq. One of the last antique cleaners.

In my first day of blogging again I got two interesting emails, one about some images I had taken at local universities in Iraq and the other one about questions on how photographers can/should work with NGOs. I was planning to write something else for today, but it will have to wait, as I think these are important questions to share and discuss. It will be great if you can add your thoughts or experience on top of what I have answered below. That will help with this project.

Please take my answers with a grain of salt, because they’re only my opinion and I don’t have a PhD on this issue (not yet though ;-) ).

I’m not going to reveal the name of the person who wrote that email to me, but I’m going to show you an extract it:

“In my final project, I have decided to go in a strange direction. I am going to be focusing on how professional photographers help and aid NGO’s. Because of my budget, I am sticking close to home, in Cape Town. I am researching how photographers go into NGO’s and take photos, thinking that they are helping but ending up not really grasping the feel or idea of the NGO and not really being able to deliver the right photos.
Things like the attitude of photographers or NGO’s have a huge affect on the photos. Also, being overconfident can ruin a relationship, from the sides of both parties. But, at the same time, researching the effects of right attitudes, ideas and heart can go a long way.
I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for my project.”

Here are the questions:

1. How can a photographer impact an NGO with their skills?

I’d say you could make an impact with NGOs, but go beyond your skills (assuming you know how to use your camera) with your own vision as a photographer. What I mean by this, is that there are many photographers that can get a good shot, a well done photograph of that x NGO project, but what can really set you apart from the rest is your inner vision. The why you do the things you do. Examples are your approach, your way of treating your subjects, etc.

Photographers that have worked on social projects are better suitable for NGOs, as they know how those things work. They have been there before. They understand the challenges for NGOs. So when you add to that a passion, for let’s say, humanitarian issues, then you have a plus for that NGO.
Why? because you both are on the same boat.

2. What do you think are the negative and positive experiences that NGO’s have had with photographers?

Usually miscommunication, not understanding of what to expect on the job, limited budget, and zero art direction from the NGO on the shoot are usually the negative side of things. The positive experiences relating to photographers, are that take more than photos, they try to understand the NGO’s need and at the end they come up with advice into how to use those images and other “consulting” practices. They become a consultant instead of just a photographer. They share their knowledge and art in the job.

3. What have been some Issues that you have had with NGO’s?

I think I pretty much answered that in the last question.

4. What are the expectations of an NGO with a photographer?

Really, unless it is a very important (large) NGO, with experience in these types of jobs, most of the NGOs don’t know exactly what to expect from a photographer. They don’t know the way photographers work and usually they don’t usually know what to do with the images taken for the job. Some of them come with a clear idea of some photographs they may want, but they don’t realize that a photographer can sometimes assist them with a better way of portraying the subjects or need.

5. What are the photographer’s expectations for NGO’s?

Well, to help to arrange the vast array of details that are part of a shoot. Have clear communication. Respect the value of the images by respecting the rights and copyrights of them. The clearer the vision of the NGO, the easier the job for the photographer.

6. What are the biggest mistakes a photographer can make?

Not investing time in understanding their client’s need. Not being respectful. Not having sensitivity for cultures and the differences that may arise on the job. Not being flexible or easygoing with things.

7. Do photographer’s attitudes affect their photos?

It depends. I’ve seen great photos from not nice photographers. I think the problem is more about getting hired again by the same people, about trust and building relationships. For sure you will miss other pending shoots if you have problems with your attitude. The nice, kind photographer get those shoots again and again, and every time with a better/deeper impact on their subjects.

8. What are the mistakes you have made?

Uff. Many of the things I have mentioned already.

9. What key points should a photographer take into consideration before agreeing to assist a NGO?

Starting with, “Who pays what?” and going until, “Who gets the future rights of the photographs?” and so on. It’s like a normal contract, – you need to think that unthinkable things may happen. Because of this, you have to revise a couple times. You learn with time and you can always update your contracts ;-) .

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