Navy Imagery Insider Summer 2013

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AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD703.614.9154 Full story on page 5
NAVYIMAGERYINSIDER Summer EditionFor members of the PA/VI community
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AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD navymedia@navy.mil2
Problems with
Your Photo
Submissions?
Update your email to send
to navymedia@navy.mil
By Oscar Sosa, Still Photo Editor
I
f you are having problems sending email to
navymedia@navy.mil, you aren’t alone. The email
account has been moved to another Navy Marine
Corps Intranet server. While the move considerably
improved our access to the account and our ability
to work after hours and on weekends, some of our
contributors are having problems sending email to
the new server.
If you’re one of them, you most likely need to clear
navymedia@navy.mil from your cache, which is directing
your email to the old server.
On a Navy Marine Corps Intranet computer:
1. As you type the navymedia@navy.mil
address in the “To:” field, delete
the address after it autofills.
2. Keep the email window open.
3. Go to the Global Address List and
select navymedia@navy.mil.
4. Your email to navymedia@navy.mil
should now go to the new server.
If you still cannot send emails to navymedia@navy.mil, you
may need to contact NMCI. In the meantime, you can use
navymedia@gmail.com. However, use the Gmail account
as a last resort. We prefer to receive images in the
navymedia@navy.mil email account. If you need to use
the Gmail account, please make sure that you contact us
at 703-614-9154 between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EDT
Mondays - Fridays, or send an email to oscar.sosa1@navy.
mil, william.p.taylor@navy.mil or charles.abell1@navy.mil after
sending imagery to the navymedia@gmail.com address.
Remember do not send images to navyvisualnews@navy.mil
since the email account is no longer active, and do not send
image files to our individual email addresses; it will clog our
mailboxes and bring the process to a screeching halt.
DIRECTOR’S CORNER
We have all heard the expression
“You cannot win if you don’t play.”
Many equate that phrase with
the 176,000,000 to 1 dream of
winning the Power Ball lottery. Just
ask Gloria MacKenzie, the 84-year-old widow
in Florida, who recently received a lump sum
payment of $370.9 million before taxes after
winning one of the largest Power Ball jackpots
in history. She played and won.
What does this have to do with Visual Information you say?
For me, the results of Military Photographer of the Year 2012
competition were underwhelming; why? Because, I have first-
hand knowledge of what our mass communication specialists
are producing every day. The quality of the work is further
evidenced in the content that is submitted every year for what
was previously the CHINFO Merit Awards – now the Russ
Egnor Media Awards Program. I do not wish to take anything
away from those who won, but I am saying our MCs are more
than competitive; we need to submit our content to win.
What’s the big deal anyway, right? It’s just a competition. We
are not here to win awards; we are here to tell the Navy’s story.
True, but that argument undervalues what our MCs do.
We are here to tell the Navy’s story and we should be
challenging ourselves to achieve individually as professionals
to continuously improve as communicators. The result is a
better public affairs community supporting the Navy team.
Competition breeds exceptionalism.
The MCs’ strong suite this year was the Military Graphic
Artist of the Year competition, where MC2 David B. Danals
placed 1st and MC1 Chad D. Runge placed 2nd overall. That’s
awesome! I encourage everyone to visit the MILGRAPH site at
http://go.usa.gov/jjZY to see examples of their work.
It is not too soon to begin planning now to compete in CY
2013 judging held in March 2014 – particularly when access to
web-based awards programs can prove problematic for our
deployed communicators.
Bookmark the VIAP page on the DINFOS website for up-to-date
information on the entire program. Go to http://go.usa.gov/jjZQ.
DIRECTOR Christopher Madden
DEPUTY DIRECTOR Paul Taylor
LAYOUT/ART
Director Tim Mazurek
EDITORIAL
Editor Jason Kelly
Staff Writers Lt. j.g. Eric Durie
MC1 (SW/AW) Arif Patani
Margaret Reborchick
Oscar Sosa
Contributors Mary Calvert
Randall Greenwell
MC1 (SW/AW) James Stilipec
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Media Department
Navy Office of Information
Pentagon RM 4B514
Washington, D.C. 20350-1200
Office: 703-614-9154 DSN: 224
Download Insider at:
www.slideshare.net/NavyVisualNewsService
http://issuu.com/NavyVisualNewsService

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD703.614.9154 3
InsiderPerspective Photo Illustration by Tim Mazurek | Photos courtesy of Mary Calvert and Randall Greenwell
Working the Speed of Life
In today’s high-speed, post-it-now
environment, photojournalists face
increased pressure. Shrinking ad
revenues have caused newsrooms
to reduce their staffs. At the same
time, anyone with a smart phone can
capture breaking news and share it
with the world before a professional
photographer can even reach the scene.
We asked two professional photographers – Mary Calvert, who
worked as a staff photographer for 11 years for The Washington
Times and now works as a freelance photographer and Randall
Greenwell, director of photography for The Virginian-Pilot – to
share their insiders’ perspectives about the state of professional
photography today.
1. What do you see as new trends in photojournalism and how do
you apply them to your projects?
Mary Calvert I see new trends in shooting styles and more
multimedia. I always try to be true to my subjects and tell their
stories the best way that I can. I avoid gimmicky ways to shoot like
tilting frames and lots of blurry stuff. I am a photojournalist, and it
is not about me; it is about the people I photograph.
Randall Greenwell The news cycle is much faster today. We
have to do a great deal of planning and logistical support to get
photos and multimedia published in minutes instead of hours. We
have always been focused on a very thoughtful, documentary
style of news photography, so it has taken some workflow
adjustments and a lot of schedule juggling to ensure we can meet
the demands for “fast” and still have the time for “good.”
2. How do you prepare for projects before you snap the first frame?
Mary Calvert To prepare for a new project, I do exhaustive
research online on the country I will visit and non-governmental
agencies that may be working in the region. I also look at as many
news stories about the topic to see what has been written and
photographed on the subject. Then, I make my travel arrangements.
Before I travel, I make contact with the people on the ground who
may be of service like drivers, fixers and translators. I visit medical
to get any medications or inoculations I may need. When I arrive at
the destination, I secure any documentation that may be needed
by the government for me to work as a journalist.

navymedia@navy.mil4 AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD
Randall Greenwell We have a meeting that we call “the maestro”
where we bring all of the players in and talk about what we want to
accomplish. The writer, the photographer, the designer, the online
producer and the various editors bat around ideas on how best to
tell the story. We’ll come up with a list of items that we’re shooting
for and figure out timing and deadlines. The photographer and
picture editor will research the possibilities, make contact with the
subjects and start ticking the visual elements off the list.
3. With quality in mind, what is the most critical element to consider
when photographing?
Mary Calvert I shoot with a clean camera and lens and the lowest
ISO needed for whatever light.
Randall Greenwell I think the most important thing is an
understanding of the subject and the story. When you know what it
is that you’re looking at and you understand the significance of each
moment, you’re able to make more thoughtful and evocative images.
This helps the reader feel more immersed and more informed.
4. The editorial process is difficult. How do you pick and choose
which images to use? 
Mary Calvert At the end of every shooting day, I unload all the
IDs and notes from my notebook into the caption/metadata area of
Photo Mechanic, ingest my discs and then do a first edit. I look for
pictures with good light and compelling moments. I like frames with
emotion and interesting compositions. All the while, I am picking
story-telling frames. My goal is to advance the story with each picture.
Randall Greenwell For a daily assignment with one or two
photos, I look for the images with the greatest intersection of
storytelling and craft, with an emphasis on storytelling. When you
have that one chance to communicate the message, you have to be
very practical and get it in one frame. When I’m editing a project
where more space is involved, I can be a little more relaxed with
the edit and allow different images to play different roles. So I might
include an image that doesn’t pull a lot of weight in the narrative
but is just really amazing to look at or helps to transition me to the
next situation. In the end, an image needs to inform or entertain or
surprise me. The best do all three.

5. What is the best advice you can give to a new, young or aspiring
photojournalist?
Mary Calvert The best advice I can offer a young photographer
is not to look for a short-cut to success. Be kind to people on the
way up and don’t be [arrogant]. Work hard. Always have a personal
project to work on. And really, just keep shooting, look at lots of
pictures and get to know other photographers. Never be stingy
with your knowledge. Learn from those with more experience and
pass that knowledge on to the next generation of photographers.
Remember, you cannot keep it if you don’t give it away.
Randall Greenwell This is a tough, highly competitive business.
It is not a 9 to 5 job. To succeed, you have to be committed to
the lifestyle and be ready to immerse yourself in your subjects’
lives. To stand out, your images have to go beyond pretty pictures
or mere documents of a scene. They have to demonstrate
strong understanding of the subject and obsessive attention to
detail. Finally, a photojournalist has to be as much journalist as
photographer. The context and the meaning of the image are just
as important as the exposure. Get the facts right and represent the
situation fairly, and you will have done your job.
Mary Calvert Before beginning her freelance
career, Mary Calvert worked as a staff photographer
for 11 years on The Washington Times staff. While
the bulk of her daily assignments focused on
covering Congress, political campaigns and The
White House, Mary’s true photographic calling was,
and continues to be, documenting the humanitarian
struggle of women around the world.
In 2008, Mary was honored with the Robert F.
Kennedy Journalism Award in International Photography
for her project, “Lost Daughters: Sex Selection in India.”
Also in 2008, she was awarded The White House News
Photographers Association Project Grant to document
sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
She was a finalist in 2007 for the Pulitzer Prize in
Feature Photography for documenting the societal
stigma of sub-Sahara women afflicted with obstetric fistula
after childbirth.
In addition to being a guest faculty member of Momenta
Workshops, the Western Kentucky University Mountain
Workshops, the NPPA’s Flying Short Course and the Eddie
Adams Workshop, she has been a member of the faculty for
the Department of Defense Worldwide Military Photogra-
phers Workshop at Fort Meade for the last 15 years.
Randall Greenwell has more than 20 years of
experience in visual journalism including photography, picture
editing, video editing, page design, multimedia production and
management. For the last five years, he has been the director of
Photography at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.
Randall was previously the director of Photography at The San
Francisco Chronicle (2003-2007). Randall learned his chops from
10 years of shooting, picture editing and page design at The Courier
and Press in Evansville, Ind. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from
Western Kentucky University with a major in photojournalism and
a minor in business administration. He is a former president of the
Associated Press Photo Managers.

Hot or Not?Professional Photography Makes a Difference
The website PetaPixel posted a blog in March called “Crappy Vs.
Snappy: Photog Uses Side-by-Side Comparisons to Market His
Skill” that compared amateur and professional photographs
of the same subject matter. Professional photographer James
Hodgins invited his clients to take their own photos during their
shoots while Hodgins shot his own “crappy” photos in “P” mode.
Later, he reshot the same subject to demonstrate the value of
professional photography.
So, we asked mass communication specialists aboard USS
Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) to take some “crappy and
snappy” photos and explain the difference.
By USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Media Department
As mass communication specialists, the media department aboard aircraft carrier
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) strives to tell the story of each Sailor. In order
to convey the hard work and dedication of the men and women aboard, photos must
represent daily life in an accurate and interesting way.
These images demonstrate simple techniques that you can use to make your imagery
more effective. A photo can be made exponentially better by adhering to rules of
photography like angles, perspective, rule of thirds and lighting.
By learning how to represent the same scenarios in a more appealing way,
photographers can ensure their photos reach larger audiences and a more lasting
place as historical documentation.

SCENERY or ENVIRONMENT
The second photo puts the subjects in context. It shows they are on
the flight deck aboard an aircraft carrier.
SHUTTER SPEED (motion blur)
A low shutter speed in a photo gives the effect of motion and
shows how fast the aircraft is moving.
NOON vs. NIGHT
Going the extra mile and bringing a tripod to shoot at night will
capture a different aspect of the same scene. Balance low shutter
speed and high ISO settings.
POSTED or ANGLES (set 1)
Instead of posing for a photo, capture your subject working.
POSTED or ANGLES (set 2)
Use different angles to shift the focus of your photo to what is
important. Make sure we can see what the subject can see.
PERSPECTIVE
Showing the ship is just an ID shot. However, zooming out gives
context to the photo.
DRAMATIC LIGHTING
Adjusting camera settings to enhance the lighting conditions
present will create more visually appealing photos, even if the
situation is challenging. Anticipating the action in a photo and
positioning oneself will ensure you have the correct settings.

To Plan or Not to Plan…
That is the Question
Story and photos by Oscar Sosa, Still Photo Editor
S
ome of the best parts of being a
photographer are the daily surprises
that photographers encounter such
as meeting people, participating in events
and experiencing things most people don’t
even know exist. No two jobs are ever
the same. However, not all surprises are
pleasant, and, if you aren’t prepared, even
the easiest shoot can go south quickly.
INSPECT AND SET YOUR GEAR.
Experienced photographers have at
least one camera body with customized
settings that they know they will frequently
encounter. By keeping some settings on
and disabling others, you can quickly
cycle through three or four shooting modes
instead of having to go through the entire
menu. This makes it easier to shift from
one scene to the next for you to capture
your best shots.
For example, on most shoots, I only use the
aperture priority or manual camera settings.
By turning the others off, I only need to
move the dial twice to set my camera. If
you take a few minutes to go through the
different menus and disable options that
you aren’t going to use, you will not only
save yourself time on a shoot, but you will
become more familiar with your equipment.
Before every shoot, you should charge
your batteries, format your memory cards
and set your ISO to a neutral number
such as 200 or 400. Check the exposure
compensation and autofocus settings.
Make sure you are familiar with your
equipment and that everything works
properly such as your external flash.
You don’t want to have a dead battery or
the wrong lens right when you start to shoot.
Make sure you have a pen and pad to take
notes and write down names for caption
information. It is an unrealistic expectation
that you go back hours after the shoot
and try to remember the details. Also, be
sure to take good notes and write down
the names with some description such as
rank, clothing, hair color, glasses or any
other way to identify the subjects in your
photographs so that you’re prepared to edit.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Take some time
before your assignment to familiarize
yourself with what you are shooting. Try to
get some details about what makes this
person or event worth photographing. This
background information will help you pick
a better location or time of day that will
improve the photo. If it is an all-day event,
for example, there might be a better time to
take pictures, improving the likelihood of a
good photo and maximizing your schedule.
If you are working outdoors, try to
schedule the assignment for a time of
day with the best light. The “Golden
Hour” is roughly the first hour of light after
sunrise and the last hour of light before
sunset. The exact duration varies between
seasons and latitude. During these times,
the sun is low in the sky and produces
a soft, diffused light. This is much more
flattering than the harsh midday sun and
produces warm-toned images with soft
shadows. Photos taken around midday
tend to produce cold-toned images and
harsh shadows (use fill flash to help). So,
working the assignment properly will
almost guarantee that you are ready to
capture a visually appealing image.
VISUALIZE. Think about what kind of photo
you might take. If you have a chance to do
a site survey before the shoot, you should
take it.
Are there any interesting backgrounds?
Are there any backgrounds that you need
to avoid? How will you compose the shots?
What angles are possible? What lenses
do you need? How is the lighting? Do you
need a flash?
What happens during the shoot might not
be what you visualized. It is always good
to have an idea or two just in case the
opportunity presents itself, but the most
important thing to remember on every
shoot is that the subject has given you his
or her time. That consideration requires you
to do everything you can to ensure that the
shoot goes as smoothly as possible and
you come back with publishable images.
(Photoillustration)

Stalk Your Photo:
Compose and WaitStory and photos By MC1 (SW/AW) Arif Patani
I want to share something that has helped
me as a photographer and talk about what
I believe it means to “stalk your photos.” I
learned the phrase from my Intermediate
Photojournalism Course instructor at the
Defense Information School, mentor and
friend Preston Keres who showed me the
benefits of the practice.
As photojournalists, our goal should always be capturing
a storytelling image. Unless you are extremely lucky,
staying with your subject, waiting patiently for the
moment and stalking your photo are some of the best
ways to get the shot you need.
Look at the example of my shoot on the proofing page
on the right to see what I mean.
As you can see, it took me 11 shots before I got an
image that I liked. Once I saw the scene, I decided
on the composition and determined the exposure I
wanted, my next step was to stay with the subject and
look for that storytelling moment. Remember that facial
expressions always tell a story.
Throughout the entire time, as my eye was in the
viewfinder, I was focused on the subjects’ expressions.
I was looking for expressions of agony, pain and
fatigue – anything that could tell the story of how hard
what they were doing really was.
Many inexperienced photographers take a shot, move,
take a shot and move – frequently missing the best
moments as soon as they move. Other times, you
see photographers fire off a ton of shots with no
intention (a.k.a. “spray and pray”) and come back
with thousands of images that still did not capture
the moment.
It has helped me
to be patient with
my subject, my
camera and myself.
So, take your time,
think about your
shots and stalk
your photo –
compose and wait.
I promise that
you will see the
benefits. Happy
shooting!

Processing Your Imagery:
Captions, Edits and Formatting
Processing images for
transmission is a relatively
simple process that takes a few
basic steps. By standardizing your
captions, tightening your edits and
formatting the image file, you can
minimize the processing time and
increase the percentage of your
images posted to www.Navy.mil.
Start by developing a basic workflow for file
management and caption creation. Image
processing programs like Adobe’s Lightroom,
Bridge and Photoshop, Camera Bits’s Photo
Mechanic and Apple’s Aperture offer batch
processing options that can rename files and
insert caption information into the metadata for
a group of images at once.
Software For Processing. Photoshop, Bridge,
Lightroom and Aperture offer batch processing
for captions, keywords and file naming. However,
they are complex image processing programs
that do much more than most units need for
processing Navy images. Bridge comes as part
of Photoshop; Lightroom is a simplified version
of Photoshop – mostly for file management
and batch processing. Aperture is designed for
working with digital negatives (RAW files).
Photo Mechanic is a metadata editing and image
viewing program – similar to Bridge. It has no
image adjustment capabilities – like Photoshop,
Lightroom, or Aperture – but it’s a good choice
for quickly processing images. Photo Mechanic
can ingest an entire compact flash card and add
a VIRIN, caption, resize and save every image
in seconds. After your images have been saved,
all you need to do is customize captions for
the selected images and email them to
navymedia@navy.mil.
With Photo Mechanic, you don’t have to do any
post processing in Photoshop unless you need
to make minor adjustments such as color
balance or contrast adjustments. It has an
option for a “soft crop” that keeps the original
image intact that suggests how we should crop
it for www.Navy.mil. We use Photo Mechanic to
process all images posted to www.Navy.mil.
In most cases, Photo Mechanic will cut the
time it takes to process a shoot by 50 percent
or more. It also will make archiving images
easier and more consistent since several
photographers can have customized templates
with names, VIRINs, contact information and
other data that they can use when they ingest
their images. There is a special serial number
for the military version of Photo Mechanic that
has custom fields for command names, VIRINs,
release authority, rank/rates and other military
specific information.
Photo Mechanic can be downloaded from
www.camerabits.com; it costs $150. Aperture is
available through the Apple Store. Photoshop is
available through Adobe. Photo Mechanic and
Photoshop are approved for Navy Marine Corps
Intranet computers. All of these programs have
extensive online tutorials.
Embedded Captions. When you send us your
images, we prefer that basic IPTC information is
embedded in the image file. IPTC is the standard
developed in the 1970s by the International
Press Telecommunications Council. IPTC fields
can be edited in Adobe Bridge, Photoshop’s
“File Info” and the “Image” drop-down menu
in Photo Mechanic. The basic information we
want embedded in your images is the caption,
location, photographer’s name and rank, and
contact information for the releasing authority.
Attached Captions. If you can’t embed captions
or other information in your files, send us a
Word document with the captions listed by
VIRINs. We will copy and paste the information
into the appropriate IPTC fields. Please include
contact information for the release authority
and photographer.
File Integrity. Don’t make major adjustments
to your images. It’s important that we have
as close to the original file as possible. Minor
brightness or contrast adjustments are fine, but
most of the editors who use www.Navy.mil for
content prefer unprocessed images. On several
occasions, we’ve had to ask photographers to
resend the original file. The more you alter your
images, the less other editors can use them.
Compression. Once you’ve processed your
images, they need to be saved as jpeg files
with the “.jpg” extension at 300 pixels per inch
(ppi). Do not resize them to 5 x 7 inches. We
recommend you use the jpeg compression
feature in Photoshop to make your files smaller.
If you crop your images to 5 x 7 inches and then
save them uncompressed, you have a large
file, but a smaller image. If you are at a shore
command with a good Internet connection,
compress your files to “10.” If you are deployed
or have a slower Internet connection, please
compress your files to “8.”
It’s always a good idea to periodically take a
look at your workflow. If you can shave a few
steps off a process or a minute or two from an
upload, you’ve freed yourself for something else.
At the very least, you’re away from a computer
possibly doing what we’d all rather do – taking
photos and telling stories.

Captioning Your Photos
By MC1 (SW/AW) James Stilipec, Defense Media Activity - Navy
Navy Media Content Services
receives hundreds of images
every day. Many of them are
good, some of them are great
and a few are fantastic.
However, no matter how visually appealing they are,
the difference between posting the photo or not is
often the quality of its cutline. Cutlines are critical
to identify the who, what, why, where and when of
a photo. Photos simply cannot be posted on www.
Navy.mil without a properly formatted cutline. The
guidelines are simple and further described below.
VIRIN. All photos must be identified by a proper
VIRIN. This combination of 15 numbers and letters
must be the filename and be included at the top of
the cutline. You must obtain a VISION ID code from
https://vipro.defenseimagery.mil. If you don’t have a
VISION ID, use ZZ999. Do not use your first initial and
last four of your Social Security number.
Datelines. It must be the city, body of water or a
numbered fleet area of responsibility where the photo
was taken. The location should be in caps, except
for a state or country. Some cities do not need a state
or country; refer to the Associated Press Style Book
for guidance.
Date. It must be the day that the photo was taken
and it must match the VIRIN. Abbreviate only Jan., Feb.,
Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Use single digits for 1-9
instead of 01, 02, 03, etc. Also, make sure the date and
time in your camera is set properly. This is especially
important after your ship transited when underway.
Describing the action. Use the active voice
to describe the basic action of the photo. The first
sentence should be approximately 40 words. Identify
enlisted Sailors by their full rating and rank without
warfare devices. Officer ranks are abbreviated
according to the AP Style Book. Hometowns are
optional, but strongly encouraged. List most titles
or assignments after the person’s name, offset by
commas and in lower case. When identifying more
than one person, start with the main subject of the
photo. Many things can make identification obvious:
rank, gender, action, etc. Otherwise, list people from
left to right. Ships must be identified by their type,
full name and hull number in parenthesis –
such as guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay
(CG 53). The ship’s class is optional. Use the ship’s
full name without USS on second reference; do not
shorten to Stennis or Ike. Squadrons should use
their nickname and full name with abbreviation in
parenthesis. Use the AP Style Guide and the Navy
Style Guide (www.navy.mil/submit/view_styleguide.
asp) for other tips. Below are some examples of
properly written active-voice wording for cutlines:
• Aerographer’s Mate 3rd Class Damon Sherman,
assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS
Jason Dunham (DDG 109), checks the weather.
• Capt. Ronald Reis, commanding officer of
the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN
74), serves a holiday meal to his Sailors.
• Rear Adm. John Burns, right, shakes
hands with Rear Adm. Edward Collins.
• Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm.
Jonathan Greenert speaks to Sailors at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
• Sailors assigned to the attack submarine USS
Cheyenne (SSN 773) handle mooring lines.
• Seaman Tim Reynolds, Chief Boatswain’s Mate
Fred Willard and Lt. j.g. Paul Bootstra, all
assigned to the guided-missile frigate USS
Ingraham (FFG 61), work on the ship’s forecastle.
• An MH-60S Sea Hawk from the Eightballers
of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC)
8 transfers cargo from the Military Sealift
Command dry cargo and ammunition ship
USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6) during a
replenishment-at-sea. HSC-8 is deployed
with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group
in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
Formatting the byline. The byline is always
surrounded by parenthesis and includes the full rating
of the photographer without warfare devices. U.S.
always has periods. The words Navy and released
are always capitalized. The word photo is always
lowercase. Review the photo gallery at www.navy.mil/
viewGallery.asp for examples.
It is important to re-read your cutlines after you
write them and let someone else review them for
you. When your cutlines are done, you must copy and
paste the cutline into the photo’s metadata field.
Photo Mechanic calls the field caption. It is called
description in Photoshop, Lightroom and Bridge.
By following these rules, you can increase the speed
that your photos are processed and improve their
chances of being uploaded to www.Navy.mil to be
seen around the world.

Publish Your Own
Photos on Navy.mil
How to Effectively Use CMS for Adding Your Command Photos
There are two ways to publish
your photos on www.Navy.mil. One
method is to send us your photos to
navymedia@navy.mil. The other way
is for you to post your own photos.
Why would you want to do that?
The first thing that you should know is that it is our
goal to publish every image that we receive. One way
that you can help yourself is by posting your photos in
the content management system. Through CMS, we
can approve images directly to command websites in
addition to selecting those great shots and posting
them to the front page of www.Navy.mil; the system will
automatically link them to your stories.
The process is straightforward enough.
First, contact Marie Tillery, Navy News Service/ www.
Navy.mil print editor-in-chief, at marie.tillery@dma.mil or
301-222-6392, to obtain access to CMS. You will need
to submit a memorandum of understanding. Once you
have the access, log into CMS and under “Administrator
Options,” select “Upload Local Photo” on the right. You
are all set to start uploading.
Once you start, a box will appear for caption,
description and photographer information. Fill in all of
these boxes and then browse your system to add the
image. Select the “Upload” button. The photo will then
appear in the “Local Release Approvals” on your main
CMS page. We will then either download the photo for
the www.Navy.mil front page, photo gallery or approve
it for local use on your command webpage.
This is not a replacement for sending images to
navymedia@navy.mil, which is still the best method for
deployed units or for contributors to submit photos or
images to illustrate stories on www.Navy.mil. However,
CMS is the best way to send us photos that we typically
would not post on www.Navy.mil, such as award ceremo-
nies, hail and farewells, cookouts or any other situation
that may not be of interest to the Navy as a whole, but
is still important to your local command’s website.

703.614.9154 AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD 13
Creating the Visual Record of the Navy Today
By Margaret Reborchick, Still Component Coordinating Point
The process of accessioning photographs
provides a second review of all U.S. Navy still
photos that can be used to capture as com-
plete a visual record of the Navy as possible.
The policies and responsibilities for accessioning for the entire Navy
Visual Information Program can be found in the Navy Visual Informa-
tion Management and Operational Manual (OPNAVINST 3104.1A). But I
hope to provide you with what you need to know here.
Regarding accessioning, the manual instructs VI managers that they
are responsible for visually documenting “the personnel, equipment and
events within their area of responsibility; to evaluate VI, and forward
those selected for retention to the [component coordinating point],
especially those events that are of historical or national interest” (pp. 5-1).
These last few phrases, I own. But I need your help with getting the content.
Visual information managers from around the fleet should send all
of their images to Navy Media Content Services at navymedia@navy.mil
without differentiating between images for www.Navy.mil and for acces-
sioning purposes. The Navy Media Content Services photo editor reviews
all of these images daily, and then selects and posts nearly half of them to
www.Navy.mil. From the remaining half of the imagery, the component
coordinating point identifies additional photographs for retention.
Accessioning Process While the photo editor is looking for dynamic
and well composed images that reflect the events and activities of the fleet
on a given day, the still photo accessionist is focused on the historical
record to assure all aspects of the U.S. Navy are represented in its still
imagery. These are two distinct and important roles. The imagery selected
by the component coordinating point is sent to the Defense Imagery
Management Operations Center until it is offered to the National
Archives and Records Administration for permanent retention.
The U.S. Navy is a dynamic organization. The photographs that
are accessioned must visually document all aspects of it for future
generations. The many components of the U.S. Navy can be narrowed
down to four very broad categories of images that are accessioned: U.S.
Navy equipment, people, historic events and facilities.
Technology and Equipment The first category, equipment, includes
basically any technology or piece of equipment, large or small, which
is used in the U.S. Navy: ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons systems,
vehicles, vessels, small craft, unmanned aerial vehicles, etc. The
component coordinating point is looking for the best identification
photos of the subject from all angles. The photo editor might select
one or two images of a subject for www.Navy.mil, but the component
coordinating point will accession several more photos from a set of
images if they show the subject from additional angles. This provides
future researchers the most complete picture.
Personnel The second category covers images of U.S. Navy personnel,
both uniformed and civilian. The component coordinating point is
looking for images of personnel doing work. Technology often changes
how jobs are performed; it’s important to document that progression
with imagery. The component coordinating point also accessions good
informal portraits of U.S. Navy personnel and group images such as after
receiving a unit award or plaque, or during a community service event.
All individuals in the photo must be accurately identified with full
name and title. If a caption just has a generic “a Sailor” or “a Seabee,” the
photo cannot be selected for accessioning. An example is the photo of the
nurse anesthetist, which serves as a portrait as well as a photo that docu-
ments the appearance of the operating suite aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4).
Historical Images Images from a historic event make up the third
category of photos that are accessioned. These photos include weather
events, the decommissioning of squadrons, ships or aircraft; the first or
last of something; or a milestone such as an arrested landing threshold on
a carrier. An example is the image of the pilots just before boarding their
F/A-18F Super Hornet, which was the last aircraft launched from USS
Kitty Hawk (CV 63).
Navy Media Content Services is always looking for the technically
good historical images, meaning that there is good light, composition and
a moment is captured. While this is ideal, images that may not be perfect
will be accessioned in this category if it is the only imagery available and
documents an event that must be preserved for history.
Facilities Good identifying photos of all U.S. Navy shore facilities, in-
stallations, port facilities, both in the United States and overseas, is the last
category that is accessioned. These installations and port facilities change
over time and must be documented regularly. Remember to capture new
buildings when they have their ribbon-cutting ceremonies. An example of
this type of image is the aerial view of Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
While photographing a subject might seem mundane or routine today,
it could be an important source of information for a future historian. You
never know if the ship you photograph might be involved in an inter-
national incident or as in the example of navigation officer Lt. Gerald
R. Ford, the subject of your portrait might be a future public figure or
president of the United States.

Photo Ethics:
What is and isn’t acceptable
N
avy visual journalists and personnel who manage visual
information are accountable for upholding the honesty
and integrity of Navy photography, which is used to
inform the public and increase the understanding of Navy
events, activities, people and missions. The public and media
use our images to provide an objective picture of the Navy.
Navy Media Content Services strictly adheres to the Associated Press
Code of Ethics for Photojournalists. While some edits are acceptable, the
content of Navy photographs must not be manipulated.
ALTERATIONS It is not acceptable to digitally add or subtract elements
from a photograph or obscure the faces of individuals or backgrounds.
If a photograph is altered for security or HIPAA privacy reasons, the
manipulation must be obvious and clearly stated in the caption. If a
photo has a security badge that was altered, don’t send it to us. You can
clone out sensor dust, but it’s much easier to clean your camera or shoot
at a larger aperture.
ADJUSTMENTS AND CROPS We know that some photographers can’t
resist making minor toning and color corrections. This is more of a prac-
tical issue than an ethical one. The more you work your images, the less
we can do with them. We prefer that you do not make adjustments to your
image files because editors
want as close to the original
file as we can provide them.
This especially applies
to cropping. Unusual crops
limit the marketability of
your images. If you use Photo
Mechanic, you can make a “soft
crop.” We will usually post the
photo with your suggested crop,
but we should have the original
file if someone requests it. As a
rule, do not crop your photos.
ORIGINAL SCENE
MANIPULATED Images that
have been toned or adjusted in
a way that alters the original
scene will be rejected. This includes color files that have been converted
to black and white and created with high-dynamic-range (HDR) images.
If you submit image files that have been processed for a specific effect,
you must clearly state in the caption what has been done to the image
and, in some case, why the image was altered. This includes panoramic
photos made from a combination of images.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS Don’t just credit a manipulated photo as a
photo illustration and expect everyone to know that you created the
image by altering the scene. Most of the images sent to us that are
credited as photo illustrations look like “real” photographs. A photo
illustration should be clearly distinguishable from a photograph.
This does not include portraits. Even if the portrait is set up, it’s still a
photograph. The below image isn’t a photo illustration; it is a portrait.
If you send us a photo illustration, you must clearly state what you
did to the photo and have the original files available if we need them.
If you adjust your images, please limit it to the minimal toning and
color corrections necessary. The analogy to a traditional darkroom prob-
ably doesn’t apply any more since most of us haven’t been in a darkroom
in years. However, if you do work your images, limit adjustments to what
would normally be done in a darkroom (i.e. tone curve adjustments).
Instruction
Nugget
Enclosure 10 (Prohibited Alteration of Official DOD Imagery) of
DOD Instruction 5040.02 “Visual Information” outlines what is
and isn’t acceptable.
PhotobyCpl.ChristopherQ.StonePhotobyMC3LacordrickWilson
Photo by MC3 Nathan R. McDonald

(1)
(3)
(5)
(2)
(4)
Using Your Photos
on Social Media:
Remember SHARE Before You Post
By Lt. j.g. Eric Durie, Director, U.S. Navy Emerging Media
Social media continues to
evolve as an increasingly
more visual experience.
However, like most things
online, not everything is
worth posting. So before
you post what you think
is a great photo, use the
acronym SHARE to help
decide whether you should
hit that upload button.
S T R I K I N G It may seem basic, but
if you want your photo to get attention
in the social media world, it needs to be
something worth your audience’s attention.
A great photo is a great photo. You know one
when you see it. So, if you have one, share
it. If your photo is striking and immediately
grabs your audience’s attention, it is most
likely going to play well regardless of which
medium you present it through. (1)
H I S T O R I C A L If the photo that you
want to share via your social media channels
has some historical value, your audience
will likely connect with it. People like to feel
they are taking part in history. Sharing or
liking a photo can provide your followers
with a feeling of taking part in something
bigger than themselves. If you have such
a photo, by all means, post it and let your
audience participate. They’ll thank you for
the opportunity. (2)
A C T I O N I N S P I R I N G On
Facebook, photos attract 53 percent
more “likes” than text-only posts and links
according to a study by the marketing
company HubSpot. This statistic should not
come as a surprise to anyone. Think about
your personal use of social media. Are you
more likely to pay attention to an eye-
catching photo or a block of text? Hopefully,
you answered eye-catching photo. To that
end, ensure the photos you are posting
on any of your social media sites are
powerful and interesting enough to initiate
action. Is your photo worth sharing, liking,
retweeting, etc.? If not, it’s probably not
worth posting in the first place. (3)
R E L E V A N T While they can be
entertaining, photos of animals in costumes
don’t really play well with our audience.
The bottom line is that photos you post on
your official social media channels need to
be relevant. If the content you’re posting
has nothing to do with your organization
or an issue you’re dealing with, don’t post
it. You don’t want to negatively impact the
credibility of any of your platforms. (4)
E M O T I O N A L On social media, the
posts that capture the most attention
are the ones that create an emotional
response. Whether it is pride, happiness,
sadness, anger or sympathy, you want your
images to spark a reaction (hopefully, a
positive one). (5)
So, keeping these pointers in mind, is your
photo something to SHARE?
If you have any questions or concerns,
please feel free to contact the Navy’s Emerg-
ing Media team at usnsocialmedia@gmail.
com or 703-614-9154. We look forward to
hearing from you and collaborating.
PhotobyMCSNJoseL.HernandezU.S.NavyphotoPhotobyMCSAIgnacioD.PerezPhotobyMC2TimothyWalterPhotobyMCSAIgnacioD.Perez

[A P S t y l e G u i d e ]The AP updated the following entries April 4, 2013:
Islamist  An advocate or supporter of a political movement that
favors reordering government and society in accordance with laws
prescribed by Islam. Do not use as a synonym for Islamic fighters,
militants, extremists or radicals (who may or may not be Islamists).  
Where possible, be specific and use the name of militant
affiliations: al-Qaida-linked, Hezbollah, Taliban, etc. Those who
view the Quran as a political model encompass a wide range of
Muslims from mainstream politicians to militants known as jihadi.
Numerals  In general, spell out one through nine: The squadron
finished first. He has eight months to go until he could retire. Use
figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure
or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things.
Use figures for:
• Academic course numbers
• Addresses
• Ages
• Dates, years and decades
• Dimensions
• Planes, ships and spacecraft designations
• Temperatures (except zero)
• Time (except midnight and noon)
Roman Numerals They may be used for wars and to establish
personal sequence for people and animals.
Ordinals Numbers used to indicate order (first, second, 10th,
etc.) are called ordinal numbers. Spell out first through ninth. Use
figures starting with 10th.
Cardinal Numbers Numbers used in counting or showing how
many (1, 10, 600, etc.) are called cardinal numbers.
Underway One word in all uses.
[Schedule of Events]
BlogWell
Aug. 8, 2013
Bay Area, Calif.
www.socialmedia.org/blogwell
Usability.gov: The Research Behind the Redesign webinar
Aug. 14
1.usa.gov/19rSPHj
Photoshop World Conference and Expo
Sept. 4 - 6, 2013
Las Vegas, Nev.
www.photoshopworld.com
Social Media Week
Sept. 23 - 27, 2013
Chicago, Ill. and Los Angeles, Calif.
www.socialmediaweek.org
National Association of Broadcasters Conference 2014
April 5 - 10, Exhibits April 7 - 10
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
www.nabshow.com
LINKS to KNOW
PhotobyMCSAKellyM.Agee
Adobe TV
Adobe TV offers free training and
information about the latest Adobe
products and services. Some of its most
viewed shows include Adobe Creative
Suite 5 Launch Event, Learn Photoshop
5, Visual Design CS5, Learn Photoshop
Elements 10, and Photoshop Elements 9.
http://tv.adobe.com
Five Steps to Multimedia Storytelling
In this free, self-directed course by the
Poynter Institute, you’ll learn how to
produce a multimedia story by: identifying
the necessary elements, understanding
which stories are more suitable for
multimedia, sketching a concept for a
story and identifying the tools needed to
gather content in the field. A free www.
poynter.org account is necessary.
http://ow.ly/kY1he
Avid Community
If you use Avid, then this website is for
you. The Avid community offers blogs,
videos, forums, user groups, tips and
tutorials, and user-submitted portfolios.
http://community.avid.com
The Good, Bad and Ugly on Cropping
Your Portrait Subject
Avoid cropping a person’s body in
the wrong spots with this easy-to-use
infographic.
http://ow.ly/kWjTv
Color Emotion Guide
What do the colors in your design say
about what you’re trying to communicate?
See how the big brands and companies
are using them to communicate emotion.
http://ow.ly/kWjJ0
U.S. Navy Media Inbox
Before you post it online or tweet it, send
your released, original, high-resolution
Navy imagery with complete cutline
information to Navy Media Content
Services at navymedia@navy.mil. The
Navy Media inbox should be your first
destination for Navy imagery after it has
been cleared for release. We push to
the Pentagon press corps and the wire
services. One recent example was the
first launch of the X-47B from USS George
H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The effort was a
complete success. We can’t tell your
portion of the Navy’s story without it.
All references to commercially available sites and services are provided for informational purposes only, without Department of the Navy endorsement.

Navy Imagery Insider Summer 2013

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Navy Imagery Insider Summer 2013