Stock Photography

[NIN]

This hit me yesterday while discussing a recruiting/PA issue with a friend that we really don't have a solid repository of good quality stock photographs to use for locally developed recruiting materials.

Part of this relates to the development of unit websites.  How many times have we seen a unit website that has the most horrible "Grip & Grin" photo on it very prominently, or a picture of a bunch of people, backs to the camera, hunched over a map that says "CAP Emergency Services in action!!"? 

Even more troubling is a unit that says "Hey, we want to represent the AE Mission on a page of our website, but we don't presently have a cool/decent photo of AE."  Same goes for Ops or CP, and especially for a unit that might not have a decent photographer in their midst, or doesn't necessarily have the most dynamic program at the moment and the ability to capture a decent photo of cadets running a mile to show 'physical fitness' (for example).

Good photography is way, way more than the "snappies" that people take with their Ph,D cameras or cell phones.  It involves composition, framing, lighting, subject matter, technique and quality.

Many years ago, I wound up doing a lot of photography for the USAC because I had about the best camera at Annual Training.  I shot several hundred photos and wound up with a half dozen that were truly good photos (recruiting presentation/advertising materials/web site quality photos) and a few dozen that were "good enough for Facebook/Twitter/website updates".  The AT PAO came to me and said "what are you doing to get these awesome pictures?"  I showed him a few things (it is *hard* to teach people how to make good photos) and he spent the rest of the week I was there refining his technique and improving his pictures to the point where he was doing less "vacation snappies" and more "action photography." 

Mind you, I don't really have any decent "photography training." My father is a (less-than-part-time) professional photographer who put a very basic camera in my hands at a very young age and sent me out with beaucoup rolls of Tri-X to wreak photographic havoc.  40+ years of fooling have resulted in at least a passing knowledge of "decent" photography.  I'm not the most creative dude on the planet, but with a half-way decent camera, a fair knowledge of how things like depth-of-field, f-stops, shutter speed and ISO are all inter-related, and a fair eye for composition, I'm like the proverbial blind squirrel...

I guess what I'm saying is, Nationally we don't have a repository of stock photos that do a good job of giving us quality imagery of  for websites, flyers, presentations, etc.  And by "quality imagery" I mean well-composed, balanced, photography that falls into the "a picture is worth a thousand words" category, not the "well, you have to know what is going on here" (thats not really a story telling photo).

Generally, the USAF website (http://www.af.mil/photos/) (and the other services too) have really good photography available publicly in this regard, both of the "stock-ish" variety, and the "associated with a particular event or story" variety.  An acquaintance of mine is a PA type in the ANG and he's only had one or two photos published on AFLink out of the several dozen he's submitted (some of which are on his ANG wing's website. Example: http://www.157arw.ang.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/2013/06/130602-Z-UX813-011.JPG). 

I know we have photographers across the country in various wings and units who are very accomplished (Andy Welsh from NY Wing comes to mind, along with Robert Bowden from MI Wing, and there are, I'm sure, many, many more), and make their images available via Flickr or their own websites. 

Why not create a grass-roots image repository of stock photos, with appropriate photographer credit and maybe even model releases, that people can draw from to populate presentations, flyers, websites, etc?  These would have to be vetted for composition, quality, appropriateness, quality of storytelling without additional amplification, etc.

(A note on stock photography.  I've dealt with photo issues on the DZ website that I help maintain.  We have people generating literally hundreds of images a day of people jumping out of planes, but not every photo is "website quality," yet every dude with a GoPro glued to his bonedome thinks he's the next Ansel Adams/Norman Kent.  And when I do get some nice images, especially one I deployed on the site for "attract" purposes in the appropriate aspect ratio, composition, etc, I get emails from people going "Why is that picture on the site? That guy doesn't even jump here any more!" and I have to nicely email them back and say "OK, yep, tracking.. but does John Q. Public browsing our website for interest in jumping out of a plane give a crap about 'Am I gonna meet that guy?' or is he looking for 'Wow, that looks cool, I wanna do that!'?  The only people who know that guy doesn't jump here any more or that he died last year are you and two other dudes. Got a better picture that doesn't feature that guy, I'll use it..."  That generally shuts them up. LOL. I'm sure I'm about to get the same response on the new CAP website I'm about to deploy because the original site that we have leveraged from used a little "nationally-sourced stock photography" and locally-sourced stuff. I'm waiting for the flurry of "Those aren't our cadets!" emails when the staff review the site... )

The other thing is to perhaps, in addition to a repository of well-vetted images, have a "request for stock photos" place where photographers can see the kinds of needs others might have elsewhere in the country.

So unit website guy in Pocatello, Idaho can say "Hey, I need a pic of a guy in front of radios to illustrate 'Communications' in my next unit open house presentation. Does anybody have one of those kinds of photos?" and photographers around the country can say "Yeah, I have one of those, let me upload it..." or "No, don't have one, but I'm going to the SAREX this weekend, let me get a photo like that for you!"

Thoughts?

[NIN]

Part of this also hit me when I watched people have an absolute "Frothing at the mouth" frenzy on FB over a pic of a cadet getting promoted in PR Wing. 

"OMG, he needs to get rid of that dog-dish roll!" (Yeah, OK, he's an A1C..)
"Why is that senior member wearing a beret?" (PR apparently allows it)
"Those cadets in the background aren't standing at attention!" (do they need to?)
"Those cadets in the background aren't standing at parade rest!" (again, do they need to?)
"The guy on the left needs to be wearing headgear since hes in blues!" (he was probably in whites/greys, but it is not 100% clear from the photo because the exposure is off on the photo due to proximity of the camera flash)

It made me think about the old-school PAO photo guidelines about proper uniforms, grip & grin photos, the whole "convict line-up" photos, snappies vs photography, etc)

rinse and repeat.

(It also made me laugh as it relates to the comment here yesterday about how squadrons around the country are the same... The back and forth commentary on that FB photo in the vein of "that's not authorized/yes it is/not its not/in that wing it is/its not worn like that in my wing/yes, like that!" forces one to realize that while we seem to have national-level guidance on things like uniforms, cadet programs, drill & ceremonies, etc, very few places do the *basic* stuff even remotely the same right across the board..)

[Eclipse]

I dunno.

It seems like a good idea at the high level, except you have to factor in how locally diverse execution is.

This harkens back to all the units using the Olympic video, Tactical to Practical, Katrina / Challenger pics, etc., and / or a Hummer with door badges on
the flightline next to the GA-8 and a Glass G1000.

Then you find the unit, and possibly even the whole wing doesn't do ES, the hummer was a loaner, and there isn't a plane within a day's drive.

To reduce churn it's important to speak only about things the unit / wing is actually doing, and works best if the people at the table or on the website
are the ones speaking to you about joining, etc.

[JeffDG]

Eclipse,

That's all true.  But having some kind of repository of good quality stock photos would let folks pick images that represent their unit's activities, without them being amateur quality.

Just because there's a pic of a flightline with a bunch of 206s on it, doesn't mean that someone in a state without 206s needs to pick that photo to use!  He can use the one with 182s!

[RiverAux]

At least about 4-5 years ago there was a nationally-run CAP stock photo web site.  Not sure if its there anymore.  Unfortunately, it was mostly chock full of images from various national meetings rather than a whole lot of more useful photos. 

[JeffDG]

At least about 4-5 years ago there was a nationally-run CAP stock photo web site.  Not sure if its there anymore.  Unfortunately, it was mostly chock full of images from various national meetings rather than a whole lot of more useful photos.

Not photos, but the SER website has some great graphics that you can use.  Most of the badges and such are available there.

http://archives.sercap.us/

[Walkman]

NIN, I feel your pain. I started my career as a pro-shooter 22 years ago, although now as an art director I'm usually the guy that's the client instead of the photographer anymore. I've scoured the NHQ Flickr page (and its predecessor) more than a few times in the past looking for cool shots to use in promo materials when I was PAO.

What I would suggest is that this responsibility would fall under the Wing PAO. The Wing PAO could work with the unit PAOs to develop a image bank that could be shared. And every SAREX, Encampment, academy, etc should have at least one of the PAOs assigned as a photographer. Within a year, a wing could easily build a nice library of photos that could be used.

Also in regards to the truth that activities and op tempo varies form unit to unit, there is at least the opportunity within one's own wing to be involved in things that the home unit might not normally engage in. We're still building our ES program in my unit, so the ops tempo isn't as high as the ace SM flying unit to the East of us. But, MIWG is very active in ES and there are actually a good number of things someone can take part in at that level, so it's not really like false advertising. That's why I'm suggesting the photo library be collected at the Wing level instead of nationally.

[Walkman]

At least about 4-5 years ago there was a nationally-run CAP stock photo web site.  Not sure if its there anymore.  Unfortunately, it was mostly chock full of images from various national meetings rather than a whole lot of more useful photos. 

I think that's been moved to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/

There's a lot of "grip n' grin", but the've been adding other kinds as well.

[NIN]

 A lot of people don't understand what is meant by "stock photography."

Look here: oswegocap.org

Mike Kieloch (Pylon) set up this site and managed to snag some good photography from "elsewhere."

This is a "stock photo"


As is this:



This is not:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatroloswego/8683457169/#

But yet people put the latter on their site as an image representative of "Cadet Programs". Yes, it is cadets. Yes, they *are* in the program.

But its two dudes grinning into the camera.  What does it say about CAP? What does it say about the cadet program?

This photo says "As a cadet, you'll get to fly [in] a plane."


This photo says "We got to stand in front of a plane"

(and the latter photo may have accompanied an entry on their site that talked about these three recently doing something cool in a plane. But *without* that caption, it would be useless as a stock photo  if it doesn't convey an action or feeling without saying "Well, you really have to know what is going on here..")

[Eclipse]

From this perspective I see what you mean, and you're right, most people have no idea about this kind of thing.

[NIN]

The other piece is this:

What is the purpose of a CAP squadron's website?

I submit to you that it is *substantially* communication, and not necessarily INTERNAL communication, but rather EXTERNAL communication.

I haven't looked at whether we still differentiate, but remember when we had External PAO versus Internal PAOs?  Internal PAOs did unit newsletters, etc.  External PAOs did interviews, got articles or news items in the paper, etc.

Substantially, unit websites are really EXTERNAL PA tools (advertising, recruiting, awareness).  Thus, the focus is on raising awareness and improving the image of the program.

Honestly, is someone going to show up to the Oswego Squadron and go "What? I can't fly dat dere big *** plane you have in that pitcher on yer web thingy? Hmmrph, come on Marge, we're headed home."  No.  The image says "Hey, look, we have planes. In fancy colors.  Cuz, you know, there is this AIR in the middle of Civil Air Patrol." 

Its not intended as a documentary, its advertising.

Company I worked for a few years back changed their website and in the corner  of the page, near where it listed the 800 # for orders, there was a photo of a young lady in a headset with that "I'm ready to take your order!" look on her face.

Did she work there?  Hell no, she was a stock photo.

Matter of fact, nearly all the photography on their site is stock. Example:


Are those ACTUAL supplements they sell? Maybe. Probably not.

Are those hands the ACTUAL hands of people who work there? Nope.

Are those the people who work in the warehouse or take your order?  Negative.

Its not like someone calls up and says "I only want my order fulfilled by the warehouse guy on the right of the photo on your about us page!"

Now, as someone earlier said, there are some wings that don't do ES. 

Well, I'd like to see what wing that is that does not participate in any aspect of one of our three major missions.

But more to the point, yes, you probably would not put a photo of a line of cadets doing a line search if you're talking about emergency services and your wing does not do ground SAR missions they only do aerial survey or DR work. 

Nor would you put a photo of a cadet rappelling down a mountain from Hawk Mtn in the ES section of your website as if to imply "Hey, look, if you wanna do this cool emergency stuff, you'll rappell down mountainsides!" 

But you might put that under the CP section if you want to imply that cadets get to go to some forms of high adventure activities. And you don't have to rely on Cadet Timmy from your squadron to actually GO to Hawk Mtn and then take a good snappie of himself standing around a bunch of ropes and people. No offense to Cadet Timmy, but I'm reasonably certain that the photo he takes with his little Ph,D camera is not going to be a good one. (Sorry, Timmy, only good photographers get to be featured Nationally...)

Another thing we don't presently do is photo releases, especially as it relates to minors.

What happens when 16 year old Cadet Jimmy goes to COS and gets his photo plastered on NHQ's website and his estranged father (who mom has a no-contact order on, and moved away from 5 years ago) suddenly sees it on the web someplace and goes "Ah ha! they're in Attumwa, Iowa!"  Ooops.  (that is an extreme example, but you could envision something similarly weird occurring)

Or a cadet winding up in some stock photos, used on a website in California and suddenly the wing commander there is getting a phone call from his counterpart in Rhode Island saying "Hey, I just got off the phone with an irate parent who did not give permission for a photo of her son flying a plane to be featured on a CAP website in California.."  Uhhhh, hmmm.

(these are questions that need to be explored and answered, BTW.. I'm not saying I have the answer to them, but they are factors)

[Eclipse]

I agree with this, but NHQ needs to establish this  For the most part, a unit website should be contact information for the specifics
of that unit.

What a unit website "is", or "should be" has been a point of contention since CAP realized there >was< an internet (sometime last year).

[NIN]

At least about 4-5 years ago there was a nationally-run CAP stock photo web site.  Not sure if its there anymore.  Unfortunately, it was mostly chock full of images from various national meetings rather than a whole lot of more useful photos. 

I think that's been moved to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/

There's a lot of "grip n' grin", but the've been adding other kinds as well.

Hmmm. Yeah, still not great, but there are a few gems in there.

I mean, for example, someone not realizing might just grab this photo wholesale and use it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/9237359729/#

Nice pic, love the old Birddog at NHQ, but that photo has ZERO value from a "look at our program" standpoint. Plus, its not cropped, and it looks like, apart from the similarities of the shirts and trousers, that maybe these people just got married in front of that cool plane.



Same thing here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/9237359415/#

People obviously having a great time.

Not so obviously having a great time at WHAT? For WHAT? 

That picture says "Hey, you'll make great friends in CAP" and in some places that pic might work.

But unless you're the two people in that photo, or know those two people, that photo means zip from a "a picture is worth a thousand words" standpoint. Its not appropriate for nationwide use unless accompanied by a caption ("Major Timmy and Lt Col Sally from Northwest Region pose at the end of National Public Logistics Affairs Academy at  LeMay AFB, Alaska") or its the only photo you could find of two well-respected CAP officers who just perished in a plane crash while searching for a lost Amish family in the mountains...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/8718971524/#

Great photo to be accompanied by a caption for a news item about a specific event. 

"Two gentlemen with very sharp ties discuss the upcoming proposal for to authorize plumed hats and sabers for CAP officers at the most recent meeting of the CAP Command Council in Detroit."

Not exactly pulling in the seniors from a recruiting standpoint.  Maybe the ladies....

Here's a SUPER photo of General Carr to accompany a news release. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/civilairpatrol/8717854707/#

I would *kill* for that backdrop effect (F-22, setting sun, golden light). Its well lit, nicely balanced, could use a little cropping for release but not bad.  But it is a release photo of two guys looking at the camera.  Not a stock photo that would evoke someone's interest in joining CAP or causing them to look at the website more.

[jeders]

Why not create a grass-roots image repository of stock photos, with appropriate photographer credit and maybe even model releases, that people can draw from to populate presentations, flyers, websites, etc?  These would have to be vetted for composition, quality, appropriateness, quality of storytelling without additional amplification, etc.

So NIN, when can we expect you to have this done?


Actually, now that I think about it for more than three seconds...I know nothing about flickr other than it exists. Can it be used collaboratively, i.e. a bunch of people all uploading their CAP stock photos to a group album and deciding which ones are good and bad? Or would they all have to be sent to one individual to review and upload. If collaborative is possible, then why not just start it and spread the word. If it has to be done individually, then this seems like the perfect thing for a unit PAO to do with higher PAOs reviewing the photos for aptness and adding them to their own repository.

[Walkman]

...I know nothing about flickr other than it exists. Can it be used collaboratively, i.e. a bunch of people all uploading their CAP stock photos to a group album and deciding which ones are good and bad? Or would they all have to be sent to one individual to review and upload. If collaborative is possible, then why not just start it and spread the word. If it has to be done individually, then this seems like the perfect thing for a unit PAO to do with higher PAOs reviewing the photos for aptness and adding them to their own repository.

One Flickr feature is Groups. They are usually organized around a single theme with admin/moderator types. Anyone can create a group. Users can join the group and post images to the Group Pool within the posting rules set my the admin (some group are only B&W, some just focus on a single theme, etc). So yes, a group of Flickr users could pool together and create a CAP group to share photos that can be used all over.

(Any Flickr users that want to connect with me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walker-family/)

[Eclipse]

^ You just indicated the biggest issue with Flicker - people won't create CAP-specific accounts, and we'll have
all sorts of issues with personal photos, potentially inappropriate, being linked to the CAP stock pool.   Not to
mention a bunch of "cutiepieflyer72@juno.com" accounts.

Anything considered as official stock photography should be admined by NHQ with a small group of non-goofball posters.

Cool car pics, BTW.

[JeffDG]

^ You just indicated the biggest issue with Flicker - people won't create CAP-specific accounts, and we'll have
all sorts of issues with personal photos, potentially inappropriate, being linked to the CAP stock pool.   Not to
mention a bunch of "cutiepieflyer72@juno.com" accounts.

Anything considered as official stock photography should be admined by NHQ with a small group of non-goofball posters.

Cool car pics, BTW.

See, this is where it would be nice if they expand the cap.gov Google domain to the entire membership.  They could create a Flickr page (Flickr is a wholly owned subsidiary of Google) where only Region or Wing PAOs could post stock photos, almost no admin required, no cutiepieflyer's either.

[Eclipse]

Flickr is owned by Yahoo.

[JeffDG]

Flickr is owned by Yahoo.

My bad...I was thinking Picasa.

[Walkman]

^ You just indicated the biggest issue with Flicker - people won't create CAP-specific accounts, and we'll have
all sorts of issues with personal photos, potentially inappropriate, being linked to the CAP stock pool.   Not to
mention a bunch of "cutiepieflyer72@juno.com" accounts.

Anything considered as official stock photography should be admined by NHQ with a small group of non-goofball posters.

Good points for sure. One work-around would be for units to create Flickr accounts and use those to post to the CAP group. There's already a number of accounts from squadron, group & wings existing.

Cool car pics, BTW.

Thanks! You should check out some of my vintage aircraft shots.