Photography at Technology News and Literature

Join the collection of Club member photos showing life and work during COVID-19

2 Apr. 2020. If you have photos of doing your work or day-to-day life under the coronavirus siege of 2020, National Press Club's Photography Team wants them. To date, 25 of your fellow Club members and staff have sent in some 60 photos about life and work during this unique time in history.

The collection so far shows work-from-home offices -- both with and without kids and pets -- and videoconferences in progress from the living room sofa. Photos from members also show the impact of COVID-19 on economic life, with empty streets, empty beaches and parks, empty buses and ferries, a nearly empty Ocean City boardwalk, a closed-down movie theater with "I'll be back" on the marquee, and shuttered artist stalls along the Seine in Paris.

In addition, the images offer a look into daily life with grocery shoppers in rubber gloves, an elevator sign warning against crowding to prevent viral transmission, the drive-through COVID-19 testing site in Arlington, and plenty of face masks. The collection even has a photo from a member's family funeral, showing mourners keeping a safe physical distance from each other.

The Club will post images from the collection in galleries on the website. In the meantime, if you have photos to contribute, please send them as e-mail attachments to members@press.org. Be sure to include a brief caption and credit for each image. If sharing the images on Twitter or Instagram, please tag @PressClubDC in your posts. Recommended social media hashtags are #CoronavirusNPC, #NPCsocialdistancing, or #NPCstayathome.

And don't worry if the photo subjects seem ordinary. In these unusual times, there's little that's ordinary. Questions? Contact Photo Committee co-chairs Alan Kotok at alankotok@gmail.com or Cheriss May at cheriss@cherissmay.com.

Alan Kotok, alankotok@gmail.com

Reprinted from National Press Club web site: https://www.press.org/newsroom/join-collection-club-member-photos-showing-life-and-work-during-covid-19

Getting Ready To Play Hockey

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8 Apr. 2020. Hockey is a sport that has always been popular. It does not get the recognition it deserves. However, it has long been enjoyed in schools and sports clubs all over the country. Nevertheless, if you really want to enjoy this sport, you need to make sure you purchase high-quality hockey equipment. If you fail to do so, your game will be negatively impacted and you won’t enjoy it as much. To ensure this does not happen to you, read on to discover the aspects you must consider when looking for the best store to buy your equipment from…

The first thing you should assess is the range of hockey products the company sells. You want to make sure they have everything you require. You may only need to purchase a hockey stick when you are starting off, but if you start to enjoy the sport you will undoubtedly need to make further purchases in the future. Moreover, if you are buying on behalf of a school or club you will obviously need access to a wide selection of hockey equipment. Thus, make sure the company sells everything from shin pads and balls, to goalkeeping equipment and mouth guards. You may even want to go further than this, and look for more hockey items, such as hockey games and memorabilia. There is a great PlayStation and Xbox game from EA Sports for fans to enjoy!

Aside from looking at the range of products sold by the company, you should also take a look at the brands they sell. This will give a good indication of the company’s level of quality and their standing in the industry. After all, well-known and reputable brands are likely to offer top quality products. Keeping that in mind, some of the top brands in the world of hockey include Grays, Adidas, Mercian, TK, Mazon, and Voodoo. If you purchase items from these brands you can be sure you are likely to be happy with what you receive in the post.

The third factor you should evaluate is the company’s reputation. Read reviews that have been left by previous customers to see what they have to say about the products they received and the service they experienced. This is the greatest way to get a truthful look into the level of quality you are likely to experience. After all, if people have been unsatisfied with the company, you can be certain they will have taken to the Internet to express this dissatisfaction.

Price is always an important factor to take into consideration. No one wants to empty his or her bank balance in order to enjoy a new sport! Nonetheless, you should never search for items merely based on their price, as this is a recipe for disaster. You will almost always suffer from poor quality products as a result. The best way to make savings that will not affect quality is to shop in the sales section. You will be able to buy last season’s products at extremely low rates.

If you consider all of the points that have been mentioned in this post, you should have no issue finding the ideal store to buy your hockey equipment and you are likely to be more than happy with the products you receive at your front door.

All you need to know about purchasing hockey sticks online

If you are considering taking up hockey as a hobby then the first thing that you will need to purchase is a hockey stick. After all, without this piece of equipment, you won’t be able to participate in the sport. When you search online you will see that there is a vast selection of different hockey sticks available; these differ with regards to size, weight, materials utilized, head shape and style. Therefore it is highly recommended that you take the time and effort to seek a hockey stick that is best suited to you.

First and foremost you should define a budget before you begin to search. After all, the vast selection of sticks available means that there is a large diversification with regards to price as well. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that going for the cheapest option is not always the most recommended. After all, you could suffer from a lack of quality and thus you will probably have to spend even more money on buying a new one.

Once you have deciphered a budget you then need to seek a hockey stick that is suited to you and your style of play. You need to determine whether you are going to play attacking or defending, as this determines whether you opt for a hook (attacker) or maxi (defender) head. Moreover, you need to ensure that you purchase a hockey stick which is the right size for you. The standard size is 36.5 inches. Nevertheless, if you are tall then 37.5 inches is the recommended choice.

Finally, you can then narrow down your search by finding a hockey stick that looks good. After all, there are some extremely stylish and sporty sticks available. Therefore, you may as well find a hockey stick that looks good so that you can play the sport in style. Some of the major sports brands boast some fantastic looking hockey sticks, thus it is worth looking at all of the different selections.

Reasons why you should purchase hockey goalie equipment on the Internet

Hockey is a fascinating sport that has long been popular. If you play hockey, and you are a goalie, you will need to buy slightly different equipment from the other players on the pitch. Some of the hockey goalie equipment you will need includes leg guards, helmets, protective shorts, kickers, and more. You can actually find goalie sets that will incorporate everything you need in one package. However, before you dash off to start shopping, read on to discover why it is best to buy your hockey goalie equipment online.

There is only one place to begin, and this is with the fact that you will have a much greater product selection to choose from. If you buy the equipment from your local sports store, the selection that is available is going to be very limited. Depending on where you live, there is no guarantee that you are even going to be able to get your hands on the full set of hockey goalie equipment that you require. You will never have this trouble when you are shopping online.

You are also much more likely to benefit from better prices when you go down this route. There are several reasons why this is the case. Firstly, you can search from a whole host of retailers, and thus you have a better opportunity to find a good deal. Not only this, but online retailers compete with so many companies, and thus they have to do all in their power to stand out. One of the ways they do this is by lowering their prices or offering special deals.

Last but not least, you are better placed to find the perfect hockey equipment when you shop on the Internet. This is because you have an abundance of information available to you. You will be able to refer to shopping guides, and you can read the reviews that have been left by past customers too. This will ensure that you do not fall into the trap of something that is not of a high quality. This type of assistance is not available to you when you shop in-store.

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Show us your photos of work, life under COVID-19

27 Mar. 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic enormously disrupts the lives of National Press Club members and staff, along with most everyone else worldwide where the virus reaches, the Club's Photography Team is asking members to help document this unique moment with your photos of working and daily life under the threat of coronavirus infections.

Your photos can show how you're coping with remote work, such as your home office or studio set-up, video conferencing, juggling family life with work demands, and even your hand washing routines. And when you can venture out -- keeping a safe six-foot distance from others, of course -- show us the empty streets, Metro stations, or store shelves you've encountered, people helping their neighbors, or other scenes we will not likely see again for some time.

You can use any technology to capture the photos: your phone, a screenshot, point-and-shoot, or digital SLR camera. Please send your best images by email to members@press.org. Be sure to include a brief caption and credit for each image. Club staff will periodically post photos they receive in a gallery on the press.org web site.

And feel free to share the images in your own social media feeds. Please remember to tag @PressClubDC on your Twitter and Instagram posts. Recommended hashtags are #CoronavirusNPC, #NPCsocialdistancing, or #NPCstayathome. Questions? Contact Photo Committee co-chairs Alan Kotok at alankotok@gmail.com or Cheriss May at cheriss@cherissmay.com.

Alan Kotok, alankotok@gmail.com

Reprinted from National Press Club web site: https://www.press.org/newsroom/show-us-your-photos-work-life-under-covid-19

Photographers tell their stories on NPC podcast

The NPC’s annual photo exhibit is on display in the Club’s lobby through September 27. Broadcast/podcast co-vice chair Adam Konowe spoke to photo team co-chair Alan Kotok about the evolution of the exhibit and its relevance in today’s critical society.

Konowe also interviewed Aileen Schlef about her photos at a Washington, D.C. church, as well as Molly McCartney, who captured life in Syria before the civil war. Both photographers discuss how the photos were taken and the stories behind them.

Story on press.org. Download MP3 file.

Club members' photo exhibit to have opening reception Friday

The opening reception of the National Press Club's 20th annual members' photo exhibit will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in the First Amendment Lounge.

Two of the entrants use print photos and electronic images to tell their stories about the Syrian civil war.

The exhibit displays images and print photos by Flavius Mihaies who documents his visits to Damascus, Homs, and the Kurdish-controlled region in northwest Syria in 2015, and earlier volunteer work in refugee camps in Iraq. Yet there was a thriving and peaceful Syria before the war, which Molly McCartney describes in her print photos and images from 2010, including an image from Palmyra, a community with ancient ruins later largely destroyed by the Islamic State.

This year's exhibit offers 37 print photos and 130 electronic images from 42 Club members. For the first time, the exhibit has an online catalog, where photographers tell more about their photos and images, including stories by Mihaies and McCartney describing their entries about Syria. The catalog also provides links to related work by participants, including blog posts by Mihaies for the World Bank and Atlantic Council, and McCartney's video for The Jerusalem Fund.

The exhibit shows behind-the-scenes images by Bloomberg's Derek Wallbank from the truncated summit in Hanoi between Donald Trump and North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un earlier this year, and a photo by political journalist Robert Yoon of North Korean soldiers patrolling the Demiliarized Zone in March 2018, with stories about these images in the exhibit catalog.

The exhibit and catalog feature an image and story by broadcast journalist Victoria Gaither from New Zealand following the mosque attacks in Christchurch, and a photo by Andrew Schneider of Air Force One, renamed Special Air Mission 41, carrying the body of former President George H.W. Bush back to Houston. The catalog includes a link to Schneider's report for Houston Public Media.

And the exhibit has many photos and images from Washington, including photojournalist Christy Bowe's work at the Trump White House and Capitol Hill, as well as shots of Club events by Darlene Shields. The exhibit also visits St. Anselm's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Northeast Washington, where Aileen Schlef describes in images and words the ordination of a new priest.

This year's exhibit offers a number of photo essays, where participants link their images together in a single narrative. Among the most compelling is a photo study of a homeless man living under a bridge in Paris, from Diane Stamm who writes for Bonjour Paris. Stamm says the man once raised cattle but lost his livelihood when a road was built through his farm.

The exhibit continues through Sept. 27.

Alan Kotok, 4 Sept. 2019. Reprinted from Press.org.

Show your best print photos in NPC's annual exhibit. Entries begin Aug. 1

Here's your chance to display your top-quality print photos and electronic images at the 20th annual members' photo exhibit in the National Press Club's main lobby.

The photo team will accept your submissions from Aug. 1 to Aug. 16,. You may submit up to two print photos and four electronic images for display.

The annual exhibit is a celebration of visual storytelling by Club members. The exhibit runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 27. It's not a contest. No judging takes place nor are prizes awarded.

In the print exhibit, each photo is hung with Velcro on fabric display panels. All entries must be securely mounted; no loose photos are accepted. The maximum size of each mounted photo, including mat (if used) can be 11 by 14 inches. No glass, frames, or canvas prints are permitted. Most photos in the print exhibit are mounted on either lightweight paperboard or foam-core.

Paperboard is a thin stiff piece of cardboard, with the photo held in place by a mat, a paperboard window placed over the picture. A mat also provides space for title, description, and signature. This video shows how to mount and mat a print photo. Dry mounting on foam-core can also be done yourself, with a little help from your friends, as seen in this video. If using foam-core, leave a little extra space for title, description, and signature.

Some members prefer to use commercial services to mount their prints. Here's a list of DC-area photo printing services from Exposed-DC, a Washington photography web site.

The annual members' exhibit also features a display of electronic images, with up to four entries accepted as well from Aug. 1 to Aug.16. And starting this year, exhibit participants can tell more about their photos and images in an online exhibit catalog. Full rules, instructions, and schedules for print and electronic entries, and the online catalog, can be downloaded from the Club Photography Committee's web page.

Send your questions to Photo Committee co-chair Alan Kotok, photo@technewslit.com.

Photo Exhibit Rules Now Online. Entries Begin Aug. 1.

National Press Club members can now download rules and guidelines for the twentieth annual members' photo exhibit. The exhibit showcases Club members' best print photos and electronic images, and for the first time lets participants tell the stories behind their photos and images in an online exhibit catalog.

Members can find the exhibit rules and guidelines on the Club Photography Committee's web page As before, participants can enter up to six pictures for the show, two print photos and four electronic images. The event is an exhibit, NOT a contest. There are no judges nor juries. But we ask members to enter their best high-quality work, displaying special people, moments, events, or places, not entered in previous exhibits.

Print photos will be mounted on display panels in the Club's main lobby from Aug. 30 to Sept. 27, 2019, along with large monitors showing electronic images in continuous slideshows. The Club has a new display panel this year with space to hold more print photos. As before, members can submit up to two print photos fixed on sturdy, lightweight materials, which will be attached to the panels with velcro. The rules and guidelines provide detailed specifications for the print photos, as well as the delivery process.

And as before, members can send in up to four electronic images for the exhibit. We have a new procedure this year for entering electronic images, using online forms and uploads instead of e-mail. The online forms are hosted by digital publishing company Technology News and Literature, which will collect the electronic images and prepare the slideshows.

Both electronic images and print photos will be accepted from Thursday, Aug. 1, to Friday, Aug. 16, with links given in the rules and guidelines. You can display some or all of your print photos as electronic images.

Also new this year, members can tell more about their print photos and electronic images in an online exhibit catalog. The electronic image entry forms have added fields to capture this information. And members can provide links to galleries, news stories, podcasts, or videos related to the entered photos or images. Print participants can also tell about their photos in the catalog on a separate online form; the rules and guidelines explain how.

Participation in the online catalog is optional. If you just want to enter your print photos or electronic images, that's fine. Technology News and Literature is also preparing the online exhibit catalog.

In addition, the rules document provides the key dates and deadlines for the exhibit. One of those key dates is the exhibit's opening gala, on Friday, Sept. 6, celebrating the 20th year of members' photographic story-telling.

Questions? Contact Photo Committee co-chair Alan Kotok at photo@technewslit.com.

Tell your story in the 20th annual members' photo exhibit

National Press Club members are among the best story-tellers anywhere, and this year's photography exhibit will give members a way to show it. The exhibit runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 27 in the Club's 13th floor lobby, and has new features for members to tell the story behind their best photos, as well as display the photos themselves.

Entries for the exhibit are accepted beginning on Aug. 1, so members should start going through their collections to find those images that capture special moments, times, and places. As done the past few years, the exhibit will display both print photos and electronic images, with up to two print photos and four electronic images accepted. And as before, any photos or images displayed cannot be repeated from earlier exhibits.

This year's event, the 20th annual photo exhibit at the Club, adds a new way for members to tell their photo stories. It features an online catalog where participants can tell a little about themselves as well as the stories behind their photos. And the electronic exhibit catalog will also let members display links to online stories, galleries, podcasts, videos, and social media posts related to their photos.

The Club's Photography Team that puts on the annual show will provide online forms for members to readily enter all of this information and upload their photos. Participation in the online exhibit catalog is optional. If members just want to show their photos, that's fine. But all participants are asked to let their social media contacts know they're taking part in the exhibit using the hashtag #NPCPhotoEx.

There's another new feature this year for print photo exhibitors, a new display panel offering room for more entries. Full exhibit rules and guidelines will be posted next month on the Photo Team's web page.

Questions? Contact Photo Committee co-chair Alan Kotok at photo@technewslit.com.

(Logo image: Laura Coker)

Welcome to photography at Technology News and Literature

Pictured: Michael A. Taylor of the Washington Nationals hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds, 25 June 2017.

Alan Kotok is an amateur photographer, co-chair of National Press Club's Photography Committee, and a volunteer photographer at NPC since 2018.

He organized the 19th annual National Press Club members photo exhibit, in September 2018. Online slideshow (16 mins.) ...

... And the 18th annual exhibit National Press Club photo exhibits, print and electronic, September 2017. Online slideshow ...

... And the 17th annual exhibit National Press Club photo exhibit, September 2016.

Public photo galleries

Most photos are available from SmugMug and Flickr.com, and carry a Creative Commons/Attribution license.

National Press Club event photos, 2018

• Headliners panel on cyber security, 17 December 2018.
• Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, 5 November 2018.
• 2018 Book and Author Fair, 2 November 2018.
• Sean Parnell/Jake Tapper book event, 13 September 2018.
• Historian Gil Klein book event, 26 July 2018.
• Gov. John Kasich news conference, 12 July 2018.
• Harris Faulkner book event, 14 June 2018.
• Friends of National Zoo press conference, 1 May 2018.
• Ryan Holiday book event, 15 March 2018.
• Danni Starr book event, 13 February 2018