Mar - Apr 2011 For members of the PA/VI community

NAVYIMAGERYINSIDER

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1AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD

For many Sailors, dry dock can mean rebuilding the ship, endless watches and galley duty. But, through a thoughtful and unique program, the MCs aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) are producing a full-form documentary while in dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

The concept was born by MCCM Jon McMillan as a method to keep his Sailors engaged, productive and constantly training during a period in which most media departments become part of the labor force.

“Before I came out to Nimitz, I watched the PBS documentary ‘Carrier’. . . knowing that Nimitz was going into dry dock, I thought it would be an awesome training opportunity for our MCs to be able to do something big,” McMillan said.

His goal is to ensure that his department is operational on day one leaving the yards. Most of his Sailors are recent DINFOS graduates and have little to no at-sea or MC experience.

“Sailors lose a lot of valuable experience from their MC trade during [an extended] maintenance period,” McMillan continued. “We’re getting tapped to do so many Sailor jobs that we lose our ability to do MC work. Then when we start our work-up cycle, that’s when we’re training to do our MC work. By the time we start to do workups at the end of the year these guys will be total rock stars.”

To execute the documentary, McMillan challenged several MCs to storyboard, shoot, edit and distribute one 20-minute episode each month. In episode one, Nimitz pulls into Bremerton, Wash., and in the last episode makes the homeport change to Everett, Wash.

“Master Chief has been the engine behind it,” said MC3 Glenn Slaughter. “He said, ‘look you guys, I want you to run this. I don’t want to run it.’”

Story continues on page 2

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Dry Dockby Damon J. Moritz

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD2

DIRECTORDEPUTY DIRECTOREDITORIALEditorStaff Writers

Contributors

LAYOUT/ARTDirectorDesigner

Christopher MaddenLTJG Shawn Eklund

Kristina MillerOscar SosaDamon J. Moritz

Navy Office of InformationPentagon RM4B514Washington, D.C. 20350-1200Office: 703-614-9154 DSN: 224DownloadInsider at:

LT Reagan BalsamoPaul Robinson

MC2 Jay M. ChuMC2 Sharay Bennett

“We had to go back in and put in a voice over to help tell the story, . . . to explain to people who aren’t familiar with what is going on,” Slaughter said.

The production crew didn’t limit their videography to the ship and base. Wray extended it to a Sailor’s home because as much as the dry dock and homeport change are the main stories, it’s the people living these events that make the story interesting.

McMillan sees his junior sailors as having a passion to create. That creativity is evident in the end product.

“We originally found a few people we wanted to follow. As we go, we’re finding more,” MC2 Adam Wolf added.

“Our plan for future episodes includes going back to families to see how they are working it in terms of another home port change,” said McMillan. “I plan to contact NPASE or COMCAM to film families down in San Diego doing things like Skype conversations with Sailors up here to help tell the story.”

While the ship is in dry dock, most of the media department has been displaced onto a barge. There, the department has a large space to accommodate their printers, workstations and the photo studio. The print shop and seven other workstations were left aboard Nimitz.

The Sailors still have to stand their watches, muster each morning, PT with the department and do all their regular shipboard duties like 3M, career counseling, field days and other collateral duties. Additionally, the department provides Sailors TAD to security and supply.

“Our workflow is probably different from a lot of ships out there, but I’m okay with that because I want to give my Sailors the most responsibility and the most authority to get the job done and they’re proud of the work they’re doing,” McMillan concluded.

The documentary team has delivered what the Nimitz skipper has called a “History Channel-worthy production.”

To check out episode one, go to www.youtube.com/usnavy where it will be posted under the “Navy Stories” play list. NVNS will post other episodes as they become available.

Several junior Sailors stepped forward right away.

“It takes us about a month to edit everything. We need about a week to shoot and another week to capture all of the tapes and transfer them,” said MC3 Devin Wray. “Then we need a week to assemble them into a logical manner that makes a story that can be understood. Finally it takes another week of just tweaking and adding our special effects and graphics, our music, credits and so on.”

“Storytelling was a big issue,” MC3 Glenn Slaughter recalled.

McMillan gave the Sailors a great deal of freedom by allowing them to tele-work from their barracks rooms and use their own equipment.

“Editing in the barracks is nice,” commented Slaughter. “In the media center the energy level is different; there is a lot more going on. In the barracks you don’t have to edit through a drill or 1MC announcement where you have to take off your headphones and ask; what did they just say?”

This is a major endeavor that will require all of the crew’s experiences during the course of a year. It will be a valuable piece of the Navy’s history, so the production staff is working with NVNS to archive their material for the historic record. OI-7 provided a Sony PDW-U1 XDCAM drive that offers the ability to save the original media onto 23 GB XDCAM disks. These disks are rugged and are easily shipped and included in the OI-7 video library, archived as an official Navy record, with added use by media and documentary producers.

This material goes through a rigorous process to become the final product. According to the production staff, it wasn’t easy. The MCs had to figure out how to navigate release issues, security restrictions and technical skills that they had never worked on before.

“Time-lapse [photography] was a big deal,” explained Slaughter. “The ship came in [to port] and directly across from the ship’s bridge was a camera in a tall building. We had MCs manning it and running batteries back and forth.”

Later in the process, editing and storytelling required special attention.

Dry Dock continued

www.slideshare.net/NavyVisualNewsServicehttp://issuu.com/NavyVisualNewsService

DIRECTOR’SCORNER

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD 3

According to statistics maintained by the Defense Imagery Management Operations Center (DIMOC), formerly the Joint Combat Camera Center, last year the Navy submitted 190% less video footage than Army, 161% less than our Marine Corps counterparts, and 98% less than Air Force.

When I hear statistics like this, I am quickly reminded of Mark Twain’s famous quote, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” However, the disparity in these numbers is hard to ignore. In fact, with so little emphasis on prime-cut footage and the mission to document fleet operations, the impact is already having a trickle-down effect with the Navy’s ability to respond effectively to breaking news and documentary programming.

An all too common occurrence is to receive a request from CNN seeking b-roll to support a story, and the answer we give is either “Sorry we cannot support,” or “Yes, but the footage was shot in 2002.” Either way, it is embarrassing as a community and reduces the Navy’s opportunity for national and international reach, when so many talented MCs have the training and the equipment to provide this content.

The fleet’s encumbered access to viable transmission resources had been an obstacle, but as of February 2011, all U.S. Navy ships can install Fast File Transfer (FFT) software on IT-21 NIPR networks. NVNS has been assisting fleet assets with FFT installation; clean, broadcast-quality footage from a DDG underway in the Mediterranean is now a reality, and was successfully tested in February of this year. If you have the ability to acquire and edit video underway, you have the ability to transmit that material within hours and minutes.

Social media (SM) has become a powerful tool for the communicator, and CHINFO has been a major supporter and resource for best practices. However, YouTube and the perishable nature of SM are of little value to a healthy lifecycle of Navy documentary video to support the increasingly diverse needs of today’s media. It is still extremely important to forward the original file, DVD or tape media to NVNS in support of the Navy VI mission.

~CJM

InstructionNugget

The instruction that governs Navy VI products and policy is OPNAVINST 3104.1A. The guidance includes topics like inventory management, accessioning requirements, VI production procedures and various other subjects. This latest version of the instruction was released in 2009 and can be downloaded from the DoN Issuances link.

Photo by Damon J. Moritz

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD4

UPDATE: VISION ID Statusby Paul Robinson, DIMOC

110313-N-DR144-150ARABIAN SEA (March 13, 2011) Sailors guide arresting gear cables back into place after recovering an F/A-18C Hornet aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). The CarlVinson Carrier Strike Group is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

The VISION ID program is working well. In the first three weeks more than 2,200 personnel registered for their VISION ID, of which about 1,000 were new accounts.

The Defense Imagery Management Operations Center (DIMOC) Customer Service has handled about 500 calls, most of which are problems accessing the site. In many cases the user mistakenly answered ‘NO’ to the question, “Are you a VI Professional?” Answering ‘NO’ limits access to the VISION ID site to prevent issuing IDs to non-VI personnel. We have since added the definition of a VI Professional on the main page.

Previously, the data on photographers in our system was inconsistent. Captioning tools could not enforce how the photographer entered their name, so we had no easy way to check names against the Field 3 data to get reliable results.

Additionally, there were an unexpected number of images where the name in the photographer’s field was incorrect.

Using a CAC to enter the site was also problematic. We can correct most of the issues, or provide alternative access methods, so the user can receive their VISION ID. There are also those who cannot use a CAC for valid reasons, and in those cases we allow username/password access. This requires a call to DIMOC.

On rare occasions, two names return for a single VIRIN. This can be a result of incorrect data in the images, which we can correct.This requires a careful analysis to determine the right photographer’s name and update the images accordingly.

In other cases there may be a valid duplication in the system, with two or more photographers having the same Field 3 information. In these cases we annotate the duplication so records are amended properly.

Rarely a VI professional manages to obtain two VISION IDs. There are multiple causes, but the problem has been corrected, even though we will still see this occur once in a while. However, only one VISION ID is ever issued for each VI Professional. When we encounter this problem, we contact the person affected and explain the error, and

note what VISION ID they need to use.

The goal of the VISION ID program is to remove personally identifiable information (PII) from public view. To achieve this, new assets are checked for PII and updated when they arrive at DIMOC. Searches for PII are converted to VISION ID, and only VISION ID information is returned.

110128-N-7981E-788BAY OF BENGAL (Jan. 28, 2011) An aircraft director signals as aviation ordnancemen unload ordnance from an F/A-18E Super Hornet aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are on a deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area wwof responsibility.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released)

NEW VIRIN FORMAT

OLD VIRIN FORMAT

File headers are also updated to remove PII and in a few weeks the Defense Imagery Server will be completely converted to using the VISION ID.

If you have any questions, contact DIMOC at: 888-743-4662 (COMM), 795-9872 (DSN) or

defenseimagery@defenseimagery.mil

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD 5

OUTTAKESby Oscar Sosa

NAVY KEY MESSAGE

by LT Reagan Balsamo

The imagery you produce has many uses, but ultimately it is for telling the Navy’s story. It may be picked up by news media, used by a documentary company and/or submitted to the National Archives, but at the end of the day we’re relaying our story to the public.With that endeavor in mind, it’s important that we use every opportunity to relay this year’s key messages to our audience through that imagery.

As a reminder, the published 2011 key messages are:

• America’s Navy is a Global Force for Good.• We are the branch of the military that fights on the water, under the water

and over the water.• Why what we do is important:

• Water covers about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface• About 80 percent of the world’s people live near the ocean• About 90 percent of all international trade travels by sea

• Our mission is to meet America’s threats far away, so those threats cannot harm us here.

• The Navy is leading our country’s efforts to achieve energy independence – a national security initiative that might win our next war – or even avoid it.

Photo by Richard Stewart

The most dangerous weapon in a photographer’s arsenal is the wide-angle lens. In the right hands it can bring the viewer into the scene, creating intimacy, scope, and depth, or, in the wrong hands, it can completely destroy a promising situation with a banal, two-dimensional snapshot.

Some photographers, unfortunately, try to let the lens do all the work. They look through the viewfinder and concentrate only on the subject, foregoing the background and the edges of the frame. They also forget that their knees can bend if they have a zoom, or that they can move at all. They tend to be afraid to get close, past the comfort zone and into the personal space, opting instead to stay on the edges of the story.

To properly use a wide-angle lens you need to either use it with the finesse of a surgeon or bludgeon with it like a lumber jack. There really is no middle ground.

Crop all your images in the camera; don’t rely on post Photoshop. Be mindful of the lighting, especially the way shadows fall on the eyes and face.

Wide-angle lenses create distorted edges and extreme angles. Buildings lean inwards

and limbs get stretched. Sometimes this can be used to enhance the photograph, however, it will quickly turn into a cliche.

A fisheye lens is a useful tool, but use it sparingly. Opt for the widest lens that creates the least distortion.

Work the angles, move up or down and get in close; those are the basic tenants of using a wide-angle lens.

A wide-angle lens is unforgiving, and most often tells more about the photographer than the subject.

A fisheye is a useful tool, but use it sparingly

Wide-Angle Lensis your Friend!

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD6

GOTB-ROLL?by Damon J. Moritz

Imagine what would happen if every Marine battalion bought different rifles requiring different ammunition; it would lead to chaos in the supply chain and a less effective fighting force. Likewise, consider the challenge of producing a consistent and timely product when the MC has to deal with multiple software and camera systems, each producing different native file formats; an exaggerated comparison, but you get the idea.

The advent of digital video technology has driven prices and equipment size down, while pushing capabilities up. There are commands still shooting in standard definition (SD) and others in high definition (HD). The Navy is using tape-based cameras, file-based cameras and shooting on cameras that used to be for still photo only. It’s a confusing time for Navy video producers in the market for new equipment, when trying to buy and

develop a sustainable video workflow.

The discussion should not be SD vs. HD, but rather the need for full HD, which HD codecs the Navy should be working with and how to maintain interoperability with a reliable workflow.

There are numerous video camera platforms/codecs and video editors being deployed.

It’s not that one works while another doesn’t from a functional standpoint, but rather what meets our (Navy history/national archive) standards.

Our community was aligned with HDV (a type of high definition video). Technology diverged and so did purchases within the Navy PA community. For example, many units are deploying cameras with the HD format, AVCHD. However, those cameras produce a product that is lower in quality than HDV.

There are other considerations, for instance, file-based vs. tape cameras. An edited tape can be mailed, whereas, in a file-based camera you must then archive and index the original footage onto multiple storage devices to protect your original content.

Will your command need this video in two weeks, or in two years, and will the historic record of the Navy need this video? Unfortunately, the trend has been to delete media and not archive it. This costs the Navy visibility, money, time and its rightful place in the historic record.

There is no generic HD workflow that covers all of the capabilities and limitations, however NVNS has prepared a technical spreadsheet with more details on our Slideshare or Issuu pages.

Video: What do I buy? Details on SD, HDV and HD

Navy has approved FFT Client 2.4.3 for use on all ships, and it has already been instrumental in operations Tomodachi and Odyssey Dawn.

In the Jan.-Feb. edition of the Navy VI Insider we said that FFT was almost here. Well, we’re happy to report that it’s ready!

Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM)issued a memorandum on Feb. 9, 2011 (ser ODAA/0128) which provides an Interim Authority To Operate (IATO) for Fast File Transfer (FFT) on IT-21 networks.

This means that any ship operating the IT-21 network may install and use FFT.

A copy of the IATO memorandum is available on PA Net at:

https://pa-net.navy.mil/eRoom/chinfo/PANET/0_12fdb9

The IATO expires Aug. 1, 2011; by then CHINFO OI-7 will have installed and fully certified a dedicated Navy FFT server. This will complete the requirement for a full Authority to Operate (ATO). This process is contracted for and underway. An update will be sent out with Navy FFT server information.

For now, download the client application by logging into DIMOC’s website for it at http://dams.defenseimagery.mil then go to Tools -> Download Software to get the client software. Site requires CAC authentication. Be sure to download FFT version 2.4.3 for shipboard use. Contact askdimoc@dma.mil for credentials and server address information. Contact NVNS if you have any problems or questions.

For more information, write to navyvisualnews@navy.mil

by NVNS

One StepCloser... ... ...Really!

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AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD 7

from the copyright holder under contract. Of particular note is Section 1-5.d., which prohibits alteration “in any way including overdubbing, re-recording, or editing” and charges your COs with taking steps to prevent such use.

“Improper use of copyright protected material may result in criminal prosecution,” said Ron Rossman, the movie program manager, “and very substantial fines for the offending party.”

He goes on to say, “Further, the disregard of program instructions exposes Navy to possible breach of contract with the film company owning the licensing rights.

Copyright and BUPERS Instructionby Christopher Madden

What does a BUPERS instruction have to do with imagery, you ask?

Well, the movies that you receive and play aboard ship are governed by the Navy Entertainment Motion Picture Program Administration, under BUPERSINST 1710.15A. This is important to note because it gives very specific guidance on how you can and can not use these movies.

You may have seen humorous creations on social media made by Navy personnel, using portions of these movies; they can be very entertaining. The editing involved takes skills that many Sailors in our community possess and I would venture to say they could create similar or better than what you see on many blog posts or video sharing sites. However, it’s important you read the instruction before going down that slippery road.

To be specific; you can’t dub any of the movies… they all are leased by the Navy

Such an infraction could result in the suspension or termination of licensing from that film studio, thus affecting more than 800 program sites afloat and ashore worldwide. Is this really worth the risk?”

We are a very creative community with the capability and knowledge to edit together videos that entertain the crew, but it’s important to be aware of this guidance for any productions you are involved in. If you have any questions, refer to the instruction, which you can download from http://www.mwr.navy.mil/mwrprgms/171015.htm

Remember, copyright while open to some fair use and in a parody, these are limitations specific to legal contractual arrangements with a copyright holder.

Bottom line, do not use motion picture products leased by the Navy without specific copyright exceptions directly from the owner.

Photo by MC2 James R. Evans

“Is this really worth the risk?”

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD8

SHOOTBy MCC Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst and MC2 Kevin O’Brien

Working as a principle photographer is no easy task. It requires high-end imagery, large amounts of professionalism and crisis management skills. You must be able to shoot at any time day or night, in any lighting condition, under any circumstances. Whether in a press pool with tons of photographers, shooting from a helicopter or as the fly on the wall, you must capture the moment.

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AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD 9

Being on a ship or stationed at an NPASE around the world, you

are often tasked to shoot a variety of things from ceremonies and features to homecomings and conferences. Half the time, you wonder, ‘how does this apply to the Navy’s mission?’

Well, working for a principle such as SECNAV or CNO, you still shoot those same events, but from the leadership’s perspective. You see why every moment in Naval history is important and why the MC community plays such a vital role in telling the Navy’s story. We tell the story from a “Big Navy” point of view from the Pentagon and around the world. Between the two of us, we have gone to 88 countries and stepped foot on every continent in the world.

MCC’s greatest experience/greatest challenge:As Adm. Roughead’s photographer, I have traveled to 37 countries to include China, South Africa, Colombia and Australia. My favorite trip, hands down, was attending ICEX-2009 in the Arctic. Shooting in below freezing temperatures was quite the challenge, but it was a new and exciting challenge that I was happy to explore. I learned to carry spare batteries next to hand

Photo by Jon Mercer

warmers deep inside my cold weather gear and not to shoot without gloves on! I embraced the experience by getting up at 0300 to do long exposures of the Aurora Borealis.

The biggest challenge for me would be maintaining a healthy work/life balance with the daily working hours drastically changing depending on CNO’s schedule. I take college classes, but I limit myself to one class at a time.

MC2’s greatest experience/greatest challenge:It’s extremely difficult to come up with just one significant experience during my time as the SECNAV’s photographer, but one that stands out would be walking the streets of Fallujah, Iraq.

The battle of Fallujah is still considered one of the fiercest urban battles since the Vietnam War.

In 2007, when SECNAV Donald Winter was in office, we made a trip to Iraq to visit with Sailors and Marines over Thanksgiving. Just a year prior, the streets of Fallujah were empty and the insurgents still frequently attacked our troops and Iraqi civilians. When we were there the streets were alive, vendors lined the sidewalks selling

produce and children frequently greeted the Marines with excitement asking for candy.

The biggest challenges I have would probably be the time commitment and travel schedule, both of which can be very intense because this is not your typical shore duty. The last three and a half years, I’ve made a total of 80 trips to include 27 states and 51 different countries.

It can be a lot of work with, long hours, but there is no experience like it for an MC in the Navy. We have the unique opportunity to experience the Navy from a different perspective while working closely with senior leadership and heads of state. You also have many opportunities to lead and mentor Sailors all over the globe.

It’s been the most challenging tour of our careers, but the experiences we’ve had are tremendous and we wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Both of us are needing MCs to fill our billets this year, so if you have the 8148 NEC and are interested, contact the detailer. If you have any questions about the positions, feel free to email us: tiffini.jones@navy.mil or Kevin.o’brien1@navy.mil

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AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD10

Scheduleof Events

Design Festival

Calling all legacy draftsmen… or any all-round design geeks (or even those that strive to be.) This is a blog you should have bookmarked. It includes information on topics like typography, web design, color theory and many other creative design concepts.

http://designfestival.com

MediaStorm

Technology has given us the tools to create very dynamic and impressive productions, where the only limitation is your imagination. Check out this multimedia production studio’s website which provides some sparks for creative productions.

http://mediastorm.org

The Photoletariat

The photographers on this comprehensive blog believe the best way to improve is to share knowledge, so they’ve combined artistic advice and technical tips into detailed posts and user galleries. There is also an inspirational video series called “Viewfinders” worth checking out.

http://thephotoletariat.com

LINKS to KNOW

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NPASE East Essential Skills CoursesPOC: MC1 Hoffmanerik.hoffmann@navy.mil757-444-7548

ES photography Jun 6-17: 3 seats available

ES writing Jul 11-22: 1 seat available

ES video Aug 1-12: 7 seats available

ES editingSep 19-30: 8 seats available

ES photography Oct 3-14: 5 seats available

ES writing Oct 31-Nov 11: 6 seats available

ES video Nov 28-Dec 9: all seats available

NPASE West Essential Skills CoursesPOC: MC2 Willsbrandie.wills@navy.mil619-545-3874

ES editing June 13 – 24: 7 seats available

ES photography July 18 – 29: 4 seats available

ES writing Aug 15 – 26: 8 seats available

ES video Sept 12 – 23: 7 seats available

ES editing Oct 17 – 28: 5 seats available

DigitalVision Summer Virtual Exhibition & ConferenceJune 8, 2011www.digitalvision2011.com

All references to commercially available sites and services are provided for informational purposes only, without Department of the Navy endorsement.

National Assoc. of Broadcasters (NAB) ShowApril 9-14, 2011www.nabshow.com

Shootoff Video WorkshopMay 12-15, 2011www.shootoff.org

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An Approach toStyle Guidesby Lt. j.g. Shawn Eklund

Team PA,As much of the world continues to watch the crises in Japan unfold in the media, I want to recognize elements of our PA team that have been running hard from the first moment.In the Pacific, the CPF team have put forth a herculean effort, working around the clock pushing information, synchronizing PA staffs across the fleet, and communicating the Navy’s efforts in support of the Government of Japan.Outstanding job by CNFJ to take aggressive action to ensure our families are kept up-to-date on the necessary precautions associated with emergent events in Japan.If you haven’t seen the U.S. 7th Fleet Facebook page recently, check it out. It is a perfect example of how to communicate with many audiences during a crisis.Thanks to the leadership aboard USS Blue Ridge and elsewhere that has provided prompt video and still imagery to our Navy Visual News Service. Timely marketing of this in-demand content catapulted our visuals into the media and were used by international media throughout the weekend.Our public affairs team has been ahead of the game, working long hours and doing an outstanding job ensuring that every query is answered and no opportunity is missed. They have performed as consummate professionals and poured everything into their work, while some of them have endured the challenges of guiding their own families through an earthquake.If you know one of these professionals, please thank them for their efforts and observe how they’re doing what they’re doing. They have my deepest respect and gratitude.R,Denny MoynihanRDML USNChief of Information

While writing is not wholly mechanical, it can still be approached as a mechanical process. With standard processes a story or caption can be cranked out predictably and reliably, with no expectation of serious flaws. It is with this concept I approach us-ing style guides. A style guide is nothing more than a system designed to create efficiencies, standardize results and change the output of your story-craft from hand-made to Ford factory product. So with this complex <sic> concept behind us let me explain a prudent system for using the three relevant style guides. In a nutshell, use the most applicable style guide first and then move to the less ap-plicable guides. For instance, for the U.S. Navy I recom-mend you start with the U.S. Navy Style Guide, as this probably applies to the sub-ject you’re writing about. Only after you've exhausted the content of this source should you research the DoD captioning style guide. If you find, after much fret, that this resource just doesn't answer the call then I would recommend you reference the AP style guide. My main point to approaching style, whether for a story or caption, is do so systematically and logically flowing from the most focused to the broader based guides. Finally when in doubt, ask your Chief, DIVO, NVNS, DIMOC, your higher head quarters public affairs office, or William Strunk Jr. and E.B White.

Navy Style Guide link

DoD Captioning Style Guide link

AP Style Guide link

AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD12

CONGRATULATIONSATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 25, 2010) A Sailor assigned to the weapons depart-ment aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) fires a .50-caliber machine gun during a night firing exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Tony Curtis)

MC3 Curtis is assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

SAN DIEGO (March 26, 2010) Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Jay Hinton mans the rails with his son and other Nimitz Sailors on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship transits into its homeport at Naval Base Coronado. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Nichelle Noelle Whitfield)

MC3 Whitfield is assigned to USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 9, 2010) An HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopter from the Black Knights of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4 embarked aboard the air-craft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) delivers pallets of supplies to the Carnival cruise ship C/V Splendor. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Mikesa R. Ponder)

MCSN Ponder is assigned to USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

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The results are in for the inaugural CHINFO Navy.mil photo contest, recognizing the best images submit-ted in 2010. Hundreds of votes from around the community at sea and ashore voted and selected the three images presented above.According to feedback from ForeSee, a company that provides website analysis to Navy.mil, still imag-ery is constantly the number one reason people visit the site by a margin of 2 to 1. Last year, more than 15,000 images were selected and posted on Navy.mil. To be selected by your peers as the top photos from such a competitive field is a tremendous accomplishment.All three winners will be placed on display in the offices of the Chief of Naval Operations, and Chief of Information. Rear Adm. Moynihan will award a letter of commendation to each of the top three winners.Thank you for submitting imagery to Navy Visual News Service in 2010. Your images are critical in telling the Navy’s incredible story to the American people and around the world, and 2011 is shaping up to be an incredible year for the Navy PA and VI community. Navy imagery continues to tell the Navy’s story during Operations Tomodachi, Pacific Passage, and Odyssey Dawn.