Seasonal shopping solutions

If you're shopping for gifts for photographers or photojournalists (PJs) in your life (or want to drop a hint to your parents or significant other), I've compiled this little list of useful items under $100 and under $50. There's also some stocking stuffers at the bottom (under $25). The trick is to order before Dec. 1 to get the equipment before the holidays at a reasonable shipping price.

If budget doesn't matter, take a look at cameras, lenses and video equipment. PJs need to remember that whatever they buy before the end of the year for their business is a write off. :-)

Pro PJs shopping for their own inventory probably would prefer rooting through the PJ Candy Store because the list is more complete.

Books and photo-related software are always safe and appreciated gifts. Otherwise, you'll need to know a bit about the PJ. Find out what equipment they already have. Most importantly, you'll need to know the camera system they own.

I'll try to list item below in the most useful order for new photographers.

Nice photo items under $100:

Bogen 3231 Professional Monopod with deatchable Legs
This is a PJ's primary support. The legs on this unit make it critical for VJs and PJs moving toward video. I got one recently and can't imagine life before it.
Kata W-94 GDC Waist-Pack for complete DSLR camera system
I just got mine and already love it. It comes with a small elastic rain cover for the entire bag. It's not deep, but it's long enough for a 200mm and still has lots of room. It's still better to add a 200mm pouch. You may need to hand sew some elastic bands inside the lid to hold a dry reporter's notebook.
Lowepro Sideline Shooter
A smaller profile option.
Nikon PK 13 - Extension tube
Canon EF 12 II Extension Tube For EOS Digital Cameras
Stroboframe Press-T Flash Rotating Bracket
This gets a flash off camera and helps eliminate red-eye. A palm-sized mini-DV recorder can be mounted instead of a flash to handle both at one time.
Bogen 8' light stand
The best starter height. Two are better than one, but one is better than none.
Kata RC-15 (CRC-15) Compact Rain Cover for DVR
Lexar 4GB Professional Series CompactFlash Card 133x ( CF4GB-133-380 ) (Retail Package)
Domke PhoTOGS vests
These vests were designed for PJs. Mostly film shooters use vests anymore, however new PJs may opt for a vest to be easily "recognizable."
Wein PN Peanut Slave (100' Range) set of 3 - for digital cameras
These make flashes fire when another flash is fired.

Useful photo items under $50:

Black and Decker VEC1046BD 400 Watt inverter
Powerful enough for most uses.
Bogen Quick Action Super Clamp
This item is useful for everything from camera to light support. It's light and small enough to fit in a camera bag and works as a backup or special use support.
Bogen Back-Lite Stand
A great piece for someone starting to "get" lighting. Small, durable and effective as part of an infrared trip cord system as well. Also works as a very stable tabletop tripod.
Bogen adjustable pole for back light stand
This adds height to the item above for quality directional lighting.
LumiQuest ProMax SoftBox
I can't shoot without mine.
Sony TCM-400DV Pressman Standard Cassette Recorder
Hodgman® chest waders Bantam weight 2-ply nylon / rubber chest waders w/ cleated soles green
I paid almost double this price locally. These waders work great in floods. They also have quick disconnect suspenders to keep PJs from drowning if they fill with water (or fire ants).
Crazy Creek Sports Chair
This is useful for most indoor sporting events. It won't damage the floor (or out-of-bounds players) while saving PJs a chiropractic visit after a hoops tournament.

Stocking stuffer photo items under $25:

Roscolux Swatch Book , small sampler of almost every filter
This is extremely inexpensive and very useful for flash filtration. The samples fit over most flash heads. Get two books and have a spare to replace damaged gels. This is probably the single best bargain of all photo supplies.
Pelican Case 1020 Black
Technically, it's a case, but use it as a waterproof, crushproof, airtight disk wallet for memory cards
Lowepro DMC-Z for memory cards. Made of neoprene - black
LumiQuest Snoot
27 Watts 5500K Color corrected daylight fluorescent lamp photo bulb - 2 Pack
Put some of these in regular lightbulb sockets to ease eyestrain, save energy and make every neighbor jealous of your home photos. Can be used as a cumulative bank light, to provide a cool, low-power, continuous light source.
Memorex 700MB/80-Minute 52x CD-R Media (100-Pack Spindle)
Tape Recorder to Telephone Adapter
Sto-Fen Omni Bounce
Some folks really love these. If this is your softener of choice, you'll need a white, green (for Fl) and gold (for tungsten) one to match your specific flash.
Azden omni-directional Lavalier microphone lapel mic. Unit includes lapel clip and can attach to most digital audio devices as well.
Orange Mesh Safety Vest with 2" Reflective Tape
Coleman Float Head Lamp , battery operated
Bottle Top Camera Pod
6" Length Nylon spring clamps
Stanley 66-039 6-Piece Jewelers Precision Screwdriver Set
Boonie hat
Probrella Portable Compact Umbrella
Protects against sun, heat and rain damage.

Enough for now,

Travis Dove interview - Part C

Jason Gillispie (left) and Aaron Levy ride to Vinton, Ohio's Fellowship Chapel for Sunday service in the back of a donated bus. Both men are disciples of Refuge Ministries, a three-step recovery program for people struggling with drug addiction. Levy, the 19-year-old grandson of a preacher, is finding his way back to God after struggling with an addiction to heroine.
Photo
© Travis Dove

Please read Travis Dove's biography, Parts A and B of this interview and see the images on his Web site.

You already have a BA degree. Why did you return to college to work on your master's degree?

Even when I was working with John [Loomis] and working on my internship at The Augusta Chronicle, I always saw myself as a student anyway. So it didn't seem like a huge leap for me at the time to go back to school.

I knew there were some gaps in my skill set that were going to be easier to fill in at school than in the industry - like multimedia.

How did you choose Ohio University?

I looked at several schools. I met a couple of students, who came out of OU. They seemed driven. They seemed competent, successful. They were everything that I wanted to be and couldn't at that point.

When I came here to visit with the professors, I got a sense that the coursework was very practical, and they allowed a lot of freedom to explore other venues like learning Flash, for instance, or design. [There were] a lot of other subjects that I was interested in.

Are you ready to enter the pro world?

Absolutely. For me, I know this was the best school for me. All I know is this has been really helpful for me.

What gaps did you have in your education?

I had never taken a formal journalism class. I didn't know about newsgathering really. I was just learning as I went along, which seemed a little dangerous to me at the time. I wasn't totally comfortable with it.

Certainly with multimedia. I didn't see myself picking up a video camera, picking up an audio recorder, learning Pro Tools and learning Final Cut on my own. I needed some direction, and that's what this place provided for me.

And, it was a photo community. I had picked up on the idea that it's important to surround yourself with people that are going to help you grow. I knew this was that type of place.

Do you have other language skills?

No.

I took some foreign language classes (Spanish) in college. I did horribly.

It's not that I haven't tried. At Wake Forest, they require that you take a foreign language up to the level of foreign literature class. Man that was a struggle for me. (laughs)

By far the worst I did of any of my classes at Wake Forest.

I think it's important. It sounds hypocritical of me to say that because I'm not really fluent in another language. Before I found out that I'd have this opportunity at The Charlotte Observer, my plan was to go to Guatemala for the summer and get better at Spanish.

It's still a goal of mine to become fluent in a foreign language. Now it's a matter of finding the time to make it happen.

You completed three internships. What's the importance of internships?

It's important to think practically about your photography. There are a lot of great images that people have taken that are never going to be published because they're just not right for a newspaper or a magazine.

That's something you learn about when you go to a newspaper and do an internship. (laughs) You learn about news value. It's important to have some life experience in the field before you jump out there.

Do you think the number of internships you've had is helpful?

To be honest, I've actually had more than three internships. I've had like five or six internships, they just haven't been in photojournalism.

I don't think that there's a magic number as far as internships go. Every one of my internships has helped me personally. I think every case is different. You just need to do internships until you feel comfortable with your skill level. Feel comfortable with where you're at, and then go for it.

Well, I've got one coming up at National Geographic. So, that will be four for sure. (laughs)

Every internship that I've had has been a step forward. As long as I have an opportunity to take a step forward, I'm going to take it.

Have you ever had a raw-take edit?

That's what we do at OU. We did that in my Photo Essay class. They're displaying every photograph you took to the whole class. You're entire take. Every time for the entire essay.

That was pressure. (laughs)

It's like being naked in front of the class. It was so nerve wracking the first time we went through my entire shoot in front of everybody.

All the outtakes are like these dirty little secrets that you don't want anybody to know that you have. Gosh, it was a great learning experience. You started to think more about every picture that you were taking.

John Loomis told me the first day that I met him at the coffee shop, he said, "The only difference between me and any other guy with a camera is that I've taken more bad pictures." It's important to take bad pictures. It's important so you know what's good.

[The class] wasn't nit-picking the worst pictures and then critiquing them. But, we would talk about the way that everybody is approaching the subject. You can learn a lot by looking at how you got to certain pictures. The steps that you took to get to a certain frame.

Your Web site lists you as a freelancer. Is it important to freelance while in college?

I wouldn't say it's any more or less important than having an internship.

Freelancing for The Chapel Hill News taught me something about how to submit a photograph, some of the rules for toning, really practical things I had no idea about at the time.

As a graduate student, it's important to me because I don't have any money. (laughs)

It's good to eat every now and then when you have the opportunity. Freelancing is certainly important in that regard as a student.

It is good practice for what you're going to be doing later on in life, which is making a living. It teaches you something about how the business works, which is knowledge that you don't really get out of school.

That's one thing that I wish we had a little bit more of at OU:   the business of photography. Thankfully, I did have a little background from my undergraduate experience.

How do you view yourself professionally?

I don't think I do view myself professionally. I view myself as a student. I look at myself as a student first because I think I have a lot to learn.

What's the difference between you and a pro?

Experience. Experience.

How are you gaining experience?

I'm doing a lot of internships. I am trying to put myself out there as much as I can. I try to talk to people about my work whenever I have the opportunity. I seek advice when I can. I try to surround myself with photographers, who are going to push me to become better.

When does a photojournalist become a pro?

That's a tough question to answer because I don't know that there's a line. I think it's a self-perception.

When will you cross over the self-perception line?

I don't think I ever will.

I could see myself teaching. I don't think it's written in stone that I'm going to be a teacher when I get done with school. I'm just trying to stay open to all possibilities right now.

How important is it to be technically proficient?

I think the technical aspects are the things that people start grasping first when it comes to photography. Yes, it's extremely important to have that foundation.

Hopefully it's something that you can forget about and something that becomes a little more effortless as you progress.

Does lack of proficiency interfere with PJ work?

Oh yea. Absolutely. A lot of people might know what you want the final photograph to look like, but you don't know how to make it happen. That can be really frustrating.

For me, it was a process of trial and error when I was learning how the camera worked. There's still aspects where I could improve my technical proficiency like with studio lighting.

How important is studio lighting?

It depends on the type of work you want to do when you get done.

I was lucky in that I had assisted for a studio photographer before I came into photojournalism. So, I had a little bit of that knowledge when I started out. I'm not sure I would have gone after that later on in my career.

I'm glad that I've had that experience, but I'm by no means a seasoned studio photographer right now. That's one of those subjects where I'm still a student.

Studio lighting can definitely help you make money later on.

There are a lot of assignments that come out that only an experienced photographer that knows something about studio lighting is going to be able to accomplish successfully. If you don't have those skills, then you're out of the pool automatically.

You're really limiting yourself by not knowing anything about studio lighting.

How important is competition in the industry?

I think it's critical. I think one of the things that's helped me grow here at school is a healthy competition that we have between the students.

I feel we feed off each other's energy.

One of the things that's struck me since entering this field is people's willingness to help you out - even when that's in direct contradiction to their own goals.

When some of the students here are trying to put together portfolios for internships, a lot of us are applying to the same internships. But, we'll sit down together anyway, look over each other's work and try to make it as good as possible.

The competition is important, but it's also important that it doesn't override everything else.

Is it important for you to shoot overseas?

No. I don't think it's critical that I shoot overseas. I wouldn't say that I'll never shoot overseas.

Some of the most important work that's being done is conflict photography in places other than the U.S. That's very important work. So, I don't want to take anything away from people who are doing that. But, there's a lot of valuable work to be done in the U.S. as well.

What's the purpose of your work?

The purpose of my work is to increase understanding by taking people places that they wouldn't normally go, or don't want to go.

I hope there's some universality to it.

To some extent, I am shooting for myself right now because a lot of this work is not being published anywhere. The reason that I'm shooting for myself right now is because I want to improve as a photographer. I want to become better at the craft. So that when I'm shooting for a publication, I can say that I've done everything I could to be as good at this as I can.

I don't have a readership right now. Right now my readership is primarily other photographers. Literally, right now. When I was shooting for The Charlotte Observer, I was trying to shoot for their readership. When I was shooting for The Augusta Chronicle, I was shooting for their readership. When I'm at OU, I'm shooting for myself.

What are your thoughts on citizen journalism?

I can see the value in it. But, I see a lot of dangers in it as well. Obviously, these people are not held to the same journalistic standard that we are at all times. I don't think they have media ethics running through their heads when they're doing this work. You can't take anything away from the impact nonetheless.

What's your biggest visual pet peeve?

(Laughs) It might be the gratuitous silhouette photographs. Those strike me first.

It's probably the first creative device I learned as a photographer. It's probably because it's the one that I overused the most when I was first starting out.

I don't think that it's a rule that you can't ever have a silhouette in your portfolio. There's a time and a place for it.

You don't want to have too many of any one trick in your portfolio like rim lighting or silhouetting.

Throughout most PJ's career, they have one driving motivation. It underlies all their projects, stories and even single images. What's yours?

I think I'm obsessed with the power of photojournalism. That's it.

It has the ability to move people, to draw emotion out of people, to make people feel something and relate to others. I love being able to provide that.

Anything to add?

What's made this whole CPOY thing so special is the incredible response that I got after it was announced. I got so many e-mails and phone calls, hugs and everything from people from all different parts of my life. I would just like to thank everybody that's been so helpful to me and so supportive of me over the past few years.

Like Matt said last year, I'd be happy to talk to anybody about photography or about life - whenever.

Enough for now,

Travis Dove interview - Part B

Photo © Travis Dove

Ann Wilson's dog, Tobias Bubba, gives her a look from his floatable board, which is tied to Wilson as she swims on Lake Norman outside of her home in Denver, N.C. Wilson swims in the lake while towing Tobias just about every day the weather permits.

Please read Travis Dove's biography, Part A of this interview and see the images on his Web site.

Bryon Houlgrave a pro in Wisconsin said, Travis, congratulations on the recognition. It's very well deserved as your portfolio is full of solid, well executed work.

Could you talk about your own style when it comes to approaching your subjects? Your images seem to show that you blended in well with your subjects, and that they weren't really aware of your presence.

A huge part of taking good pictures is putting yourself in a situation where that's a possibility. Part of it is, certainly, finding the right subject, who's going to be able to ignore you eventually. Another part of it is staying with them for a long time. (laughs)

Spending a lot of time with them.

If there's a magic formula, then that's it:   finding the right subject and spending a lot of time there.

Houlgrave continues, Could you discuss your views on the importance of internships, and what you've gleaned from your experiences at The Charlotte Observer, The Augusta Chronicle and The Valley News? How does that practical experience compliment what's taught at Wake Forest, or Ohio University?

I'll take this question chronologically. At Wake Forest I was shooting photography as a hobby. That's just the place where I learned I like pictures on a very basic level.

At The Augusta Chronicle, I started to get a feel for the daily grind of working as a photojournalist:   the whole 9-to-5 aspect of pumping out publishable work on a daily basis.

At The Valley News, I was given a lot more freedom to succeed and freedom to fail. They gave you a lot of space for photographs at that paper. I had one page dedicated to pictures every month - dedicated to my photographs, which is awesome and really rare in this business. That was an amazing learning experience for me.

At The Charlotte Observer, I tried to take all those things I learned at The Augusta Chronicle about pumping out daily work, and things I learned at The Valley News about shooting picture stories and put them together and used them in a much bigger venue.

The whole time, I was trying to find people who were going to be helpful to me and help me grow as a photographer.

At OU, part of what I'm doing here is filling in the gaps - things I didn't learn at some of these internships like how to shoot video, how to record audio. Practical things like that.

Like I said earlier, I'm learning how to shoot for a feeling and avoid shooting for a process.

Houlgrave continues, How are colleges teaching multimedia today? Do you get much exposure to video production or slideshows? Do you see multimedia in your future, or are your ambitions more designed toward photojournalism?

Thank you, and congratulations again. Best of luck.

Thank you very much.

We do get some exposure to multimedia. I think they're going to start requiring it here in the future. It's not a requirement right now. I took an audio class last year, and I took a video class last year. I had a lot of fun in those classes, and I feel like they taught me a lot about storytelling in general. It's helped my photography too.

I definitely see multimedia in my future. I enjoy it, and I think it can be powerful if done well.

Most of the multimedia that I've done for myself have been a combination of audio, video and stills. It's not perfect for every situation at all. There's certain times when it's really helpful in telling a story.

Do you think it's important to the industry?

Yes. I do. I think the industry has a lot to learn about audio and video, and so do I. (laughs)

I'm guessing that if you showed some of my video clips to somebody, who's been doing television for 30 years, they'll probably think that I'm terrible. (laughs)

The industry has a long way to go but the growing popularity of Internet news, it's crucial.

Tried it in a professional environment on deadline?

It is extremely challenging and frustrating. That's one of the reasons I said it's not perfect for all situations. A lot of the time you're going to be sacrificing some photographs to get this video. It's important to pick and choose your battles in this situation.

That being said, one of the pictures in my portfolio actually came from an assignment where I was shooting video and stills on deadline. It was the photo of the lady with her dog on a raft.

Man that was an experience. I almost didn't get that picture. (laughs) Oh man, that assignment was something else.

[The equipment] was waterproof at first.

I had heard that this lady swims every day with her dog. So, I brought basically the entire pool of equipment to this assignment. I had long lenses, monopods, tripods, video camera, one of those Ewa underwater bags. I had tons of stuff. I had three cameras because I had no idea where I was going to be able to go for the shot. I brought my bathing suit, obviously.

When I got there, I ended up borrowing this little life belt thing from this lady's husband. I swam out there with The Observer's camera in one of those underwater housing kits. I'm following her out there, and I started taking some photos. I was kind of struggling because I had never done underwater photography before. It's hard. It's so hard. (laughs)

I started taking a couple of pictures and the battery died in the camera. I had to swim back to the dock and take everything out of the underwater bag. Put a new battery in the camera. Locked it back up. Swam back out there. I started shooting some more photos, and I'm looking at the back of the screen and everything is black.

I had set the camera to automatic and the sky was so bright and it was reflecting off the water. You couldn't see anything. It was way, way underexposed.

I was like, "None of these pictures are going to work."

I swam back to the dock again. Dried my hands off. Grabbed the video camera. Shot some video from the dock. Put that down. Grabbed my personal still camera. Didn't put it in the bag, and just swam out there with my camera just praying I didn't drop it into the water.

I probably got five or six publishable frames from that assignment, and that was one of them. But that entire day I was constantly taking still photos, putting that camera down, picking up my video camera, shooting that.

It's hard to tell a story with video when you're constantly debating in your head, "Should I be shooting stills or should I be shooting video right now?"

It's hard. That's why I say you have to choose your battles with that. The video ended up being pretty horrible I think. (laughs)

When do you decide what tool to use?

It's certainly dependent on the subject matter. I don't know if there are hard-and-fast rules. You just have to go with your gut on that.

There's certainly times when you start talking to your subject, and they have an emotional response to the topic. That's very audible. It's a good time to pick up your video camera and start recording.

Better to keep them wired?

(Laughs) Yea. That's so tough though. I can't see myself ever doing that actually. I can't see myself wiring somebody up from the beginning, waiting on them to say something and pressing record.

I don't think my brain works that way where I can do both at the exact same time. I have to keep putting one down and picking the other up.

I don't know how you can do both at the same time. It would make my brain overload. I have to be committed to one or the other. (laughs)

The thing that's frustrating to me with shooting video and frame grabs or whatever is the depth of field. I can't get over the fact that I can't really affect the aperture in a way that I'm used to.

Michael Rubenstein, a pro and OU alumni now living in Mumbai, India asks, Every year the judges at CPOY choose one photographer to be the photographer of the year. Every year thousands of photographers submit work. I'm sure that you've viewed the podcasts for this year's judging, and I'd like to know which images and which photographers stuck out in your mind as the cutting edge of photojournalism. In addition which of your peers would you say give you the biggest push to keep on keepin' on.

Wow.

The first person that comes to mind is Dominic Nahr. His work was inspirational. I really admire the effort that it must have taken for him to do so much work abroad. That's really inspiring that a student would have that much drive.

Some of the other work that I found to be really strong was like Benjamin Reed from the University of Missouri - his work in the Sports Portfolio. Earlier, I was talking about capturing a feeling rather than a process. One of the places where that's really difficult is when you're photographing sports. I feel he does that really well. That work stuck out.

My fellow students. Wow. They're all amazing.

This girl, Kainaz Amaria, is always, always, always raising the bar and putting in 110 percent with every assignment. I think that's awesome. She pushes everybody in the class.

If I was being truthful about it, I would name every student in my grad class - all 10 of them.

You won a Boy Scout photography award when you were 8 years old. What was the subject of that image?

(Laughs) It was a basketball goal.

It's funny because we talk a lot now about photographing things that are important to you or relevant to you, and that is exactly what I was doing at that time in my life. I loved basketball. So, that's what I took a picture of. I guess that part of it is kind of instinctive.

Judging from the Boy Scout experience you started photography young. When did you start to think of it seriously?

It was something that I always knew that I liked. It's not that I didn't take it seriously. It's that I didn't think that I could do it. I didn't think that I could do it well until, probably, my first internship. That's when I started thinking this could be a career for me.

That was after my undergraduate experience. I was between undergraduate and graduate school at that point.

This is how it happened:   I graduated college and I knew I liked photography, but I thought I wanted to be in advertising or something like that.

You're undergrad degree didn't prepare you for PJ work?

No. Not at all. I didn't take anything close to a journalism class. But, I did take some photography/art courses. Those concentrated a lot more on the art aspect and a lot less on the photography aspect.

So when I got out, I thought I wanted to do something in advertising. I know I had an interest in photography, but I didn't think I was a photographer.

I got a couple of internships in Boston. One of them I was working for a photo rep and the other I was assisting the studio of a commercial photographer up there.

The whole time I was up there, I felt like I enjoyed the photography aspect of everything I was doing, but I didn't feel like my work had as much meaning as I wanted it to have.

After those internships, I moved down to North Carolina to be closer to my girlfriend. I was really trying to make some money. So, I thought I could find some photographers around the area to assist for.

I started calling people. I was getting a lot of rejections. There weren't a lot of commercial photographers in Durham, North Carolina for me to assist. I came across the Web site of this photographer named John Loomis.

I saw his work, and I thought and it stuck out at me as being a lot different than most of the photography that I had seen in the past.

I thought that he didn't need an assistant for a lot of the work that he was doing, but I thought I'd just give him a call anyway and give it a shot.

I called him and he told me that he didn't need an assistant, but I asked him if he would mind meeting with me and just telling me a little bit about what he does.

We met for coffee a couple of days later and that's kind of where my interest in photojournalism started.

At that point, I wasn't taking anything completely seriously. I didn't just leave the meeting and say, "I'm going to be a photojournalist now."

But, I knew I was more interested in photojournalism than advertising.

John Loomis, a pro in Miami asks, Describe the significance of "Bull-Moose" to your photographic process.

(Laughs) Oh man! (Laughs) I can't believe he asked that question. (laughs)

Bull-Moose is a drinking game that I told him about on one of our many, long roadtrips while I was an assistant for him. (laughs)

I don't think that really has any significance whatsoever. (laughs)

Loomis continues, As someone who went to school at a predominantly non-photo university, how has that affected your growth and passion for the industry and the way that you envision yourself entering into the field?

I'm really glad that I didn't go to a predominantly photojournalism school as an undergrad. At that point in my life I just wasn't ready to take it seriously. But, I did get a lot out of my experience in college. I think it was good for me.

I learned a lot about business and about the world and about who I was. That experience helped me to grow as a person - not necessarily as a photographer.

Because Wake Forest is more of a business school, that's probably one of the reasons I was interested in becoming a commercial photographer when I first left school. To be honest. Because I was a lot more concerned about money when I first came out of there.

It wasn't until a little bit later when I started thinking that's not the most important thing in my life.

Please read Part C of this interview.

Enough for now,

Travis Dove interview - Part A

Photo © Travis Dove

Marki Carter loads a funnel as Dan Fluharty passes out in the chair next to her.

Please read Travis Dove's biography and see the images on his Web site.

What advice do you have for new PJ students?

I can share the advice that was helpful for me. My instructor here at OU - Julie Elman - she said in her class that we should, "Dare to suck." I think those are words to live by. Just throw it all out there. Don't worry about failure.

Also, it's important to always be working on something. It doesn't really matter what that is. It could be for somebody else, or it could be for yourself. Always be working on something. Don't be stagnant.

Benjamin Rasmussen, a freelance PJ in the Faroe Islands (Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Norway) who won an CPOY Award of Excellence in portraiture this year, said, Congratulations on the win. Your portfolio has definitely raised the bar for student work.

How much influence do you feel that your masters program at Ohio has had on your photographic style and vision?"

I think I've grown tremendously in the past year and a half because of my experience here at OU. Probably the biggest influence for me has been the other students here at OU - particularly the 10 grad students that are in most of my classes with me. I think we've fed off of each other's energy throughout all these classes.

I'm just not the same photographer I was when I came here.

One of the things that we talk about here a lot at OU is trying to photograph a feeling rather than photographing a process. That's something I didn't really recognize before I came here. That's one of the things that helped me grow is recognizing that.

When I first started out, I was getting tied up in photographing exactly what's in front of me. I've got all these elements in front of me, and I felt like I needed to include this, this and this to tell the story properly. But, I feel like you can get so much more out of a photograph by searching for a deeper meaning.

One of the professors that we had last year - Bruce Strong - he used to say this quote all the time, "You remember one-third of what you read, one-half of what people tell you, but 100 percent of what you feel."

It certainly takes some work to get to the point where you can shoot for feeling because it's awkward at first. But, it's worth it. It's worth it.

What you feel or the subject feels?

I'm trying to connect with the subject, and hopefully it's a feeling that we can both share. You want to relate to the people that you're photographing. I don't want to go out there and feel like a vulture when I'm photographing people. I try to draw on whatever I can to relate to the subject.

There's a way to photograph their feelings and put it in the frame.

There's also a way to take the reader deeper. You're not just putting their face in the frame. You do that by using creative devices, but also by making a connection with the subject so you can get closer to them - understand their situation a little better.

There are certain situations like Skatopia, for instance, the owner of Skatopia - Brewce Martin - has done lots of things that are pretty crazy, and we don't have a lot in common as people. But, he has a lot of passion for skateboarding. He eats and sleeps this place that he's built. On some levels I do feel I can relate to his energy and his passion for skateboarding. That's what I try to feed off of when I was out there shooting.

Rasmussen continues, Your story on Skatopia gives the feeling that you had really become a part of the community. How much time did you spend there working on this project how long did it take before they really let their guard down around you?

I did that project for a class that we have here at OU called Documentary Photography. We were required to do between 12 and 18 visits for that project. I think I did 18 to 20 visits. Actually, I wasn't finished with it at the end of the quarter. I felt like it was missing something.

During my summer internship, I asked for some time off and went back up there again for three days. That was for the Bowl Bash Party. I think there are like three or four pictures from that one three-day period out there.

So, I spent quite a bit of time there.

It was actually difficult when I was first showing up out there. They've had a lot of photographers come out there, but most of them are like skate photographers, and they're really interested in shooting the action. I was a lot more interested in capturing lifestyle.

So, this was a different kind of experience for them.

I can't say that there was like a specific moment when I realized they were letting their guard down. I think it was probably more like me letting my guard down because that's not the typical crowd that I hang out with.

I was nervous going out there in the beginning because I didn't know how they were going to accept me. They were actually surprisingly open with me.

Daniel Berman a PJ student in Seattle, Wash. said, Congratulations on your win. Your work shows a lot of intimacy and access; how do you work to gain this access?

Thank you. Thanks for the congratulations Daniel.

Most of it is keeping in contact with people. For instance, there's one single in my portfolio that's a kid sleeping in a coffin. That coffin was sitting outside of their house probably a month before I took that photograph. They had put it outside their house as like a Halloween decoration.

I had stopped by and talked to one of the kids' mothers about taking pictures around the town. I was just trying to make contact. I had been back to the town several times, and I remember seeing the coffin sitting out there for a while and then it disappeared.

I ran into the mom again and started talking to her about what was going on. She told me that they brought the coffin into their kid's room and used it as sort of a guest bed on the weekends. I thought, "That's a picture." (laughs)

She had told me that I was welcome to photograph her kids anytime I wanted. So I stayed in contact. I kept it in the back of my mind and waited for a good time to go over there. I called, and I hung out with those kids three nights before somebody actually went to sleep in that coffin.

I took the picture probably around midnight or 1 a.m.

Part of a bigger story?

At the time we were working on an essay on life in America's coal region. It was for a class here called Photo Essay. That was a picture I was taking for that project. I had other shots for that essay, but this was the only picture from these kids.

I was shooting all kinds of different things during that time period for the essay. But, I knew I wanted this photograph out of this group of people, so I was continually going back for that one photo. But, I had lots of other stuff working at the same time.

Berman continues, Also, what advice would you give to a sophomore in college, seeking out their first internship?

Be persistent. One of the things that has helped me get internships in the past is being persistent. Most of the people that have given me work in the past, I've had to bug them for it. (laughs)

I would encourage you to show them that you want it. Keep in contact and don't give up.

I would also look for a newspaper where you think you're going to grow. It's always been important for me to surround myself with good people and good photographers. That's the best advice I can give really.

Berman continues, What can a 20 year old do to set their portfolio apart?

Find emotion. A lot of the younger photographers start to grasp composition and light a lot faster than they grasp emotion. That's something that was always lacking in my portfolio too. It just takes time.

Tim Gruber, a CPOY multi-award-winning PJ student at Ohio University said, During your first PJ assignment, you took your dog, Pepsi, to a portrait assignment of this couple and their memorabilia of Coke products. How did you react when the subject noticed your pet in the car and asked her name?

(Laughs) Well, I said her name is Pepsi. I was hoping that they would find humor in the irony of this situation, but I think it was lost on them. It was incredibly awkward actually. There was kind of a silence in the air, and eventually they invited me in, and it was forgotten about - thankfully.

That was funny. It was also the only assignment where I've ever had a memory card corrupted. I came back to the office, and I was missing most of my pictures. Luckily, I was so nervous about it that I shot two full cards worth of photographs. So I had something to fall back on. (laughs)

Gruber continues, Please talk about your struggle in finding a summer internship last year to going on to win CPOY. Please specifically address the level of commitment and passion one needs in this profession.

Wow. Last year - it was tough for me. I sent out a lot of applications for internships and ended up with nothing.

Luckily, we had a really great professor here named Bruce Strong, who required all his students to keep a journal - which he read at the end of the year. He read in my journal that I was feeling very discouraged by the fact that I hadn't gotten any internships at all.

When he read that, he called me and asked me if I was interested in an internship with The Charlotte Observer because he knew the photo director there. At that point, I had all but given up on it. I was feeling very discouraged. I'm just really thankful that he was there to help me out at that point. I'm glad things worked out the way that they did.

I can remember when I was first starting out as a photographer and not having any idea what to expect from my first freelance assignments, and going into The Chapel Hill News and talking to my editor Shawn Rocco how all this whole process worked.

He told me that they would have maybe one or two assignments for me a week, and they would pay $30 an assignment. So, that came as a complete and total shock to me. At that point in my life, I thought that you could actually make a livable wage taking pictures. (laughs)

Obviously, I was mistaken. I just wanted to do it so   bad that it was worth it for me to struggle - a lot.

I feel like I've come a long way since then. I also feel like I have a long way to go. In order to stay motivated through this process you just have to love it. You have to want it.

Please read Parts B and C of this interview.

Enough for now,

Playoff awe

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Remington Boykin, 8, of Lumberton gapes at activities before the Class 4A Division II playoff football game between Lumberton and Houston Smiley high schools in Mont Belvieu on Friday, Nov. 16, 2007.

Strike Out Leukemia camp

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Pro baseball players Jason Tyner (left) and Jay Bruce (right) conduct a benefit baseball camp at the Southeast Texas Baseball Academy located at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007. The camp benefitted David Murphy, a 2007 West Brook graduate recently diagnosed with Leukemia. The camp was organized by Bruce, Murphy's WBHS teammate, and Tyner, also a WBHS alum.

If Bruce's name is familiar, it's probably because he was the Minor League 2007 Player of the Year. He also happens to be a player in this image.


Pro baseball players Jason Tyner and Jay Bruce join forces with a baseball camp to raise money for the family of David Murphy at the Southeast Texas Baseball Academy in Beaumont.

Please read "Pros lead baseball camp..." by Christine Rappleye.

Branding Beaumont

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lights glow as twilight falls on the ExxonMobil refinery in Beaumont on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007. Beaumont promoters are struggling to create a "cool" identity in addition to the area's massive job potential to attract residents.

Please read "Is it hip to be here?" by Sarah Moore.

Dropping in for a game

Joe Taylor of Matagorda Beach, Texas parachutes onto the field with the game ball for the Lumberton and Nederland high school football game in Lumberton on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007. Lumberton won the game and advanced into the playoffs.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Stick r shock

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Hockey sticks feature wood and composite as well as right and left handed blades in the Wildcatters locker room at Ford Arena in Beaumont on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007. The Wildcatters hockey team has a $60,000 budget for a variety of professional hockey sticks.


Hockey sticks are stacked together near the bench during a practice session at Ford Arena. Bigger, stronger and faster players shoot pucks harder and break more sticks.




Hockey stick handles are often wrapped with special tape to improve the players grip. Players can easily identify their sticks by the handle alone.


Spare hockey sticks await use at Ford Arena. The team has already broken around 35 sticks since training began in October.


Most hockey sticks feature graphite or other composite shafts. These are more flexible for better power and accuracy, but tend to break easier.




Wildcatters' goal tender Scott Savich blocks a shot with his chest instead of his stick during practice at Ford Arena. If the goalie's stick breaks, the closest teammate immediately surrenders his stick to keep the goal protected.


Please read "Wildcatters budget $60K for sticks..." by Christopher Dabe.

See a larger slideshow version of this essay.

Girls Haven Gumbo Fest

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Jeanne Riley, deputy constable for the Precinct 1 Constable's office, participates in the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest near the Crockett Street Entertainment District in Beaumont on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007.


Gabrielle Long with the City of Beaumont EMS gumbo team stirs a gumbo pot during the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest.




Kate Sueoka, an RN case manager with Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital, shoots artificial string at passers by during the annual Girls' Haven Gumbo Fest in Beaumont.

Game face

Lumberton senior Josh Watts talks with other fans before a high school football game against Nederland in Lumberton on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Travis Dove - CPOY 2007

Travis Dove was born in Charlotte, NC on Nov. 22, 1981 and grew up in Concord, NC. He is the 2007 College Photographer of the Year.

He is currently a graduate student working toward a master's degree in photography at Ohio University. He plans to complete this degree in Spring, 2008. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wake Forest University in 2004.

He is a member of National Press Photographers Association.

He has interned at The Charlotte Observer, The Augusta Chronicle and The Valley News. He has freelanced for The News & Observer and worked at several smaller papers in the Durham, N.C. area.

He won 2007 College Photographer Of the Year, as well as Gold awards in Portrait, Documentary and Portfolio. He also won Awards of Excellence in Sports Feature and Pictorial categories at the 2007 CPOY competition. This is the first time his work has been awarded in an open forum.

Additional images can be seen at his Web site and his blog.

He resides in Athens, Ohio, 750 miles from his high school sweetheart, who he has been with for eight years.

Please read his interview parts A, B and C.

Enough for now,

Lumberton's historic win

Nederland's Ryan Brady (No. 7, right) catches a pass under Lumberton's B.J. Belt (No. 2, left) during a high school football game in Lumberton on Friday, Nov. 9, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Lumberton's Jacob Hanna (No. 24, right) puts a hit on Nederland's Adam Broussard (No. 9, left) during a high school football game in Lumberton. Lumberton's defense held Nederland to 7 points while their offense racked up 33 points to earn the team a tri-championship and a playoff berth for the first time in 41 seasons.

Ask Travis Dove a question

Travis Dove, this year's College Photographer of the Year, has agreed to an interview. This is your opportunity to look at his work and ask pertinent questions. Please see his biography.

Please leave questions in the comments section of this post or E-Mail them to me before Sunday for inclusion in the interview. Please include your name, city and blog address for inclusion with the questions.