VBS 2017 Photography Training Manual South Hills June 26 June 30, 2017 Photography Coordinator: Deana Wheeler dwheeler@biblechapel.org phone: 724-941-8990 (office) Photography Coordinator: Kelly Rush kelly.rush@comcast.net phone: 412-544-6885 (cell) 1 P age
What Is Our Purpose? The VBS Photography Team exists to capture the big and little details of VBS week. While we serve behind the scenes rather than front-and-center, our contribution is still very important. The photos we produce during VBS week will be appreciated by the kids, their parents and families, the volunteers, and others now and in the future. Roles and Responsibilities: Each day, you will be assigned to specific roles and responsibilities. You might have the same role/responsibility all week, or it might change from day to day (or even change during a VBS day). Your flexibility is greatly appreciated. These roles/responsibilities include: 1. Crew Photos Photographer and Helper. We will have 3 teams (with 2 team members in each) set up to take Elementary and Breakout Crew Photos on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Crew photos is a BIG job, and will take up much of our time and attention those first few days. Crew Photos will be taken near the middle of the day (when Crews are on their way to Snack or KidVid), so these photographers may find themselves filling in other roles/responsibilities during other parts of the day. 2. Candids Photographer, Elementary and Breakout. Depending on the size of our team, we may have some dedicated candids photographers. If not, we ll work this responsibility in wherever we can. 3. Nursery/Preschool Photography. This photographer will handle Preschool Crew Photos, individual Nursery photos, candids for Nursery and Preschool, and any other special projects for these VBS Areas. 4. Spotlight Photographer. This photographer will spend some time each morning capturing the phots needed for the Spotlight Video. We will provide the daily script along with any needed props. 2 P age
5. Worship Center Photographer. If possible, one photographer will be assigned specifically to the Worship Center, focusing on the opening and closing programs, along with the KidVid sessions. All photographers will likely be shooting in the Worship Center at various times, but this dedicated photographer will have the hear to handle what can sometimes be very tricky lighting situations. 6. Photo Production. This team member will focus on the physical production of the Crew Photos to be sent home with the kids at the end of the week. 7. Video Production. This team member will be responsible for putting together the daily Spotlight Video, along with any needed video slideshows. Daily Schedule: A VBS day in the life of a photography team member Morning Meeting The Photography Team will meet in the library (our headquarters for the week) at 8:30 am. This team meeting is required for all team members. If you are bringing your children to VBS, please pan to arrive in time to check then in at the kiosks in the Children s Lobby and drop them off at their respective locations before our meeting. Nursery and Preschool children can be taken directly to their rooms. Elementary and Breakout kids should be dropped off in Room 210 (the YAC). Volunteers will supervise them and take them to their Crew Leaders in time for the Opening Program. Kiosks open at 8:00 am, but be aware that the check-in lines can be long. At 8:30 am, we ll take a few minutes to have team devotions, go over any important announcements, and discuss our goals and individual assignments for the day. From there, we ll go our separate ways to get to work. 3 P age
The Opening Program begins at 9:00am, and we all need to be ready by then. However, there are plenty of photo opportunities before 9:00 am as well (such as Volunteers getting ready for the day, kids arriving at VBS, etc.), so we need to be ready to jump right in. Photo Drop-off Throughout the day, you will need to return to the library to deliver your images. There will be a computer station set up in the library and someone available to upload the images from your memory card to the Coordinator s computer. Once your card is returned to you, you can get back to taking pictures! Please plan to stop by to deliver your images several times during the VBS day. Candids are uploaded to the photo hosting site continually and Crew Photos are sent immediately to Production, so it is important to keep the process moving. If you are taking Crew Photos, you will need to drop those photos off as soon as you are done taking them. Also, EVERYONE needs to drop off their photos before going home at the end of the day. General VBS Schedule Considerations You will receive a VBS schedule at the beginning of each day, so you can better plan your day and locations. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be our busiest days, primarily because we need to get ALL Crew Photos taken on those days, in addition to our other responsibilities. We will really need all hands on deck those days so we can be sure to get everything done. Elementary and Breakout Crew Photos will be taken when crews are on their way to snack (FLC) or KidVid (Worship Center). Elementary snack time is done in two large shifts, so we will be taking Crew Photos in shifts as well. 3 Crew Photo stations Breakout landing between the escalators Elementary North Main Lobby outside the Worship Center Room #238 near Starting Point Preschool South Children s Lobby 4 P age
Thursday: Gospel Presentation On Thursday, the Gospel will be presented to the Elementary kids during their KidVid session, and children will be given the opportunity to pray with their Crew Leader or another volunteer to ask Jesus into their hearts. While we will have one or (at most) two photographers assigned to capturing these moments through photos, there is also a need for volunteers willing to pray with the kids. Crew Leaders are really only able to talk and pray with one or two children during the time allotted, so volunteers from other areas are asked to help out when there is an abundance of children who would like to pray. Preschool and Breakout will also have a time for the Gospel Presentation on Thursday, and we will likely need one photographer in each location to capture those moments. End of VBS day VBS ends at 12:15 pm each day. If you need to leave earlier, please let the Coordinator know in advance. Reminder: be sure you ve turned in all photos before leaving. Also, leave your name tag in the library for the next day. Breaks You will be given a break each day, in order to enjoy a little downtime, along with some of the delicious treats provided by the Hospitality Team. Your break time may vary, especially toward the beginning of the week, but we will do our best to make sure you get that break each day. 5 P age
Expectations: Photography Team members are asked to serve Monday Friday of VBS week, 8:30 am 12:15 pm., unless other arrangements have been made with the Coordinator in advance. Team Members will provide their own camera and memory cards for the week. BE SURE TO CHARGE YOUR CAMERA BATTERY OVERNIGHT, EVERY NIGHT, so you can start fresh each morning. Extra batteries and/or memory cards can be a good idea. Be respectful of Area activities and settings. For example, if Bible Expeditions has the lights off for effect and/or a quiet moment, please refrain from taking flash pictures. Be aware of what is going on and try to remain as unobtrusive as possible in those quiet moments. (We all know that quiet moments are few and far between at VBS.) We have been asked to separate Elementary and Breakout photos for the slideshows shown at the end of each day. In order to make this a little easier, please let the Coordinator know if your memory card contains Elementary photos, Breakout photos, or both, when you deliver your images. As much as possible, try to take one kind or the other (Elementary or Breakout) in between photo drop-offs, in order to make the separation process more streamlined. VBS Volunteers are asked to refrain from all personal texting, email, and cell phone activities during the VBS days. It is certainly acceptable to have your phone with you for emergencies, but we ask that you not take time out from photographing to text, check Facebook, send e-mail, etc. You will be asked to complete an evaluation form before the end of the week. The Directors read each one and take the feedback to hear as they prepare for next year, so please take the time to fill it out Be sure to wear your VBS t-shirt every day. Please do not alter the t-shirt in any way. 6 P age
Set-Up Day (June 25) Responsibilities: You are not required to come to set-up day on the Sunday before VBS. Instead, take a nap, charge your camera batteries, and make sure your camera is set to the correct day and time so all our pictures flow together. Clean-Up Responsibilities: Any help with collecting Crew flip numbers would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise you do not have any clean-up responsibilities. Tips/Other Information: Crew Photo Tips and Guidelines If you have been assigned to take Crew Photos, please follow these general guidelines and tips. You will be working in teams of two, one to set up the picture and the other to take the picture. It is most helpful to work together and share the responsibilities. 1. Set up have the Crew (kids and leaders) stand in front of greenery (outside) or a plain wall (inside) - One photography team person (not the photographer) help the Crew to get set up and make sure everyone is visible in the shot. - Have one child in the front of the group hold the crew number. - Make sure the photographer can see every member of the Crew through their viewfinder. - Photographer: when the Crew arrives, ask the Crew Leader for their Crew Number and adjust the flip chart so the correct crew number is showing. 2. Photo Make sure to include all kids, all Crew Leaders and the number Flip chart in the photo. - As much as possible, these should be full-body shots. Leave a little space all around the Crew, to account for a frame to be printed around the Crew and any copping that needs to occur. - Once everyone is looking at you, take two photos. - Do your best to keep things moving so the Crews can get to their next station in a timely manner. 7 P age
Candid Photo Tips 1. Take a variety of shots. Pull back for group shots and move in for pictures of individuals and details 2. Look for details to capture: little hands working on a project in Imagination Station, or the way a child is intently watching a presenter or story. 3. Shoot from different perspectives. Get down on the kids level in order to really enter their experience through your photos. 4. Capture relationships between children, between kids and their Crew Leaders, between volunteers etc. 5. Please resist the urge to take 10 pictures in a row of the same thing (or if you do, please delete some before you turn in your photos). These photos will be uploaded directly to The Chapel s photo hosting site and we may not have time to go through all of them to remove duplicates. 6. Do your best to get a wide variety of children in your photos. It is easy and tempting to take lots of pictures the adorable child who likes to ham it up for the camera, but be sure to capture the quiet kids as well. 7. For candids, the goal is to capture photos from each station / each part of the day. Be careful to not just follow one Crew around. Mist it up so you are capturing a variety of crews and children. 8. Keep moving. If you notice that you just took seven pictures in a row of the worship team, change it up and find some dancing preschoolers to photograph. Keep looking for new kids and new stories to capture. 9. Don t forget the volunteers! Grab some candids of the teachers, game leaders, Crew Leaders, Hospitality team, etc. If there is time, take a second to ask them to pose for you as a team. 10. Remember that we have to divide photos in Elementary and Breakout for the slideshow. So if you are moving between the two groups, take a minute drop off your photos, so they don t get intermingled. 11. Have FUN! One of the best parts of being on the Photography Team is that you get to see and experience many parts of VBS. Enjoy the variety and seeing the kids learn about Jesus. 8 P age