Speaking Tips

 

Giants in our Midst

In a time of turmoil, brought about by the pandemic and a contentious election, it's easy to allow our darker angels to prevail. But now that there is a vaccine to combat the virus, it's also time to offset the rhetoric of hatred and divisiveness...

Finish Strong

A dear friend of David’s passed away this week. In 1965, Archie Harrison was competing in the Oklahoma State Wrestling Championship. He was getting beaten badly, but in the last fifteen seconds of his match, pinned his opponent. His team won university scholarships and launched...

Clarity

In 1982, a unique film called Koyaanisqatsi premiered at the Santa Fe Film Festival. In the Hopi language, Koyaanisqatsi means "life out of balance," or literally "chaotic life." This film without dialogue visually covered what the filmmakers considered human interference with nature and the subsequent negative consequences. Today, with...

Emotional Gestures

In the Netflix series The Crown (Season 4) Princess Diana is coached on deportment. In one scene, Diana rehearses a speech she will give in support of her husband’s charity. Her coach tells Diana “You use your hands far too much…our gestures reveal us…best not...

Whittaker Wheeze

Emily Harrington, the elite athlete who recently solo-climbed El Capitan was the subject of last week’s tip. But we’re an equal opportunity supporter. Jim Whittaker served as President and CEO of REI for 25 years.But beginning in the 1960’s, Jim and his brother Lou were...

The Woman Rocks

“The process of putting yourself out there, the process of getting scared, the process of being uncomfortable. The uncertainty of it all is what makes it valuable—it’s what makes us realize who we are.” You may think this quote was by a keynote speaker expressing...

Fishin’ Friends

In this difficult time, wracked with political upheaval, social turmoil and a pandemic, we could all use a dose of good cheer. Many new movies are focused on the dark side and pessimism. Even though critics may feel its beneath them to appreciate a feel-good...

Dropped Pass

We love competition, especially in sports. Deborah is very happy that NFL season is here. The proof is the smell of popcorn and shouting each Sunday. Last weekend, an NFL receiver was running towards the end zone, in position to catch a long pass for...

Reflections

Recently, we were reviewing photos we took in our Colorado workshop and recalled a statement from instructor John Fielder. It was dusk. And our location was a serene mountain lake surrounded by golden aspen. Fielder said that if a reflection photo contained enough dynamic visual...

Fix it in Post

There’s an old saying when shooting a film or television series: “We’ll fix it in post.” It means that if an actor muffs a line or a plane flies overhead, you can repair those problems in post-production. Last week, we referenced a photo workshop we...