Sachi Cunningham

GoPro on a pole with a weight belt for underwater swimming.
 
Transcript: "OK, this one's going to be short and sweet. What relatively inexpensive cameras or device set up would you recommend to young coaches who want to see their athletes swim underwater? And I would say GoPro on a pole. And if you can, just get a weight belt and swim under them. That should do it."

I use Photo mechanic, Photoshop, and Lightroom to edit my photos. Once I have narrowed down the photos I want to keep, I step away for a bit so that I can get some perspective and read the story to know what photo will work best. I also get help from another editor when necessary.
 
Transcript: "Okay, so this one is pretty short and sweet. I think how do you edit your photos in terms of software? I use Photo mechanic and Photoshop a little bit of Lightroom and on terms of the process I usually go take you know download the full take or go through the full card and I'll check off my first edit save those then do a second edit you know usually try and take a little step away. If it's a lot of photos, I'll try and step away for a little bit so I can get a little perspective and or you're talking to the client and reading the story to know what photo is going to work. Best to go with the words if you're working with a writer Etc and just kind of Whittle it down from there, I'm not very good at editing. So I think I also part of my editing is having another editor. Look at it. And help me make those choices."

The worst advice I've ever gotten is when people tell me no, you can't do that. It just fires me up and motivates me to prove them wrong. I also think it's important to trust your instincts and try things, even if there is a risk of failure.
 
Transcript: "Okay Josh. What's the worst piece of career advice I've ever gotten in general? I think the worst advice has been anything such as no, you can't do that. That's not a story that's impossible, anything in that family of advice, which I've gotten at various points in my career, usually just fires me up and So, I guess that isn't in the end, the worst advice I've gotten, but, and is not to say that I don't respect and listen to and appreciate people who have more experience than I do. I definitely have also gotten some amazing advice. I just think that if you are told no and you really want to do something or you really think something is a story, then it's also important to to just trust your instinct and try if you fail, you fail, but if you don't try then it's pretty hard to live with that. So thanks for your question."

I am mostly self-taught in photography, but I have had a few mentors. My mentor for water surf photography was Nakamura-san from Japan. My dad has also been a mentor of sorts with his photography and darkroom in our house. Fred Pomp Meyer and Frankie Artie are two best big wave surf photographers who have helped me a lot. Mimi Checkitova was my professor at UC Berkeley when I took a photo class there. I'm currently mentoring Palani this summer, so it's nice to give back. The overall message is that you should seek out mentors and ask questions because they can help you throughout your career. Knowledge is power.
 
Transcript: "Okay, Jason wants to know who my mentor was when I started out in photography and, you know, I'm mostly self-taught in photography, so I did seek out mentors. So I know I'm going to forget some of them. So, if any of my mentors are watching this, please forgive me. But when I started out with my water surf, photography, my mentor was nakamura-san, And Japan in Tokyo, I should give my dad some credit for being a mentor. He also shot a lot of photos and had a dark room in our house so you know I was exposed to photography for most of my life and pizza. Greenie is he's a DP, not so much known it for his photos but he's someone who's helped me with the water photography as has Frankie Artie. And Fred pomp Meyer there are two of, you know, the best big wave surf photographers or photographers in general. That have helped me a lot over the years. Mimi, check it OVA was one of my professors at UC Berkeley. When I took a photo class there and I, like I said, I am sure I'm forgetting some people, but I am currently mentoring young man named Palani. This summer. So it's really nice to give back. And I think ultimately to your question is just, yes, you should seek mentors and you should be asking questions because they will help you for the rest of your career and just knowledge is power. So go out there and you know, watching these videos is hopefully helping some to thank you."

My favorite way to relax in my down time is to surf, watch TV with my family, garden, be outside, cook, listen to music, laugh and spend time with friends, dance, meditate and breathe.
 
Transcript: "What is my favorite way to relax in my down time? I love to Surf, I love to jump in the ocean and swim or surf. I love to just watch TV with my daughter or husband. I love to Garden. I love being outside. I even sometimes like to cook in my to relax in my down time. I love listening to music. I love just laughing and Time with friends. I love dancing, all things fun, you know, it doesn't take much actually for me too. Relax, what is? Challenging as carving out that time to relax but actually I started this morning with some meditating which I'm going to try and do every day this week and that definitely also helps, it also helps to breathe during the day you can just relax in one breath. Five and a half in. Five and a half out. Don't you feel more relaxed now?"

I admire black and white photography, but I'm drawn to color. I asked Barbara Davidson why she chose to shoot her piece on gang violence in LA in black and white, and she said it enabled the power and emotion of those images to have more impact. I wish I had an eye for black and white photography like many of my photos are in Peru, but I just see in Technicolor.
 
Transcript: "Why? Hello there. Michael Robinson. Chavez black and white or color. I have always admired black and white and I really wish I could see the world in black and white, but I just am so jazzed by color. I just, it's pretty. I've tried. It's really impossible for me to not see color and not miss that color. When I'm shooting in black and white. I remember asking, Barbara Davidson about this. And I share this with my students because her piece on, you know, the murders and gang violence in ela, is all in black and white. And she told me that she had chosen that, because it enabled just the power and emotion of those images to hit people more directly and just have more impact and And I completely agree. I really wish, like I said, I had an eye for that and had a talent for that. I know you do. I think all of your Peru photos are black and white, maybe I'll get there. I just just, you know, I see in Technicolor, so thanks for the question and thanks for getting my mug on here. There's a lot of questions here, have a good one."