B/W Portraits from West Africa is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

These images were taken with an iPhone 4s and processed in Lightroom.

The Last Sunset of 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Why? I’m not sure. Maybe the pros in Georgia are too busy, maybe they don’t care about the Fair, maybe they just don’t know about the contest. As a pro photog, I love participating in the fair’s competition for several reasons.

#1 – Cash prizes
Sure, you don’t win $1000 or $10,000 for a winning photo. First place only brings in $20, second place $15, and so on. But hey, cash is cash. I came away from this year’s contest with about $375. That covered all my expenses in printing my photos and leaves me with enough to replace my 50mm f/1.8 when I drop or lose it for the fourth time. Speaking of cash…

#2 – It’s free to participate
Most photo contests that offer cash prizes have entry fees. The Fair has been and always will be free. Your only expenses are shipping/driving to Perry, GA to submit/pickup your prints. And of course the cost of printing and matting or mounting the prints. But that last expense is also a benefit because…

#3 – It’s an excuse to finally print your digital images
Too often we make beautiful images and they just sit on our computers in a virtual world. Granted we share them on Flickr, Facebook, and other social web sites but there is something about seeing you image in a tangible medium.

My wife and I have a rule each year that we don’t print and submit any photos to the Fair that we don’t want to hang on our walls afterward. That way, even if we don’t win anything, we’ve got some physical prints we’re proud to put up in our home. It gives our home’s walls an annual face lift!

Another thing I’ll do is give my wining prints away. A lot of my work is done in third world countries for non-profits. On several occasions I’ve given them a print I took of their work or subjects that I exhibited at the Fair. It makes it special when I tell them it’s an “award-winning print.”

#4 – Learn to shoot subjects you don’t normally (and enjoy it)
I’m pretty stuck in my ways. I enjoy photojournalism, landscapes, and concert photography. Animals, flowers, still life, and textures aren’t subjects I seek out. That said, throughout the year and with the Fair’s contest in mind, I do push myself to try some different genres. This year it paid off as I won the Award of Excellence for Monochrome Photography with an image of sheep in the Animals category. I also placed in the Plant Life and Textures categories.

Sometimes professionals get burned out shooting the same thing over and over (think senior portraits or engagement sessions). By delving into some other subject genres you might end up spicing up or improving your normal photographic pursuits.

#5 – Your images are seen by tens of thousands of people who otherwise would never see them.
The Fair attracted nearly 440,000 visitors this year! Granted, they didn’t all wander in to the arts building and look at the exhibits, but a lot did. My winning photos definitely get looked at as they show off their flashy colored ribbons. As a pro, that is some great publicity! As a visitor peruses the exhibit, if they see your name with a ribbon over and over again, they are going to take notice. Everyone in the photography business knows that name recognition is HUGE. Business aside, photography (and any creative art) is not about what you get but what you can give. Your great images on exhibit can…

#6 – Inspire young and/or amateur photographers
Over 1200 photos were submitted in the Beginner class this year, double that of the Advanced and nearly triple that by pros. Obviously, there are tons of amateurs who take their photography seriously. The building where photos are exhibited also hosts a dozen other art competition exhibits, many geared towards youth. When my best work of the year hangs in that gallery, I can hope that some aspiring photographers will be motivated and inspired to keep working to improve their skill and vision. After all, I was in their shoes not so very long ago.

If interested, you can see my winning photographs from 2011, 2010, and 2009 on my blog. I hope to see some of yours next October at the Georgia National Fair.

Six Reasons You Should Enter the GA Nat’l Fair Photo Contest is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

This year I submitted 15 photos and won 13 ribbons. I didn’t come near sweeping the Open class – the talented Jason Hyung-gu Kang held that honor by taking 18 ribbons! That doesn’t in any way diminish my excitement with receiving six 1st Place, two 2nd Place, three 3rd Place, and two 6th Place ribbons. It’s always re-affirming to see my work being accepted and honored by my peers.

I had a couple surprises, my image “On the Lamb” won the Award of Excellence in Monochrome Photography. It was not a print I thought would take such a big prize. The flip-side is that two of my favorites “Temper, Temper” and “Cops and Robbers” took 6th place. I was certain that both of those were 1st place winners. Just goes to show, you can’t rely on your own personal attachment to photos.

Another lesson learned was to plan ahead. The thirteen that won had been picked out in advance. The two that lost were last minute grabs that I submitted just to throw something in the mix.

** Are you a Georgia photographer who didn’t participate in the Fair this year? Read my six reasons why I think you should submit to the annual Georgia National Fair photography contest.

“On the Lamb”
Award of Excellence in Monochrome Photography
First Place in Animals, Monochrome

 ”Ivan’s Childhood”
First Place in Action, Monochrome
more from this series

“Macon, GA – Est. 1806″
First Place in Georgia Street Scenes, Monochrome

“War Orphanage”
First Place in Photojournalism, Monochrome

“Sierra Leonean Farmer”
First Place in People, Color

“The Ruins of Shechem”
First Place in I Spy:Texture, Color
more from this location

“Valley of Fire, Nevada”
Second Place in Scenic, Monochrome
more from this location

 ”The Crest”
Second Place in I Spy:Texture, Monochrome
more from this series

“Phantastes Underground”
Third Place in Scenic, Color
more from this series

“Slot Canyon Survivor”
Third Place in Plant Life, Monochrome
more from this series

“Jubee at Bragg Jam”
Third Place in Action, Color
more from this series

“Cops and Robbers”
Sixth Place in Photojournalism, Color

“Temper, Temper”
Sixth Place in People, Monochrome
more from this series

2011 GA Nat’l Fair Winners is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Every year on the first weekend of October the Andersonville Guild puts on the event and hosts Civil War re-enactors from all over the Southeast who put on a mock battle. This technically isn’t a true re-enactment as no battle ever occurred in Andersonville for them to re-enact. As a result, it is a closely guarded secret each year as to who will win the battle – the Rebs or the Yanks!

Civil War Mock Battle is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

This year I took a large matted print of that winning image to give the dancer who was its subject (on the right). He wasn’t there this year, but I did find out his name and sent the image to him in Oklahoma via some of his colleagues. I hope he and his family enjoy the image for years to come.


[flickr-gallery mode="photoset" photoset="72157627667058449" per_page=100]

2011 Ocmulgee Indian Celebration is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

These photos were taken on one of our hikes up the dunes. I had been focusing on wide landscape shots when I started to notice the intricate patterns and details in the sand at my feet. Most impressive was the fine line across the top of each dune – the crest. As the sun began to drop in the sky the contrast between light and shadow was accentuated and the wind-carved lines in the sand seem to pop out.

The crest is the ultimate dividing line. Created by a powerful yet invisible force that separates the light from the dark and makes perfectly smooth that which was wrought with chaos.

*UPDATE* The first image below won 1st Place in the Middle Georgia Art Association’s 2011 Parallels juried exhibit and 2nd Place in the 2011 Georgia National Fair‘s monochromatic Textures photography competition.

The Crest – Which Side Are You On? is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Argyle Academy Nesting Dolls is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

It was a long and tiring day but totally worth all the energy spent. I got to see a couple great acts again (The Rocketboys, Parachute Musical, and the always amazing Amy Godwin) and I was introduced to some other talented artists I’d never heard of before the event (Kopecky Family Band).

I’m a big advocate of “more is less” when it comes to sharing photo galleries but I’ve made an exception this time since the 84 photos below represent 12 different musical acts!

Bragg Jam 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

You can read my two stories “A Time To Heal” and “Reason to Celebrate” as well as browse a photo gallery and watch a music video over at AfricaStories.org.

Ivory Coast: A Time To Heal is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

My role in the CD release was not a musical one, but that of album art designer. I based the design on some photos I took in the d’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge of northern Louisiana (on a Sunday morning) last Fall during my road trip out West with my son. While I’ve contributed art to other musicians’ albums before, this was my first time to take on the entire project from photography, to typography, to graphic design.

** You can order a physical copy of the CD from CDBaby or digitally via iTunes.

Tabernacle Worship Experience Album Art is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Tunnels & Trees is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Until the mid-1800s, the French presence in West Africa was mostly concentrated in Senegal. In 1866, the French military moved into the region now known as Guinea. The following year they built a military post in Benty and opened a port of trade. The channel at the mouth of the river was relatively deep, allowing ships with 6 meter drafts to pass through.

The deep-water port thrived for decades as a trading center for exports such as bananas, pineapples, rice, salt, coconuts, and palm oil. Over time, the northern town of Conakry’s port was expanded and Benty’s importance waned.

Upon Guinea’s vote for independence on October 2, 1958, the French colonists left almost immediately. Under the new nation’s president Sekou Touré, the port remained open through the 1960s dealing primarily in banana exports. By the 1970s, virtually all traffic through the channel ceased and the town of Benty began to crumble.

I made the images below on a brief visit to Benty in June 2011. Located in the countries remote southernmost region, access to the town is difficult. The town is cutoff off by a Guinean naval base that requires special permission to pass through.

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Benty: Guinea’s Colonial Ghost Town is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

As he got filthier and filthier from the charcoal, I finally had him take his shirt off and rub the soot all over himself. Being an overcast day, the light was great for some stunning images of him climbing in the rubble. My brother-in-law Kenny Jensen made the comparison of these images to Andrei Tarkovsky’s legendary debut film Ivan’s Childhood (watch the intro). Now that is flattery!

Trey’s Childhood is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Why is workflow so important?

• Save time
• Save images
• Save space
• Save your sanity

What are the key elements of to a good workflow?

• Organization
• Metadata/Ranking
• Backup solution
• Consistency, consistency, consistency

My Adobe Lightroom Workflow

• Import from camera & convert to DNG
  • Automatically add creator & copyright metadata
  • Images stored into folders by date
    e.g. /Pictures/2011/05/10/IMG_2345.dng
• 1^st Pass
  • Reject obvious trash
  • Flag obvious picks
• Delete rejects
• Add global metadata (titles/captions, keywords, & location)
• 2^nd Pass
  • Reject bad images
  • Compare similar shots and reject/pick between them
• 3^rd Pass – Look only at Picks
  • Unflag non-presentable ones
  • Group burst mode & bracketed shots
  • Add any necessary photo specific metadata
  • Use star rankings
  • Touch-up the keepers (jump to Photoshop if necessary)
• Save changes to DNG files & backup (images & Lightroom)
• Export picks for final product (Blog? Flickr? CD for client?)

Establishing a Digital Workflow is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

In my talks I showed several of my own photos and videos made with Lensbabies as I talked about how the various uses I find for them in my work. Here are some of the images I showed. If you’d like to see some examples of how I use Lensbabies for video, check out the “The Blue Indian Presents” series I’ve done.

The plastic optic gives a soft & hazy effect in harsh light.

Another effect the plastic optic enhances is lens flares and chromatic aberrations.

The double glass optic is tact sharp.

My wife took this shot with the star aperture from the Lensbaby Creative Aperture Kit. It is of sunlight coming through the leaves in the woods.

Here you see me taking the image below. I include this shot so that you get an idea of the INSANE perspective the 12mm Fisheye provides.

Shot with the Lensbaby Fisheye optic at f/11

One other benefit of the fisheye optic is it’s incredible macro capabilities. This magicicada is a mere 1/2 inch from the lens but the 12mm fisheye provides a wide field of view revealing the background.

As you close up the aperture of a Lensbaby optic the “blurry” effect is minimized. This shot was made with a Lensbaby Composer and double glass optic at f/8 with off-camera flash.

Without an aperture disc, the Lensbaby double glass optic functions at f/1.8 which is great for capturing action in low-light.

When using selective focus, there’s no question as to where you want the viewer’s eyes to go.

Photojournalism work prohibits the use of post-production filters and effects. A Lensbaby is a great way to get a specific look “in-camera.” This shot was made in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake of a man with a sick child waiting to see a doctor. It captures the emotion of a parent whose only concern in the world is the well-being of his child.

At the 2010 FIFA World Cup there was no shortage of photojournalists with cameras. Having a Lensbaby on hand gave me a unique perspective that was unlike anyone else’s.

One of my favorite uses of my Lensbaby is for concert photography. The effect it has on all the lights is stunning!

Talking ‘Bout Lensbaby is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

The group was founded by Jim and Ann Berry as they sought to share Jim’s sister Kay’s passion for photography with other special needs adults. Kay lives with Down Syndrome and is a member of the Middle Georgia Camera Club who has won numerous awards for her images.

The ShutterBugs exhibit their images annually at the Cherry Blossom Festival and raise money for their club by selling the prints.

My own brother suffers with both mental and physical disabilities but is unable to function at a level where he could enjoy photography. While I wish he could appreciate photography like the Shutterbugs, it gives me great joy to help other special needs adults with their photography.

If you’d like more information about how you can support the ShutterBugs, you can drop them an email at shutterbugs_macon.bibb@yahoo.com or join their Facebook group.

Here are some of the portraits I made of Jim, Ann, and Kay Berry and some of the Shutterbugs in Macon.

Sharing with the ShutterBugs is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Here you can flip through a low-res digital copy of Field Trip Magazine #2. My images are on pages 39, 53, and 57. You can order your own copy of this book on the Café Royal Books web site.

Here are few photos from my latest shots with my Holga 120s. This expired film hadn’t deteriorated like the first roll so the images came out much sharper and clean.

Field Trip Magazine & B/W Holga Photos is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I was commissioned to design the art for these digital release comps and have made three so far. It’s been fun creating a series that is tied to a running visual theme. I’m looking forward to making plenty more!

Check out my designs, then head over to LittlestSounds.com to download the 90+ tracks for yourself.

Littlest Sounds Compilations is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Earth Day Photoshoot is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development