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

Any more photos?

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.

Yeah, I really like both of those. Excellent photojournalism, IMO.

Great google moogly, where has the time gone? I've been home from Afghanistan a little over a year now. It's been a LOT of ups and downs. I'm now stationed at the Pentagon creating video productions for HQMC Combat Camera and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. I've gotten to do some really awesome stuff the last year and work with some pretty cool people. 

Part of the downside of this job? It turns out I knew one of the Marines who was killed in the Chattanooga RS shooting. Holmquist. There's a photo of him going around that I recognized. Turns out I had taken it during Christmas in Afghanistan. What a small, crummy world it is sometimes. 

I'm interested in opening this thread back up if anyone new wants to talk shop, has questions, or is curious about Combat Camera. I'm doing mostly video productions here but every so often I get an email from someone interested in knowing more about what I do and I'm happy to help. 

A while ago I did a guest post over at Neil van Niekerk's Tangents blog talking a bit more about what my job is like. Here's a link for those who'd like to read up. 

neilvn.com/tangents/combat-photographer-...hotographer-marines/

Tammy!!! nice to see you on here! Glad you seem to be enjoying what you're doing these days, sounds like interesting work.

Sorry to hear that a photo you'd taken of one of those Marines ended up needing to be used for that reason, and that it was someone you'd known. Glad you're home safe and sound.

These are very VERY impressive photos

Cool shots!

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you like the work.

A while back I was asked to document a memorial service for a friend of a friend and his grandfather, a veteran of the Korean War. While the photography came out lovely, his written account of the day is even more beautiful and moving and should definitely be shared.

The Remembered War - Ross Ruddell

I like the perspective you used in some of these, of the statues and the row of carnations, etc. Well done series.