Captain Rick Goman

Rick Goman is an American Civil War reenactor.  I met him through the process of working on a photo assignment through photographer David Hobby’s blog, Strobist.  Every couple of years, David runs a series of contests that he calls Strobist Boot Camp in which he gives assignments with a concept and rules for lighting.  His blog is read world-wide and people enter the contest from many different countries.  This was my first foray into this friendly competition and really enjoyed the process of having to come up with the subject idea for the photo, make the connections and set up the shoot. 

Very accommodating and a pleasure to work with, Rick is also a wealth of information on the Civil War.  Coincidentally, he is a history professor.  All of the uniform elements, weapons and accessories he brought to the photo shoot are authentic reproductions, all the way down to his spectacles, which actually contain the same type of glass used during that era and are corrective.

The photo above was my entry into this Boot Camp assignment.  The follwoing are a couple more from the shoot.  df

Set up:

·         Key:  Canon 580 EX, 1/4 + 1/8 CTO gels with dome diffuser, inside 16 x 16 softbox and through a diffusion panel.  Camera left, approx. 1½ feet from subject.  Power setting: 1/4 + 1/3 Stop.

·         Fill:  Canon 580 EX, 1/2 CTO gel with dome diffuser, inside LumaQuest Softbox III.  Camera right, approx. 5 ft from subject. Power setting: 1/64

·         Accent:  Photoflex 39 x 39 Soft Gold panel reflector. Subject left and behind.

·         Misc:  Black scrim, subject left, to reduce ambient fill.

Where There's Smoke...

Now that I work out of my home, I don’t get a chance to get out much during the week and find that my “chores” build up to critical mass.  I then end up have to take an afternoon of running around town to get at least some of the items marked off of the top of the list.  Friday was such a day and I decided to take the camera with me.   

On the way home I noticed a large billow of dark smoke coming from the west side of the city, obviously from a fire.  Not appearing to be a big one, but recognizing the temps were in the upper 90’s and heat index in the 100’s, I thought I might be able to capture some shots of the firefighters enduring what they do to serve our community.  Fires seem to never be comfortable places no matter what the weather, and the heat and humidity of a Midwest summer can be even more dangerous to the firefighters than the fire itself.  Fighting a fire in a heavy coat, overalls, hat and gloves in triple digit temps can take a toll on a body.

I could see the smoke dissipating as I drove towards the source and suspected some type of vehicle fire.  I arrived to find a gutted motor home, the fire out and, fortunately, no one injured.  It was a typical summer afternoon: hot and humid with a high sun and nearly the worst lighting conditions a photographer can hope for.  

Terrible, harsh sun and dark, hard shadows.  AKA: Ugly light.

I captured a few images of the overall scene in full, harsh sunlight.  The activity began again as they started the final work of eliminating any remaining smoldering places.  I clicked away hoping a decently lit shot would avail itself.  When all seemed lost, I saw one of the guys enter the motor home with a hose.  I found a vantage point from the rear of the motor home, looking through the blown out rear window, and access to a nicely lit shot.

Lighting:     Sunlight, through the burned out roof of the motor home, filtered through an overhead tree canopy.  The fire-blackened walls served to reduce the reflected light and provide for some nice highlights from the overhead light. 

Exposure:    ISO 400, 1/400 sec. @ F 2.8, +1/3 stop exposure compensation. 

                   Aperture Priority mode using Partial (spot) metering.

 Exposure:    ISO 400, 1/200 sec. @ F 2.8, +1/3 stop exposure compensation. 

                     Aperture Priority mode using Partial (spot) metering.

I normally shoot in Manual mode, but in rapidly changing light conditions I will use Aperture Priority in combination with spot metering and use the exposure compensation dial to adjust for the situation. I find I can do this fairly quickly and faster than when in Manual mode.  The auto exposure, combined with the spot metering, usually gives me a good starting point in the changing in light conditions rather than having to dial it in when using Manual and then adjusting for the conditions (expose towards shadow or highlight). 

Remember:  The camera metering system wants to give you a flat, 18% gray.  Not conducive to an interestingly lit photo.

Remember Haiti?

The news has long moved from one natural disaster to another or to yet another nation under civil unrest.   Most of us have forgotten about a small nation, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti.  When mentioned it is usually in the context of the 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010.  The unfortunate, cold, hard fact is that long before the earthquake Haiti was a country of despair, hunger and poverty – and it continues to be one.  The earthquake simply awakened the world to the plight of Haiti, unfortunately, for a very short time.

I first went to Haiti in 1994 as one of a group of police instructors and again in 1997 to review a training program.  My experience during the second trip (another story) made me state, to anyone who would listen, that if I never went to Haiti again it would be too soon.  My good friend, Steve Ijames, who spearheaded my initial venture to Haiti has always held a compassion for the people of that country and has worked to bring Project H.O.P.E.'s efforts to the people there.  Steve traveled to Haiti the day following the earthquake as a security advisor to a relief effort and a month later I found myself in Haiti again.  This time with a totally different focus and feeling convicted for ever saying I didn’t want to go back.

Through contacts within Project H.O.P.E. we traveled from Cap-Haitien to the Haiti Home of Hope orphanage in Pignon.  The purpose of the trip was to plan future building projects to help both the orphanage and other local humanitarian efforts in the area.  These photos are a few of those I was able to capture in the day and a half we were there.

Peterson

Peterson and his younger brother were orphaned by the earthquake.  They wandered the streets of Port Au Prince for approximately two weeks before they became separated in a crowd.  Peterson, unable to locate his younger brother, was taken in by a Canadian medical relief team who fed him and gave him a place to sleep at night.

When the medical team was to return to Canada they could not find an orphanage or any other agency able to take care of, and responsibility for, Peterson.  Determined, they were finally placed in touch with Bill and Jennifer Campbell of the Haiti Home of Hope orphanage who agreed to take Peterson in. 

Peterson has not seen his brother since they were separated.   The brother’s whereabouts is currently unknown.

Mika (Mee-ka)

Mika was one of 40 children being helped by the Haiti Home of Hope orphanage when I was there.  Mika’s feet had been pinned in the rubble of her house when it collapsed during the earthquake and she lay pinned for 8 ½ hours before she was freed by neighborhood rescue workers.  It was then several more days before she was able to receive medical attention and by that time her feet were so badly injured that the overburdened Haitian doctors said that both feet would have to be amputated.  Fortunately for Mika, she was airlifted for treatment to a small hospital in Pignon where there just happened to be a group of U.S. doctors on an annual medical mission trip.  Several of the doctors were orthopedic specialists and after multiple surgeries and skin grafts they were able to save most of her feet.  The Campbells, in their continual spirit of giving, provided Mika and her mother, Daline, with food, shelter and medical attention over the weeks and months it would take until Mika’s feet could heal enough to allow her to travel and she and her mother could return to Port au Prince.

Mika and her mother are the only members of their family to survive the earthquake.  Mika’s father and all her siblings were killed.  These photos, while graphic, show the resolve of a little girl who has lost not only most of her family but much of her feet as well, looking at her amputated toes and portions of her feet with a matter of fact acceptance. 

The Campbells, while supported by their home church and other donations, are faced with situations and needs that far exceeded what comes in.  Project H.O.P.E. has returned to the orphanage and built a dormitory and a kitchen to assist in housing and feeding the growing number of children there.  This was done through volunteers who donated both their money and their time and labor, most of whom are not carpenters, masons, or electricians.  They are simply people with a heart to give back.

Pastor Aknov

Work continues in the countryside surrounding Pignon and efforts are underway to finish a church that was started by Pastor George Aknov.  Project H.O.P.E. has raised the funds and volunteers to complete the work on a new church/school.  Steve Ijames will be taking a group this summer to put the roof on the building.

Mr. Tousaint Chivaley

Tousaint is a helper of Pastor Aknov's.  Although he looks like the strict schoolmaster in this photo, he smiled the entire rest of the time we were there and grinned like a kid when I showed him his image on the back of my camera.

The existing church/school house in which Pastor Aknov teaches 125 children using his own funds and what supplies and materials he can locate.

New church built to this point by Pastor Aknov using his own funds.

If you are someone who wishes to give back, I urge you to contact Project H.O.P.E. and give whatever you are able.  Nothing is too small.  $25.00 can buy much more in Haiti than you can imagine and go a long way to improving the lives of people so very much in need.  If you would like to travel to Haiti and take part in one of the projects please don’t be shy.  It does not matter if you can’t swing a hammer or don’t even know which end to grip.  There are many tasks that are easily learned and the joy of helping in an effort like this can’t be described by the written word.  The contact numbers can be located on their web page at the links throughout this post.  They will welcome you.

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