1. For members of the PA/VI community September 2010
Introduction: In an effort to remain focused on the visual media environment, we are pleased to introduce the
inaugural “Imagery Insider,” an exclusive publication from Navy Visual News Service. The Imagery Insider is designed
with unique and exciting content, including the latest in technology information, tips and tricks for success and more.
Our goal is to keep you informed while helping you tell the Navy’s story, one image at a time.
transmission capabilities. Uploading photos
took a painfully long time, but timeliness
was critical, so we increased compression
with still photos and delivered video in
45-second chunks. Even then, the process
took hours. Live interviews done by phone
were problematic at best.
Despite the adversity, print stories were
sent, photos were submitted and video was
fed. It took a lot of patience and persistence,
a few curse words [sorry mom], but Invincible
Spirit was successfully reported around
the world. Our MCs aboard USS George
Washington helped make that happen.
At last count, more than 4,000 stories ran
in the print and broadcast media.
Planning, Planning, Planning:
Photo by MC3 Adam K. Thomas Prepare in advance by working with your
HOWy m iSpiritn~s
operations branch to lock down the schedule
INVINCIBLE of events and needed helo support. Assign
imagery tasks for specific release to the
wa s s e e n b ~ l l i o
media, and put on the release fast track
in anticipation of common transmission
restrictions.
Think External First: The products we
by Lt. Cmdr. Dave Hecht produce are not exclusively internal – just
the opposite. Any well placed Navy visual
To quote from the Maritime Strategy, message.
moved as a priority can reach millions of
“Mindful of the sovereignty of other nations, MC3 Anthony Martinez was my
viewers in commercial venues around the
[Forward Presence]...contributes to effective videographer in the air. When GW pulled
world, but the key is timeliness.
responses in the event of crisis.” into Busan and sailed out in formation with
Multinational concerns: Make sure the
“Operation Invincible Spirit,” held between ROK ships, his aerial b-roll was picked up
entire team is clear on the specifics of
the navies of South Korea and the United by CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and countless
published PAG, so host nation sensitivities
States, exemplifies the strategies that help broadcast outlets back home and around
are fully understood and reflect in released
prevent wars through deterrence, forward the globe. MC3 Adam Thomas, famous
products.
deployment and sea control. MCs aboard for his bow shot of GW with Mount Fuji in
USS George Washington (CVN 73) played the background, was shooting still photos
an important role in that strategy. from a helo. Even with competing media
As GW’s new PAO and a big believer in embarked, his imagery appeared on front
“failing to plan is planning to fail,” my chiefs, pages around the world, including the Wall
MCC John Harrington and MCC Mike Street Journal, which has a circulation of
Kennedy, coordinated our coverage of the over two million.
exercise. We nailed down the exercise’s News releases were being written by
schedule and assigned our team to the MC3 Devon Dow. Daily News Updates were
most important stories while identifying in being put together by MC2 Ian Anderson
advance the images we needed to shoot and MC3 Michael Mulcare, while MC1
and distribute immediately to Navy Visual James Kimber, MCSN Cheryl Callihan and
News Service (NVNS) – still and video. MC3 Danielle Brandt were busy behind the
The night before pulling into Busan, we scenes supporting high level DV embarks
went over the game plan. It was important that included the South Korean Chief of
to stress that there was significant media Naval Operations, Flotilla Commanders and
interest in this exercise and Navy imagery local politicians.
would help tell that story if we stuck to The biggest obstacle for my team as well
our game plan. I wanted our products out as the embarked media turned out to be
the door first. If you’re first, you own the something we deal with frequently: limited
Wall Street Journal July 26, 2010
navyvisualnews@navy.mil AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD
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2. MC’s frequently submit hangar bay photos
to NVNS. The photographers properly
compose the subject and set the camera and
Directors Corner
flash for the foreground, but underexpose As much as I embrace the
social media environment
the background, reducing the quality of the
as a remarkable
photo. The top photo was taken at F/13 @ communication tool, to
250 sec. with direct flash. The subject is be really effective we
properly exposed, but the background is so need to continue our
underexposed the photo lacks depth and efforts by diversifying
the direct flash produces harsh lighting. A the way we communicate;
in broadcast, online, in print, on the web,
better way to shoot this scene with an on- internal and external.
camera flash would be to open the aperture Navy Imagery Insider is intended to be
to F/4 or F/5.6 and slow the shutter to a an information resource to complement
OUTTAKES by Oscar Sosa 60th or a 90th of a second. Set the flash to
TTL and reduce the output by 1 1/2 stops.
the many other ways we collaborate within
our community. Each edition will contain
helpful tips and policy reminders, best
These settings will produce a properly
practices, upcoming events of interest,
exposed foreground and background, filling new industry innovations, and more.
in shadows, and reducing the harshness With each edition we hope to spotlight
of direct flash. Under most conditions, you one of our MCs, giving them an opportunity
may not need a flash during the day in a to talk about their experiences in the field
hangar bay. In the example at bottom, the ashore and afloat. We are busy telling
everyone else’s story, let’s talk about own
photographer turned off the flash and used experiences for a change.
available light by resetting the camera to We intend to make this product
F/5.0 @ 80th sec. to photograph the same available in multiple formats both portable
scene. The result is a well composed, nicely and on-line. Please send us your ideas
lit image that clearly shows a Sailor working and feedback.
environment.
“A public affairs team of only people who deal with the print press makes no sense, just like a public affairs team of
just people doing Twitter makes no sense. The key is to understand what can be done with each of those tools and
figure out what the best combination is to achieve a particular goal”
Douglas Wilson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Washington Post, August 26, 2010.
SOCIALMEDIA focused on just one person, or a two-minute
natural-sound story where the subject tells
subject says something like “I’m Chief
John Jones and I’m a firefighting instructor
by NVNS Staff the story (not a voice over). That’s it, nothing aboard…” Then move to some training
Industry and PR professionals all agree; else, just simple and powerful storytelling scenes which include the chief. This is
reality sells. content. Neither video should contain any followed by semi-planned audio of the chief
We’re soliciting help from the fleet to effects (audio fades are okay), and saying something like “You need
develop a sustainable media product for each shot must be at least 10 to come here ready, ready for
social media sites (SMS) with the least seconds between scene anything.” Finally show more
amount of burden, and the most return on changes to hold interest training-video sequences
your investment of time. and flow smoothly. ending with a quote like
The goal is to produce a two minute video When dealing with “We get them ready for the
which can be used for both SMS and to natural sound, look for unimaginable.” Be sure to
gradually improve the file video holdings for multiple shots which include all prime-cuts for
the Navy. NVNS will ensure products are show a sequence: wide, increased marketing by
posted on the Navy’s Facebook™ page, and medium, close up and NVNS.
archived for documentaries, media markets extreme close up. Try to Of course this is just an
and DOD/DON project support. New video capture good crisp ambient example. You know your
is in ever-increasing demand to better reflect audio such as the ship’s people and environment better
the new uniforms and equipment changes whistle, the sound of boots hitting than anyone. All we ask is that
established over the last two years. Here the deck, tools grinding, water splashing, you keep it as simple as possible. That
are the details: etc. There should be a definitive beginning, is what our viewers want: simple, clean,
We are looking for product that is two middle and end. One suggestion is to start honest video of our Sailors.
straight minutes of uncontrolled action, out with a working interview where the
DIRECTOR Christopher Madden Contributors Oscar Sosa LAYOUT/ART DIRECTOR MC2 Jay Chu
Damon Moritz
EDITORIAL Navy Office of Information
Editor Kristina Miller Lt. Cmdr. Dave Hecht
MC2 Justin Stumberg Pentagon RM4B514
Assitant Editor Jessica Faller Washington, D.C. 20350-1200
MC2 Drew Geraci
Office: 703-614-9154 DSN: 224
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3. There’s always time
for experimenting
by MC2 Drew Geraci, DMA
The word ‘experimenting’ can sound like a
dangerous term to a supervisor or a person
in a leadership position. Rest assured it’s
not.
I find myself constantly trying new
photographic and video techniques as a
Mass Communication Specialist. These
specific techniques aren’t necessarily new
to the craft, but they are new to many of
our products. One thing I’ve started doing
more is shooting time-lapses. They can be
so elegant, telling a very unique story one
frame at a time. ONASSIGNMENT
Before I shoot a time lapse, I make sure
I have three things; my HD DSLR, a sturdy during any part of the day, for any number Essential Skills Writing (ESW)
tripod and a remote timer. of reasons. 2010: OCT 18-29
You don’t need a fancy camera to put They can be used to show motion, an 2011: APR 4-15, AUG 15-26
together a time-lapse. You just need to evolution or a process. The best example of Essential Skills Video (ESV)
make sure your camera has ‘interval timing.’ a time-lapse I’ve seen in our career field was 2011: MAY 9-20, SEP 12-23
Many of your semi-pro cameras come with shot by U.S.M.C. Sgt. Andrew J. Carlson.
this function but if they don’t, you can always Essential Skills Editing (ESE)
He showed the process of a Naval Academy
buy a remote timer for a reasonable price on 2011: JUN 13-24, OCT 17-28
graduation. It was quite spectacular to see
the internet. a completely empty stadium be filled with ESP, ESW and ESV are designed to
I’ve also learned that it’s important to thousands of people in only a few seconds. strengthen today’s MCs in the basic skill
enable the ‘mirror lockup’ function on the This is the whole reason behind a time- sets of news writing, photography and
camera. This will reduce the amount of lapse. We want to show an expansion of video.
movement and vibration created by the up time that would normally move too slowly ESE is designed to focus editing and
and down motion of the camera’s mirror. for us to see. Then we condense it into a transmission skills for print, still and motion
From here, I let my imagination take over. timeframe of only a few seconds or minutes. media products, as well as media and
A few basic steps for creating a time- I think there are so many wonderful things
lapse image set: visual information (VI) accessioning points.
in our daily life that could be enhanced ESE is especially suited for E-5 to E-9 and
1. Choose the subject carefully (look for by a time-lapse and I hope more people
officers in PA or Production quality-control
subjects that evolve or devolve over experiment with it.
roles.
a period of time) Understand that you Why not show ship’s movement from the
To request more information, and to
have to commit time to this project. pier to sea, or air operations on the flight
request a student quota for one or more of
2. Determine the appropriate interval for deck. Hell, even training in a classroom
the offered courses please phone or email:
the images. Length of the evolution, could yield an interesting composition if
length of proposed video and amount sped up. So I say, experiment. East
of change over a given period are the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GyfprfXndo Lt. Gail Cline
important considerations. http://www.navy.mil/media/multimedia/usna/ NPASE East Training Officer
3. Shoot the still photos. Set your camera usna2009.htm (757) 444-3082 DSN: 564
for manual white balance and shoot gail.cline@navy.mil
jpegs. The intervalometer is absolutely MC1 Erik Hoffmann
key. NPASE East Training Petty Officer
4. Edit the photos in Photoshop using the
same settings and sizes for each image
NPASE is soliciting candidates to
(757) 444-7548 or (757) 322-1081 DSN: 564
erik.hoffmann@navy.mil
attend its 10 day Essential Skills Courses
(continuity is everything)
5. Assemble the photos in a video editing (ESC). Upcoming dates are: West
suite. Add audio, titles, music and East MCCS(SW/AW) Donnie W. Ryan
NPASE West Training Officer/OPS LCPO
credits to complete the production.
Essential Skills Photography (ESP) donnie.ryan@navy.mil
6. Export and review.
2010: OCT 4-15 Training Department: (619) 545-3858 DSN: 735
7. Consider publishing all frames as a
single photo-illustration (film strip) or as Essential Skills Writing (ESW) MC2(SW/AW) Brandie Wills
a flip book. 2010: NOV 1-10 NPASE West Training Petty Officer
Essential Skills Video (ESV) brandie.wills@navy.mil
My favorite time to shoot a time-lapse is Training Department: (619) 545-1180/3874
2010: NOV 30 - DEC 11
in the evening. There is something about DSN: 735
showing the glowing streaks of traffic or West
the setting sun in a sped up sequence that Act quickly, seats are limited on a first-
Essential Skills Photography (ESP)
really excites me. The great thing about come, first-served basis.
2011: MAR 7-18, JUL 18-29
time-lapses though, is that they can be done
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4. INSIDERPERSPECTIVE
“Hey Stump, the Response
Team has been activated.
You’re catching a flight to Haiti
in three hours.”
This was the phone call that began
my Haiti experience.
Hindsight is a funny thing. Never do I
feel the same way during an event that
I do months after when I’m away and
have had time to reflect. This was a
perfect example. Leaving my pregnant
fiancé to travel outside the U.S. was
far from something, at the time, I would
volunteer for. However, as I look back amputated, or another service member
I wouldn’t trade the experience for weeps uncontrollably to you because
anything. they know firsthand the extent of human what damage was already there.
My Combat Camera team arrived suffering. Our team lived out of the 3rd floor
at the crowded Port-au-Prince Traveling through downtown Port-au- of the U.S. Embassy and had direct
International Airport the next night. Prince was unlike anything I’ve ever access to groups who were helping
I don’t know if it was the teeming seen. Entire blocks completely leveled put Haiti back together. This allowed
frenzy of hundreds of people at the were alien to me. I’m used to neatly us to do what Combat Camera does
airport, or the fact that the day prior I packaged suburban neighborhoods, not best – embed with various teams and
was sitting on my couch playing video piles of rubble everywhere, trash heaps document whatever mission they
games, but I was eager to get out and that block four streets, the foul smell choose to perform.
shoot. After all, it was my responsibility of sewage and decaying bodies, or I was able to document the L.A.
to gather imagery … no matter what it the way stray dogs and pigs rummage Search and Rescue Team’s rescue
was. unnoticed through trash. of a Haitian woman who was trapped
Soon I would realize how difficult that The Haitian people are no strangers under crushing rubble for six days
statement is to live up to. Separating to poverty or hard times. Although it without food or water. I traveled with
yourself from what you’re shooting is was foreign to me, a lot of the locals I the Federal Emergency Management
easy when your subject isn’t screaming spoke with said it was hard to tell what Agency (FEMA) to Haitian orphanages
because their right forearm was damage was from the earthquake and that took care of children who were
left parentless from the earthquake. I
witnessed how important the dedicated
members of the New Jersey Disaster
Medical Assistance Team were to
trauma patients who needed urgent
care.
Deploying to Haiti was life-changing.
The everyday things in my life such as
running water, sewer and sanitation,
and three square meals a day are things
Haitians live without. I was touched by
their resilience, optimism, and the fact
they were just happy to be alive. Thank
God I’m an American.
Photo story by MC2 Justin Stumberg
Combat Camera-Alantic
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5. Where Imagery Goes by NVNS Staff
The conventional belief is that all Navy video brought to the table,” Moritz explained. “We separately to ensure that if the connection is
goes off to a black hole, and that no one wants can now develop customized interfaces to meet dropped (ship turns), that the upload does not
this old imagery if it’s not news. mission demands on the fly. It’s as easy as a have to start back at zero.
In reality, the media, documentary producers, right click to change a color or add a widget.” Fleet users are also able to caption their own
military briefers and community managers That process used to require a contract and video or photos when files are uploaded. It can
are demanding more and more video and still months of planning. be as easy as cut and paste to the contributor.
imagery for their productions. The Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise That effort saves OI-7 time and speeds imagery
So, where do I go to find video, photos and 2010 public affairs staff was the first fleet-level out to customers.
press releases covering the U.S. Navy all day, effort to experience the new interface. “We’re working on a whole host of new
every day, even when the staff is at home They used the NI server as a delivery widgets and capabilities for the site,” explained
asleep? mechanism, and it facilitated their work. Field Moritz, “such as distribution widgets and
That was the single most important question videographers and photographers from every possibly moving the server to a cloud computing
the Navy’s Chief of Information’s (CHINFO) service documented RIMPAC and uploaded to environment.”
Visual News department (OI-7) wanted to solve. NI. OI-7 has contracted with Microsoft to
Today, OI-7 (a.k.a. Navy Visual News Service) The RIMPAC public affairs officer and her staff move the NI servers to the Windows Azure
manages and maintains a robust digital asset then reviewed, edited and approved imagery for cloud-computing platform. This will mean
management system. This July, the system release in one co-located site. From there, OI-7 faster uploads, downloads and more uniform
went through its third lifecycle refresh, and the took the imagery, made it public and distributed it connection speed worldwide. This increases
site was rebranded from Media Lighthouse to to the Defense Imagery Management Operation information security as customers are no longer
a more direct and defined Navy Imagery (NI) Center, Defense Media Activity-Anacostia and accessing a server on the Pentagon network.
server. DVIDS. Instead they are accessing a copy located in a
“We wanted to find a name that clearly “We’ve been able to push media out so server farm at a remote site. This cloud based
conveyed our meaning, message and mission,” much faster using this tool than anything instance of the server ensures all of the imagery
said Damon Moritz, OI-7 video program I’ve been involved with before,” said Mass collected is backed up with one copy in the
manager. Communication Specialist Senior Chief Patrick Pentagon and another in the cloud for continued
Three new Apple XServes with 12 GB of Ram Sullivan, NPASE-W det. Hawaii. operations in the event of a disaster or attack.
each and 42 TB of fibre-attached storage round It was the seamless integration of acquisition, ”And those are just the improvements we’re
out the hardware improvements, but what is approval and delivery that made the effort allowed to talk about today,” said Moritz. “There
under the hood is just as important. manageable with staff in Hawaii and at OI-7 in is a lot more in development and you’ll be
MediaBeacon, the system’s manufacturer, the Pentagon. pleasantly surprised.”
recently adopted HTML 5 and the Google Web In addition to the ease of deployment for
Toolkit (GWT) as its Web language to reflect special missions, many of the newest features
the experience users expect with today’s were added to help regular contributors.
technology. The upload tool now handles multiple files and
“We’re so impressed with what GWT has even supports drag and drop. Each file uploads Photo by MC3 Dylan McCord
CIB=Combined Information Bureau
DIMOC=Defense Imagery Management Operations Center
DVIDS=Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System
Media Lighthouse - Navy Imagery Server
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6. LINKS to KNOW
1. Ted.com 5. National Press Photographer’s related imagery, galleries, resources,
An Innovative website featuring “riveting Association networking opportunities and upcoming
talks from remarkable speakers” about The official site for the NPPA, an events.
ideas and concepts worth sharing. association dedicated to the advancement www.navyphoto.net
www.ted.com of visual journalism. This site offers 8. Poynter Online
2. Ready.gov membership details, professional Training, Trends & Technology in the
A Government website for emergency development and upcoming competitions. Media.
preparation including natural disasters www.nppa.org/ www.poynter.org/
and terrorist attacks. 6. National Association of Photoshop
www.ready.gov/ Professionals
3. Light Stalking The official site for the NAPP, an
A Photography blog with a focus on association dedicated to Photoshop
“beautiful imagery and the photographers professionals. The site includes
who produce it.” membership details, tutorials, training tips,
www.lightstalking.com news, reviews, discounts and more.
www.photoshopuser.com
4. Digital Vault
The official gallery for the National 7. National Association of Naval
Archives, offering a hands-on experience Photographers
to explore archived imagery. Open to all active duty, retired and veteran
www.digitalvaults.org photographers, this site includes Navy-
Desperately Seeking... Events and Deadlines AP Style Guide
Weather Imagery. Anything showing 1. Northwest Video Workshop Months: Capitalize the names
weather such as: aerographer’s Oct. 16, 2010 of months in all uses. When a
mates, weather forecast centers, Seattle, Wash. month is used with a specific
weather conditions affecting ships, nwvideoworkshop.org
date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb.,
shore stations and aircraft as well as
2. 2010 Interagency Visual media Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.
preparations for inclement weather;
doubling lines, etc. Video or time- Group (IVMG) Conference Spell out when using alone,
lapse photography of weather Oct. 7, 2010, at Bolling Air Force base, or with a year alone. When a
rolling in and weather measurement
Washington, D.C. phrase lists only a month and a
Register at: ivmg@nro.mil (Name, Unit, year, do not separate the year
equipment. PH#, email) with commas. When a phrase
Navy Marine Mammals. Video and 3. Photoshop World East refers to a month day and year,
photos of working marine mammals, March 30 - April 1, 2011 set off the year with commas.
in training and on the job. From Orange County Convention Center
force protection dolphins and sea Orlando, Fla. EXAMPLES: January 1972 was
lions - how does the Navy deploy https://photoshopworld.com/register/ a cold month. Jan. 2 was the
animals for Navy missions? Be sure 4. National Association of Broadcasters coldest day of the month. His
to include their trainers or handlers, April 9- April 14, 2011 birthday is May 8. Feb. 14, 1987,
veterinary care, living environment, Las Vegas, Nev. was the target date. She testified
etc. www.nabshow.com/2010/default.asp that it was Friday, Dec. 3, when
For wider marketing potential, 5. Photoshop World West the accident occurred. In tabular
please provide HD format whenever September 7-9, 2011 material, use these three letter
practical, and check for other Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino forms without a period: Jan, Feb,
emergent request on the NVNS Las Vegas, Nev.
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug,
Facebook page and MCs Talk Shop. https://photoshopworld.com/register/
Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
All references to commercially available sites and services are provided for informational purposes only, without Department of the Navy endorsement.
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