Stories on stories on stories for the USO

It's been a while since I've been out on a video shoot for the USO, which consequently means I've been spending a lot more time writing blog posts, feature stories and vignettes for the organization over the past few months.

Between writing about USO supporters and entertainers who were nominated for industry awards this year, to traveling through time for the USO's 74th birthday, to interviewing a mom who's son made the ultimate sacrifice, I've had some really interesting stories to follow over the past few months.

I think one of the most powerful stories I worked on, however, was the story about a recent USO President's Award winner, Shannon Huffman. During her shift at the USO center in Germany, Shannon took a series of actions to save a potentially suicidal service member from taking his life -- something that really resonated with me and shows what the USO is all about.

See, people seem to think the USO is just an organization that provides food and respite to service members around the world, when, in fact, we do so much more. See, the USO is there from the moment a troop enters boot camp to the moment he hangs up his boots. We're there for wounded and recovering soldiers, their caretakers and even veterans looking to land a civilian job. The USO is always by thier side -- and I'm so proud to work for them.

Anyway. Now that you know how much I love working for the USO, here's a full list of what I've been up to:

• ‘I Can See Him Here’: Mother Finds A Moment of Solace Through Visit to USO After Son’s Death
  
• USO Entertainers Shine at Academy Awards
  
• ‘He Came to Us’: USO Staffer in Germany Takes Action to Save the Life of Despondent Soldier
  
• Celebrate Valentine’s Day With These Five Huggable USO Moments
  
• USO Tour Veterans and Supporters Have a Big Night at the Grammys
  
• Photos Through the Decades: Celebrating the USO’s 74th Birthday
  
• USO Tour Veterans Katy Perry and Idina Menzel Set To Take the Stage at Super Bowl XLIX
  
• Bringing the Big Game to the Troops: USO Centers Around the World Prep for Super Bowl XLIX Festivities
  
• USO Veterans Rake in the Awards Nominations and Wins
  
• Jiffy Lube Franchises Join Forces to Raise over $19,000 for USO Delaware
  
• USO2GO Kits Lift the Spirits of Troops in Liberia

Holiday Flashback: My Holiday Trip to Hawaii -- Part 1: Seattle.

Happy Hump Day! I hope everyone up north is slowly starting to dig themselves out from the crazy blizzard weather. Have an extra cup of hot cocoa for me please :)

You know, I can't believe its only been three weeks since I was in the warm Kona sun with my family, sipping lilikoi juice and eating pineapple, ah! If I can close my eyes and concentrate, I can still hear the ocean waves, crashing against the shore...

Let's go back to paradise today, okay?

Before December, I had never been to Hawaii, let alone Kona, or anywhere on the big island. I never really realized just how FAR away Hawaii was. So far, in fact, that I had an amazing afternoon layover in Seattle, WA, which was a total treat.

I'd never been to Seattle before, either, so I decided that instead of spending the day inside the airport terminal, I should hop on the lightrail and head into the city to see something -- anything -- to say I had actually been to more than the airport there.

After asking for suggestions on what to do with six hours in Seattle, I decided to head to Pike's Place Market, which was the perfect activity.

Between hitting up the original Starbucks...

... finding amazing flowers ...

... making friends with a seagull...

.... and just enjoying the local flavor, it's safe to say I enjoyed my time there.

Now, I just want to go back!

That Time I Shot an Event at Hierarchy DC for Grip The Mat

Happy Monday! I hope you're having a fabulous & warm start to your week, especially if you're in the Northeast area (stay save in this crazy blizzard weather!).

I'm coming off quite a high from last week's craziness. Not only did I have a bunch of my stories for the USO publish, but I hosted my first-ever booth for Fiterazzi at a Grip the Mat Bendy Brunch event -- but more about those things in later posts.

First, I want to take you back in time. Back before New Years toasts and Christmas morning hugs to those sweet weeks of anticipation before December 25th...

Before I headed off on my amazing tropical Christmas vacation, I had the privilege of shooting another yoga event for Grip The Mat. 

One of the duo's signature events is called Vinyasa to Vino, which is essentially a combined happy hour and yoga class.

I believe they've hosted all of these at Hierarchy DC (where I was at), which is a hip little art gallery in Adams Morgan.

While the space was tight and the lights were few and dim, I managed to capture some really nice moments and even got to whip out my new Canon 7d (woop!) for its inaugural run.

I know it's not a Mark III, but hey, I'm progressing as fast as my bank account will allow me.

I'll admit, I don't have shooting a yoga event down pat. I'm still learning which poses and angles are fabulous in pictures and which ones are super awakard for both the shooter and the shootee. I'm pretty confident I'll get there though.

In the meantime, I'll keep snapping pics and you, my friends, will give me all the feedback in the world.

Warp Stablizing and Editing Away: A NASCAR/USO Video

In my blog post earlier this week I dished about my fantastic trip to Phoenix, Arizona last week for the USO and chatted about my first experience at a NASCAR event.

Now, a few days later (hey, better late than never, right?) I give you my video wrap of the event.

Normally when I produce videos, I don't have too many techincal issues or logistical problems and am able to turn them around a lot quicker, but when it came to this peice, well, things didn't go so smoothly.

See, I wasn't allowed to bring a tripod into the NASCAR stadium (arena? track? area?) on the day of the race. While my interview with Trevor Bayne is beautiful and a steady shot, it was taken the day before the race when I had extra time to set up the shot and use a tripod.

The other interviews, well, aren't as pretty. Shaky footage = a headache in the editing room.

Novice video editors, if you're reading this, take some advince. Always, always use a tripod for your interviews unless you can't because of venue rules. Shaky b-roll is acceptable. Shaky interviews are not.

My solution to the shaky mess I created? The magical warp stabilizing tool that is part of Premier Pro CC. Although it bumps up the file size a bunch, and requires some fine tuning, this magic tool turned my unacceptable footage and made it average and acceptable.

Still, my advice. Always go for the tripod. It'll save you the headache.

Behind the Shoot: Lifting spirits with the USO Show Troupe

The past week has been a huge blur for me. From jetting down to NYC, to playing in my GW softball alumni game this past weekend, I've been on the go for as long as I can remember.

Luckily, being busy means I have more to share with you :)

I finally got a chance to sit down and edit my still photographs from my NYC trip for the USO. I'm actually quite pleased with these, since, really, the trip was all about shooting video. These little nuggets are just bonuses, really.

To give you an idea of what this photo essay is about, here's 30-second a debrief: The USO has its own performing group called the USO Show Troupe: Think the Andrews sisters meets modern music. Basically, the Show Troupe, which is made up of professional performers, travels all around the world entertaining troops and their families. I caught up with one of the performers, Larissa Klinger, while she was at her home base in NYC, and shot a day-in-the-life style piece. Essentially, I followed her around all day with a camera and totally invaded her personal space, but I think the end product was worth it!

These are my 20 favorite shots, although, I should be even more selective if I were to publish it.

Created with flickr slideshow.

I did a project similar to this in college about a classmate of mine, and honestly, I can see a huge difference in my evolution of photography skill. Not only has my eye improved, but my concept of lighting has, I think, drastically changed as well. Thoughts?

Created with flickr slideshow.

Why I haven't posted all week: NYC and more

Those that know me well have probably heard my opinions about New York City. While the big apple is glamorous, bustling and full of life, I would never ever want to live there -- at least not for foreseeable future, that is.

I will, however, gladly visit and hop on the train for a work gig.

This past Tuesday -- after many Amtrak delays -- I headed up to NYC to film two different stories for the USO. While I just don't have the time and the energy to talk about one of the projects tonight, I will share the other project I did, which is already completed!

Ladies and gents, I give you my video about the USO center opening at JFK:



It's crazy to think that for over ten years there wasn't a USO presence at any NYC or New Jersey airport. Maybe its because I'm an employee, or just an observant person, but I've gotten quite accostumed to hearing the "The USO lounge..." announcements in most major airports.

It's kinda comforting isn't it?

All the things I'm working on for The USO & Fiterazzi!

Hey-oh blog world! Happy Friday! Are you planning anything fun for this weekend? Mr. Boyfriend and I are planning on hitting up Union Brewery this weekend as well as seeing the O's play and watching Josh Abbot Band at 9:30 club. What can I say, we're busy folks :)

I've been busy lately for the USO & Fiterazzi, drafting up stories and videos for all to see. I just produced this awesome video of a care pack stuffing event on Capitol Hill this Wednesday. It was my first chance to practice shooting time lapses, so I was pretty impressed with the result.



I even decided to dabble in some new media and shot a hyperlapse on-scene.

I've also been busy writing a lot of cool stories for the USO, including this one about Operation C.H.A.M.P.S which is a educational program for military children. This year the program is headed to South Korea to visit kids living overseas with their families. I got to chat with the authors a little bit about all the awesome work that they do and then wrote all about it for the world to see.

Also, my first of two peices for Fiterazzi about the art of getting fitness shoes that are properly fitted ran today! I'm so proud of this piece and totally love the photographs and the awesome people at Potomac River Running who helped me make it informative and fun for the Fiterazzi community.

Enjoy :)

Dabbling in Graphics: My First Printable HIIT Workout for Fiterazzi

In case you didn't know, when I'm not shooting or writing stories for the fantastic USO, chances are, I'm out and about finding a cool story to write for Fiterazzi, the only online Fitness magazine that keeps it REAL!

This past week, in addition to working on a few awesome product review stories, I had the chance to shoot photos for and edit together my first printable for the magazine, featuring the fabulous Sara Snyder as a model.

Now, I don't really consider myself a graphics artist at all, so I'm pretty proud of the final result I got after only a day of asking for feedback and advice.

Take a look and let me know what you think -- oh, and head over to Fiterazzi magazine for more amazing fitness workouts, recipes and amazing articles about healthy living!

Behind the Shoot: Brews and photography: My kind of night at Port City Brewery with United Women in Business

So, full disclosure, I'm on the board of a non-profit called United Women in Business (UWIB).

Basically, UWIB is a professional development organization for young women entering the workforce. We were started by a few alumnae from my sorority in college (Alpha Delta Pi - Pi Chapter) and now have chapters in DC, Chicago, and NYC-- pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, we had a wonderful fundraising event last night at Port City Brewery in Alexandria, Virginia, which was awesome and so fun! I didn't take too many photos, mostly because I was busy chatting and tasting, but I did manage to snap a few shots.

Created with flickr slideshow.

Thoughts?

A Tuesday to be excited for: BODYPOP activewear launches & Alex Clare releases a new album!

I feel like dancing around singing "Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music today!

Not only is one of my favorite fitness blog authors launching her own activewear line today-- BUT-- one of my favorite artists, Alex Clare, released his second album today!


Can you say a Tuesday made in heaven?

Even thought this Tuesday is more like a Monday (I was in Chicago all weekend with Mr. Boyfriend-- photos of that to come this week!) I'm still trying to find ways to see the positveness in this rainy summer morning.

Sometimes, I think the Monday, or Tuesday, blues can be beat with simply finding one or two small things to look forward to, and running with that. Whether its a fun workout, a quick lunch with a friend, or a new recipe, the little things can help make the first half of the week more than bearable-- but fun!

Agree?

Yup, I work for the USO.

Side note. Or main note.

I get a lot of questions about my 9 to 5 job, which, I'll admit, I'm slightly in love with.

Here's a few of the most common.

Where do I work?: The USO

What's that?: The USO is an organization that focuses on lifting the spirits of troops and their families.

But how do you do that?: Programs. Concerts. Airport centers. Food. All different things! It really depends on where you are and what you need. I'd say check out the website for more info, honestly.

Oh, so you mean Bob Hope's thing? That's still around?: You betcha. But not like you'd think. Its a way different organization than it was back in the 1940s.

Got it. So what do you do for them then?: Me? I'm a multimedia journalist for the USO. Meaning, I get to write, photograph and take video of the awesome work that we do around the world. Think of me as a traveling storyteller. Pretty cool, huh?

What have you been up to lately? This! I really do a whole bunch of things, but I've been writing a lot lately, especially for USO.org and the USO blog!

Guess what? I throw like a girl.

Last week, my story about the female gender stereotype in sports published on Fiterazzi.com, along with a photograph from my photo shoot last week.

While I was totally tickled that my photos were featured on the site-- call me vain-- I was more excited that my small take on females in sports went live on the interwebs. While my article was by no means perfect, I really tried to show the push and pull that many females feel-- particularly those in the sports world.

See, I find the whole feminist v. traditional gender roles argument confusing, complex, and often convoluted. While I love the idea of women empowerment and equality, I also can't deny the fact that I, personally, enjoy the value of traditional gender roles. I love to cook. I love to keep a clean house, and frankly, someday, I hope that I become a mom who can stay at home with her kids, at least part time, while my future husband works full time. However, I also want a lifelong career. Success. And happiness.

See what I mean? Its not exactly a black and white subject.

Anyway, I'm pretty proud of my article. Check it out, and peruse Fiterazzi while you're at it. I feel so proud to be among a group of fit ladies who are writing about the real deal.

New blog, new job, new month!

Welcome to my new blog!

For those that don't already know me, I'm Sandi Moynihan. I'm a videographer, photographer, writer and fitness fashionista living the life of a twenty-something in Washington, D.C.

Telling stories, taking photos and living an active healthy lifestyle are some of my passions, and I can't wait to share that excitement with you all!

While I'm no newbie to the blogging world, I've decided to start off fresh with my first post-college "big girl" blog, focusing on all of my multimedia work that is featured on www.sandimoynihan.com, and other places around the web.

Stay tuned for the latest on my video, photo, and print endeavors!