CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea -- Many will argue photography is more than just snapping photos – defining it as the art and science of capturing a moment in time and space. But Department of Defense photography has the added complexity of also telling a story.
Two U.S. Soldiers and one Korean Augmentee To the U.S. Army (KATUSA) from the U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys Public Affairs Office-Visual Information Branch provided photo and video instruction for three employees with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Far East District from Oct. 23 to Nov. 2.
“As Army public affairs professionals, and part of a learning organization, we realize photography and videography are ever-evolving skills that must be continuously honed,” said Rachel Napolitan, the USACE-FED public affairs officer. “After talking with them, the USAG Humphreys VI Branch was willing to provide informal training to help the USACE team better capture their mission, which extends throughout the Republic of Korea.”
The training was broken into two phases. The first phase focused on photo techniques and concepts, such as depth of field and shutter speed. The students then practiced what they learned, bringing back their photos, which were critiqued. The second phase was about capturing and editing video.
“As a DoD employee, it's essential that I can capture and create compelling visual content that aligns with our community's needs and our goals within the U.S. military,” said Kim Ok-ki, a visual information specialist with the USACE-FED and a student in the class. “The skills and techniques I acquired in the class are directly applicable to my job, as they allow me to enhance the quality and impact of the visual content I produce, which, in turn, contributes to the overall mission of the Far East District.”
U.S. Army Sgts. Robert Sullivan and Timothy Baso, visual information specialists, led the photo and video training while KATUSA Pfc. Lee Jimin, also a visual information specialist, provided translation support. All three instructors agreed the students had solid photo and video skills but needed to develop greater confidence in their abilities.
“I hope each of them become more confident with the camera and equipment they use and they don’t see it as a challenge,” said Sullivan, who has been part of USAG-H VI Branch for two months. “It was surprising that they would implement the things we taught them during the next training session.”
After each instruction, the students captured photos or video, which were critiqued in the next class, added Sullivan.
“The peer feedback was invaluable, as it allowed us to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and collectively discover how we could improve our work,” said Kim, who has been in USACE-FED VI for about a year.
Although the USAG-H VI Branch focuses on capturing imagery throughout Camp Humphreys and the surrounding area, the USACE-FED PAO and VI teams travels throughout Korea to capture their employees’ work as well as the progress of construction projects throughout Korea.
“The instructors not only equipped me with technical skills but also conveyed the broader perspective of the role of visual information within the context of the U.S. military and DoD.,” Kim said. “This holistic approach to instruction was incredible valuable and resonated with our responsibilities as government employees.”
Although the training was less than two weeks long, there are plans for follow-up training in the future to dive deeper into the subjects and continue the knowledge sharing between the two Army units. Meanwhile, the USAG-H VI Branch team also wants to seek other units that may want similar training, said Baso.
“I would like to further cohesion throughout Camp Humphreys by providing additional photo and video courses around the installation,” said Baso, who hails from Harker Heights, Texas. “There are many harmonies between offices. There are some techniques and principles we can learn from each other through collaborative training opportunities like this one.”
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