npase contextual imagery

Contextual Imagery 1

Navy Public Affairs Support Element Training

Contextual Imagery: Photography with a “Collateral Duty”

Instructor Hours: 1.0

Practical Exercises: 0

Peer Review: 0

Supplemental Material:

1) PowerPoint: Contextual Imagery 2) Handouts: None 3) Videos: None 4) Book: None


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes STATE: Welcome! This particular topic is aimed at capturing visual

information (VI) products that can be used for a variety of purposes—

public affairs (or “PA”), intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance

(“ISR”), or both. When the need for photo documentation is called away,

the usual trend is for the photographers, whether they are MCs or not, to

focus closely in on the target. Often they fail to pull back and get the

larger context of the situation. The same with something as simple as

pulling into port; the temptation for the shooter is to focus on the line

handling team or the Quartermasters on the bridge, and neglect getting

imagery of the ship in context.

Slide – Objectives

STATE: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Discuss capturing context in VI products

• Discuss captioning requirements

Objective: Discuss Capturing Context in VI Products

Slide – What is Contextual Imagery?

STATE: Simply put, “contextual imagery” is a photograph that captures

more than merely the subject; it captures the context that subject is acting

in. It captures the “big picture” if you will. A photo of a small boat

buzzing your ship is great, but getting part of you ship in the image

provides the context telling the story that this is not merely a speedboat,

but a speedboat 25 yards off your port side.

Navy Public Affairs Support Element Contextual Imagery

Contextual Imagery

What is contextual imagery?

• Imagery that provides a larger context to the subject in

the image

• Context can be created by showing elements of a ship’s

structure, shorelines and landmarks, identifying marks on

ships, etc.

• Often creates an image that is dual purpose: can be

used for public affairs (PA) and intelligence, surveillance,

and reconnaissance (ISR) of an event


Contextual Imagery

Objectives




Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

Slide – Su-24 #1

STATE: The April 2016 over flight of USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) by

Russian Su-24 aircraft is the classic ‘text book’ example of the

importance of contextual imagery for both PA and ISR purposes. This

close-up photo of one of the Su-24s is important because it provides a

detailed look at Russian aircraft. It has great ISR value, but only limited

PA value. There is nothing in the image that says this is anything other

than an aircraft flying over the ocean.

Slide – Su-24 #2

STATE: This is an example of a good contextual image. The Russian

jets are not terribly prominent compared to the deck of the Donald Cook,

but the deck in the foreground gives the reader an idea just how close the

Russian jets were. This image has a lot of ISR value. Since this was an

unwelcome event in international waters, there is PA value too because it

makes the case that the Russians were operating in an unsafe manner.

Slide – Su-24 #3

STATE: This was the “money shot” of the day. The visible proximity

of aircraft to ship here tells a powerful story and is useful both for ISR

and PA purposes.


Contextual Imagery

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Thisisperhapsthe“best”shotofthesequencecapturedbyUSSDonaldCook’screw.ThesuperstructureintheforegroundgivesanalystsaclearmarkofhowclosethisRussianjetis.ShotslikethisprovideawealthofPAandISRinforma on.


Public Affairs Fundamentals

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ThisisagreatshotofoneoftheRussianSu-24a ackaircra thatoverflewUSSDonaldCook(DDG75)April12,2016.However,thisshotonlyshowstheaircra andprovidesnocontext.Thiscouldbeatanairshow,itcouldbeashotbyaRussianSailoroftrainingops.Thereisnoimmediatevisualcontexttotellthebiggerstory.


Contextual Imagery

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Thisisaclassic“contextualimagery”shot.Theship’sstructureintheforegroundimmediatelycommunicateshowlowtheSu-24sweretotheDonaldCookduringtheseriesofflyoverstheyconducted.


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

Slide – Rappahannock story

STATE: In December 2012 USNS Rappahannock fired on an Indian

fishing boat. Rappahannock said the boat was threatening the ship; the

Indian government claimed we fired without cause. There is no imagery

of the event to support our government’s claim. This is one reason

contextual imagery is so important. Had we possessed visual proof of the

fishing boat’s proximity to Rappahannock, this international “he said/she

said” would not be happening.

STATE: Contextual imagery is one of the quickest ways the Navy can

counter an adversary’s propaganda. Visual proof goes a very long way to

correcting a false narrative. If your captain has to open fire on a

“civilian” vessel, photographic proof that the vessel was closing in on

your ship and firing a weapon is an immediate and powerful weapon in

the information war.

Slide – USS Chosin and dhow

STATE: Contextual imagery does not have to be from deck level, though

it often is. If someone in a Navy aircraft has a camera (remember, MCs

are not the only Sailors capable of this mission), and gets a shot like this

one of USS Chosin and a local dhow, any false claims about the

encounter can be countered.


Contextual Imagery

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USSChosin(CG65)passesafishingdhowintheGulfofAdenNov.8,2009.IfthishadbeenaneventsimilartotheRappahannockincidentof2012,thecontextprovidedbyshowingproximitywouldbeextremelyimportant.Eitherway,itisagoodPAandISRshot;itcanbereleasedanditdocumentslocalboa ngac vity.


Contextual Imagery

• Contextual imagery can be used to counter adversary

propaganda by providing a visual record of the truth

• Can be used to support U.S. claims against charges of

wrong-doing in the event of an incident:

• USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204) fired on an Indian

fishing vessel off the coast of Dubai July 16, 2012. One

Indian fisherman was killed and three were wounded.

Rappahannock’s skipper claimed the Indian boat approached rapidly at high speed; the Indian government

claimed our ship fired without provocation. No imagery

exists to support either claim.


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

Slides – Vella Gulf

STATE: This image can go two ways. It can show how dedicated our

forces are to humanitarian causes by showing how close we’ll get to a

vessel in distress. Conversely if we had to fire on this dhow, this image

clearly shows the world that the dhow was an imminent threat through its

very proximity to Vella Gulf.

Slide – Pulling into port

DIRECT: Get a volunteer to read this slide.

STATE: These next several images are examples of what you can gain

from contextual imagery in near-shore or in-port settings.

Slide – Bridge of the Americas

STATE: A new navigation team can learn a lot about a trip to the

Panama Canal through this image. Additionally planners can use this to

predict possible threats while we get a great PA shot of our ship entering

the canal. Let’s take a quick look a few more examples.


Contextual Imagery

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Thefo’c’sleofUSSVellaGulf(CG72)showsitsproximitytothedhowbeingassisted.ThisisclearvisualevidencehowseriouslytheNavytakesaidingvesselsindistress;ashipwillgetascloseassafelypossibletorenderaidonthehighseas.Conversely(againreferencingtheRappahannock)thiscouldbethevisualproofneededanadversarywasclearlyathreattoourship,therebyjus fyingourdecisiontofire.


Contextual Imagery

• Pulling into port is an easy time to get contextual imagery

• Bridges, castles, other landmarks along with visible parts

of the ship’s structure provide a wealth of information

• Even “indistinct” shoreline with no major landmarks is

important to provide context

• Captures location and proximity of piers, buoys and

potential hazards to navigation

• Can be used to predict and counter potential future

threats while in port


Contextual Imagery

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ThisshotofUSSChosin(CG65)approachingtheBridgeoftheAmericasisagreatPAshot,butalsoshowsthewidthofthechannel,theloca onofapierorquayofftotheright,etc.ItwasshotbyanFC2,notanMC2.AnySailorcancapturegoodcontextualimagery.


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes DIRECT: Have a student volunteer read each slide. Guide the students

to see what uses the photos have beyond public affairs (hint: most of the

needed information is on the slides if they are paying attention):

Slides – Gaeta, Hong Kong, and Israel

Slide – CVN 73 and Peruvian ships

STATE: Friendly interactions with foreign forces should be captured

with the same eye to contextual imagery and captioned properly.


Contextual Imagery

USSBainbridge(DDG96)mooredatGaeta,Italy,Oct.23,2015.Thisshotprovidesgreatdetailaboutmooringlinesetup,pollu onboom,andlayoftheharbor.

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Contextual Imagery

USSMus n(DDG89)preparestomoorinHongKong.ThisshotprovidesagreatdealofcontextabouttheapproachtoHongKong.ItisbothagreatPAshotandcansupportISRneedsaswellbecausetheship’sstructureprovidesscale.

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Contextual Imagery

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Any meyoucangetiden fyingmarkssuchastheDESRON2emblemonUSSLaboon(DDG58)’sstackassheismooredherewithUSSRoss(DDG71),doso.Thisinforma on,alongwiththebackgroundofHaifa,Israel,providescontextforthegeographyandbusynatureoftheport.


Contextual Imagery

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USSGeorgeWashington(CVN73)andUSSChaffee(DDG90)areparalleledbythePeruvianVavyCarvajal-classfrigatesBAPVillavisencio(FM52)andBAPMariategui(FM54)Oct.2,2015duringbilateralexercises.ForPApurposesthisprovidesagreatimageofusandourpartners;forISRitclearlydocumentstheeventandprovidesasenseofscaleofthePeruvianvessels.


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes Objective: Discuss Captioning Requirements

Slide – Caption requirements 1

DIRECT: Have a student volunteer read this slide.

STATE: Be it a PA or ISR requirement, caption requirements are never

going away. The caption both completes the historical record and fills in

details the image by itself can’t. The caption will fill in the details of the

5 W’s (who, what, where, when, why, and, if appropriate, how).

Slide – Caption requirements 2

STATE: If you look at the photo gallery on Navy.mil or DVIDS, you

will see plenty of caption examples. Captions generally follow the AP

Stylebook, and must be relatively short. Each sentence should contain no

more than 30 words, though if necessary they can be longer. One trick to

word counting in the journalism word: full ID or specific phrases can

count as one word. For example, “amphibious transport dock USS Ponce

(LPD 15)” counts as only one word.

Slide – Caption example

STATE: Here is an example. Notice how simple both sentences are;

captions do not have to be complex. Now, let’s take a closer look at the

VIRIN, the number all DoD VI products are catalogued by.


Contextual Imagery

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160209-N-ZZ786-058BAYOFBENGAL(Feb.9,2016)Guided-missilecruiserUSSAn etam(CG54)sailswiththeIndianNavyCentaur-classaircra carrierINSViraat(R22)intheBayofBengalFeb.9.TheshipsweretakingpartinajointexerciseaspartofIndia’sInterna onalFleetReview.(U.S.NavyphotobyMC3DavidFlewellyn/Released*OR*NotReleased)


Contextual Imagery

• Caption information must be acquired and embedded

with the image, even if it is only being used for ISR

• Ships must be identified by nationality (foreign vessels

only), class, name and hull number (at minimum).

• This can take some time to research, so research in

advance ships likely to be encountered and have the

information ready to go.

• The date of the event must be part of the caption.

• Even ISR imagery must be cataloged with a VIRIN


Contextual Imagery

Cap onelementsinorder:1) VIRIN2) DatelineinALLCAPS(geographicareawheretheimagewasshot,not

theship)3) Dateinparentheses4) Atleastonesentencefullyiden fyingthevesselsinvolved(ISRminimum

requirement)

1) Asecond“boilerplate”sentenceoutliningthemissionorexercise(PArequirement)

5) Creditlineinparentheseswithadeclara onwhethertheimageis

“Released”or“NotReleased”forpublicviewinganduse


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

Slide – VIRIN

STATE: This is the VIRIN. All VI products submitted must be

catalogued with it. The caption will go in the metadata that is embedded

in the image using Adobe Photoshop or other photo-processing software.

STATE: Each service has a different letter code to differentiate its

images from the other Armed Forces:

N = Navy

A = Army

M = Marine Corps

F = Air Force

G = Coast Guard

D = DoD Civilian

STATE: Notice the Coast Guard is listed here. Even though they fall

under the Department of Homeland Security, their VI products are

cataloged and handled in the same way as DoD.

STATE: Prior to mid-2011, the “Vision ID” code consisted of the last

four digits of the photographer’s SSN and the first letter of their last

name. Due to concerns about identity theft (and other PII-related

threats), the Vision ID code was changed to a randomly generated alpha-

numeric code. Therefore, if you are using the Vision ID to look up

photographers who were in the Navy prior to May 2011, you will need to

know their older code, or else use their name for the search.

STATE: One element to note in a photo story or essay is the KEY

PHOTO. This is the strongest photo in the entire sequence and the one

best able to be used as a stand-alone photo if your editor can’t use the

rest. In a traditional layout, the key photo is always the largest photo

because it has the most stopping power, and is therefore well suited to

getting your reader into the essay or story.


Contextual Imagery

A“VIRIN”isaVisualInforma onRecordIden fica onNumber.Itisusedtocatalogueeverypieceofs llandvideoimagerycreatedbyDoDphotographers.Aunique“VisionID”isafive-digitalalpha-numericcodeiden fyingthespecificphotographer(togetregisteredforaVisionID,gotoh ps://vipro.defenseimagery.milandfollowtheinstruc ons):

160426–N–YX169-001

Twodigityear/month/day

CodeID’ingtheservice.“N”forNavy.

VisionIDthatiden fieseachspecific

photographer

Sequen alnumberofs llandvideoimagesshotthatdaybythatphotographer


Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

Final Review

STATE: Let’s go over what we’ve studied.

ASK: What does VIRIN stand for? Answer: Visual Information Record

Identification Number

ASK: How do you describe a VIRIN? Answers should include the

following points: A five-digit alpha-numeric code randomly generated

that individually identifies every photographer in the U.S. DoD.

ASK: Define “contextual imagery.” Answers should include the

following: Imagery that provides the larger context of the story, such as

no merely getting a close-up photo of a ship near yours, but also pulling

back to get part of your ship in the foreground as a reference. It is as

necessary as the close-up image is.

ASK: What are some reasons contextual imagery is important?

Answers will vary but should hit the following points: Counter adversary

propaganda, provide evidence bolstering our government’s position in a

case, provide public affairs products showcasing our port calls or

interactions with our international partners, provide training aids for

future Sailors.

ASK: What are the 5W’s a caption answers? Answer: Who, what,

where, when, why and, if appropriate, how.

Slide – Objectives

STATE: We have discussed the following objectives:




Contextual Imagery

Objectives




Contextual Imagery

Trainer Notes

STATE: Contextual imagery is extremely important because it has so

many different uses. It can be everything from a game-changer in the

geopolitical sphere to a training aid to a great piece of public affairs.

Slide – Questions?

ASK: Does anyone have any questions for me?

STATE: Let’s take a ten-minute break before moving on.


Questions?

Contextual Imagery

npase contextual imagery

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