A Month in the Life: Amazing Youth Congress Pix

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Amazing Youth Congress Pix - kdc

So while I was snapping platform shots with our little digital, there was another guy toting around a serious camera with a long lens. Must be the official Congress cameraman, thought I. And away I went to blog.

Then, this week I saw his pictures. Gulp! I just had to contact him and ask a few questions. He graciously replied, as well as giving us permission to run a few of his shots. Just go to his home site (click on the Youth Congress link) and prepared to be wowed!

This interview took place on August 23, 2007.
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90&9: So how did you get to become the official photographer of Youth Congress 2007?
AB: Actually, it was really just a matter of who I knew! I’m friends with Todd Gaddy and Wayne Francis, they knew I was a photographer, so they asked. I’ve been on two Apostolic Youth Corps trips, and they’ve seen my shots from those trips as well.

90&9: What’s the most challenging part of this job?
AB: I think the most challenging part of shooting Youth Congress was dodging worshipping Pentecostals to get a good shot! There was more than one time I had to hold on to my camera for dear life, as I was overwhelmed by the crowd. Hazards of the job I suppose :)

90&9: What’s the best part of this job?
AB: I think it was definitely the full access VIP status. I got to see Youth Congress from a production level, and I was shocked at how detailed and professional they really are. Hanging out in the VIP lounge was pretty cool too!

90&9: Is there one shot (or a set of shots) you’re most proud of?
AB: I’m going to pat myself on the back and say I’m proud of most of the shots I was able to catch. I feel like I caught the spirit of each session and service, and I thought you could really get a sense of what was going on through pictures. I’m proud of that because my favorite aspect of photography is telling a story through pictures, and I feel like I accomplished that.

90&9: Do you even get a moment to enjoy the services?
AB: Bro. Gaddy did a good job of giving me a schedule that wasn’t hectic; however, being ADHD and unable to sit down when I have a camera in my hand, I was moving constantly. I was able to get the gist of each session, but I wasn’t able to totally get in the flow of things—which is unfortunate but part of the gig I suppose!

90&9: What was your personal favorite moment of NAYC 2007?
AB: Wow. There were so many great moments it’s hard to pick. However, I have to pick two. One, when Bro. Gaddy asked everyone to take a knee and give a moment of silence. That silence was spiritually earth-shattering. Awesome! Second, seeing the look on the kids face when he won the Nintendo Wii, priceless!

90&9: Tell us a bit about your photography background.
AB: There’s not much to tell. I took a trip to the Grand Canyon about six or seven years ago with a small film camera I had just bought, and after taking about 25 rolls of film worth of pictures, I got hooked. From there, I pretty much taught myself by reading books and just practicing. There’s no other way to learn photography except by much practice!

90&9: The key to great photography is...?
AB: Taking pictures of things you enjoy. I always tell people that to me, photography is simply your view of the world. You can make it appear however you want to, from any angle. Everybody sees the world through a different perspective, photography is one way to show that!