Next Generation Project Texas 2011 Shoot
Posted by Jason Kindig on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 @ 10:49 AM
Hey guys, I wanted to share some images from a recent event I photographed out in Fort Worth. The event was the Next Generation Project Texas 2011, which was put on by the Strauss Center at the University of Texas in Austin.
Basically it was a nonpartisan gathering of bright minds from around the state of Texas to discuss solutions to various problems that face both the United States and the world. Their main focus this year was national and global energy solutions, and they had experts in the fields of both traditional and alternative energies, which certainly made for passionate discussion.
One of the fringe benefits of being a Dallas event photographer is that I have the opportunity to attend events and functions that I wouldn’t normally be at. Whether it is photographing corporate speakers, business conventions or conferences such as Next Generation, I get to learn and be exposed to new ideas. As these are some of the brightest minds from around the state of Texas, there were definitely great thoughts to ponder upon and bring away.
The event began with an opening reception at Bass Hall in Fort Worth, which has magnificent architecture. The area in Bass Hall where I typically photograph events has floor to ceiling windows, which gives the best natural light. In fact, I only had to use my flash for a select few frames! Any time a Dallas event photographer can make use of good natural light it is such a beautiful thing, you have no idea how exciting that is for me.
The event itself took place at the Hilton Fort Worth, where they had distinguished speakers such as Mr. Richard Fisher, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, and the Hon. Sharon E. Burke, who is Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs. There were also roundtable discussions to go over policy ideas and solutions, which was fascinating to listen in on.
Now I am a big fan of puzzles, which certainly translates over to my photography. As a Dallas event photographer, I like to put all of the pieces together, especially with lighting and posing, to where it creates the exact image I’m looking for. Towards the end of my event shooting, I had the opportunity to do a very large puzzle. They wanted to photograph a portrait of everyone that was in attendance, so I had about fifteen minutes to shoot a portrait of around fifty to sixty people. This can often be like herding cats, which is still one of my favorite visuals ever, but thankfully the group here was very cooperative as I shouted instructions from a second story walkway at the Hilton Hotel Fort Worth. With the location already scouted out beforehand and the lighting rigged and ready, the shoot went very quickly and turned out great. I had good expressions on all my faces, which made the Dallas event photographer in me very happy.
It was a great event that I was thankful to be a part of, enjoy the images!
