# Q+A - What it's like to be a military photographer.



## Tamgerine (Sep 1, 2013)

Every now and then I get a few questions asking what it's like to be a photographer in the military. I'd like to write an overall article covering the aspects of what this sort of job entails, but I want to cover a broad variety of questions and not just what I've been asked in the past. 

Which is where you come in! I'll answer any questions you may have, long or short, about the sort of work I do. I'll be as detailed as I can as long as it doesn't cross the lines of operational security and what I'm permitted to say.

Some background: I enlisted in 2008 into the Marine Corps as a 4671, Combat Videographer, which is my primary MOS. I'm currently 7 months into a deployment in Afghanistan, and I deployed with a Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2010 where we worked on ships with the Navy. The majority of my work in a deployed environment is actually photography, and a little bit of reproduction/print and graphics work. 

I've done a lot of things: blown stuff up, flown in a lot of helicopters, done a lot of working parties, worked alongside many foreign militaries, got yelled at, yelled at people, slept on the ground, slept in the rain, slept in the same sleeping quarters with 74 other women, spent 16 hours straight in an MRAP, peed twice next to that MRAP in the middle of the desert, peed next to some guy's garden in the middle of the desert, been to a bunch of different countries, and a variety of other things you can probably come up with. I've taken pictures of most of it. Except the pee.

So if you've got any questions about my line of work, have children who are thinking about the military as an option, or just absolutely have to know what it's like to stand in line for ship food for two hours - here's your chance to ask.


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## raventepes (Sep 1, 2013)

I'm curious as to the equipment you use, and weather or not you're provided with it, or it comes out of your pocket.


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## The_Traveler (Sep 1, 2013)

raventepes said:


> I'm curious as to the equipment you use, and weather or not you're provided with it, or it comes out of your pocket.



For the peeing part, it's her own equipment.
For the picture-taking part, an additional potential source of information is Defense Information School (DINFOS) which is where many if not most military journalists and photographers get trained.


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## Juga (Sep 1, 2013)

raventepes said:


> I'm curious as to the equipment you use, and weather or not you're provided with it, or it comes out of your pocket.



I am in the Coast Guard and I know for a fact that the CG provides equipment and we have our own school for training but also send our public affairs people to a Navy school.


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## gsgary (Sep 1, 2013)

Do you use a SheWee ?


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## Tamgerine (Sep 2, 2013)

raventepes said:


> I'm curious as to the equipment you use, and weather or not you're provided with it, or it comes out of your pocket.



The_Traveler is correct that we are provided our equipment. Within our Military Occupational Specialty there are powers that be that switched us over to Canon some years ago, but for as the specific cameras and equipment it's most up to the shop who puts in the purchase requests. Our little shop of three Marines started out this deployment with three 5d MK II's, broke one within a week, and the other has a cracked display. Since purchasing new equipment we've acquired 2 EOS 1D-X's and five brand new MK III's, along with a  few of the 600-RT Speedlights. We have also broken one 24-70 and I think three 16-35 lenses? This country is rough on equipment, unfortunately. 

It's nice because not only do I have access to the latest equipment for free (even back in the rear we are typically able to check out equipment for our own personal off-duty use, non-commercial) but if something breaks it's kind of like, oh well, they'll just buy me a new one. There are budget retrains and limits, but in country our mission takes priority so pretty much anything gets approved. 



gsgary said:


> Do you use a SheWee ?



I do not, though I've toyed with the idea of them. I'm kind of turned off by carrying around a pee-covered plastic thing all day, in addition to the fact that I'd have to take my pants mostly off to move my underwear aside. I see on the website that they sell special underwear but outside the wire we're supposed to wear ballistic underwear in case I step on something that goes boom, it'll protect my arteries more than nothing. 

But hey, it might be one of those things where once I try it I'll never go back. You never know!


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## Tamgerine (Sep 2, 2013)

Here is a photo of our happy family! It's probably pretty obvious which one is me.


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## Warhorse (Sep 2, 2013)

Semper Fi! Thank you for your service to this great country of ours.

I'm an old leatherneck myself, I served in 1975-1979. My MOS was 1391 (bulk fuel man).

How did you get your MOS assigned to you, was it just random, or part of your contract?


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## Joeywhat (Sep 2, 2013)

Are you issued firearms with that MOS, and if so, do you find yourself using them in combat very often? Or is it primarily just taking pictures and related tasks and leaving the shooting to others? And on that note, do you even find yourself in combat very often, or is it mostly stuff in safer areas?

Also, if you are issued firearms, what's your standard loadout (I'd be interested in the camera gear as well as the guns).


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## Heitz (Sep 2, 2013)

I honestly mean no disrespect, but I'm curious to know why the military staffs combat photographers. I always thought these images were provided primarily by journalists whom exist apart from the military proper.


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## gsgary (Sep 2, 2013)

Tamgerine said:


> raventepes said:
> 
> 
> > I'm curious as to the equipment you use, and weather or not you're provided with it, or it comes out of your pocket.
> ...



The woman that invented it was in the British army and got laughed at on a tv program, she told them when they are out on exercise and have to take a pee their bums are like a big shinny targets, she had the last laugh


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## lucasbellator (Sep 3, 2013)

My question would be how you got assigned to be combat photographer. Did you choose or it was chosen for you? 
Do you participate in combat?


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## Gavjenks (Sep 3, 2013)

Do you photograph things for tactical/intelligence purposes, for R&D (how well training and equipment works from an objective perspective, etc.), or for marketing the armed forces to potential recruits, or for documentary purposes, or ...?


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## Tamgerine (Sep 5, 2013)

Sorry for the delay in response, my days are long out here and I tend to prioritize sleep.



Warhorse said:


> How did you get your MOS assigned to you, was it just random, or part of your contract?


 
Semper Fi brother! My MOS was part of my contract. I had asked specifically for photographer (4641) but only received something in the 4600 field. When I found out I was assigned as a videographer (4671) I was pissed for like three days until I realized I really liked it. It all worked out anyway because the majority of my work in the field ends up being photography anyway.


Joeywhat said:


> Are you issued firearms with that MOS, and if so, do you find yourself using them in combat very often? Or is it primarily just taking pictures and related tasks and leaving the shooting to others? And on that note, do you even find yourself in combat very often, or is it mostly stuff in safer areas?
> 
> Also, if you are issued firearms, what's your standard loadout (I'd be interested in the camera gear as well as the guns).



I am indeed issued firearms and have to qualify every year on the rifle/pistol range just as every other Marine does. 

I personally haven&#8217;t used my rifle in combat yet. Actually seeing combat depends heavily on who you&#8217;re assigned to &#8211; whether you&#8217;re attached to an infantry unit, an air wing, or a command element which is primary command personnel like generals and staff. 

Because I&#8217;m assigned to the command element as well as personal photographer to the commanding general, I really don&#8217;t see much action. I do get to go out with ground units but so far all we end up doing is wandering around being miserable in the heat for hours on end. It&#8217;s also significantly calmed down here for the majority of our forces. It&#8217;s not like it used to be. 

My Corporal however spent his last deployment with an infantry unit and did get to see combat and fire his weapon in it. It all comes down to luck of the draw and who you get assigned to. There are plenty of combat cameraman who have lived up to the name and plenty who never got the chance to deploy, either. 



Heitz said:


> I honestly mean no disrespect, but I'm curious to know why the military staffs combat photographers. I always thought these images were provided primarily by journalists whom exist apart from the military proper.


 
Our MOS deals with considerable more amounts of work and responsibilities than just photographs of combat. We also provide administrative photography such as promotion photos, command board portraits, passport photos, and document military ceremonies like change of commands or transfers of authority. In addition to that we do battle damage assessments, incident assessments, and handle sensitive imagery. We also have reproduction specialists (4612) who deal with printing. We print things like flight manuals, publications, posters, any graphic designs needed, ceremony programs, and pretty much anything that needs printed.

Combat Camera shops support entire bases in the rear and any sort of administrative work, training, or historical documents they need. 

When you consider the entire MOS, combat photography is actually just a very small portion of what we do. Nowadays a unit may only have two or three Combat Camera personnel assigned to them, and when you factor that into a MOS of hundreds of Marines only those few who are deployed are even going to get a chance to see combat.

So there&#8217;s a ton of work we do that just isn&#8217;t going to be given to fancy shmancy civilian journalists. Either the work is classified or just plain boring. We support photographic, video, and reproduction needs for an entire military service &#8211; that&#8217;s not feasible for just a few civilian journalists. Not to mention a civilian could technically quit whenever they wanted and just go home and abandon the unit. You can&#8217;t do that when you&#8217;re part of that unit.  

There&#8217;s also the fact that we don&#8217;t have control over their imagery because they&#8217;re not in the military. The DoD actually owns the copyright to every photo I have ever taken in the military &#8211; I have no ownership over my work and everything I do is subject to approval by my releasing authority. They have complete control over my imagery, something that isn&#8217;t really possible with civilians. The photos I take never see the light of day until they have officially been approved to do so. 



lucasbellator said:


> My question would be how you got assigned to be combat photographer. Did you choose or it was chosen for you?
> Do you participate in combat?


 
Covered this above. I would definitely participate in combat if in that situation &#8211; if someone is shooting at me I am going to shoot back. 


Gavjenks said:


> Do you photograph things for tactical/intelligence purposes, for R&D (how well training and equipment works from an objective perspective, etc.), or for marketing the armed forces to potential recruits, or for documentary purposes, or ...?



It&#8217;s pretty much all of the above and depends really on what kind of unit you&#8217;re assigned to. We provide photographic, video, and reproduction/printing services to units. An air wing and an infantry battalion will both have very different needs. 

We don&#8217;t do a lot of marketing &#8211; our photos do appear in articles and on Marines.mil and the internet, but as for commercials or posters most of that is all civilian work because they are typically better trainer and have higher budgets. 

Hope I answered everyone&#8217;s questions well enough so far. =)


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## Devinhullphoto (Sep 5, 2013)

If you want to be a photographer in the military, when you enlist do you get that or is it up in the air on if you get that or a general military position. It's something my wife wanted to do but she's afraid they'll make her a soldier.


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## Tamgerine (Sep 7, 2013)

Devinhullphoto said:


> If you want to be a photographer in the military, when you enlist do you get that or is it up in the air on if you get that or a general military position. It's something my wife wanted to do but she's afraid they'll make her a soldier.



You can definitely get your wanted job put into your contract before you enlist, I did. I would NOT sign the paperwork unless I was placed into the Combat Camera field. If she enlists with an open contract she'll get whatever job the military gives her.

That being said, if she enlists as a photographer and fails out of school they'll give her a different job. They won't let her out of her contract. So she needs to pass the school in order to get a position. 

However, straight infantry positions are not currently open to women. That's not to say she won't see combat depending on her job/service, but she will not be infantry if that is what she's worried about. If she's absolutely unwilling to see combat don't join the Marines or the Army, if she doesn't want to be on ship for considerable amounts of time don't join the Navy. If she wants kind of a cushy position and a slightly higher standard of living join the Air Force. 

Please consider that whatever MOS you hold hold you are a Soldier/Marine/Sailor/Airmen first. The needs of the military will always come before your job. There will be times when you have to do work you don't want to do, or boring work, or hard work, or maybe not the work you wanted to do when you joined. There is always that chance. If the only reason your wife wants to enlist is to take cool pictures that is probably not a good idea because there is always that chance it won't work out and she'll still be in the military. Consider the military first, then the job.


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## gconnoyer (Sep 7, 2013)

This thread delivers.


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## canonbraden (Sep 10, 2013)

Sounds awesome. Can you PM me? I have some questions for you regarding this subject.


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## Coasty (Sep 11, 2013)

Heitz said:


> I honestly mean no disrespect, but I'm curious to know why the military staffs combat photographers. I always thought these images were provided primarily by journalists whom exist apart from the military proper.




There are not always photojournalists available when things happen. Also, a nonmilitary photographer might not have the same &#8220;objectiveness&#8221; as a military photographer. Plus, I would not want some kid from &#8220;The sunny times&#8221; embedded with me. Not only are you going to have to take care of him and keep him safe, he might blow your position when his flash goes off. 




I was involved with the Carnival Triumph cruise ship fiasco last February. There was no press to report the incident except us. I took around 5000 pictures over four days and not a single one had &#8220;Help US!&#8221; and &#8220;Save US!&#8221; written on bed sheets until the news helicopters got in range.


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## The_Traveler (Sep 11, 2013)

Tamgerine said:


> Please consider that whatever MOS you hold hold you are a Soldier/Marine/Sailor/Airmen first. The needs of the military will always come before your job. *There will be times when you have to do work you don't want to do, or boring work, or hard work, or maybe not the work you wanted to do when you joined. *There is always that chance. If the only reason your wife wants to enlist is to take cool pictures that is probably not a good idea because there is always that chance it won't work out and she'll still be in the military. Consider the military first, then the job.



Having spent 24 years on active duty, I can affirm that the bold text above is totally true.


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## kathyt (Sep 11, 2013)

Very interesting thread. Thanks for sharing your experience.


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## Luke345678 (Sep 11, 2013)

canonbraden said:


> Sounds awesome. Can you PM me? I have some questions for you regarding this subject.



Why don't you ask them on the thread itself. Some others might have some of the same questions later on.


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## gconnoyer (Sep 12, 2013)

Coasty said:


> Heitz said:
> 
> 
> > *Plus, I would not want some kid from &#8220;The sunny times&#8221; embedded with me. Not only are you going to have to take care of him and keep him safe, he might blow your position when his flash goes off. *
> ...


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## runnah (Sep 13, 2013)

While I 100% support troops and those who photograph them, I prefer that my clients not have the ability to shoot back.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 6, 2013)

Sorry for the long delay guys! It's been super busy here. But I've got some new photos and I can always post more.

A quick update: We're actually going to be heading home soon and we're counting down here. I'll be honest, I'm pretty nervous. That must sound weird but I've spent the last year working every day straight. Five days a week I'm working 13+ hours, and the two half days a week we do get are still around 9 hours, if I get the half day at all.

You go home and it's a drastic change. You get used to being busy all the time no matter what and suddenly you've got all sorts of free time - weekends, holidays, and you just....don't know what to do with yourself. I just don't know what I would DO with a whole weekend anymore if I'm not working. I got so depressed after my last deployment that I ended up joining a roller derby team. What's next?!

It's why you get a lot of problems when Marines get back and act crazy. Especially if they've gotten used to the adrenaline rush of patrols and blowing things up. Here's a year full of exciting stuff to do every day and now here's a desk: sit at it. It's hard for some people.

Anyways, enough of that boring stuff! I got really lucky on a shoot a while back and came out with some top notch stuff for my permanent portfolio. We were over at the Afghan's surgical tent doing some dumb boring footage when they had a patient come in for surgery. He had been wounded in an IED blast. The doctors (one of them is a dentist, even) were all up in his arm. It was bonkers. Sometimes you just get lucky.














There are a lot of photos but these are the best two. If you want you can see the rest of the set on my Flickr stream: www.flickr.com/photos/tammy_hineline/

In other other words, it's the end of the year and that means the Military Photographer of the Year competition. I had an honorable mention in 2010 and I'll be submitting a whole portfolio this year for entry. It's hard to sit down and pick just 10 photos out of an entire year of work. You really have to think critically about how good the photos actually are and what you bring to the table talent wise. You have to disconnect yourself emotionally from your creation. It's nerve wracking to feel that maybe you weren't good enough or should have done something differently or shot more of something else. Oh well, wish me luck!

Any questions you have, feel free to ask, as always.


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## spacefuzz (Dec 6, 2013)

So how often do you get an amazing shot......that is never allowed to see the light of day?  Does it bother you that they get filed away in a secure data base somewhere and will never get seen?

Are you ever allowed to get artistic with your photos or is it mostly straight up photojournalism?


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## lambertpix (Dec 6, 2013)

Wow.. what a fantastic thread.  Thanks so much for your service and for taking the time for the Q&A.  I followed your flickr feed, too -- you've got some great stuff there.  You touched on some of the editorial parts of your workflow -- I assumed you wouldn't have copyright or control over what gets published.  Can you share anything about how you get your assignments (ie, are you looking for specific types of shots, or just whatever seems meaningful wherever you're embedded) and what happens to images once you shoot them (ie, do you do post-processing yourself or just hand the cards over to someone for editing)?

Thanks again -- this is a real privilege.


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## sashbar (Dec 6, 2013)

Tamgerine - do you draw the line between a military photographer and a war correspondent? If yes, where is it? If no, why?

I had a friend who was not a military, he was a newspaper stuff photographer. But he worked in a war zone.  One day he was sitting on a bus with locals, the bus was stopped by the rebels. They spotted his camera, took him aside, shot in the head and dumped his body in a roadside ditch. He was quite pro-rebel actually. That was in Chechnya.

PS - If you work in Kabul NATO base, we may have some common friends.


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## Steve5D (Dec 6, 2013)

I served as the ship's photographer for a couple of ships I was stationed on, but nothing like this.

This is a great thread...


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## EIngerson (Dec 6, 2013)

Nothing like a motivated Sergeant. OOH RAH Devil Dog! 

MGunz


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## IByte (Dec 6, 2013)

Tamgerine said:


> Here is a photo of our happy family! It's probably pretty obvious which one is me.
> 
> <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=54553"/>



Aaaah the Desert Digis, so many memories flooding back, and welcome.


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## AlanKlein (Dec 6, 2013)

Your Flickr sets are wonderful.  Firstly, your report the military set pictures with all info like a photojournalist should.  what when where why etc.  You got photojournalism covered when you get out.

You also have a set on Love.  Weddings?- covered.  And another set with just you and your husband (sorry fellows).  All different sides of you in pictures.

Curious.  How does your husband handle that you're in Afghanistan?  I bet you can't wait to get home and give him a big hug!  Thanks for a great thread and your service.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 7, 2013)

spacefuzz said:


> So how often do you get an amazing shot......that is never allowed to see the light of day? Does it bother you that they get filed away in a secure data base somewhere and will never get seen?
> 
> Are you ever allowed to get artistic with your photos or is it mostly straight up photojournalism?


 
Unfortunately the answer to that first question is a lot. Ive got an entire two months worth of photos from a foreign country from my first deployment that are not releasable. Thats not to say I dont have them  I do, theyre not classified or anything. But theyre not permitted for public release. That means no Flickr, Facebook, maybe a print portfolio but thats it.

I had an amazing shoot a while back where I got a few images that were very important to me. We fought to get them released but it just did not work out. Its hard not to get attached to my imagery but its the nature of the beast. 

When we release an image we have to ask ourselves if it helps our mission or hinders it. Does what were portraying to the public match the image and goals were trying to project? 

Say for example I take an amazing image of a wounded Marine. Beautiful and moving, full of emotion. If we release that, what does it add to the mission? Its going to get picked up by external media, its going to freak out his wife and family, and potentially upset the public. Were not really supposed to be runnin and gunnin out here any more, so releasing an image like that would hurt what were trying to accomplish. 

It sucks, but I have to realize that my work isnt always about me. 

As for your question, I am definitely encouraged to be artistic with my photos. Its just like with any other industry  imagery can effect people emotionally and influence things. The better the imagery the better the influence. 

However, I also follow strict integrity guidelines. We dont edit images to the point of falsifying reality and marketing it as such. If we manipulate something extensively through photoshop then it is considered a Photo Illustration and not a photo, really. Journalistic integrity is very important in our line of work. 

The short answer is I can be as creative as the mission requires. If Im just taking battle damage imagery of a blown up tank used for a briefing I dont really need to be doing long exposures and crazy compositions. 



			
				lambertpix said:
			
		

> Wow.. what a fantastic thread. Thanks so much for your service and for taking the time for the Q&A. I followed your flickr feed, too -- you've got some great stuff there. You touched on some of the editorial parts of your workflow -- I assumed you wouldn't have copyright or control over what gets published. Can you share anything about how you get your assignments (ie, are you looking for specific types of shots, or just whatever seems meaningful wherever you're embedded) and what happens to images once you shoot them (ie, do you do post-processing yourself or just hand the cards over to someone for editing)?


 
Thanks! Youre right in that I dont have any control over my copyright. All of my work is in the public domain. Any one can use it for any reason. 

How I get my assignments depends mostly on who we support as a unit. For example at a battalion a photographer would support battalion operations. Since Im with the Command Element, I support people such as the Commanding General and the smaller units that fall underneath us for support. 

Honestly its as easy as someone calling us up and saying, Hey, weve got a cool patrol coming up. Want to go? What we do is dependent on what everyone else is doing at the time. 

As for the shoot itself, Im basically looking for a variety of good images that tell the story of what is going on. Same with any basic photojournalism event. I cover the main purpose, some portraits on the side, really whatever the situation dictates. I have to be flexible. Ive shot some really boring stuff, too. 
As for the process I edit and caption all of my own imagery. I take things back, pick my selects (about 10-15 of the best images), and write my captions. From there the releasing authority (my boss) checks it over, gives the green light, and we upload it to the Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System (dvidshub.net) where it goes out into the world. 



			
				sashbar said:
			
		

> Tamgerine - do you draw the line between a military photographer and a war correspondent? If yes, where is it? If no, why?
> 
> I had a friend who was not a military, he was a newspaper stuff photographer. But he worked in a war zone. One day he was sitting on a bus with locals, the bus was stopped by the rebels. They spotted his camera, took him aside, shot in the head and dumped his body in a roadside ditch. He was quite pro-rebel actually. That was in Chechnya.
> 
> PS - If you work in Kabul NATO base, we may have some common friends.


 
We absolutely draw the line between Combat Camera and a correspondent, who is technically public affairs. Theyre two completely separate occupational fields (4600 and 4300). As 4600s we do NOT write stories. Think of Combat Camera as internal media and public affairs as external media. We have different duties and responsibilities. 

Im sorry about your friend. Photo journalism can be a dangerous job. Im lucky that whenever I go out I always have my own weapons and security. Being surrounded by other Marines with guns is always a nice feeling. 

Im not in Kabul, though. Its Camp Leatherneck all the way for me. 



			
				Steve5D said:
			
		

> I served as the ship's photographer for a couple of ships I was stationed on, but nothing like this.


 
Any ships I would recognize? I was on the USS Kearsarge, USS Ponce, and the USS Wasp briefly.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 7, 2013)

AlanKlein said:


> Your Flickr sets are wonderful.  Firstly, your report the military set pictures with all info like a photojournalist should.  what when where why etc.  You got photojournalism covered when you get out.
> 
> You also have a set on Love.  Weddings?- covered.  And another set with just you and your husband (sorry fellows).  All different sides of you in pictures.
> 
> Curious.  How does your husband handle that you're in Afghanistan?  I bet you can't wait to get home and give him a big hug!  Thanks for a great thread and your service.



Thank you for the compliment! I'm quite picky about my captions. It's interesting that you mentioned my varied work on my Flickr because it's becoming kind of a dilemma for me as I begin to return home. Things are significantly less exciting back in garrison so on the side I like to shoot portraits, assist on weddings, and take funny photos of me and the hubs. But the majority of my good work for the past year has been military - so as soon as I get back my portraits and weddings are rather outdated. It's hard to sell myself to a primary wedding photographer with a portfolio full of sweaty dudes and Afghans. I'm honestly having a bit of trouble deciding what I actually want to DO and how to position my brand in that regards. Oh well! 

I'm lucky that my husband is very supportive of me. We communicate well when I'm away and he knows this work makes me very happy. I do miss him, but both of us are also rather independent people so we don't fall apart when we're not together. I am looking forward to seeing him soon, though.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 7, 2013)

Here are some things that may interest you!

If you've got a considerable amount of time to kill and nothing better to do, you can actually browse my full military portfolio from the most boring ceremonies to the coolest of helicopter rides on my DVIDS portfolio: DVIDS - Journalist Portfolio

Currently sitting at 1,061 images, spanning countries such as Afghanistan, Greece, Tunisia, Djibouti, and good ol' USA, it's a photographic timeline of my career from little baby Lance Cpl. to present. You can also view all the video productions I've shot (I'm a better photographer than videographer, unfortunately). I was totally stoked to hit my 1000th released image out here.

There's also a small bio posted from when I was selected as Journalist of the Month for April, if you're into bios. 

Next: While I was in Kuwait, I totally saw one of my photos on the front cover of a magazine. It was crazy! Because my photos are public domain anyone can use them and I don't get told where they go or what they're used for. Here's a photo of me and the magazine with the subject himself, who has a habit of standing photogenically in front of things. It's a talent of his. It was cool because the magazine was on sale at Camp Leatherneck too and a bunch of people ended up buying him and me some copies. 




In other news, here is what a lens looks like when it is run over by a tank:


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## AlanKlein (Dec 7, 2013)

Photo essay with writing.  Your DVIDS show that you do both well.    You're great selling yourself as well in your bios and certainly here.  You'll do well in any of the areas or whatever you decide to do.  You already have spunk, creativity, good looks, and experience and a great personal story.  Loads of places will want you.  I checked the videos-they look good too altiough for some reason I couldn;t get the sound.


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## wyogirl (Dec 8, 2013)

This is hands down, the best thread I have ever read on this forum.  *Thank you for your service* and for sharing this with us!


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## Tamgerine (Dec 21, 2013)

I'm really happy that everyone has enjoyed reading the thread. The other day I realize that my Flickr page actually has none of the photography from my first deployment so I get the pleasure of going through all of my old stuff to select for uploads. It's actually made me quite nostalgic tonight, so here's a few of my favorite shots from my previous deployment.

I remember our first exercises on ship right off Onslow Beach. I remember standing on the catwalks and looking at the beach thinking how I could see home but was stuck on that ships for weeks. I remember the day on the beach covering the LCAC's and how we were there for hours because of the bad weather. We all ended up playing hacky sack in the rain. 

I remember being on ship and just how many colors the ocean could be. Running on the flight deck and seeing nothing but water in every direction, or sometimes huge cargo ships in the distance. Sometimes when I'm at the beach I close my eyes and listen to the waves, thinking about how it sounds so similar to the waves crashing against the hull. 

I think about cool operations with the Recon Marines and how it was hard being around them at first because I was female and not Recon so they didn't want me taking any pictures of them. I like to think they got used to having me around after a while. 

I remember getting my first nickname from this guy. It was "Slingblade" on account of my cool looking pocket knife. He accepted me into his squad and made me feel less shy about being the only girl around. This portrait was taken during training in Djibouti, he actually biffed it on the no-skid on ship before we flew out. 

I remember how the beds on Arta beach would break if you sat in the middle. You either had to have two people sitting on them - one on each end, or you had to lie down. There were huge piles of broken beds by the time they left. Whenever the wind blew all of the pink mattresses would fly into the air. 

I remember climbing into one of these suckers and being glad I was not assigned to an Amphibious Assault Vehicle because that thing looks like it sucks to be in.

I remember being so mad that they would let me stay on Arta beach with the guys because I was the only female. They had to drive me back and forth from the base whenever I wanted to go out and take pictures. Jerks. 

I remember cold, freezing showers every morning and doing one body part at a time. I remember one time when on the way back from a training mission the whole platoon decided to run and I was way too slow and thought I was going to get left behind and eaten by dogs. 

I remember blowing stuff up. Blowing stuff up is cool.

I remember the guys I was with. Some of them I didn't get a chance to know them and never will. For that I am sorry. Some of them are here with me in Afghanistan, and some I keep in touch with on Facebook. Some of them are out now and some of them did not make it home at all. 

This phase of my life is almost over and I will be moving on to the next. Sometimes it is nice to look back and remember where you've been. Also I am a better photographer now and some of the photos I took back then I can honestly look at and say, "Ech, what was I thinking?"

It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.


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## cmhbob (Dec 21, 2013)

As a vet, I'll add my thanks for your service.

How specifically can you comment about the organization for Combat Cameras? Are they at the Division level and attached out, or what?

Also, you mentioned photos of wounded Marines. Are you ever able to hunt down the Marine in question or their families and give them copies of images?


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## terri (Dec 21, 2013)

Some wonderful stuff posted here, Tammy.   Thank you for sharing with us, and thank you for your service!   Looking forward to hearing that you're home, safe and sound, and ready for your next phase in life.


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## AlanKlein (Dec 21, 2013)

> It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.


Can you decribe your style and show before and after shots?


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## Tamgerine (Dec 21, 2013)

cmhbob said:


> As a vet, I'll add my thanks for your service.
> 
> How specifically can you comment about the organization for Combat Cameras? Are they at the Division level and attached out, or what?
> 
> Also, you mentioned photos of wounded Marines. Are you ever able to hunt down the Marine in question or their families and give them copies of images?



Combat Camera organization starts in garrison. Division Combat Cameras (such as 1st MARDIV or 2nd MARDIV) start there and deploy with battalions so they are specifically attached to them. A lot of Marines will go as Individual Augments from shops to units such as a Marine Expeditionary Unit that does have a permanent CC staff but beefs up it's Marines for a deployment then sends them back when it is over (this is what I did.) Or, for example, a Marine assigned to 2nd Marine Air Wing will be attached to 2nd Marine Air Wing (Forward) when they deploy. 

Think of most units as a home unit and a forward unit. Typically Marines assigned with the home units will go forward, this is what I did this time as I was assigned to II MEF, and deployed with II MEF (FWD). 

As for hunting down families, I technically could because finding people is easy these. But I also have to be pretty careful with that because I don't want to upset anyone or cause a stir. We lost a guy my last deployment and I found a bunch of pictures of him just goofing around with the other Marines. I respectfully offered those to the family.


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## Low_Sky (Dec 22, 2013)

Thanks for doing what you do, Tammy.  Death by PowerPoint would be even worse without combat camera. 
The only soldier in my brigade to make the ultimate sacrifice on my last deployment was a combat camera attached from another unit. She was too close to an ANA mortar training accident, which also took the lives of several Afghans.  I guess my question is, who is looking out for you, and making that judgement call that the photos aren't worth the risk?  I can appreciate that as a junior NCO it can be difficult to put your foot down, especially if you're being attached to other units and separated from your NCO chain. 

Sent from my phone with my giant, uncoordinated sausage thumbs.


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## Low_Sky (Dec 22, 2013)

Forgot to add..... heck yes tank beats lens!!! (Coming from a former Army tanker) 

Sent from my phone with my giant, uncoordinated sausage thumbs.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 28, 2013)

AlanKlein said:


> > It is also interesting to look back on my older work and see the points at which I began to develop my style. I can look at some photographs and recognize things I consistently do more often these days.
> 
> 
> Can you decribe your style and show before and after shots?



I don't necessarily have before and afters shots. I'd describe my style as very graphic with wide use of negative space. Anytime there is a horizontal line in my photograph I'll keep it perfectly straight if I can, more often extremely low to the bottom of the frame. I like to isolate subjects and use wide open skies. 

A good example of these is this shoot here of the IED Detection Dogs I did within like, two months of getting here. The first four photos are low horizons, wide open spaces, isolated subjects. Not every shot of mine turns out like this of course, but pretty much in every set I deliver something similar is included: DVIDS - Images - Improvised Explosive Device Detection Dogs (IDD) [Image 4 of 10]

I also shoot from a low angle a lot, especially people.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 28, 2013)

Low_Sky said:


> Thanks for doing what you do, Tammy.  Death by PowerPoint would be even worse without combat camera.
> The only soldier in my brigade to make the ultimate sacrifice on my last deployment was a combat camera attached from another unit. She was too close to an ANA mortar training accident, which also took the lives of several Afghans.  I guess my question is, who is looking out for you, and making that judgement call that the photos aren't worth the risk?  I can appreciate that as a junior NCO it can be difficult to put your foot down, especially if you're being attached to other units and separated from your NCO chain.
> 
> Sent from my phone with my giant, uncoordinated sausage thumbs.



Thanks for doing what you did, too. I think a lot of people in the military, especially those who I know right now in the Marine Corps, feel that they're not doing enough because they're not kicking down doors and fighting bad guys. Everyone who serves does it in their own way to the best of their abilities. We all contribute. 

As for who is looking out for me, it depends on where we're at in the support chain. At the top is my Gunnery Sgt. who coordinates all the big support jobs. If we get a request for a big shoot like a patrol, convoy, or support to Afghan forces they have to have their trash together. That means a solid travel/security plan. We've had last minute requests where there were no details, or the plan was iffy. That's a no go.

We always have security with us when we provide support to the Afghans. You can't just hop on an Afghan convoy, for example. 

On things like ranges it'll be the range personnel or the advisors who monitor the safety of the training.

After that it's me. I will admit I'm not the most safety conscious individual. I"ll wander off if I'm able to. I'm young, feel invincible, and have a gun. What else could I ask for? There have been several times where my simply being there (because I'm female) has drawn a crowd or unwanted attention. I've been surrounded a few times and at that point it's my job to say "enough" and get myself out of that situation without creating havoc or an international incident. 

Beyond that you just kind of accept the risk. It's a risky job sometimes and you just have to evaluate each situation differently. 

I wouldn't say it's too difficult for me to put my foot down. When it comes to security issues we take it very seriously here. I'm also the Subject Matter Expert on deck - you've got ONE of me, and if you want photo support like you requested you'll have to listen to what I need and where I need to be. But I also know when I can get away with things and when I can't. If I'm out on patrol I'm not the boss - I work within their limits. They're the professionals with all the experience, running the patrol, keeping everyone safe, fighting the fight. In some situations I just do what I'm told.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 28, 2013)

So what has been going on lately! The holidays! And that means: VIPs!

Duck Dynasty paid us a short visit along with some other celebrities and high ranking military personnel. I'll be honest, I wasn't very star struck. I'd never seen Duck Dynasty and didn't know who these guys were or how popular they were. I shot some photos, nothing amazing, same old same old. Suddenly I saw one of my photos all over a bunch of military Facebook pages and just everywhere on the internet. 




This photo got very popular. I was kind of mad and felt really dumb. I was mad because over my career I've taken what I'd like to think are some pretty good photos. It was like, "THIS? This is what the world wants to see? Did you see that surgery I photographed and THIS is what you want?" I also felt dumb because I didn't think it was a big deal and didn't post the photo to any social media stuff until it was kind of old news. So everyone else picked up on it long before I did. 



The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps came for thanksgiving and I spent the day flying around to all the FOBs with him. The Commandant of the Marine Corps came for Christmas though and presented some cool helmets to these two 1/9 guys who had been injured in combat. One guy was shot in the helmet and wrote on his missing gear statement, "I was shot in the helmet by the enemy. I need a new one. I do not wish to reimburse the government."

Well apparently it went viral too and my photos made it to an article on Business Insider. It's a pretty cool read about some lucky dudes: Wounded Marine Behind Viral Email Gets New Helmet Hand-Delivered To Afghanistan By Corps' Top General | Business Insider India



I hate flying. It's scary. We took what seemed like a bajillion flights on Christmas visiting a ton of Marines in the area. I worked from 0730 to probably 2100 at night just doing the photo thing. On the very last flight home the sun was setting and the second Osprey was flying behind us. It was surprisingly peaceful.

That is the tale of Sgt. Hineline being glad the holidays are over! The End.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 28, 2013)

Oh, also Merry Christmas everyone.


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## Sharkbait0708 (Dec 29, 2013)

You have amazing photos! Thanks for sharing!  So, because you are a photographer in the military are you able to take on side jobs (as in weddings, family portraits...)?  If you wanted to or would that be a conflict of interest? -I think you may have touched on it before but was not certain on the answer!


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## Tamgerine (Dec 29, 2013)

Sharkbait0708 said:


> You have amazing photos! Thanks for sharing!  So, because you are a photographer in the military are you able to take on side jobs (as in weddings, family portraits...)?  If you wanted to or would that be a conflict of interest? -I think you may have touched on it before but was not certain on the answer!



Thanks! I'm not supposed to use government equipment for commercial means, but as long as I don't do that it's fine. I do shoot portraits and personal work on the side when I'm at home. I don't primary on weddings, though. Because of my job I'm called away suddenly a lot and I can't in good conscious tell a bride I'm going to be at her wedding and then leave her without a photographer because I was given duty that day, or have to go shoot something for work. It's definitely not a conflict of interest, though.


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## thrillhou (Dec 29, 2013)

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ary-combat-camera-good-start.html#post3124822

Lovr your photos, awesome work.  I'm going to be getting out of the USN soon and working with a USAF-R recruiter to go in with them as either an EOD tech or a still photographer in their SOCAL comcam unit. I recently created a thread with few questions regarding comcam and how it could possibly translate to a photographers professional career. Particularly in fashion/portrait/editorial photography. Id love to hear your thoughts on it as a present day operator. Feel free to PM me also! Thanks!

( Link to my thread up top)


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## Snyder (Dec 29, 2013)

Tamgerine said:


> Oh, also Merry Christmas everyone.  <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=63060"/>



I see Bryson is in your shop, I went to Syracuse with him. Some nice photos, good luck at MILPHOG.


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## Tamgerine (Dec 31, 2013)

Snyder said:


> Tamgerine said:
> 
> 
> > Oh, also Merry Christmas everyone.  <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachments/photographic-discussions/63060-q-what-its-like-military-photographer-merrychristmas.jpg"/>
> ...



Small world! He's an awesome guy and crazy fun to work for.

For anyone interested, I just put up my 2013 in Review on my blog. Come for the Afghans, stay for me getting wrapped up in Rimage CD label ribbon. 

Tammy Hineline | Illustrative Photographer | Eastern NCTammy Hineline, Illustrative Photographer


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## JoeW (Jan 3, 2014)

First of all, Sgt. Hineline--thanks for your service and thanks for contributing to this thread.  Single best thread I've seen on this site.  I wish you a great holiday season and a safe return stateside when your deployment is over.

Second, let me vouch for the Combat Camera team.  Every one with a military camera role I've ever had contact with impressed the hell out of me.  Good people.  For the post much earlier in the thread that said "why not have photojournalists do this?"...it's a totally different agenda.  As a PJ, you're looking for the story or the money shot.  You're not looking to document the promotion ceremony, the change of command, the tactical details, or documentation/evidence (that a host of military resources...from CID to unit historians to promotional boards to press information officers want and need) that are all just some of the things that the Combat Camera team is shooting on a daily basis.

Okay, three questions:
1.  How much interaction do you have with civilian photojournalists?  The complaint I always heard from people in uniform was "you guys just drop in and out--you're never here long enough to get a feel for how it REALLY is."  The embed program was supposed to be one attempt to address that perspective.  But I suspect that for most of your work, you're not seeing any civilian photojournalists/press shooting what you're shooting.
2.  Any comments about Stacy Pearsall's "Photojournalist Field Guide"?  I found it to be pretty good and spot on (with the caveat that it was obviously from a military perspective rather than a civilian photojournalist who has more freedom but also has to deal with visas and shot records).
3.  Obviously American soldiers are targets in your neck of the woods.  But I've heard from a couple of friends that unlike a couple of decades ago, civilian photojournalists are now being targeted in war zones in a way that didn't happen previously.  In Beirut back in the 80's, photojournalists would wander back and forth across the green line, shoot Israelis and Maronite militia in the morning and the Fatah in the afternoon.  What I've been told anecdotally is that civilian photojournalists are now a prime target.  What's your sense of that?


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## Tamgerine (Jan 3, 2014)

JoeW said:


> First of all, Sgt. Hineline--thanks for your service and thanks for contributing to this thread.  Single best thread I've seen on this site.  I wish you a great holiday season and a safe return stateside when your deployment is over.
> 
> Second, let me vouch for the Combat Camera team.  Every one with a military camera role I've ever had contact with impressed the hell out of me.  Good people.  For the post much earlier in the thread that said "why not have photojournalists do this?"...it's a totally different agenda.  As a PJ, you're looking for the story or the money shot.  You're not looking to document the promotion ceremony, the change of command, the tactical details, or documentation/evidence (that a host of military resources...from CID to unit historians to promotional boards to press information officers want and need) that are all just some of the things that the Combat Camera team is shooting on a daily basis.
> 
> ...



1. I do see a lot of civilian journalists, but it's short and limited. I've never seen an actual embedded one. They've always just come with VIPS or the brass, stayed for a short while, and left. I've met a few, shmoozed a bit, but nothing major.

2. I would really have to read the book and see how I felt about it. No doubt her photography is very good and she is quite decorated, but I'll admit, it's very hard to undo my USMC bias and not just roll my eyes and say, "Well, yeah, Air Force." We tend to not like Air Force CC, but it's probably just that we're totally jelly. Take JT Lock. Friggin' MILPHOG winner SEVEN times. A MSgt in the Marine Corps taking photos is completely unheard of because we consider that a leadership billet. You just don't do that sort of work anymore, you're in charge of leading and managing Marines in a shop. Heck, that stops as a Staff Sgt. in most places. We're all kind of under the impression that Air Force CC just gets to do whatever they want and we all roll our eyes and say, "Must be nice. I wish I could just go shoot whatever I wanted whenever I wanted." 

You know what? I AM jelly. I really don't buy much into inter-service rivalry, but in this aspect it's hard. You've got some people with major rank and resources who seem like it's their JOB to shoot and win MILPHOG. I don't really consider that fair when everyone else has to deal with what deployments (or no deployments) they're given. There's always a lot of heated discussion when it comes to Lock, too. A lot of people think he's a jerk with too much access and freedom to do whatever he wants to do. It's also painful to think that for me this year is kind of MY last chance at MILPHOG. I'm going to be at the Pentagon for the next two years doing nothing operational. Then I'm either going to get out or be a Staff Sergeant and start running a shop. If I asked to travel to different countries covering crazy operations whenever they came up they'd laugh me out of the office and sit me back behind my desk. 

I'm sorry. I really didn't intend for this to turn into an Air Force rant, back to the book. I'm sure it's very interesting and insightful, but I feel that photojournalism is one of those things where experience is key. You need a feel for people, a good idea of what you can physically and mentally deal with, and when to stop. All those things take time and experience to develop. I've learned a LOT over time and only maybe 10% of that has been about photography. I think I will check out her book, though. There ARE considerable obstacles to civilian photojournalists that we just don't face, though. 

It does make me wonder though how she dealt with the copyright issue. I mean technically all of her military work should be public domain and she shouldn't be able to profit from them, but is that only restricted to while you're active duty? For example, as soon as I get out could I publish a book with all my imagery? I was once told by another Sergeant that I could buy my copyright back from the military, but he also said he was raised by wolves so I'm not sure how much I can trust what he says. 

On to 3!: I think with the Arab Spring and Syria happening photojournalists have definitely been targeted a lot more, or have gotten a lot more unlucky. It's possible that many people feel that killing an American journalist will get them a considerable amount of attention - which is does. There's a lot of anger going in a lot of different directions and a camera doesn't shield you from that anymore. I think it used to be that if you wanted attention for your cause you needed to keep the photojournalists alive - now with everyone having access to cameras and social media they may see death as a better option to get their message out. 

---

In other regards, I'll be home fairly soon. Our replacements are showing up and I'll kind of just be hanging out for a while. I have no problem admitting that I'm stressed out about it. I love what I do here and it's going to be a big change going home and having all the time in the world. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Videotape ceremonies for the next two years? Take promotion photos? Do paperwork all day?

Last time when I came home from my deployment I thought to myself, "That was the most amazing year of my life. I'm only 23, is the best year of my life already over? Am I really never going to experience anything like that ever again?" So I'm kind of going through the same thing right now. 

It's a big issue and some people don't deal with it very well. You get used to an adrenaline rush from what you do over here, being busy ALL the time, and then suddenly it all stops? It's hard to adapt to. Some people come home and drink, or fight, or buy motorcycles. 

I happen to be one of those people who is not dealing with it very well right now. Oh internet, you're so easy to talk to.


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## JoeW (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks for the quick turnaround and insightful answers.  No problem with the AF rant. Though Pearsall's book has some useful info on transitioning to a photography business in the civilian sector so don't discount her work just b/c she's AF. 

As for the work at the Pentagon....well, you'll be close enough to Quantico that maybe you'll be able to shoot some interesting stuff that doesn't qualify as ceremonial or staged events.  Do be prepared for some major sticker shock when you get to the DC area though--expensive housing and terrible traffic.  But it's also a great place to be a photographer in your down time.  If you want to plan ahead, I suggest you contact the good folks associated with FotoDC (basically a weeklong series of exhibits, panel discussions),...for more info go here:  https://www.fotoweekdc.org about being part of a panel discussion or program on CombatCamera or just your own work.  Also worth approaching the Newseum (who have done some great temporary and standing exhibits on photojournalists but have sadly unrepresented the military photographer).  You'll have more than enough to keep you busy in the DC area outside of your "day job" plus expand your photographic skills.


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## Tamgerine (Mar 6, 2014)

We're home, everybody! After a few days of travel and some long flights we're finally back. Back to the land of weekends and real toilets!



It's a little strange but I'm trying to adjust. I'm trying to keep as busy as I can and we've got a big move ahead of us. Soon I'll fly home to visit family and celebrate a postponed Christmas. Presents and cookies FTW.

I wrote a longbutt blog post about coming home if you're interested in hearing a little bit more about it: Coming HomeTammy Hineline, Illustrative Photographer

As always I'll continue answering questions if you've got 'em, but the excitement is over now unless you want to ask me about going through all the junk in my storage unit and cat shopping. Less war, more me hanging around the house in my sweatpants. 

If you're wanting to follow what I do in the future (military, personal work, etc.) the best place is at my website or...

On my Facebook here: http://facebook.com/tammyhinelinephotography
I'm always also at 500px here: Tammy Hineline
Flickr here: Flickr: Tammy_Hineline's Photostream

And I am on Instagram here: Instagram (There's not much there unfortunately as I just joined and only own an iPad at this point. I was too cheap to get a smartphone but planning on it soon!)

Now to go put on those sweatpants...


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## Tiller (Mar 6, 2014)

Congrats on getting home ok!,


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## Tamgerine (Mar 6, 2014)

JoeW said:


> Thanks for the quick turnaround and insightful answers.  No problem with the AF rant. Though Pearsall's book has some useful info on transitioning to a photography business in the civilian sector so don't discount her work just b/c she's AF.
> 
> As for the work at the Pentagon....well, you'll be close enough to Quantico that maybe you'll be able to shoot some interesting stuff that doesn't qualify as ceremonial or staged events.  Do be prepared for some major sticker shock when you get to the DC area though--expensive housing and terrible traffic.  But it's also a great place to be a photographer in your down time.  If you want to plan ahead, I suggest you contact the good folks associated with FotoDC (basically a weeklong series of exhibits, panel discussions),...for more info go here:  https://www.fotoweekdc.org about being part of a panel discussion or program on CombatCamera or just your own work.  Also worth approaching the Newseum (who have done some great temporary and standing exhibits on photojournalists but have sadly unrepresented the military photographer).  You'll have more than enough to keep you busy in the DC area outside of your "day job" plus expand your photographic skills.



I definitely noticed that about apartments. We're looking at websites and they all kind of read like hotels. "Beautiful fitness center, shuttle to the metro, minutes away from shopping, eat-in kitchens!"

I'm actually kind of overwhelmed with all the options. I'm used to places being all, "I know what your BAH is so that's what I'm going to charge and you only have three other options in town that charge the same thing." I don't know what to pick!

The term wall-to-wall carpeting is funny to me, though. What carpeting doesn't go from one wall to the other? Like the other option is the carpet ends halfway through the room and the rest is just dirt?


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## Tamgerine (Mar 6, 2014)

Tiller said:


> Congrats on getting home ok!,



Thanks! It was incredibly cold in transit and the flights were long (I also hate flying) so I'm glad it's over.


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## AlanKlein (Mar 6, 2014)

Welcome home.


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## ratssass (Mar 6, 2014)

Thank you,for both ,your service to country,and finding the time give us a "snapshot" of a military photographer.It had been a wonderful read...
WELCOME HOME !!!!!


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## minicoop1985 (Mar 6, 2014)

Welcome back! And thanks for giving those of us who have never served the opportunity to see it in a new way.


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## JoeW (Mar 8, 2014)

Tamgerine said:


> JoeW said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the quick turnaround and insightful answers.  No problem with the AF rant. Though Pearsall's book has some useful info on transitioning to a photography business in the civilian sector so don't discount her work just b/c she's AF.
> ...



Hah--haven't heard that about the wall-to-wall carpet before--yep, food for thought.  And yes, if you're new to the area, then there are a TON of options.  You may have already made your decision but let me throw out a couple of possibilities for you.

1.  If you are not an urban kind of gal, if you'd really like to get cheaper rent, be closer to Quantico and the country (or less urban mess) than look at the VRE (Virginia Rail Express).  It's commuter rail, runs from Manassas into DC and from Fredericksburg into DC.  The southern line (Fredericksburg) will take you right through the Pentagon.  That would allow you to live pretty far out, be close to Quantico, be close to some great scenery, get much cheaper rent, yet not have to fight a commute by car every day (I assume you have a POV).  If you're not looking for a rural area, than go for Alexandria.  Lots you can do there in Old Town on foot as a photographer, much more expensive rent, close to the Pentagon (I'm assuming that's where you'll be reporting) so less commuting for you.

2.  I know you've got a gazillion things going on in your life.  But do reach out to the FotoDC and Newseum folks (or having someone up the food chain do that for you).  The military photography/combat camera perspective has been underrepresented in both, they're great venues for you to gain exposure (both for what you and your buddies have done as well as setting you up for what you do post-Corp) and you'd have a blast if you could get entry to either in some format.  I think Newseum would be very interested in an exhibit of Combat Camera work and FotoDC has exhibits and discussions on a wide range of photographic topics (I think it was last year they had a panel on female photojournalists and conflicts).

3.  And thanks for your service.  For every 100 Americans, only one knows what it's like to hump a ruck and wear a uniform.  Everyone who serves (whether in war or peace) deserves our gratitude and respect.  And glad you made it back home standing--not everyone returns from a war zone in that condition.


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## Tamgerine (Jun 13, 2014)

Confession time! My official MOS (military occupational specialty) is a videographer! Since my move up here to D.C. that is what I've been doing. So this isn't related to photography exactly, but it is! It's about storytelling and communicating someone else's story to the world by doing what you try to do best.

I recently got to communicate a piece of the story of Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, the next Medal of Honor recipient. The end result, entitled "Letters," was a video about the relationship between him and his family through bootcamp to present while he and his mother read letters they had written to each other. It's gotten some amount of success, going viral and being picked up by Business Insider, Marine Corps Times, and other peeps. 

I'll admit, it was a hard edit. I was dealing with a TON of raw, unedited footage that I had no prior involvement in. I was tasked with molding all of that raw nothing into a cohesive story that would tell the story of a family I didn't even know. It's an awesome feeling as an artist to see a project go from nothing to something that people feel touched and inspired by. 

The video is hosted on DVIDS, which isn't easily embeddable here, but you can read a bit more about it and watch it here: Battle Rattle » Watch: Future MOH recipient Kyle Carpenter gets call from the president

Or you can read a little bit more about what it felt like editing it, and watch the video as well, on my blog here: Being Entrusted With Someone's Story : Editing "Letters" for Cpl. Kyle Carpenter

I also edited a music video featuring Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, sung by Awesome Country Guy Mike Corrado, entitled "Stand"






Trust me, this place is keeping me busy. 

If you read only one thing about this post, make it this: We're storytellers. Whether we take portraits, document weddings, photograph families, or shoot videos: we tell stories about people. Tell them honestly and truthfully. Do right by those who trust their story to you. There is nothing worse than unethical, dishonest journalism. Except cockroaches, those are gross.


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## keyseddie (Jun 13, 2014)

Welcome home Marine. I was an 0311 in 'Nam. I'm sure you know what that is. Semper Fi.


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## dennybeall (Jun 13, 2014)

Really appreciate all of the candid information you've shared with us. My dad was a Marine Photographer so I grew up hearing about photography on Iwo Jima and in China and how it was to be a marine combat photographer. It was really great to hear about what it's like in these days and times. 
Tango Uniform for your service!


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## JoeW (Jun 16, 2014)

Hey Tammy,

Great to hear from you again and I"m glad you're keeping this thread alive with your experiences and insights.  I think your point about how we're all telling stories is a powerful one.  If a photographer takes the lens cap off with the mindset of "I'm telling a story" vs. "I'm looking for a pretty picture to take"....it's a completely different mindset that then manifests itself in terms of composition and timing.


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## Tamgerine (Jun 19, 2014)

Congratulations to Cpl. Kyle Carpenter, the newest Medal of Honor recipient for the United States Marine Corps. I skipped basketball to watch him be awarded on the TV at the gym. I had been interviewing him not a few hours before that.



(Official USMC Photo by Cpl. Mike Guinto)

Today we also interviewed the Corpsman who saved his life and pulled him off the rooftop where he was injured. He described putting a tourniquet on his arm like putting a tourniquet on a burrito. I can't seem to get that out of my mind tonight.


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