I’m in India for the next couple weeks and thought I would put a couple shots up from my first day on the ground.

Fans wait for an opportunity to see drivers walking to pit row prior to the start of a race.

A fan watches the Feed the Children 300.

Feed the Children 300 race fans and a track worker prior to the start of the race.

Matt Kenseth signs autographs prior to the start of the Feed the Children 300.

Fans wait for drivers to pass by prior to the start of the Quaker State 400.

Fans prior to the start of the Quaker State 400.

Carl Edwards prior to the start of the Quaker State 400.

Jeff Gordon signs autographs in the garage area.

All photos copyright John Palmer Gregg 2011.

San Marcos, Peru mission from John Palmer Gregg on Vimeo.

Short video promoting a mission to San Marcos, Peru and the surrounding peoples of the Andes Mountains in Ancash Region of Peru.

Since I’ve gotten back from this most recent trip to Peru, I’ve be swamped trying to pull together all the photos and videos from the trip into some useful materials for the mission group. Anyway, I put together, this is a short promotional video, shot entirely with a Canon 5D Mark II, for them to be able to use real quickly to help raise awareness and support of their mission.

Ancash region, Peru 2010

I recently returned from a trip to the Ancash region in the Andes of Peru. Here are just a few photos.

Ancash region, Peru 2010

Ancash region, Peru 2010

Ancash region, Peru 2010

To view the gallery from the trip, please click here.

College-age interns navigate a low-ropes course during a team building activity. (Photo copyright John Palmer Gregg)

A lot of people are afraid of showing any motion in their images. They think the blur is distracting, or shows bad camera control, however showing motion in an image is a great way to make it seem more alive, more “real,” and add a sense of urgency and confusion. This previous image show how keeping a subject sharper while the rest of the image is blurred through motion. This shot, taken at 1/60 of a second, was taken while the subject was falling forward keeping the camera the same distance from her, which allowed the rest of the frame to blur.

Another simple method of this is to pan the camera while following a subject.

College-age interns navigate a low-ropes course during a team building activity. (Photo copyright John Palmer Gregg)

When you try this make sure that you are using a slower shutter speed, at least 1/60 or slower, the slower that you can still hold the subject sharp the better. This was shot at 1/30. By moving the camera along the same path as the young man, you get the sensation of moving along with him.

Notice in the following image how the movement heightens the sense of drama and disorientation in the image.

College-age interns navigate a low-ropes course during a team building activity. (Photo copyright John Palmer Gregg)

This allows the viewer to get more of a “feel” of what it would be like to be in their position. It adds to the ability of the viewer to identify with the subject, which is a very important factor in effective documentary type images. Shot at 1/20.

This last image has much of the same feel to it as the previous one.

College-age interns navigate a low-ropes course during a team building activity. (Photo copyright John Palmer Gregg)

Shot at 1/30.

So, don’t be afraid of a little “blur” in your images. They can add dramatic effect, give a sense of movement, connect the subject with the image viewer, and are a whole lot of fun to capture.

The Power of Stories

storytellers specializes in telling your story

Stories have been used for centuries to teach, inspire, humor, scare, entertain and inform. Jesus used parables extensively in his teachings. Stories of hope, courage and beauty still have the power to change the world.

CrossRoads Missions partners with various local ministries and organizations. These ministries work might be primarily focused on humanitarian aid, evangelism, outreach or other ministries.

Participants in storytellers will work with these organizations to prepare cohesive multimedia resources. (printed books/brochures, video, photography, etc. depending on the skill sets of the participants)

These organizations can then use these resources to inspire, enlist and encourage partners and supporters.
During a storytellers trip, participants learn how to effectively use their gifts to tell the stories of the people, communities and ministries they encounter. Storytellers is, in part a traveling workshop for those who want to learn the craft and for those looking to hone their skills.

Purpose

Storytellers exists to partner with local missions, ministries and churches helping them to tell their story and the stories of those they serve. We do this with volunteer participants skilled in journalism, photography, videography, graphic-design and other communication related fields, as well as those wishing to learn how to tell these stories more effectively.

There are many ministries and organizations across the world that excel in providing care, aid and hope to those in physical, emotional and spiritual need. However they are not all able, either technically or financially, to effectively share their work with their partners and supporters. Storytellers partners with these ministries and organizations to help them share their vision, their successes and the great need for their services.

Check out Storytellers at CrossRoads Missions.

Leica M8 - Image from Leica Camera AG http://us.leica-camera.com/

One of the most common questions any photographer gets asked is “What’s in your bag?” Well, let me go through what I take with me on my international trips.

Main bag: Think Tank ShapeShifter.  This is great to travel with, never had a problem getting on any planes.

Leica M8 + three batteries. This is my main camera. Small, discreet wonderful images.
Three lenses:
Voigtlander 15mm + viewfinder
Leica 35mm
Leica 50mm

Canon 5d MkII two batteries. Backup still camera + main video camera.
one lens: Canon EF 24-70 f2.8

juicedLink CX231 + 4 9V batteries. Small XLR preamp perfect for video DSLRs

Roland Edirol R-09 + handfull of AA batteries. Neat little audio Field recorder, does a great job recording sound.

Three 8gb SD cards for Leica M8

Two 2GB SD cards for Edirol

2 8gb CF cards for Canon

Audio Technica AT 8035 – Shotgun Condenser mic + 10′ XLR cable

ElectroVoice RE50N/D-B. Handheld Dynamic mic

JVC Everio GZ-HD7U. Backup, and former main, video camera. Records HD video to hard drive.

Digital Foci Picture Porter Elite. It’s a hard drive I can wear on my hip that will backup any audio, video or photos while I’m away from a laptop.

USB multi-card reader

Lens and sensor cleaners.

Chargers for everything.

Numerous short cables.

Laptop + external Hard Drive. I always try to have three copies of everything I’ve shot or recorded until I can get back to the safety of my office.

Everything but the shotgun mic I’m able to carry in that one bag. There are probably a ton of little odds and ends that get stuck in there too, business cards, notebooks etc. It is packed tight and weighs a ton, but I can carry it all with me instead of trusting it underneath the plane.

It’s much more than just taking a pretty picture. It includes rhetorical arguments, intent and much more that are actually equal, if not more, important than aesthetics.
If you want to know more, then you might get something out of this mini lecture I put together in flash that talks about that very thing.

Here are a few frames I grabbed from the video yesterday.

Leaders with Project New Hope International use Bible storytelling as an evangelism tool to establish house churches in Peruvian barrios. (Photo copyright missions photographer John Palmer Gregg)

Children play marbles in a barrio outside Trujillo, Pero. (Photo copyright missions photographer John Palmer Gregg)

A woman prays while holding her child in a barrio outside Trujillo, Peru. (Photo copyright missions photographer John Palmer Gregg)