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Maine Media faculty member Thatcher Hullerman Cook has collaborated on an ambitious book publishing venture with Obscura, a Maine based nonprofit that supports the arts and arts education through publishing, scholarships, and grants.

Black Apple is the culmination of seven months of photographing in the Ferghana Valley of Kyrgyzstan between October 2007–May 2008. Thatcher lived in a village called Osh, and photographed extensively in the coal mining towns Tash Kymer and Kok Jangak... a name that roughly translates to “black apple.” Thatcher's photographs show a bleak landscape of crumbling infrastructure and personal hardships. They also show a people holding onto hope and redemption in the form of the relationships and bonds that tie the culture and the region together. Black Apple is a stunning and moving body of work printed to the highest quality standards of photo book publishing. Thatcher Hullerman Cook is a documentary photographer based in Maine and South Carolina. His clients are primarily humanitarian aid and development organizations that work with refugees and other people affected by war, economic upheaval, and natural disasters. His clients include international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which have sent him on assignment to over sixty countries. Thatcher teaches a workshop in Poetic Storytelling at Maine Media each summer. He is also headed to remote northeastern villages in India next week for the destination workshop, Darjeeling Tea Plantation, he is leading with Brendan Bullock.

About The Book
Hardbound, 64 pages with 33 black & white photographs reproduced in duo-tone with varnish on a luxurious paper stock. Beautifully designed by Mat Thorne. Printed and bound in the United States. Published by Obscura Press, www.obscuraweb.org

Come use the new Canon EOS C300 — Maine Media is one of the first places you can get your hands on this exciting new tool for creative cinematography.

"Featuring a unique Super 35mm Canon CMOS sensor, revolutionary Canon DIGIC DV III Image Processor and 50 Mbps 4:2:2 codec, the EOS C300 provides outstanding cinema quality movie capture. Compact, modular and compatible with Canon's existing line-up of EF and new EF Cinema lenses as well as accessories from third parties, the stunningly simple to operate EOS C300 is designed to please cinematographers for any production large and small, on location or in the studio, from shoestring to Hollywood budgets." — Product Overview from usa.canon.com

Check out feedback from early users on Canon's video feed. The behind the scenes, from production of Mobius by Vincent LaForet, is very illustrative of the camera's capabilities.

In addition to the awesome experience of "hands on" the gear, intermediate and advanced level students will explore visual aesthetics with regard to composition, depth-of-field, shot design, camera movement, and lighting. Join us for the Canon Cinema workshop that runs September 9 – 15. 2012.

It’s all too familiar: you turn a corner in a village in Peru or Portugal, see a local with a fascinating face and colorful, traditional clothing and think, “A fantastic portrait.” But, you don’t take the photo and go home with few "people pictures" from your trip.

Tip #1: The thing that prevents many travelers from approaching people is fear of rejection. There will always be a potential subject who doesn’t want bothered, but in my travels I’ve found people to be more cooperative if I tell the stranger why I want to take his picture. For instance, “I’m a student in a photo class, this is my assignment,” or, “My father’s family is from this region and I’m doing a slide show to share at our family reunion.” The mission specifics are not important, but the fact that you have one and are sharing it opens an element of trust. Also, explaining your mission in the native tongue helps enormously.

Tip #2: Take along your best people pictures to share. Most people can’t resist a really nice picture and if you have samples that show your past successes, you’re much closer to winning permission from your potential subject. The easiest way to do this is to carry a little book from a print-on-demand photo service like Shutterfly, Apple, Blurb or Picaboo. I usually carry a 20 page, 6”x8” softcover book that is inexpensive, easy to carry and works like a charm.

Tip #3: Once you win your subject’s confidence, keep it by photographing them in flattering light. Overcast conditions are ideal for great people pictures. If it’s sunny, try to maneuver your subject into the shade. If you must shoot in bright sunlight, turn your subject away from the sun and turn on your flash. That way, you’ll come back with a nicely lit portrait and not something that looks like a face on Mount Rushmore!

Join Bob Krist’s August 19th workshop to expand on these – and many more tips for capturing those magical moments away from home!