Home > Culture > Mentor Showcase > The 2006 Best-of Series: Gordon Morioka & Shanon Rice
The 2006 'Best Of' Series
For the second annual Best Of issue of the ASMP Bulletin, we selected twenty projects from a field of nearly sixty candidates. It was a tough decision and we thank all those who submitted their work. We hope you will enjoy reading about the projects featured in print and here on the ASMP Web site.
Promotional poster for Cincinnati Appalachian Festival
On assignment to create a poster for the Appalachian Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, Gordon Morioka and Shanon Rice photographed workers in a coal mine. They produced a compelling portrait of the miners as well as a set of photographs that highlight their divergent styles and a wide range of image-making techniques. The pair plans to continue the project; an exhibition of their images during the festival resulted in offers of sponsorship for a book and additional opportunities to exhibit the work.
Portrait of Gordon Morioka and Shanon Rice © Matthew O'Pry.
ASMP: How long have you both been in business?
GM: 20 years as freelance photographer, educator for two.
SR: Educator for eight years, fine-art photographer for 12.
ASMP: How long have you been ASMP members?
GM: 20 years.
SR: One year.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: What are your photographic specialties?
GM: Location, panoramas, digital imaging, photojournalism.
SR: Toy cameras, digital imaging, panoramas, color management & digital post-production, documentary.
ASMP: Please summarize the equipment used in this work.
GM: Nikon D2x, some photos lit by painting with the miner’s light attached to the helmet.
SR: Holgaroid and Diana with Polaroid 85 film and 120 Tri-X with pyro development.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: What was the most technologically challenging aspect of this project?
GM & SR: Lighting and dust. A coal mine is totally dark, dusty and, in this case, had a ceiling that was about 34 inches, so we were on our knees the whole time. Available light is limited to vehicle headlights and miner’s lights.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: How were you selected for this project? Was there a set usage and fee structure identified at the outset?
GM & SR: The Appalachian Community Development Association chose the theme of the 37th Annual Appalachian Festival as “Mining Our Past: A Tribute to Coal Miners.” Shanon is on the board and on the PR committee and was chosen for the assignment. Usage was only for the poster and was done on a volunteer basis.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: What do you feel that the mix of technologies/processes added to how your work was viewed and received by the audience?
GM & SR: The contrast between digital and film/toy cameras was evident in the “look.” Shooting with the Holgaroid, Shanon was able to create a more “historical” look versus the digital images, which had a sharper, more defined, technical quality. One of the comments that we received at the show was about the use of color in our images, because when most people shoot in a mine it is done with black & white only, not a mix of the two.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: Have you worked together on projects previously or was this the first time?
GM & SR: We had previously worked on projects together, but none to this extent.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: Please elaborate on your interactions with the miners and how this affected your creative process and vision for this work.
GM & SR: From the first time we met our contact Claude, we saw the dedication and attraction these men have for what they do. Because our project was to focus on the miners themselves and their motivation, Claude, who works for an industry group, also shared our passion for telling the stories of the mines and the lives that revolve around it. We were treated like friends and developed many lasting relationships because of the project. This has and will help us gain access to people and situations that we would not normally see.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: Did recent media focus on safety issues in the mining industry play a role in your work, either from your subjects or the company(ies) they worked for?
GM & SR: Recent publicity on the mining industry was one of the reasons why coal miners were honored at the 2006 Appalachian Festival.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: Did you encounter challenges to access to the coalmine and, if so, how did you handle them?
GM & SR: The challenge was to establish a trusting relationship. Because of the recent negative publicity, miners and the industry in general are skeptical of any media, camera-carrying types. We assured them that we were primarily interested in the miners, the people who go into the mountain everyday. In the end, it depends on the gut-level trust you develop between yourselves and the subject.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: Did safety issues or concerns about equipment play any part in this assignment?
GM: Shanon was using a plastic camera; she was concerned about dust when changing film. I had concerns about dust when changing lenses but really didn’t change lenses that much. Most of the time I used the 12-24mm, with one or two changes to a medium zoom. When we’re in a situation like this, we will tend to forget about the camera and go for the image anyway.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: Has this project had a positive effect on your subjects and the industry you photographed?
GM & SR: The miners have told us that nobody has ever done anything positive about the miners previously; it’s always focused on the negative. They were surprised and overwhelmed at the attention people paid to them at the festival exhibit, people who never thought about coal miners before, what they do and how all of us benefit.
© Shanon Rice
ASMP: Please describe how this project has expanded opportunities affected your career and expanded opportunities for your work.
GM & SR: The overwhelming success of what has been done so far has led to donations, talk of a book and a non-profit foundation, along with other opportunities in the works. In the beginning, we never thought that it could bring the opportunities and relationships that it has. Because of the continuing nature of the project, it’s difficult to tell where we’ll end up, but we know it will be an interesting trip.
© Gordon Morioka
ASMP: Have you used this assignment as a teaching opportunity with your students?
SR: I have used these images in classes from desktop publishing to digital imaging workflow. You don’t have to use state-of-the-art equipment to create a great image; you can express yourself with basic equipment, as I told my toy camera class. We also looked at how two contrasting styles can be combined as a whole show explaining how digital and film can work together.
GM: I have used these photos to show light painting technique, the advantages of raw captures and basically, adapting your technique to the situation. I also use the assignment of an example of how planning, research and legwork are necessary to ensure a good photo opportunity when you finally arrive to do the photos.
© Shanon Rice