Vet Village and the Veterans Portrait Project

On Wednesday, I went to the Old Navy Base in Charleston, which is now used for many small business industries. However, tucked back in the old housing area is a place called Vet Village. It's a place where homeless veterans can find shelter, job training and rehabilitation. The Village is home many veterans unfortunately. But, I am pleased that they have a place to turn to. To find out more about Vet Village or places like these in your area, check out www.VA.gov. -Stacy P

Stacy Pearsall on PBS Veterans Day

PBS Local Listings: http://www.usafband .af.mil/shared/ media/document/ AFD-091105- 045.pdf

Watch Charleston based photographer and military veteran, Stacy Pearsall, this Veterans Day on PBS as she receives recognition from the USAF Band PBS. Pearsall traveled to Washington D.C. to participate as one of the veterans being honored in this year's America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute. Actor Lou Gossett Jr. delivered a feature vignette on Pearsall's heroic combat service while the Air Force Band provided a musical accompaniment.

Watch Charleston based photographer and military veteran, Stacy Pearsall, this Veterans Day on PBS as she receives recognition from the USAF Band PBS. Pearsall traveled to Washington D.C. to participate as one of the veterans being honored in this year's America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute. Actor Lou Gossett Jr. delivered a feature vignette on Pearsall's heroic combat service while the Air Force Band provided a musical accompaniment.

http://www.usafband.af.mil/americanvetstribute/

America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute, a star-studded program honoring America's bravest, will air on Public Television on Veterans Day, November 2009. Featuring The United States Air Force Orchestra, the program highlights the musical talents of American songbook vocalist Michael Feinstein, popular Irish tenor Ronan Tynan and blues dynamo Shemekia Copeland. Joined by Academy Award-winning actorLou Gossett Jr., this one-hour patriotic special is a thrilling and memorable tribute to veterans of all services.

Viewers will be moved by Michael Feinstein's "We Dreamed These Days," while Shemekia Copeland brings down the house with "Born A Penny" and Ronan Tynan gives a stunning performance of "Going Home." The United States Air Force Orchestra is featured in a powerful rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Finally, the official chorus of the United States Air Force, The Singing Sergeants rounds out the tribute with the inspiring "Freedom Song." The program also features short vignettes beautifully delivered by Lou Gossett Jr. honoring veteran heroes from all five branches of the military. Each featured veteran is recognized on camera after his/her segment is presented.

The program was presented in partnership with Maryland Public Television, National Productions and was made possible in part by Booz Allen Hamilton. (No federal endorsement is intended or authorized.)

CCforP Fundraiser

The Project at Aster Hall

Friday, November 13, 6pm-9pm

featuring new work by Ishmael and Des

live music provided by The Healing and Malignant Productions
cocktails from Social Wine Bar
hors d'oeuvres from Virginia's Restaurant and J. Paulz

This fundraiser is to benefit the Charleston Center for Photography,

which is in danger of closing.

Tickets: $8
www.asterhall.net

843.789.3580

Whats Happening

What’s Happening November 9-15, 2009


Second Monday Lecture Series with Ashley Brokop

November 9,2009--Charleston SC-- Photographer Ashley Brokop will be giving a talk at the Charleston Center for Photography on her passion of photography. Brokop resides in Columbia, South Carolina, and shoots all over the state, from top to bottom (and elsewhere). She loves her job, loves weddings and loves photographing people on some of the most important days of their lives. Brokop says, “Every weekend is a happy ending for somebody.” This months Second Monday Lecture Series will start at 7p.m. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



Photojournalism Picture Story with JT Lock

November 13,2009--Charleston SC--This 3-day workshop provided by the Charleston Center for Photography and JT Lock will help students further their knowledge of photojournalism. There will be an initial portfolio review and photo assignments will be based off the strengths of each individual portfolio. On day two Lock and students will be shooting on King and upper King St. creating stories of local businesses. Day three of the workshop will focus on narrowing down the photographs taken and creating a cohesive story. A critique will follow and some of the images may even be posted on the CCforP website. Students should have some previous knowledge of photojournalism, a digital SLR camera and a laptop (recommended but not required). The Workshop is from November 13-15,2009 and costs $300 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.


Connect To Your Models With Diana Deaver

November 14,2009--Charleston SC--This workshop is for photographers eager to explore their vision in portraiture, as we experiment with human element. You will learn how to effectively coach your models and clients during photo shoots, an understanding of body language and how to create a mood through poses and how to make your models and clients comfortable in front of a camera. By the end of the class participants will have strengthened both their ability to pre-visualize concepts and their ability to communicate with a subject. This will result in stronger and more meaningful images. Class will run from 9:30 a.m- 5:00 p.m at a cost of $100 per students. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



2-day Adobe Elements part2 with Alice Keeney

November 15,2009--Charleston SC--A 2-day Adobe Elements workshop will be provided by the Charleston Center for Photography and Alice Keeney. Day one will cover basic aspects including uploading images, the basic interface of Elements including the Organizer and the Editing Modes. The interfaces of both these options will be covered in detail. Students will learn to properly organize their images, and begin to learn basic toning and cropping. Day two will delve further into the editing and toning of images. Basic retouching of blemishes using the clone stamp tool, and healing brush tool will be covered in depth. Students will also learn how to use the dodging and burning tools, and will learn how to use layers properly. Participants will learn how to use the selection tools to take one part of an image and put it in another. Students are welcome to bring 5-10 of their own images to work on during the “lab” section. Students must have basic computer knowledge, including use of a mouse and keyboard, open and closing files and dragging and dropping. Class will run from 9:30 a.m-5:00 p.m at a cost of $200 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.

Enter tVCA Now!

The Visual Culture Awards formed in 2008 to coordinate intercultural understanding through gallery exhibition with a collection of photographers aiding photographers in the current season. tVCA 2009 is an international call for gallery exhibition at the CHARLESTON CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY in Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America. The theme of this year's call is, 'Cultural Peace,' and hopes to showcase your culture or a culture you have explored, in a positive or progressive Light.

tVCA 2009 is about filling a gallery space for a solo exhibition at CCforP in the month of March, 2010.

Every single penny that comes in from the photographer's entry fees, will go straight back into the awards for the photographers exhibited (minus 10% going to the charity FOTOKIDS GUATEMALA). This is the premise of tVCA, visual makers supporting visual makers.

There will be a local reception for the exhibited photographer (last year we had a full house; it was a great welcoming!), and an online gallery for further displays of excellence.

The jury will base their selections on the power of the image to move the photographic reader. You may submit fine art to documentary photography and anything in between or outside. What is it you want us to grapple at? What is it you want us to collectively memorize? What is it you want to share about the state of Life and the stilled movement of a culture?

Everyone working on this is on a volunteer basis and logs more that 300 man hours without any monetary benefits. We get to see a great exhibition come together though!

This remains an international call for exhibition and photographers are invited from around the world. Last year more that 30 nations were represented, and we'd like to see this representation again this year.

A biography is part of the entry submission emphasizing cultural identity.

Nikon is donating a D90 D-SLR W/ 18-105MM ZOOM-NIKKOR OUTFIT to tVCA's 2010 Visual Maker of the Year.

The named solo exhibitor (tVCA's 2010 Visual Maker of the Year) will work directly with tVCA and CCforP to curate the event.

There will be no categories this year. Instead, the call is only for exhibition. Each photographer will submit 10-30 images to fill the gallery space. There will be a gold placement for the solo exhibition at the Center, a silver and bronze placement of the photographer's entire gallery submission in the online gallery with selects from different submissions of single images as awards of excellence.

The entire entry fee moneys will be broken down as follows: gallery for solo exhibition named photographer (tVCA's 2010 Visual Maker of the Year) will receive 50% of the total entry fees. Silver for the online gallery will receive 25%, and bronze, 15%. The remaining 10% goes to the named charity. If this was done last year, gold would have gotten 1,350USD, bronze: $675, and silver: $405. This year, we are hoping for even more.

The panel of jury members will go through and make selections of the photographic images for the gallery live on 20 January 2010 at the Center.

The entry fee is 37USD as supposed to last year of 30USD: more to go back in! This includes the entire submission and is not per photograph. You may only submit one portfolio-for-gallery-exhibition for review. You may also donate as much as you would like otherwise. It all goes straight back to the exhibited photographers - 10% to the charity FOTOKIDS GUATEMALA. Please contact for sponsorship.

This year, a description of your exhibition will be needed: you might want to include the process, the impact, or the story. A title would also be recognized.

This year the Charleston Center for Photography will print the awarded exhibition in house for the named photographer: 50% of the prints sold in the gallery will go to the photographer and 50% will go to the Center. The photographer will not incur any costs, except if the full resolution could not be passed through FTP, the cost of postage of a full resolution CD of the images for print to the Center.

Veteran Portrait Series Continues...

As many of you know, I have been working on a project that is near and dear to me heart. I have photographed well over 100 veterans in Charleston and today I visited the Veteran's Affairs Hospital located downtown.

I actually get my medical care at this facility and know my way around well. Me and my crew (Des'ola Gunter and Shannon Di) met up with VA Public Affairs Officer, Michael Dukes. He's been my main point of contact throughout this adventure. He took us up to the resident veteran's ward.

On the residence floor, I met several wonderful people. Actually, they were playing poker and listening to the oldies station on the radio. I thought to myself, "I sure hope I can learn poker before I get my paycheck check swindled by a bunch of veteran card sharks!"

After I photographed all of the residence folks, I headed downstairs to the lobby. From there, I started shooting VA Hospital patrons as they walked through. Again, some of the best people in the world.

Next week I will be at Veteran's Village, which is a housing development for homeless veterans. I really look forward to meeting the souls that reside there.

More to come...

- Stacy

Shoot with Julie Liley by Stacy Pearsall

Here's a funny story...

I was taking my step-daughter, Hayley, to the stables and we decided to stop for some Dunkin Donuts on the way. As we walked in, all I could see was the really tall blonde's back to me. Her figure was stunning and her height was towering.

I looked her up in down and thought, "This is too good to be true. I bet somethings wrong with her face." Then she turned around with her donut goodies in hand and I was floored. She was a knock out!

So I did what any inspired photographer would do... I ran after her! I was dressed in my shabbiest riding clothes, which had to look very suspect. I approached her car with caution and said, "Hey, I don't mean to bother you but I couldn't help but notice how incredibly beautiful you are."

She smiled awkwardly at me and so I whipped out my card. "I'm a photographer and I have a studio downtown on King Street," I said. "Will you let me shoot you sometime?"

A few weeks past and I thought she tossed my card out. To my surprise, however, she e-mailed me. I'm glad too, because stunners like her are hard to find. She's a registered nurse and works nights, so it took a few weeks to sort out a good time for both of us.

My goal was to get her in front of my camera and see how she moved. I had nothing ready when she showed up, so I had to spend a few minutes prepping my gear. From start to finish (that includes imagery ingestion and post production), we were done in under an hour!

Julie was amazing. She needed little instruction in front of the camera and gave me a lot to work with. I used a simple lighting set up with only two Nikon SB-900 strobes. I placed those on Justin Clamps, which sat on my Manfrotto light stands. I hauled them underneath my studio's neighboring overpass and BAM! I was done. Within just a few minutes, I had five solid looks.

-Stacy