Top 10 Shot List for Missions Photographers

MISSIONS PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES~PART 2 

It's not about you. The direction that you aim your camera really speaks volumes to your purpose and focus. Ministry is always others-focused and so your photography should be as well. Have you ever looked through someone's web album only to see a lot of arms-length self-portraits, or pictures of the group making silly faces, or the group in front of the tourist locations? There will probably be a few food pictures thrown-in and even some local animals but have you ever wondered, what did they do? Who did they reach? This is typical of personal pictures, which we all do and I am not condoning it. But with missions photography you need to be a more purposeful and respectful story-teller. The point of missions is reaching others, tell their story not yours. But remember, to tell the story in a way that brings honor to God and not exploit the misfortunes of others. 

These women find refuge and hope after life on the streets of Bucharest @ Jubilee-Romania

Preparation: Before any trip, I will do some internet searching about the location. I will learn its history, statistics, and culture. I will see what images have been made from that location. I suggest creating an inspiration board of the images you hope to capture. Mine are often in my head but I have scoped out the digital landscape so to speak and have already started thinking about the approach I want to take with my story, the images I hope to capture and what I might expect once I get there.  I am not doing this to copy what someone else has done but to prepare myself to take it further, to show what hasn't been shown before. I then take these things to the Lord in prayer to get His perspective. I also make a shot list. If I am shooting for an organization I will always ask what their expectations are because the images I envision may be different from what they are expecting. I learn as much about the culture as I can, by doing so sharpens my awareness once I get there. There will always be surprises but far fewer with preparation.

Top Ten Shot List for your visual narrative.

CAPTURE PLACES AND CULTURE TO SET THE SCENE. 

The Orthodox Church is a dominant
force in Romania.  Shots like this can give
your story cultural context.

10. Wide shots that include the landscape, architecture, and the physical locations that you do ministry. 

9. Wide to medium shots of the surrounding areas where the people live and work. 

8. Medium to close-up shots of the culture: dress, food, customs, religious icons. I always look for a symbol of the country such as the flag for immediate identification. 

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO TELL YOUR STORY AND WHO YOUR MAIN AUDIENCE WILL BE 

7.  Multi-media: If you are able to shoot video consider getting "b" role of the roads you travels, transportation, crowds of people moving to help move your presentation, if not, shoot photo sequences (time-lapse photography) of movement. Also capture audio of local sounds and interviews. I like to pick-up some of the local music if possible.
CAPTURE WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW IT IS DONE IN A VARIETY OF MEDIUM AND CLOSE-UP SHOTS AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF ANGLES.
6.  Capture everyday activities of the team and the people you serve. Worship, eating, meeting, daily life....

Look for different angles to tell the story. This window view
gives you a more complete picture of this after-school program
in Campina Romania.

5. Capture all ministry-related activity. Speaking, praying, building, caring etc...

Gene,  the clown captures a young girls attention
at a church in Moura Noua, Romania.

4. Group shot: look for a location with great light that gives your team context. Think about this early-on in the trip so you are not shooting everyone on the hotel stairs the very last morning.
CAPTURE THE MAIN SUBJECTS.

3. Team Members: Capture candids of each person active in ministry and with the locals. Make sure you have someone capture you in action! 

Kathy Walker with Bible-Missions engages the children
and receives some smiles at this Romanian orphanage. 

2. In-Country Hosts:  Candids of your local co-laborors, career missionaries, or NGOs in action are always appreciated. NOTE 1: Be sure to leave a copy of your images with these people. NOTE 2: be careful if you are working in a sensitive country, in which case, you will need to conceal their identities instead.

1. The people you are serving. Capture their response to the gospel. Get close-ups and emotion. Get faces. NOTE 1: capture these images in a way that honors them. More on that in another blog post. NOTE 2: again be careful if you are working in a sensitive country, in which case you will need to conceal these peoples identity. It can be done, but you will need to be creative. I recommend doing so in-camera and not with photoshop.

Close-ups and reactions answer the bigger questions
of why you came as well as the possibilities of
transformation and hope.

Shoot a lot but edit mercilessly later. You do not want to show all your images, only the strongest ones that tell the story. Be careful what you post online. While social media is a world-wide phenomenon, once the images are out there (believe me, they will be found) you have no control how it is used by others. Some people will be pleased to see their images while others not so much. Be very careful what you write and post as you are shaping people perceptions about that location and people group.
    Now if you are shooting for a missionary group or organization focus on individual stories that highlight the nature of their outreach. Spending a significant amount of time with the subject will help you understand and tell the story the right way. The story of the "one" will always have the greatest impact.


Next week I will discuss what I call relationship-first photography.

Don't forget to get the detail shots. In Romania appropriate physical touch
is so important in reaching those that are forgotten.

The Lord is my light... Psalm 27:1

Coming Full Circle in Russia

As a child I would pull out the maps of National Geographic and study them for hours. Every time I saw a movie about Africa or stories of Russia my heart yearned to go to these places. I could never explain it but the travel bug has always been there. I’ve spent 9 months of the last two years in Southern Africa and just recently had the opportunity to travel to Russia.


Hamming it up for the camera at New Testament church in Perm, Russia

Russia was not at all what I expected. It was not the country I had heard so many stories about during the communist eras. It has changed. Yes it is true that there are still Lenin statues everywhere and in villages people still live the way they have for the last century without many common amenities. But the people of the cities are modern, professional, well-dressed, and very good at what they do. (Although since the previous place I visited was Haiti, the contrasts were probably more overt). As I sat in a food court in a bright and cheery Russian mall connected to wi-fi and eating a wrap from a Southern Fried Chicken place I was able to reflect on much of this and the fascination with Russia which really started for me more than twenty years ago in Belgium.

Living in Europe and working for an international organization brought a lot of people across my path. Several of those were Russian pastors. One in particular was a very young pastor who came to take a few classes at the Bible school. It was the late 80s and things had not yet opened up beyond the Berlin Wall, but the door was beginning to crack. I remember teaching Sunday school one weekend while this pastor visited the classrooms. He was amazed that children so young could be taught the gospel because it was illegal to teach their children about Jesus in those days. Fast forward twenty-one years later and I am the one visiting Russian Sunday school classes in a very large church in Perm. What I saw was a very vibrant ministry to the kids taking place, it definitely touched my heart.


Russian kids having a blast singing worship songs at New Testament church in Perm.

I remember thinking as I packed my Bible in my suitcase that this was no longer an illegal book…I could take it in legally. I later held in my hands a legal Russian Bible copyrighted in the early 90s and the many different versions of the Russian Book of Hope; many of which started so many churches and changed countless children’s lives. Our purpose in Russia this trip was to film several recent testimonies, while we were filming children and their current stories I was amazed by all the adults that we met that had been transformed by the Book of Hope in the early 90s and were now working feverishly to do the same for the current generation.

In grad school I wrote a training manual for teaching magazine design and photography specifically for Eastern Europe but never had the chance to use it, until now. Our OneHope Russian office held a photo contest just recently using many of the themes from the Book of Hope for a new edition they have been working on. Many unchurched young people participated. We arrived just in time to see the finalists and the awards ceremony. A week later I was able to teach a photography class to many of these individuals. A couple of things stood out: 1. I was able to give my testimony halfway through as it relates to my photography work and 2. a girl approached me about one of my photos, it was the one of the boy with his eyes closed and hands raised from South Africa (posted several entries back) she wanted to know what he was doing and why he had that expression. It was a joy explaining it to her.

So many things came full circle on this trip to Russia; my curiosity of Russian culture, seeing the children being impacted in a positive way and my photography. I originally studied photojournalism because of a word I received in Belgium about my camera opening doors that the title of missionary might not be able to and here I was teaching teens and young adults that wouldn’t come to hear a missionary speak but were very interested in the words of a photojournalist.

As you can probably pick-up from the article above I feel like I am just now starting my real calling. As a missionary, it is a fact that I need your continued support and partnership to continue making an impact. But, I never dreamed as a photographer I could really touch others until now! I am currently raising more funds to stay-on another year. Please consider giving. Send a check to OneHope, 600 SW 3rd St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Please use “Clark” in the memo line. Or you can give online at http://www.onehope.net/pages/page.asp?page_id=68958 Thank you for giving, praying and writing…

Global Impact in the UK schools

England is always interesting and different. It was refreshing to partner with a group that is already in the schools of York, UK: Global York. For a week we came alongside and boosted their already growing program even more. The exciting thing is that they will still be there long after we leave making a difference one child at a time.

I spent the week with a team going into primary schools. We taught one of the lessons from our teacher’s edition of the Book of Hope about handling conflict. I found myself talking about anger to 983 students, in groups of twelve all week long while the rest of my team did dramas and role playing in stations around the room as new classes filtered in and around every hour or so. (86 sessions in all) It was eye opening to hear some of the responses. It was easy to spot those kids that were in crisis mode and those that were well adjusted. Our High school teams found kids who were very apathetic and wanted proof for everything.

I love having dialog with the students. The common language allows for this to happen along with longer time spent in the classroom. The challenge is that these kids keep you on your toes and you had better be prepared for the hard questions because they really want to know why you believe the way you do.

At the end of the week all the kids that were old enough for Global youth were invited to come out to a loud and vibrant youth meeting. Many of the Year 6 students that we saw came out and many responded favorably. I remember one boy in particular who was struggling at the beginning, left with a wide grin on his face: the results of true transformation.

THANKSgiving in the UK

November 2007-- After a week in Stafford and Stoke-on-Kent, England with a Book of Hope Impact team (during the week of Thanksgiving) I’ve compiled a list of the things I am thankful for. Enjoy!

• SNOW. More specifically, seeing the joy on the face of a new Brazilian friend, Thiago as he experienced snow for the first time.
• 25 Middle-schoolers from Swan Bank Church, who now have a relationship with the Lord, including a young boy by the name of Dale.
• The primary schools who welcomed us with open arms allowing us to do a full program on anti-bullying and to go classroom to classroom to talk to them in smaller groups.
• The love, acceptance and questions of the pre-school and elementary age children.
• The Y7 RE classes (Middle School, Religious Education) that allowed us to come in and take over their class. The openness of the students and their great questions.
• For the students we met like Amie, Tom, Stephen, & Gwen; Shining lights in their schools.
• For great church workers who spend their time with these kids to help them discover truth: Sam & Amy (who also helped opened many doors for us)
• The ability to communicate with these kids without a translator (which kept us on our toes)
  


• The “Thanksgiving” spaghetti dinner provided by Swan Bank Church and our wonderful team from places like Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Brazil and Liverpool, UK to share it with…
• Our home base at UCB; their wonderful facilities and the great work that they are doing to reach Great Britain with the gospel through radio and television. And their partnership with Book of Hope.
• Our host, van driver, ministry partner extraordinare: Carl, who has a big heart for the children and youth of the UK and whose enthusiasm is contagious.

I am also very thankful for the opportunities and privilege to bring HOPE to kids all over the world and those who partner with me in this work. (those that pray, give and keep in contact). Thank You

PS. We were not allowed to take photos of the children in the schools but team photos and our afternoon in Chester can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimart4ch/

GodMan Showings to the Roma of Bulgaria

October 2007--The sun had just begun to set as we arrived in our van full of US Missionaries and Bulgarian Pastors.* There was a small crowd of children gathered around playing. We heard whip cracks as the boys send their homemade tops spinning through the parking lot. When we disembarked from the van many more people came out of their homes to see these strangers who did not speak their language but were setting up an outdoor movie screen. Part of the group interacted with the babushkas that came out to greet us, complete with head scarves, multi-print clothing and weathered faces. And another part of the group began taking photos of the children and having fun with them while the rest worked quickly to set-up the film equipment as the day faded to darkness.

Crowds gathered, from where we do not know, but they all suddenly seem to appear out of the darkness. The children sat on the ground, the ladies were seated on stools and chairs that they brought with them and the men and teens were scattered here and there standing around the outskirts of the semi-circle. There was excitement in the chilly overcast night. Cars slowed down when they passed at the curious sight. Before the night was over there were people watching from the front and back sides of the screen. As others strained to keep up with the action from their porches, windows, balconies and even roof tops.

The Americans introduced the film, the music began playing, the story began; dubbed in Bulgarian, all eyes were transfixed on the screen. We were using the Slavic version which included a live action wrap of three children who get themselves into trouble by stealing an ipod; interwoven is the animated story of Jesus. This version stresses the fatherhood of Christ, his forgiveness and doing the right thing. It is powerful and those closest to the screen are mesmerized. It is a tough crowd, the ones on the fringes are restless and talkative but they do not leave. (It is hard to expect reverence for a story many are seeing for the first time). We watched the emotions on their faces as they laugh, cry, cringe and gasp as the life of Christ unfolded before them and as they identified with the real characters in the film. Then came the best moment of all when one of the team members comes forward to give an invitation to have a relationship with Jesus. Hands shoot up all over the place from those who prayed the prayer for the first time, including those from the back who refuse to leave, even at the persistence of friends. Then they are introduced to a local pastor, needs are prayed for as others packed up the equipment.

Many disappear back into the darkness of night for their home. The children however stuck around for more love and attention; often asking for "one more photo" or to use the few English words they knew. We are told over and over that this is the first time anything like this has been done in their village; that no one has brought the community together for anything before. And yet, here they were, all together at a crossroads together watching the light of the gospel in some pretty dark places both spiritually and in the natural. Several times we came across elderly women crying with joy that their prayers have been answered with our presence, message and love for their people.

*We showed the GodMan film each night in a different Roma Village. Each had slight differences but the story above was a harmonized account of all the nights.

Photos from the trip can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimart4ch/

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
The GodMan Film: http://www.bookofhope.net/pages/page.asp?page_id=8304

ROMA PEOPLE: Also known as Gypsies, some are transient but most live in permanent housing often considered squatter communities. The Roma in Bulgaria vary in number between 370,000 (official) to possibly as many as 750,000. It is thought that they originated from Northern India migrating in 1000 AD; mostly to Eastern Europe but can be found worldwide.