First of all let me say that we are so thankful to everyone at Adventure Christian Church who waited in line to have their picture taken and then waited again to purchase a print. It was amazing to have so many people participate in our practice shoot in preparation for our trip to Africa.
Things went smoothly considering that we were operating off a last-minute back up system that barely resembled the setup we intended to use because every piece of equipment that could have had issues did. Let me recap the adventures of last week's prep for the shoot. A word of caution: I apologize for the length and technical specificity of this post, but you have to appreciate the details of the madness that ensued last week.
We are using two Nikon D200 cameras with WT3a wireless transmitters. For all the non-gearheads out there, our plan was to use a camera with an a attachment that would transmit the images we shot wirelessly to a nearby computer attached to a printer. At the beginning of the week I made a call to Nikon to for assistance in setting up the network between camera and computer and we were able to get it working. But when it came to connecting the second camera there was a simple miscommunication with Nikon and the system no longer worked. By "simple" I mean profoundly simple--one strand of numbers associated with the camera was entered into the wrong place and we could not send images.
I spent hours (literally 12 hours total) on the phone with Nikon trying to sort this out. Twice in conversations with service reps their shifts ended and I had to call back. It was not that I call at just the right time; I was spending the length of the shifts at their call center trying to make this thing work. It was really hilarious, let me tell you. I shot about 100 test pictures over the course of my conversations with them. Each shot represents an attempt to completely reconfigure the system which involves setting up a separate wireless network on the Mac and then configuring the camera to recognize and communicate across this network.
(Side Note: The test shots are really terrible photography, but each is an ironic expression of just how surreal the process was. I am trying to figure out how to make a flip book out of all of them because most are pictures of the computer screen in front of me or my water bottle with the backgrounds of the multiple places I was working over those three days. The angles of the shots are so similar that when you scroll through them it looks like animation. I 'll post this little art project once I complete it!)
So, when it became undeniably apparent that we were not going to be able to transfer images wirelessly at our trial shoot (I really tried to deny it for a long time--just ask Elizabeth), we shifted gears and focused on the printer. I went through the installation process only to find that the printer was not immediately Mac compatible. This is not normally and issue because of how Macs operate, but it was last week! I went through another two days of installing and reinstalling anything and everything that I (and everyone else I sought for advice) thought would work. By this time it was Saturday and Shinko does not have 24/7 support like Nikon. At 10:30 on Saturday night I drove to my sister's to borrow her Windows-based laptop, but still could not get the printer to work.
When the Shinko printer did not work I thought we were toast. As a last-ditch, contingency plan we were able to hook up Elizabeth's Canon printer as a back up and we planned to shoot half the group and then trade out memory cards for the printing. This was the next-to worst-case-scenario (worst-case being having to postpone the whole thing). If you remember back to the entry about the printer, the reason we purchased the Shinko was that it is a lab-quality printer that prints archival 8X10's (water/dust resistant, lasting up to 100 years) in 30 seconds. The Canon printer on the other hand, prints a nice, but lesser quality 8X10 in an amazingly less than lightning-fast 4 1/2 minutes. Think of it this way: I was able to refill my coffee while timing the test print--not what you are looking for when trying to move a couple hundred people through a photo shoot and provide them with prints while they wait.
Here is where the patience and support of the people at Adventure shines brightest. Most all who could waited for their prints with no complaints (at least not within my earshot)! The atmosphere was like elementary school yearbook portraits mixed into a huge photo booth. People were laughing and making snide remarks at those having their portrait made. Some with hungry kids asked if they could pick up their prints next week, which worked out great because otherwise we would still be there printing today, but most of the families stuck around and talked and the kids played. We got to talk with a lot of people about what we are trying to accomplish in Africa (4 1/2 minutes at a time) while waiting for the prints. The atmosphere was fun and laid back and we were very encouraged by the kind words and interest people had for our work.
This week I called Shinko and made the necessary upgrades to get it printing and, WOW, you should see these prints. I have never seen digital images printed so beautifully and fast! First of all they look like they came from a film camera having been processed in a darkroom. Secondly, they literally shoot out in 30 seconds! This thing is a workhorse. I am proud to be able to take this ability to Africa and give these families not just their first family portrait, but the best print they could get even in America.
After this I came home and was able to go back through the set up instructions given to me by the original service rep with Nikon. Following these steps, I was able to connect BOTH cameras and wirelessly transmit images from over 50 ft!!! With the extended antenna we should be able to get 500 ft of range, but I have not tested this yet. I am happy with what I have at this point.
The long and short of it--we are up in running with our primary setup for shooting, transferring, and printing images on the field. Our makeup session for Adventure will be this weekend after the church service again, so anyone who wishes to have their picture retaken or reprinted is welcome participate this weekend. We need the practice shooting and printing with our primary system, so we would literally be willing to shoot the whole church again.
Needless to say, we have renewed excitement in the wake of an almost disasterous week. I don't want to theologize too much about what was going on with our equipment. It does seem strange that everything failed at once and right before our practice shoot. On the front end of this we were really dumbfounded and we questioned if the whole idea of shooting family portraits in Africa was really going to work. In hindsight, I belief we were being tested. Those of you who know me well, will attest that I am not one to be hard and fast about who exactly was testing us. I will say the whole experience caused us to focus on of our willingness to be faithful in providing these people with family photos no matter what it took to do it. At one point during all this equipment failure I said to Elizabeth only half joking, "You know, maybe we should just pack Polaroid cameras and a lot of film to Africa." We laughed about this at the time, but only because we knew without saying it that we would do that if it came to it.
Family photos are important and have great potential for generating hope and memories where these things are otherwise scarce. Whether it is through a cheap Polaroid or the clearest 8X10 ever printed the memory is there and especially now we are excited to use this technology to bring a little light to such difficult situations.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
A Busy Week After a Couple Days Off
We spent the weekend in Brimingham with family for a wedding, so we had a couple days away during which it was impossible to do any work. This was ultimately a good thing because we were able to spend more time (8 hours in the car each way) talking and dreaming about our ideas and the work that God is doing through us.
It is interesting to think about building an organization from the ground up. Much of our conversation surrounded ideas in Jim Collins' book "Built to Last." Here his research team analyzes what he considers "visionary companies"--organizations that, among other things, balance cult-like faithfulness to core values and relentless drive for progress. Reading the core values of Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and the other vissionary companies in Collins' study spurred long conversations about the values we wish to anchor our organization through the different projects we will take on.
While we have not established the explicit values themselves, we have made several decisions already in the "pre-dawn" of our organization that have expressed some of what will become our core values. First, our decision to start an organization of our own rather than working with another organization did not come lightly. We met with a friend who runs a missionary organization and he questioned the need to "reinvent the wheel" by starting something on our own. Logistically this makes sense; if there was an existent organization under which we could accopmlish the goals we have set, it would in the short term be easier to work with that organization. However, with much prayer and deliberation, we made th decision that going on our own was part of the plan for our work. The risks associated with being on our own requires much more faith than the relative comfort of working for someone else. Furthermore, to work with another organization at some point requires the our goals come under the direction of another organization's leadership and vision. We see this willingness to take risks in the name of faithfulness and clarity of vision ultimately crystalizing into our core values.
Earlier this summer, we made the decision to leave a full-time job with benefits to take on the work of laying the foundation for the 1000 Words of Hope Project. We did this without any fundriasing. We have lived the summer on savings and faith that after our first trip we will have an even clearer vision of the work God is preparing us for. At that point, the contacts we make for support will be out what we have experienced rather than what we hope to accomplish. We will be able to confidently share about the work that has begun with our project. Hopefully, taking htis trip on our own demonstrates our willingness to step out without the security of a base of support, believing that showing others what is possible based on what we have begun is more effective in demonstrating our personal commitment to this work. Similarly, we see this relemtless trust in the success of the work we are a part of as a seed of the faithfulness that will contribute to the core of our organization.
We are inside of a week until we test all our equipment at Adventure Christian Church on Sunday. Tomorrow we will purchase the camera and lens and spend the afternoon hooking everything up for an in-home trial. We are inside of a month before we leave for Ghana. Aside from getting ready for our practice shoot, we are getting ready for the travel and the trip itself. We are so excited, but have to keep focused in order to ensure that all our arrangements have been made. Once we are there, we are there with whatever we have packed and no way replacing anything that has been forgotten. Soon I will begin my obsessive ritual of packing and repacking. It will begin small and remain in my thoughts until about a week before we leave. Then I will begin to lay everything out, pack it, check it, unpack it, pare it down, repack it, check it again, and then it will be time to leave for Ghana.
We'll update on the camera and post some test pics tomorrow. Until then...
It is interesting to think about building an organization from the ground up. Much of our conversation surrounded ideas in Jim Collins' book "Built to Last." Here his research team analyzes what he considers "visionary companies"--organizations that, among other things, balance cult-like faithfulness to core values and relentless drive for progress. Reading the core values of Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and the other vissionary companies in Collins' study spurred long conversations about the values we wish to anchor our organization through the different projects we will take on.
While we have not established the explicit values themselves, we have made several decisions already in the "pre-dawn" of our organization that have expressed some of what will become our core values. First, our decision to start an organization of our own rather than working with another organization did not come lightly. We met with a friend who runs a missionary organization and he questioned the need to "reinvent the wheel" by starting something on our own. Logistically this makes sense; if there was an existent organization under which we could accopmlish the goals we have set, it would in the short term be easier to work with that organization. However, with much prayer and deliberation, we made th decision that going on our own was part of the plan for our work. The risks associated with being on our own requires much more faith than the relative comfort of working for someone else. Furthermore, to work with another organization at some point requires the our goals come under the direction of another organization's leadership and vision. We see this willingness to take risks in the name of faithfulness and clarity of vision ultimately crystalizing into our core values.
Earlier this summer, we made the decision to leave a full-time job with benefits to take on the work of laying the foundation for the 1000 Words of Hope Project. We did this without any fundriasing. We have lived the summer on savings and faith that after our first trip we will have an even clearer vision of the work God is preparing us for. At that point, the contacts we make for support will be out what we have experienced rather than what we hope to accomplish. We will be able to confidently share about the work that has begun with our project. Hopefully, taking htis trip on our own demonstrates our willingness to step out without the security of a base of support, believing that showing others what is possible based on what we have begun is more effective in demonstrating our personal commitment to this work. Similarly, we see this relemtless trust in the success of the work we are a part of as a seed of the faithfulness that will contribute to the core of our organization.
We are inside of a week until we test all our equipment at Adventure Christian Church on Sunday. Tomorrow we will purchase the camera and lens and spend the afternoon hooking everything up for an in-home trial. We are inside of a month before we leave for Ghana. Aside from getting ready for our practice shoot, we are getting ready for the travel and the trip itself. We are so excited, but have to keep focused in order to ensure that all our arrangements have been made. Once we are there, we are there with whatever we have packed and no way replacing anything that has been forgotten. Soon I will begin my obsessive ritual of packing and repacking. It will begin small and remain in my thoughts until about a week before we leave. Then I will begin to lay everything out, pack it, check it, unpack it, pare it down, repack it, check it again, and then it will be time to leave for Ghana.
We'll update on the camera and post some test pics tomorrow. Until then...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Trial Run Taking Shape
We met with Buddy (the pastor at Adventure Church) today and put together a plan for a trial shoot after an upcoming church service that will allow us to try out our equipment and see exactly how to photograph large numbers people in rapid succession, printing the 8X10's simultaneously.
A couple months ago I asked Richard (another minister on staff at Adventure) about trying out our process at the church an offering the 8X10's to the families for a suggested donation to raise money for the trip. He was really excited about the idea because the church was trying to decide how to do a directory and this would easily provided the motivation for families to stick around after service for the portraits. The idea was a win-win and confirmed again that God was moving behind us, creating momentum for our work.
So today we hammered through what the shoot would look like and how it would run. We will set up two stations to shoot two families at a time. There are between 300 and 325 people at the church on a given Sunday, so the crowd will be perfect practice for the crowds we will experience in Ghana.
Buddy was very impressed with the work we had done in the weeks since our last meeting. This was really encouraging because it is sometimes hard to chart the daily progress we make given that so many of our tasks are on-going and only get checked off our list after several steps, meetings, and phone calls. So it was nice to update him and remind ourselves of everything we have accomplished thus far, and then, to receive his compliment only made it that much nicer.
Next week most of our equipment will arrive. It will be like Christmas! The camera we were ordering is back-ordered so we are trying hard to line up another option that will not cost us $1500. We are not discouraged by this, but feel that God is at work here and is about to do something that will again confirm his provision over our work. We'll let you know how it turns out...
A couple months ago I asked Richard (another minister on staff at Adventure) about trying out our process at the church an offering the 8X10's to the families for a suggested donation to raise money for the trip. He was really excited about the idea because the church was trying to decide how to do a directory and this would easily provided the motivation for families to stick around after service for the portraits. The idea was a win-win and confirmed again that God was moving behind us, creating momentum for our work.
So today we hammered through what the shoot would look like and how it would run. We will set up two stations to shoot two families at a time. There are between 300 and 325 people at the church on a given Sunday, so the crowd will be perfect practice for the crowds we will experience in Ghana.
Buddy was very impressed with the work we had done in the weeks since our last meeting. This was really encouraging because it is sometimes hard to chart the daily progress we make given that so many of our tasks are on-going and only get checked off our list after several steps, meetings, and phone calls. So it was nice to update him and remind ourselves of everything we have accomplished thus far, and then, to receive his compliment only made it that much nicer.
Next week most of our equipment will arrive. It will be like Christmas! The camera we were ordering is back-ordered so we are trying hard to line up another option that will not cost us $1500. We are not discouraged by this, but feel that God is at work here and is about to do something that will again confirm his provision over our work. We'll let you know how it turns out...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Some of you have asked how to help...
Currently we need a few things:
1. Continued prayer support
2. $$$$$$ (We need both small and large gifts alike as well as committed monthly givers)
3. Any adventurous people out there who would like to to take a trip(s) with us in 2008
If you would like to make a donation, you make and send your tax-deductible donation to:
Adventure Christian Church
3321 Ruckriegel Pkwy
Louisville, KY 40299
(**Memo line: 1000 Words of Hope)
***Important note: You must write 1000 Words of Hope in the MEMO line in order for them to know to dog-ear it for this project.
Thank you so much for helping to make this a sustained reality. The children of Africa thank you as well. We couldn't and can't do this without you. Thank you again.
1. Continued prayer support
2. $$$$$$ (We need both small and large gifts alike as well as committed monthly givers)
3. Any adventurous people out there who would like to to take a trip(s) with us in 2008
If you would like to make a donation, you make and send your tax-deductible donation to:
Adventure Christian Church
3321 Ruckriegel Pkwy
Louisville, KY 40299
(**Memo line: 1000 Words of Hope)
***Important note: You must write 1000 Words of Hope in the MEMO line in order for them to know to dog-ear it for this project.
Thank you so much for helping to make this a sustained reality. The children of Africa thank you as well. We couldn't and can't do this without you. Thank you again.
The last few days...
Operations here have continued to move along at a good pace. Several people have remarked at how much we have been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. I take that as a compliment.
Today, we met with a friend who runs a very successful marketing firm with quite a few large long-term accounts to show for it. Matt and I had a few questions we wanted to make sure to get his advice on. He spent three hours with us in the middle of a busy day at his place! By the time we said our goodbyes the whole place had left for the day! Matt and I have known all along that it would be best suited for him to act as more of an advisor to us than managing our marketing campaign, even though is has obviously been gifted in the latter as well. However, without yet expressing those thoughts to him, that this is exactly what happened today. Matt and I drove home laughing because we never even managed to get one of our questions answered even though we had taken such care in planning the agenda for our appointment with him. Nonetheless, neither of us would change the conversation we had between 2:30 and 5:30 this afternoon. It's pretty neat to see how God works things out.
Tomorrow, we have another important meeting. We will see how it goes considering today's experience. We will let you know.
Well, that's about it. We continue to work on the details regarding equipment orders and planning out the days while we are in the country--stuff like that.
We continue to be thrilled to be a part of this project. There is such a peace we have even though we are technically unemployed and living off our saving to make this happen. It's not much, but we know that this is what we are supposed to be doing at this point in our lives. Thank you for keeping up with our adventure. We are excited that you are coming along for the ride.
Today, we met with a friend who runs a very successful marketing firm with quite a few large long-term accounts to show for it. Matt and I had a few questions we wanted to make sure to get his advice on. He spent three hours with us in the middle of a busy day at his place! By the time we said our goodbyes the whole place had left for the day! Matt and I have known all along that it would be best suited for him to act as more of an advisor to us than managing our marketing campaign, even though is has obviously been gifted in the latter as well. However, without yet expressing those thoughts to him, that this is exactly what happened today. Matt and I drove home laughing because we never even managed to get one of our questions answered even though we had taken such care in planning the agenda for our appointment with him. Nonetheless, neither of us would change the conversation we had between 2:30 and 5:30 this afternoon. It's pretty neat to see how God works things out.
Tomorrow, we have another important meeting. We will see how it goes considering today's experience. We will let you know.
Well, that's about it. We continue to work on the details regarding equipment orders and planning out the days while we are in the country--stuff like that.
We continue to be thrilled to be a part of this project. There is such a peace we have even though we are technically unemployed and living off our saving to make this happen. It's not much, but we know that this is what we are supposed to be doing at this point in our lives. Thank you for keeping up with our adventure. We are excited that you are coming along for the ride.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Details, Details
My role in this organization has been interpreting Elizabeth's vision and goals into logistical plans and steps. Anyone who knows me well would atest that in this pond I am a duck on water. I love the component level of this project--from researching equipment, to figuring out itineraries. Booking our flights has been difficult for a number of reasons, but there is nothing like the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing the email itinerary and knowing that one way or another we are locked into this trip.
Our most recent logistical adventures have revolved around getting a 60 lb printer to Ghana. This is the Shinko 1245 Dye Sub printer. We have chosen to take this printer with us because it can print an 8X10 in 30 seconds that will hold up for 100 years. This is will be invaluable given that there there is no good way of distributing the pictures we will be taking after the fact. We will be able to hand the family we just photgraphed thier picture with virtually no delay.
The machine is roughly the size of a small TV/VCR combo and is so dense that it comes with its own 40 lb Pelican case. That weighs in at a stunning 100 lbs with no other equipment in the case. The recent debate has been whether or not we can "pack" this printer and somehow carry it on the plane. However, none of the packs that it would fit in either under the seat or in the overhead compartments. Though carrying the printer on does eliminate the possiblity of the nightmarish "loss of baggage" scenario in which our sole purpose for going to Africa ends up somewhere far, far away from the people we are photographing, our flight to Ghana is non-stop so I think our chances for checking the Pelican case are as good as they could be (famous last words).
Today has been a great day for thinking about this up-coming trip on a very practical level because it was been 100 degrees and very humid in Louisville. I spent the morning and early afternoon doing yard work and was amazed at the physical tole it took on me. We checked weather.com and found the conditions to be almost identical in Ghana. There is something to be said for acclimatization! We went to the Barnes & Noble tonight to look at books on Africa as a starting point for research into the culture, etc. The first sentence in the book I was reading about Ghana referenced the comunity culture that is created by the need to get out of the house to escape the heat! I had to laugh.
From everything we have read the country sounds amazing. We are excited to struggle through all the necessary details to experience it and its people first hand. Until then, we contine "brick-laying" the plans and arrangemtns into place.
Our most recent logistical adventures have revolved around getting a 60 lb printer to Ghana. This is the Shinko 1245 Dye Sub printer. We have chosen to take this printer with us because it can print an 8X10 in 30 seconds that will hold up for 100 years. This is will be invaluable given that there there is no good way of distributing the pictures we will be taking after the fact. We will be able to hand the family we just photgraphed thier picture with virtually no delay. The machine is roughly the size of a small TV/VCR combo and is so dense that it comes with its own 40 lb Pelican case. That weighs in at a stunning 100 lbs with no other equipment in the case. The recent debate has been whether or not we can "pack" this printer and somehow carry it on the plane. However, none of the packs that it would fit in either under the seat or in the overhead compartments. Though carrying the printer on does eliminate the possiblity of the nightmarish "loss of baggage" scenario in which our sole purpose for going to Africa ends up somewhere far, far away from the people we are photographing, our flight to Ghana is non-stop so I think our chances for checking the Pelican case are as good as they could be (famous last words).
Today has been a great day for thinking about this up-coming trip on a very practical level because it was been 100 degrees and very humid in Louisville. I spent the morning and early afternoon doing yard work and was amazed at the physical tole it took on me. We checked weather.com and found the conditions to be almost identical in Ghana. There is something to be said for acclimatization! We went to the Barnes & Noble tonight to look at books on Africa as a starting point for research into the culture, etc. The first sentence in the book I was reading about Ghana referenced the comunity culture that is created by the need to get out of the house to escape the heat! I had to laugh.
From everything we have read the country sounds amazing. We are excited to struggle through all the necessary details to experience it and its people first hand. Until then, we contine "brick-laying" the plans and arrangemtns into place.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
The Last Dose of Typhoid...
August 2, 2007
I just swallowed my last of the four doses for Typhoid Fever. I could have just taken the shot and been done with it along with the others from last week's vaccinations, but for some reason if you take the oral dose it last four years instead of two. We figured this made the most sense. After all, unfortunately the threat HIV/AIDS doesn't look like it will be leaving us soon, which makes The 1000 Words of Hope Project a long-term endeavor. So now we just need to decide as to whether we should take the Malaria pills, but as for Polio, Yellow Fever and Typhoid, we are good to go.
Matt and I spent most of the day revising our outstanding equipment needs and then heading down to the camera store to look at some of the lens that we feel like will do the best job considering the look of the photographs we are trying to achieve while balancing the harsh environment we will be in. We also received correspondence back from our partners who we will be hooking up with once in the country and we were able to finalized some arrangements of how some things will look when we get there (i.e. going through customs, connecting with the domestic flight, etc.). When this idea was merely in conception, I could not have fathom all the details that would need to be covered, and while it is a lot to sort through, it has been so much fun and so exhilarating to watch everything come together. I guess that is just how it is when you finally get in the groove of doing what you were meant to do all along.
Anyway, one of the things I must tell you from today is regarding a conversation I had with my sister who shared with me that my brother-in-law, her husband, went ahead and bought all the domain sites related to 1000 Words of Hope after he read our blog! He said that he just wanted to make sure that it was reserved for us! How cool is that? That is what I am talking about when I say that people have already been so giving to this organization and seem to just be looking for ways to help and participate. I want to say thanks Bryce--I feel loved and that you made my day. Thanks.
Well, it's six minutes before a new day begins. I better get to sleep before I feel the side effects from the Typhoid (that's why they strongly encourage you to take it at night right before sleep).
Take Care.
e
I just swallowed my last of the four doses for Typhoid Fever. I could have just taken the shot and been done with it along with the others from last week's vaccinations, but for some reason if you take the oral dose it last four years instead of two. We figured this made the most sense. After all, unfortunately the threat HIV/AIDS doesn't look like it will be leaving us soon, which makes The 1000 Words of Hope Project a long-term endeavor. So now we just need to decide as to whether we should take the Malaria pills, but as for Polio, Yellow Fever and Typhoid, we are good to go.
Matt and I spent most of the day revising our outstanding equipment needs and then heading down to the camera store to look at some of the lens that we feel like will do the best job considering the look of the photographs we are trying to achieve while balancing the harsh environment we will be in. We also received correspondence back from our partners who we will be hooking up with once in the country and we were able to finalized some arrangements of how some things will look when we get there (i.e. going through customs, connecting with the domestic flight, etc.). When this idea was merely in conception, I could not have fathom all the details that would need to be covered, and while it is a lot to sort through, it has been so much fun and so exhilarating to watch everything come together. I guess that is just how it is when you finally get in the groove of doing what you were meant to do all along.
Anyway, one of the things I must tell you from today is regarding a conversation I had with my sister who shared with me that my brother-in-law, her husband, went ahead and bought all the domain sites related to 1000 Words of Hope after he read our blog! He said that he just wanted to make sure that it was reserved for us! How cool is that? That is what I am talking about when I say that people have already been so giving to this organization and seem to just be looking for ways to help and participate. I want to say thanks Bryce--I feel loved and that you made my day. Thanks.
Well, it's six minutes before a new day begins. I better get to sleep before I feel the side effects from the Typhoid (that's why they strongly encourage you to take it at night right before sleep).
Take Care.
e
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