Thanks to St. Paul's for gracious hospitality, to the Revs. Lee Lowery and Mollie Roberts who did a lot of work to pull things together and to the other priests and youth ministers who taught and to all the adults who drove and chaperoned. More photos can be found online here: Acolyte Festival Photo Album

The youth of St. Anne's, Tifton, participated in the congregation's 72-Bible Reading Marathon by holding a lock in and taking turns reading from scripture.

Photos of Youth Around the Diocese

Cornerstone in Augusta kicked off the year with 71 teens participating.

 
Eden and Miriam enjoy the kick off at King of Peace, Kingsland, called Peanut Butter and Jam which featured snacks and musicians jamming on their instruments and youth joining in.

   Sunday School kicks off at St. Paul's, Augusta.

Christ Church, Savannah, enjoyed an afternoon at the beach on Tybee Island.

The fastest growing congregations in the Diocese of Georgia are also those with a system in place to post photos of their events online. I am aware that there is no direct cause and effect relationship between photography and church attendance and yet there is something more here than a mere coincidence and the same principal applies to youth ministry.

My Professional Bias
First, I must admit my professional bias. I worked professionally as a newspaper photographer in my first years out of college first for the Warner Robins Daily Sun and then for the Rome News-Tribune and during that time served as an Associated Press photographer for those areas of the state (my photo of a firefighter entering a house fire is at right). But I think my seeing this connection between photography and church comes more from serving as a youth minister and then church planter.

Here are seven basic tips for youth event photographers:

 

1) Know the key moments and be ready for them
From the priest going under water in a dunk tank at the Fall Festival to a pie in the face of the youth minister, each event has some predictable moments when the photographer needs to be in position and ready. Communication between the youth minister about what is planned will make sure the photographer is in the right place at the right time. In the case of a liturgy, planning means taking into account beng positioned so as not to interfere with the sacredness of the worship.

2) Take establishing shots and details too
Most of the photos of events are in the middle range, with no wide shot to show the overall event and no detail to fill in the picture. Get a few pictures that take in the whole event from a few angles and then look for the details which will add depth and texture to the final photo album (like the close up of the deer fly at the Honey Creek pool at right). Variety will make every album more interesting.

3) Mind the background
This one tip can not be emphasized enough. Always pay attention to the entire frame. While keeping the background simple helps most photos, this is not aays true with event pictures whe you want to share a sense of how it felt to be there. One common issue we see is a small group in the action, with a empty background at what is reported to be a large event. Seeing more people and action behind what you are photographing adds depth. This must be balanced with paying attention to what is behind the subject of the photo so that a yawning acolyte doesn't take away from an otherwise perfect picture.
 

In the photo above, seeing a full parish hall behind the teens at the table adds depth and shows how something more of the event in a single picture. Then in the photo at right, the photo bombing Missioner for Youth (I'm looking at you Elizabeth) intentionally dominates (reads ruins) an otherwise nice photo from the talent show at Spring Rally.

4) Take a mix of vertical and horizontal pictures
Many times, a great vertical image is trapped in the middle of a horizontal photo. While cropping in a photo program such as Photoshop can fix this, it is best to consider how to frame the photos as you take them. When in doubt, take the photo both as a horizontal picture and as a vertical one and decide whn you edit. While a horizontal photo could have shown the scene, the vertical picture of ...

5) Edit thoughtfully
An unedited album with hundreds of photos is almost as problematic as no pictures (but not quite). Cut out all but the best of a given picture unless it is a series. Look for a mix of overall, medium distance and close-up pictures. A tightly edited group of pictures where each photo is worth sharing will leave folks wanting to come back to see more then next time you post an album. Make sure though to get everyone in a photo at events with smaller attendance. An album of even ten photos can capture as many as twenty participants easily and everyone will want to be included when possible. If you miss getting someone in at this event, try to get a good picture of him or her the next time you gather.

6) Post Promptly
I prefer not to go to sleep before the pictures are posted, but this will not surprise those who know me. For the less obsessive photographer, please get the photos online within 24 hours. We have all become accustomed to a 24-hour news cycle and interest wains quickly as time passes after the event.

Much more can be said, but these tips will get any photographer headed in the right direction. Using Facebook, a Google's Picasa, or a Flickr album, your congregation can share photos quickly and at no cost. Why not share the joy of being a part of your church?

 

The Rev. Frank Logue

Canon to the Ordinary