Q+A - What it's like to be a military photographer.

[IByte]

Here is a photo of our happy family! It's probably pretty obvious which one is me.

<img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=54553"/>

Aaaah the Desert Digis, so many memories flooding back, and welcome.

 

[AlanKlein]

Your Flickr sets are wonderful. Firstly, your report the military set pictures with all info like a photojournalist should. what when where why etc. You got photojournalism covered when you get out.

You also have a set on Love. Weddings?- covered. And another set with just you and your husband (sorry fellows). All different sides of you in pictures.

Curious. How does your husband handle that you're in Afghanistan? I bet you can't wait to get home and give him a big hug! Thanks for a great thread and your service.

 

[Tamgerine]

So how often do you get an amazing shot......that is never allowed to see the light of day? Does it bother you that they get filed away in a secure data base somewhere and will never get seen?

Are you ever allowed to get artistic with your photos or is it mostly straight up photojournalism?

Unfortunately the answer to that first question is a lot. I’ve got an entire two months worth of photos from a foreign country from my first deployment that are not releasable. That’s not to say I don’t have them – I do, they’re not classified or anything. But they’re not permitted for public release. That means no Flickr, Facebook, maybe a print portfolio but that’s it.

I had an amazing shoot a while back where I got a few images that were very important to me. We fought to get them released but it just did not work out. It’s hard not to get attached to my imagery but it’s the nature of the beast.

When we release an image we have to ask ourselves if it helps our mission or hinders it. Does what we’re portraying to the public match the image and goals we’re trying to project?

Say for example I take an amazing image of a wounded Marine. Beautiful and moving, full of emotion. If we release that, what does it add to the mission? It’s going to get picked up by external media, it’s going to freak out his wife and family, and potentially upset the public. We’re not really supposed to be runnin’ and gunnin’ out here any more, so releasing an image like that would hurt what we’re trying to accomplish.

It sucks, but I have to realize that my work isn’t always about me.

As for your question, I am definitely encouraged to be artistic with my photos. It’s just like with any other industry – imagery can effect people emotionally and influence things. The better the imagery the better the influence.

However, I also follow strict integrity guidelines. We don’t edit images to the point of falsifying reality and marketing it as such. If we manipulate something extensively through photoshop then it is considered a “Photo Illustration” and not a photo, really. Journalistic integrity is very important in our line of work.

The short answer is I can be as creative as the mission requires. If I’m just taking battle damage imagery of a blown up tank used for a briefing I don’t really need to be doing long exposures and crazy compositions.

Wow.. what a fantastic thread. Thanks so much for your service and for taking the time for the Q&A. I followed your flickr feed, too -- you've got some great stuff there. You touched on some of the editorial parts of your workflow -- I assumed you wouldn't have copyright or control over what gets published. Can you share anything about how you get your assignments (ie, are you looking for specific types of shots, or just whatever seems meaningful wherever you're embedded) and what happens to images once you shoot them (ie, do you do post-processing yourself or just hand the cards over to someone for editing)?

Thanks! You’re right in that I don’t have any control over my copyright. All of my work is in the public domain. Any one can use it for any reason.

How I get my assignments depends mostly on who we support as a unit. For example at a battalion a photographer would support battalion operations. Since I’m with the Command Element, I support people such as the Commanding General and the smaller units that fall underneath us for support.

Honestly it’s as easy as someone calling us up and saying, “Hey, we’ve got a cool patrol coming up. Want to go?” What we do is dependent on what everyone else is doing at the time.

As for the shoot itself, I’m basically looking for a variety of good images that tell the story of what is going on. Same with any basic photojournalism event. I cover the main purpose, some portraits on the side, really whatever the situation dictates. I have to be flexible. I’ve shot some really boring stuff, too.
As for the process I edit and caption all of my own imagery. I take things back, pick my selects (about 10-15 of the best images), and write my captions. From there the releasing authority (my boss) checks it over, gives the green light, and we upload it to the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (dvidshub.net) where it goes out into the world.

Tamgerine - do you draw the line between a military photographer and a war correspondent? If yes, where is it? If no, why?

I had a friend who was not a military, he was a newspaper stuff photographer. But he worked in a war zone. One day he was sitting on a bus with locals, the bus was stopped by the rebels. They spotted his camera, took him aside, shot in the head and dumped his body in a roadside ditch. He was quite pro-rebel actually. That was in Chechnya.

PS - If you work in Kabul NATO base, we may have some common friends.

We absolutely draw the line between Combat Camera and a correspondent, who is technically public affairs. They’re two completely separate occupational fields (4600 and 4300). As 4600’s we do NOT write stories. Think of Combat Camera as internal media and public affairs as external media. We have different duties and responsibilities.

I’m sorry about your friend. Photo journalism can be a dangerous job. I’m lucky that whenever I go out I always have my own weapons and security. Being surrounded by other Marines with guns is always a nice feeling.

I’m not in Kabul, though. It’s Camp Leatherneck all the way for me.

I served as the ship's photographer for a couple of ships I was stationed on, but nothing like this.

Any ships I would recognize? I was on the USS Kearsarge, USS Ponce, and the USS Wasp briefly.

 

[Tamgerine]

Your Flickr sets are wonderful. Firstly, your report the military set pictures with all info like a photojournalist should. what when where why etc. You got photojournalism covered when you get out.

You also have a set on Love. Weddings?- covered. And another set with just you and your husband (sorry fellows). All different sides of you in pictures.

Curious. How does your husband handle that you're in Afghanistan? I bet you can't wait to get home and give him a big hug! Thanks for a great thread and your service.

Thank you for the compliment! I'm quite picky about my captions. It's interesting that you mentioned my varied work on my Flickr because it's becoming kind of a dilemma for me as I begin to return home. Things are significantly less exciting back in garrison so on the side I like to shoot portraits, assist on weddings, and take funny photos of me and the hubs. But the majority of my good work for the past year has been military - so as soon as I get back my portraits and weddings are rather outdated. It's hard to sell myself to a primary wedding photographer with a portfolio full of sweaty dudes and Afghans. I'm honestly having a bit of trouble deciding what I actually want to DO and how to position my brand in that regards. Oh well!

I'm lucky that my husband is very supportive of me. We communicate well when I'm away and he knows this work makes me very happy. I do miss him, but both of us are also rather independent people so we don't fall apart when we're not together. I am looking forward to seeing him soon, though.

 

[Tamgerine]

Here are some things that may interest you!

If you've got a considerable amount of time to kill and nothing better to do, you can actually browse my full military portfolio from the most boring ceremonies to the coolest of helicopter rides on my DVIDS portfolio: DVIDS - Journalist Portfolio

Currently sitting at 1,061 images, spanning countries such as Afghanistan, Greece, Tunisia, Djibouti, and good ol' USA, it's a photographic timeline of my career from little baby Lance Cpl. to present. You can also view all the video productions I've shot (I'm a better photographer than videographer, unfortunately). I was totally stoked to hit my 1000th released image out here.

There's also a small bio posted from when I was selected as Journalist of the Month for April, if you're into bios.

Next: While I was in Kuwait, I totally saw one of my photos on the front cover of a magazine. It was crazy! Because my photos are public domain anyone can use them and I don't get told where they go or what they're used for. Here's a photo of me and the magazine with the subject himself, who has a habit of standing photogenically in front of things. It's a talent of his. It was cool because the magazine was on sale at Camp Leatherneck too and a bunch of people ended up buying him and me some copies.



In other news, here is what a lens looks like when it is run over by a tank:

 

[AlanKlein]

Photo essay with writing. Your DVIDS show that you do both well. You're great selling yourself as well in your bios and certainly here. You'll do well in any of the areas or whatever you decide to do. You already have spunk, creativity, good looks, and experience and a great personal story. Loads of places will want you. I checked the videos-they look good too altiough for some reason I couldn;t get the sound.

 

[wyogirl]

This is hands down, the best thread I have ever read on this forum. Thank you for your service and for sharing this with us!

 

[Tamgerine]

I'm really happy that everyone has enjoyed reading the thread. The other day I realize that my Flickr page actually has none of the photography from my first deployment so I get the pleasure of going through all of my old stuff to select for uploads. It's actually made me quite nostalgic tonight, so here's a few of my favorite shots from my previous deployment.

I remember our first exercises on ship right off Onslow Beach. I remember standing on the catwalks and looking at the beach thinking how I could see home but was stuck on that ships for weeks. I remember the day on the beach covering the LCAC's and how we were there for hours because of the bad weather. We all ended up playing hacky sack in the rain.

I remember being on ship and just how many colors the ocean could be. Running on the flight deck and seeing nothing but water in every direction, or sometimes huge cargo ships in the distance. Sometimes when I'm at the beach I close my eyes and listen to the waves, thinking about how it sounds so similar to the waves crashing against the hull.

I think about cool operations with the Recon Marines and how it was hard being around them at first because I was female and not Recon so they didn't want me taking any pictures of them. I like to think they got used to having me around after a while.

I remember getting my first nickname from this guy. It was "Slingblade" on account of my cool looking pocket knife. He accepted me into his squad and made me feel less shy about being the only girl around. This portrait was taken during training in Djibouti, he actually biffed it on the no-skid on ship before we flew out.

I remember how the beds on Arta beach would break if you sat in the middle. You either had to have two people sitting on them - one on each end, or you had to lie down. There were huge piles of broken beds by the time they left. Whenever the wind blew all of the pink mattresses would fly into the air.

I remember climbing into one of these suckers and being glad I was not assigned to an Amphibious Assault Vehicle because that thing looks like it sucks to be in.

I remember being so mad that they would let me stay on Arta beach with the guys because I was the only female. They had to drive me back and forth from the base whenever I wanted to go out and take pictures. Jerks.

I remember cold, freezing showers every morning and doing one body part at a time. I remember one time when on the way back from a training mission the whole platoon decided to run and I was way too slow and thought I was going to get left behind and eaten by dogs.

I remember blowing stuff up. Blowing stuff up is cool.

I remember the guys I was with. Some of them I didn't get a chance to know them and never will. For that I am sorry. Some of them are here with me in Afghanistan, and some I keep in touch with on Facebook. Some of them are out now and some of them did not make it home at all.

This phase of my life is almost over and I will be moving on to the next. Sometimes it is nice to look back and remember where you've been. Also I am a better photographer now and some of the photos I took back then I can honestly look at and say, "Ech, what was I thinking?"

It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.

 

[cmhbob]

As a vet, I'll add my thanks for your service.

How specifically can you comment about the organization for Combat Cameras? Are they at the Division level and attached out, or what?

Also, you mentioned photos of wounded Marines. Are you ever able to hunt down the Marine in question or their families and give them copies of images?

 

[terri]

Some wonderful stuff posted here, Tammy. Thank you for sharing with us, and thank you for your service! Looking forward to hearing that you're home, safe and sound, and ready for your next phase in life.

 

[AlanKlein]

It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.

Can you decribe your style and show before and after shots?

 

[Tamgerine]

As a vet, I'll add my thanks for your service.

How specifically can you comment about the organization for Combat Cameras? Are they at the Division level and attached out, or what?

Also, you mentioned photos of wounded Marines. Are you ever able to hunt down the Marine in question or their families and give them copies of images?

Combat Camera organization starts in garrison. Division Combat Cameras (such as 1st MARDIV or 2nd MARDIV) start there and deploy with battalions so they are specifically attached to them. A lot of Marines will go as Individual Augments from shops to units such as a Marine Expeditionary Unit that does have a permanent CC staff but beefs up it's Marines for a deployment then sends them back when it is over (this is what I did.) Or, for example, a Marine assigned to 2nd Marine Air Wing will be attached to 2nd Marine Air Wing (Forward) when they deploy.

Think of most units as a home unit and a forward unit. Typically Marines assigned with the home units will go forward, this is what I did this time as I was assigned to II MEF, and deployed with II MEF (FWD).

As for hunting down families, I technically could because finding people is easy these. But I also have to be pretty careful with that because I don't want to upset anyone or cause a stir. We lost a guy my last deployment and I found a bunch of pictures of him just goofing around with the other Marines. I respectfully offered those to the family.

 

[Low_Sky]

Thanks for doing what you do, Tammy. Death by PowerPoint would be even worse without combat camera.
The only soldier in my brigade to make the ultimate sacrifice on my last deployment was a combat camera attached from another unit. She was too close to an ANA mortar training accident, which also took the lives of several Afghans. I guess my question is, who is looking out for you, and making that judgement call that the photos aren't worth the risk? I can appreciate that as a junior NCO it can be difficult to put your foot down, especially if you're being attached to other units and separated from your NCO chain.

Sent from my phone with my giant, uncoordinated sausage thumbs.

 

[Low_Sky]

Forgot to add..... heck yes tank beats lens!!! (Coming from a former Army tanker)

Sent from my phone with my giant, uncoordinated sausage thumbs.

 

[Tamgerine]

It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.

Can you decribe your style and show before and after shots?

I don't necessarily have before and afters shots. I'd describe my style as very graphic with wide use of negative space. Anytime there is a horizontal line in my photograph I'll keep it perfectly straight if I can, more often extremely low to the bottom of the frame. I like to isolate subjects and use wide open skies.

A good example of these is this shoot here of the IED Detection Dogs I did within like, two months of getting here. The first four photos are low horizons, wide open spaces, isolated subjects. Not every shot of mine turns out like this of course, but pretty much in every set I deliver something similar is included: DVIDS - Images - Improvised Explosive Device Detection Dogs (IDD) [Image 4 of 10]

I also shoot from a low angle a lot, especially people.