Why I Learned Photo *After* Video & a Look at My Multimedia Journey

I have a bit of a secret. Well, okay, not a secret, but a bit of information to share that might surprise some of you readers.

Did you know I learned how to shoot a good photo long after I learned how to shoot and edit a good video? It's true! Most people learn photography first and then venture into videography, but for me, it was the opposite.

Before you say, "Well wait, Sandi. That can't be true. You surely took photos before you ever took videos!" Let me be clear: Sure, I played around with a camera and shot stills before I shot video, but I would say I became skilled at shooting and editing video before I became skilled at shooting photos. Savvy?

See, when I started my undergraduate studies at The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs back in 2009, video was hot, and I wanted to do what was hot. So, I enrolled in the Introduction to Digital Media class (as the only freshman in the class, mind you!) and got a crash course in video production from the awesome Chhayal Mehta.

After an awesome semester with Chhayal, I was totally in love with video production and worked really hard the following year (2010) to improve my shooting and editing skills by interning at KPRC Local 2 (Houston NBC affiliate), working for the GW Hatchet on their inaugural video team and shooting several pro-bono videos for non-profits.

Fast forward six (ugh, I'm old!) years later, and I'm doing video production professionally for the USO.

Sure, I'm not the best video shooter and editor ever -- I still have a ton to learn [for reals, it took me several years of work to go from this (shot/edited in college)...

... to this (shot/edited this year)...]

...but video production, the whole process, never seemed like a daunting task. Video production has always been a fun challenge for me!

Photography wasn't always as much fun as it is now...

I remember looking at my DSLR in college and being totally baffled at the concept of ISO, shutter speed and aperture. In video... you can kinda get a way with not understanding all of that for a while, especially if you are a strong editor. Photography? No way.

Even after I took a proper still photography class my junior year, it took me several years (read: until recently) for me to become equally confident in my still photography skills.

Now, I love both photo and video production -- for very separate reasons, they are so different-- but video was, and will always be (I think!), my first creative "love" and where I am most comfortable working as a visual storyteller.

Looking back, I'll admit, it would have been easier to learn how to shoot photos first (and, consequently learn a bit more about lighting/framing/how cameras work), but honestly, I wouldn't change a thing about my multimedia learning process.

California Dreamin' in San Francisco with Jackelyn Ho

In case you were wondering, it's totally possible to become besties with someone who lives on a different coast than you who you've never actually met in person.

Don't believe me? Enter the awesome Jackelyn Ho.

You might know Jackelyn from a Nike fitness class, or perhaps for a guest appearance in a Blogilates video, but I know her as the founder and awesome editor and chief of the 2014-2015 online publication, Fiterazzi Magazine.

Jackelyn and I first met through Fiterazzi Magazine, when I first applied to be a writer in January 2014, and everything just took off from there.

From helping brainstorming crazy story ideas, to coming up with the next best thing for Fiterazzi, I had a total blast working for Jackelyn. She totally fostered my crazy and pushed me to be the best fitness writer/photographer I could be! Eventually, when I became Fiterazzi's Assistant Editor, we got to work on more strategic plans together too which was so so cool and helped us to become pretty good friends.

It's so cool when you get to meet other people who love the things you do and have a drive to do something awesome too, right?

Even now, with Jackelyn working at Spright (the site the acquired Fiterazzi), I still get to talk to her on a regular basis, which is fab. I'm telling you, finding people who you can be friends with AND work with is so rare and awesome! I'm super lucky to have met and gotten to know Jackelyn -- she's gonna do great things!

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I got to go to the West Coast and finally visit Jackelyn and her man in San Francisco, which was awesome!

We did all the silly touristy things like Golden Gate Bridge (silly Karl the fog)....

... seeing the Full House house....

... eating...

... and selfieing...

... and eating....

... and hanging out and just having a BALL!

It was so cool to be in a new place with awesome friends just enjoying all the awesomeness that is life.

Hopefully, Jackelyn and her man will have some time to come an visit me and Mr. Man here in DC -- I think I can show them a good time, don't ya think?!

My first cover story and photo for Fiterazzi Magazine

It might be the end of February, but I'm still celebrating this one big-time.

Earlier this month, I wrote about a cover photo shoot I did for a feature story I was writing for Fiterazzi Magazine, which ran earlier this month.

Not only was the first time a photo of mine was featured on the cover of the magazine, but it was also the first time my story was the lead cover story!

Guys, I worked really really are on this story. From vetting the sources, to attending events, to interviewing the Grip the Mat girls, to actually sitting down and editing the photos and writing the story, this piece was multiple weeks in the making.

Here's a snippet from the actual story...

In the summer of 2014, Christy Skarulis and Ashley Braun noticed that their friends were all asking them same sort of questions.

“Ashley, should I hang out at a happy hour with my friends after work or should I hit the gym?”

“Christy, should I go to that yoga class Sunday morning or should I meet the girls for brunch?”

For the two twenty-something yoginis, who met in yoga teacher training in Washington, DC, it seemed ridiculous that their friends were having to decide between socializing or taking care of their bodies.

Why wasn’t there something people could do with their friends that combined the social aspect of a happy hour and the mind-body benefits of a yoga class?

Realizing that there were no existing options to solve this dilemma, the entrepreneurial duo took matters into their own hands and started a never-been-done kind of fitness social event company called Grip the Mat.

Read more here.

Holiday Flashback: My Holiday Trip to Hawaii -- Part 2: Kona

Last Thursday, I dished all about my fun layover in Seattle on my way to Hawaii this December for a holiday vacation with my family.

But this week it's all about the main event. The big kahuna, if you will.

Before this vacation, I had never been to any of the Hawaiian islands, so I really didn't know what to expect. I knew there would be beaches. I knew there would be warm breezes. But I didn't know there would be everything that the big island of Hawaii has to offer.

My family and I stayed on the Kona side of the big island, sort of near where the old airport used to be. My parents were celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary and decided to go all out by renting a gorgeous beach side home for us to enjoy for two whole weeks. I got to sleep in the upstairs, outside "bird's nest" which was basically like sleeping in paradise.

I could spend pages and pages telling you about all the amazing things we did while we were there, all the amazing food we ate, and all the amazing people we met, but I'd much rather show you.

There were sunsets.

Turtles.

And gorgeous ocean scenes.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly relaxed.

And very caffinated.

I'm quite proud of the photos that I took while I was there, although, it's almost difficult to take a bad photo while you're in Hawaii.

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.

My Fiterazzi latest: Tights Review, HIITs & Tips for Staying Healthy this Holiday Season

Happy Friday! For some reason, weeks after holidays always feel the longest. It's not like anything bad has happened -- I love my job -- but something has had me looking forward to a low key weekend all week long.

I blame the grey winter weather that's rolled in. Anyway.

Over the past few weeks, I've been doing a lot of photography, writing and organizing for Fiterazzi Magazine, who I moonlight for when I'm not working for the USO.

Just before Thanksgiving, my article all about the latest and greatest in workout leggings hit the web and has been doing fabulous!

I've gotten a lot of great feedback from readers about this article, so that's super encouraging. I think next time I'll try to keep the prices of the products I sample in mind. Some of my readers pointed out that the options were a little out of thier price ranges. Woops.

Anywho. Here's a sneak peak for you to read :)

You can read the full piece here.

Oh, and if you're feeling like you want to get a workout in, I also whipped up a fun Pre-Turkey Day HIIT.

I also wrote a fun little piece about a few easy tips and tricks to staying healthy during the holidays.

I think people can get caught up in the business of holiday festivities and forget to take care of themselves, so I thought it would be helpful to write up a little guide of how to keep yourself on track no matter how festive you might get.

Here's a peak at that story.

You can read the full piece here.

Enjoy!

Speeding to Arizona: Shooting NASCAR Race for USO, Interviewing Driver Trevor Bayne & Meeting Medal of Honor Recipient Fred Ferguson

I used to think NASCAR was as simple as driving fast cars around in circles for a few hours and calling it a day.

Boy, was I wrong.

This past weekend I headed down to Phoenix, Arizona to cover the USO’s presence at the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) event at Phoenix International Raceway and got a true education about all the complexities and strategy that goes behind the sport. And yes, I said sport, you read that right.

After spending a full watching all they do out there on the track and talking to the drivers and pit teams, my opinion on whether or not to call NASCAR a sport has changed. It is totally a sport that requires quite a bit of strategy, team work and physical preparation.

Chess, however, is still not a sport. Sorry.

Anyway, the entire reason why I had the wonderful opportunity to jet to Phoenix was because Trevor Bayne, who drives his No. 6 Ford Mustang for Rousch Fenway Racing, featured the USO logo on his vehicle this weekend in honor of Veterans Day this week. In addition to having the USO logo on his far, Bayne also had Medal of Honor recipient Fred Ferguson’s name on his passenger door — something that I understood is very, very special in NASCAR and doesn’t happen very often at all.

While the weekend was a total blur (I was shooting photos and videos — fellow media people know doing both at the same time is craaaazy), I honestly enjoyed my time on the track.

I was surprised at how friendly and down to earth almost everyone I met was, including Trevor, who’s my age. Plus, I think I got some awesome shots and captured some special moments for Fred and the other USO VIPs that were with the group on Saturday. I even got to sit down and talk with Trevor on Friday before the race and snapped this Instavid!

@roushfenway driver @tbayne21 took a moment to thank #troops before this weekend’s @nascar Nationwide Series (NNS) event @phoenixraceway. Bayne’s No. 6 @advocare Ford Mustang will feature the USO logo and the name of Medal of Honor recipient, Frederick Ferguson. #usomoments #military #militaryappreciation #nascar #racing #RFRdriven #phoenix #latergram

A video posted by The USO (@theuso) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:38am PST

Honestly, I felt very honored to be the one capturing this special occasion for the USO and Fred, who was a total hoot and a wonderful man. When I wasn’t busy shooting photos or videos, I found myself chatting with Fred and listening to all of his stories from when he was in the service. He’s lived quite an interesting life and has seen a fair amount of the world and country thanks to his service. I just hope that when I’m that old I’ll have such amazing stories to share.

You know, I think that there’s always something special to be learned from veterans and older people in general. All too often, I think people discount the elderly and their tales, or only remember those who served twice a year.

Meeting Fred and seeing how much he enjoyed Saturdays events — meeting people, being honored by a standing ovation, seeing his name on the car — was a nice reminder to continually say thank you not only to veterans, but people in general, a bit more than we already do.

A Taste of Fall: A trip to Butler's Orchard

This past Saturday was a totally gorgeous day in the Washington, D.C. area. After a week of rainy weather, seeing the sunshine, even for just a few short afternoon hours, was an especially welcome treat.

Since Mr. Boyfriend and I were planning to head to the farm last week for Columbus Day, but got rained out and ended up at breweries instead (whoops?), we took advantage of the weather and put on our fall best and headed out to Butler's Orchard.

After a lot of traffic (and I mean A LOT, like hours worth of stop-and-go) we arrived at the Orchard and got lost in the slew of fall-themed activities they had to offer.

I think its safe to say that both my and Mr. Boyfriend's favorite farm attraction was the pumpkin chucker -- Think huge cannon that can launch pumpkins at speeds that they were never intended to travel at. We couldn't help but just sit and stare at it for minutes... that is, before we both had to whip out cameras and take a few pictures. Obviously.

While the pumpkin chucker was a novel sight, I'll admit, the rest of Butler's Orchard was a little disappointing. Maybe I'm getting too old for rink-a-dink corn mazes and hayrides. Or maybe I just need something a bit more "adult sized." 

Either way, it was nice to get outside and enjoy one of the areas first true fall days.

Fiterazzi Sports Bra Preview & Photos That I Love!

I love looking at my friends' photography work. I love working with them on photography projects even more.

So when I got a chance to work my my fabulous friend, Sara Snyder, on an upcoming Fiterazzi sports bra article, I was tickled pink with excitement. While the article isn't quite finished yet, the photos are, and they turned out fabulous!

Take a look at my favorite pics from Sara's work & come back for my low-down about the article when its published!