The Farmer RAM Truck commercial, declared the #1 Super Bowl spot by AdWeek revealed how powerful the combination of still images and multimedia can be. The photographers commissioned to produce the images were given simple instructions and a copy of the Paul Harvey speech.

Using this straightforward approach any college or university could create a lasting impression.  The full Farmer spot is 2 minutes and 6 seconds long. What makes this work so well are the powerful, relevant  images (only 35 by my count) that compliment the words of Paul Harvey’s speech. The approach is a great example of elegant simplicity.

Paul OMara Photography and Multimedia

Sewanee: The University of the South sent this greeting out last week. The camera made images for 10 hours as All Saints Chapel was decorated by students, faculty and community members for the 52nd Festival of Lessons and Carols. The music is by the University Choir.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Paul O’Mara

It’s just satisfying to take a hard look at my work and make changes. I’ve added some new work and also brought back some of my personal favorites, like the homepage image above. The Multimedia link is new and I hope will add a bit of visibility to that evolving medium. Enjoy

I’ve just finished the installation of a multimedia center and illustrated map for the Eco River Center in Rome, GA. I commissioned Michael Karpovage of Mapformation to produce the illustration, which shows the topography and geology of the area. I provided aerial photos and photographed the dominant rock types that were then rendered into the map.

The multimedia center was built by local cabinet-makers, Coosa Valley Cabinets. A 40 inch, HDTV is connect to a media player and will be used to show multimedia in support of the Eco Center’s programming. I am now putting the finishing touches on two multimedia presentations to explain the Water Cycle and another to address Brownfields through a look at the industrial history of Rome.

My work in higher education was such an important element to the success of this project. I’d seen examples of Mapformation work with college campus maps. Berry College geology professor, Dr. Tamie Jovanelly provided guidance with the accuracy of the illustration and was a tremendous resource for the identification of the rocks I photographed.

This was funded through an Environmental Protection Agency, Brownfields Assessment Grant.

The power of pictures and the spoken word:  A awesome combination that is perfect for higher education, admissions marketing.

I was recently talking with a potential client who found me through Google.  She asked if I could show her some work that is not on my website, and you know, that really makes sense.  What’s  put together above is a selection from one day of a 3 day shoot in October 2010.

Interestingly, none of this day of work is displayed on my website. What it shows is in the sum of the whole.  A lot of strong, descriptive images.   I selected the shots in this piece from the 200+ images I sent to the client.   My goal here is to give sense of what can be accomplished in a day of a higher education photo shoot…Enjoy

Paul

Telling a story with images and audio, if done well, is a compelling combination. Over the holidays I put together this piece.  My goals were modest, but the result is pleasing. I interviewed Berry College biology professor Dr. Martin Cipollini, then edited the audio tracks to create the story.  The images were from work I had done for Berry for a magazine article on the Longleaf Pine Project on the college’s 26,000 acre campus.

The key to utilizing this form of multimedia successfully is to keep it short and to the point. This is a powerful way to share an institutions strengths directly to their audience. I’m ready to start on the next one.