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

Tour de Mexico

April 2010--Four flights, three areas of the country, two six-hour bus rides, another 10 hours in a car, and at least 40 interviews in six days. I am constantly amazed by the passionate and tireless people that I meet around the world. In Mexico, I met some of the most dedicated and boldest men and women around. Here are just a few of their stories:

Northern Mexico (Antiguo Morelos):

     Pastor Hugo works in a church without walls literally and figuratively. His actual church building is nothing more than what we would call a car port to hold the hot sun and rain at bay. But what amazes me is that he is willing to hold services anywhere that people want to hear the gospel. Because his church is so portable he just brings the chairs and sound system to the people whether that is a nearby ranch with many workers or an empty lot in town or his church shelter. He goes to the ranches with his barber scissors to give free hair cuts and then ministers to the children and adults using the Book of Hope. He says that the books help the children to engage in the message.

While talking with Pastor Hugo we met with a young man whose life was radically altered after a bad accident. Pastor Hugo goes regularly to disciple this young man even bringing services to him when he could not walk. Then we met a  family next to an empty lot that could not help but hear the message being preached when it was brought to their area. Their four year old was so taken by the word that he was the one leading to the family by example to receive the word. Pastor Hugo is not only a light to this community but also a father figure to the fatherless. As we drove about town he would stop the van to talk with children walking the streets, inquire about their well being, invite them to his next service an give them a Book of Hope if they had not yet received one.

Southern Mexico (Chiapas):

     Pastor Jose is a missionary in a very persecuted area of the the country. He lives in a very modest home and has a church down the street but his real work is out in the jungle and difficult places. He works with many of the indigenous peoples. Some of which have little contact with the outside world: the Lacandones, a people that dress very simply in a white dress, do not cut their hair and speak a Mayan dialect; the Tojolabales, another Mayan tribe, while many dress very traditionally, they do not live as isolated. He also works with those persecuted because of their Christian beliefs. We drove by a village of people that had all been displaced because of their faith. Another group that he has worked with are the Zapatisitas, a revolutionary group. You might say his work is dangerous but he is driven and passionate. He gave out 80,000 books last year and continues to work tirelessly among these people groups.

Central Mexico (Mexico City):

     I was privileged to join two ministries in action in the greater Mexico City area: Comodores de Amor and Talita Cumi. The first one feeds children after school in areas of need and provides additional learning opportunities for them. They feed not only the stomachs but also the souls, using the Book of Hope as a tool. I must have spoken to more that a dozen children whose lives had been changed after reading the Championes (soccer) book or Solo Nosotras, a book for girls, both version of the Book of Hope. Then I joined a group of Clowns that go regularly to the children's wards in hospitals through out the city; performing, giving gifts and words of encouragement as well as Books of Hope and prayer. It was inspiring to join these groups of dedicated people, but even more that that to see the fruit of their labors in the faces of the children.

Adventures in Missions

There are benefits and there are trials in doing what I do. There is joy and there is sorrow. Being away from my missions work the last six weeks has given me time to reflect on this life and to realize that this is where I am called to be at this moment in time. Some of you have been asking so here are some of the highs and lows and near misses of missions.

Once in a lifetime opportunities: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Dune 7 in Namibia; Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town, South Africa; Copan--Mayan Ruins in Honduras; Lemurs in Madagascar; Moscow, Russia; York,UK; Montevideo, Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Near Misses (timing is everything and God's hand of protection): Hotel Montana, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Zimbabwe the day before elections; Honduras just days before the President was ousted; a park in Perm, Russia the day before a major bus crash at that location.

 

Joys: Taking photos, covering events, interviewing kids, praying with and encouraging kids, showing a film or giving books to kids who have never heard the gospel, leading some to the Lord, training others to reach kids, teaching photography and seeing first hand the impact a photo can have on someone, giving kids hope, passing-on media skills, interacting with college students, being part of a communications team, and new friends around the world.

Difficulties: Replenishing funds in a bad economy and during an international disaster, Haiti in Aug, Haiti in Sept, and Haiti now, loneliness, singleness, in some cultures just being a woman, constant change, all the people that come and go so quickly, living in FL especially with an unairconditioned car that is falling apart, spiritually recharging, missing family and friends, really bad foriegn roads, culture changes and adjustment and readjustments.

Thankful for: an innovative, cutting edge, and always on the go organization that has huge goals and expectations, that believes in reaching every child in the world, makes the Word and prayer a priority and many new friends along the way.

Favorite country: I am asked this question a lot. My response is usually the last one... which at this moment is Russia (I loved it). But let me qualify this a little bit. My favorite place to go is South Africa, favorite country for ministry is England, favorite place for the people is Madagascar, favorite place for food is Argentina. The place that affected me the most is Haiti, although I would not call it a favorite. And my favorite place to come back too is the USA.

As you may have figured out I am currently raising funds to continue doing what I love and where God has called me. A friend so nicely reminded me today that I am not raising funds for myself but to reach others. I can definitely tell you there is NO profit in missions. I often question why I am doing this when I look at my checkbook but then I think of Chesney in South Africa whose life was forever changed for the better. The girl in Russia who wanted to know why a photo of a boy in South Africa was so peaceful, or the many hundreds of faces I see when I close my eyes that have hope tonight because they responded to page 33 in the Book of Hope or saw a film and now attend a kids club. I am willing to go, but I need people to send me. If you have wanted to give, but haven't yet NOW is the time. If you gave one time in the past, now would be a good time to give again.

A new photo site has been posted. http://www.kimart4chphoto.com/. The childrens portraits are the ones that you helped to reach and the many that they represent in their home countries. If you gave you also reached 2,700 kids in Haiti this past summer, you were a part of encouraging 700 kids at a school in South Africa and 50 young people in Russia.

I am excied about what 2010 may hold even though I have no idea what at the moment. Someone prayed over me not too long ago that 2010 would be a very fruitful year and I am believing it to be so.

Blessings,
~Kim

Please consider giving. Send a check, made out to OneHope, 600 SW 3rd St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Please use “Clark” in the memo line. Or you can give online at http://tinyurl.com/support4kim

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