VBS 2018
Photography
Training Manual – South Hills June 25 – June 29, 2017
Photography Coordinator: Heather Tyo
[email protected]
phone: 724-941-8990 (office)
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Purpose: The VBS Photography Team exists to capture the big and little details of VBS week.
Roles and Responsibilities: 1. Candid Photographer Every photographer is a candid photographer every day. You will receive a schedule showing which assignments you have each day, covering some of the various areas of VBS. The goal of the team is not to cover every aspect of VBS every day, but rather to capture all areas at some point during the week, so that we have a nice grouping of shots representing what the week is all about. Your photos will not only be used now to update parents and encourage the kids, but they will also be used primarily for social media posts, press releases to the public, and future promotional materials to advertise VBS. 2. Selfie Station Helper This role will stand at one of the selfie stations around the campus, and assist crew leaders as they come by for their photos. Helping kids with props, getting them to smile or make funny faces, ensuring that the whole crew is visible in the shot, and operating the crew leader’s phone to take the photo will be your primary responsibilities.
Daily Schedule: Children’s Check-In – 8:00 a.m. If you are bringing your children to VBS, please plan to arrive in time to check them in at the kiosks in the Children’s Lobby and drop them off at their respective locations before our meeting. The check-in lines can be long, so please be sure to allow enough time for this. Nursery and Preschool children can be taken directly to their rooms. Elementary and Breakout kids should be dropped off in Room 210 (formerly the YAC). Volunteers will supervise them and take them to their Crew Leaders in time for the Opening Program. Morning Meeting – 8:30 a.m. We will all meet in Room 314 daily for a brief prayer, review of the schedule, and Q/A if needed. Opening Program – 9:00 a.m. All candid photographers should cover the Opening Program if possible, but you can also take the opportunity before then to capture parents and kids checking in, or volunteers preparing for the day. Photo Drop-off – Throughout the Day Periodically return to Room 314 to upload your images to our computer, and then you can get back to work. Please remember to drop off all photos before leaving each day.
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End of Day – 12:15 p.m. Before you leave each day, please turn in your nametag and all photos you have taken to Room 314. If you need to leave early for any reason, please notify the Photography Coordinator in advance. Breaks You will be given a break each day to enjoy a little downtime, get a snack, use the restroom, etc.
General Information: Set-Up Day Responsibilities (June 24) Charge your camera battery and set your camera to the correct date and time. Clean-Up Responsibilities None Thursday: Gospel Presentation On Thursday, the Gospel will be presented to the Elementary and Breakout kids, and they will be given the opportunity to pray with an adult volunteer to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. Two Options to Serve During this Time: 1. Take Photos: We need one or two people to take photos of this special time 2. Pray with a Child: If many children come forward, volunteers from other areas are asked to help out since Crew Leaders can be with only one to two kids at a time. *Please notify the coordinator in advance whether you would prefer to take photos or pray with the children during this time. We will do our best to meet your preference, but please be flexible.
Expectations: • • • • • •
Serve Monday – Friday of VBS week, 8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., unless other arrangements have been made with the Coordinator in advance. Provide your own camera and memory cards for the week if you are a candid photographer, and keep your camera charged and in good working order. Be respectful of area activities and settings. For example, if the lights are 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. Refrain from all personal cell phone activities during the VBS day. You may have your phone on you for emergency reasons, but not for personal use such as Facebook or texting. Wear your VBS t-shirt and name tag every day, and do not alter the t-shirt in any way. Tell us what you think! Please complete the evaluation form you receive before the end of the week. Leadership uses this feedback as they prepare for next year. 3|Page
Selfie Station Helper Details • There are Four Selfie Stations for Crews to Utilize: If you are a Selfie Station Helper you will be assigned to one of these locations each day. We will rotate everyone so that you aren’t standing in the same spot all week long and have a chance to interact with kids of different ages. 1. 2. 3. 4. • • • • •
Breakout – Landing between the escalators Elementary – North Main Lobby outside the Worship Center Elementary – Room #238 near Starting Point Preschool – South Children’s Lobby
Be careful with the equipment. Since you will be using each crew leader’s personal cell phone to take their photos, please exercise caution so that no one’s phone is damaged. Take two photos of each crew so that they can choose the best one to send to parents. Be sure that all crew members are visible inside the selfie frame when taking the photos. Make the kids smile or laugh (as much as you can) and have fun with it! Keep the sessions short if other crews are waiting to use the station.
Candid Photographer Details • Take a variety of shots and capture the details. Pull back for group shots and move in for pictures of individuals and details. Watch for little hands working on a project in Imagination Station, or the way a child is intently watching a presenter or story. • Shoot from different perspectives. Get down on the kids’ level in order to really enter their experience through your photos. • Capture relationships between people. • Do your best to get a wide variety of children in your photos. It is tempting to take lots of pictures of the adorable child who loves the camera, but capture the quiet kids as well. Also, please avoid taking multiple photos of the same thing. • Keep moving. If you realize you just took multiple photos of the worship team, change it up and find some dancing preschoolers to photograph; there are many stories to capture! • Don’t forget the volunteers! Grab some candids of the teachers, game leaders, Crew Leaders, Hospitality Team, etc. in action. • Keep Elementary and Breakout photos separate. We have to divide photos into Elementary and Breakout for the slideshow, so if you are moving between the two groups, take a minute to drop off your photos so they don’t get intermingled. • 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.
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