The Military Photojournalism Connection

MPJ CONNECTION Profile

In The Forum
Passing of Robert 'Mo' Morrisey

I Saw Your Imagery

Wanted: Help from anyone willing to give answers

Proposed ban on photography on New York City Transit

Introduction and I need help

Is Film on its' last legs?

Low cost film scanner

Nikon Wireless Lighting

Picasa 2 Image Catalog Program - free Google software

Links of Note
White House Photos

Defend America Photo Essays

Roll Call
Class of
1964-1974

Class of
1975-1983

Class of
1984-1997

Class of
1998-2004

MPJ Profiles
Matt Hevezi
Drew Myers
Jeff Allen
Luis Agostini

MPJ Connection: Where were you born, what branch of service are you in and what year did you graduate from the Military Photojournalism Course and which school?
I was born in Texas but moved to Pennsylvania when I was very young. I lived in PA for about 17 years before moving to Buffalo, NY, where I lived for 7 years before joining the Air Force. I graduated the MPJ program in 1998.

MPJ Connection: How did you get started in photography?
Pure luck. Due to unusual circumstances I was offered direct duty assignment (no tech school) to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron as a still photographer. Not being a complete idiot, I took the assignment. There were some definite pros and cons to going to a Combat Camera unit with absolutely no training in photography. I loved it but the PJs there were hoping for someone to help pick-up some of the workload… not add to it. As much as I know it annoyed them to have to drag me along they did it, teaching the whole way.

MPJ Connection: How has the training you received at Syracuse affected your photography?
The Syracuse experience taught me to concentrate on image content and message. Before I went to school I knew how to take a picture but wasn’t really clear on why I should take it. I learned how to communicate with the subject content of my images not the technical content. Before Syracuse the synergy between the technical and communicative aspects of my photography was skewed. It leaned more to the technical side because technical is tangible…it’s either wrong or right. (Easy benchmarks for a new photographer to measure himself.) The communicative aspects of photography are more subjective and therefore not as easy to benchmark skill progression. Syracuse realigned the way I approach the craft…Use the technical skill to accentuate not dominate the content.

MPJ Connection: What are your suggestions on how to get more applicants for the university-level (currently Syracuse) training program?
Educate and facilitate. Carry the MPJ message to the other photographers we meet and offer our services to help the interested get into school. In reading some of the posts in the forum we seem to point the finger at ourselves, the PJ community. When was the last time you heard anyone that has been through the program telling anyone it was a waste of time? When I talk to the younger photographers about the program I am usually not the first. I think we are doing a pretty good job about getting the word out when possible. A program that would allow younger photographers to contact, interact and build relationships with PJs could be one way to increase the number of applicants.

MPJ Connection: Who has influenced your photography the most?
It has to be my subjects. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to experience the mistakes and successes that shaped me into the photographer I am now. As far as other photographers go I have to admit I have an affinity for those first few PJs at Charleston that just drug me along teaching on the way.



 

   MPJ Connection: What do you love about photography?
It gives me the opportunity to show people familiar things in a whole new way or to allow them to become intimately familiar with things they wouldn’t otherwise experience.

MPJ Connection: What do you consider the best photo assignment you’ve covered to date?
Without question it was my first real assignment…3 Months in Mogadishu, Somalia. An awesome opportunity and by some standards a success but for the most part it is the one assignment I look back on and see images that I missed. It is a classic “If I could go back knowing what I know now” situation. It reminds me how enamored I was with overcoming technical deficiencies in my photography. I considered application of the basics of photography a success. I am determined to keep that from happening again. It seems the more I learn about my craft the more I look back at that assignment and see opportunities missed.

MPJ Connection: What advise would you pass on to young photographers just starting out?
Mastery of your equipment is essential but mastery of content can take you a lot further. Good photographs transcend equipment.

MPJ Connection: Are you shooting all digital, all film or a combination of both?
I am currently shooting all digital.

MPJ Connection: What are your thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages of digital and film?
The biggest reasons for me using digital is cost and speed. The cost savings are pretty straightforward but the speed comes with our ability to find images electronically. My digital library contains over 25,000 files that are easily sifted through by typing a few keywords. Digital archival allows me to file one image into several different categories. Film would only allow me to file an original image under one category.

MPJ Connection: If you could change "the way we do business in military photography" what would be your first action?
To stress the importance of good image content and market our capabilities. There are good photographers in the military and we need to market them. A self-help camera will replace us if we don’t educate our customers on our true value, which is creating images rich in content. We are trained to make the boring look interesting and to show our audience something they see everyday in a new way so lets let people know what we do.

MPJ Connection: What are you doing to advance the craft of photojournalism in your shop?
Well, I am the only photographer in my shop but I still get to advance the craft. I stress the importance of the ethical use of our published images and push the creativity in integration of writing, design and photography.