thedrifter
01-08-07, 02:50 PM
Armed with a camera
By JENNIFER VOGELSONG
Daily Record/Sunday News
York Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Launched:01/08/2007 12:56:41 PM EST
At bottom: · Cpl. Shane Keller · What he carries
Jan 8, 2007 — Shane Keller loves to be in the middle of the action.
In high school, he used a cheap point-and-shoot camera to snap pictures of his friends executing skateboard stunts in empty parking lots around Newberry Township. He captured fellow paintball enthusiasts pelting each other at a field in Halifax.
These days, Keller shoots in Iraq. Not with a gun, but with his Canon 10D.
He's a combat photographer for the U.S. Marine Corp, and this month he starts his second tour of duty in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar with the 2nd Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejune, N.C.
He photographs weapons caches and land-mine craters, vehicle damage and Iraqi civilians going about their daily life. He has shot frames for aerial reconnaissance and provided images for both historical documentation and the military's intelligence-gathering efforts.
Eric Sollenberger, owner of Beyond the Moment Photography in Lititz and an old paintball friend, said Keller has a knack for showing the ordinary in an extraordinary way with his photos.
"He uses different focuses and interesting angles to bring things to light," Sollenbeger said. One of his favorite photos is one Keller shot from down inside a Humvee, looking up at a machine gunner poking out the top. "You get the feeling you're in there with that guy."
Keller said his work is about two things: knowing how to take a good picture and being in the right place at the right time. That's why, after a high-school job in an Eckerd pharmacy photo lab and photography classes at Harrisburg Area Community College, he enlisted in the Marines.
He saw "combat photographer" advertised as a job on the Marines' Web site and thought it would be a perfect fit. Plus, his older brother had been a Marine.
"I can be the best photographer in the world, but if I never leave Newberrytown, what kind of photographs am I going to have?" he said. "I figured if I could travel with the Marines, I would be able to go where historical events are happening."
After boot camp and a few months of occupational specialty school, he was sent to Camp Lejune, N.C., in July 2004. For eight months, he photographed award ceremonies and changes of command, retirements, promotions and memorial services.
Then, in February 2005, he was sent to Iraq to document the experiences of the 3rd battalion, 25th Marine regiment.
It was scary, no question. But Keller said training taught him to function in the midst of chaos, to keep going while rounds of gunfire flew over his head.
So when he found himself in a Humvee in the middle of a five-point intersection in Haqlaniyah, heard something explode, lost his footing, fell to the ground, and broke the lens off his camera, he kept his cool.
He followed battalion members as they cleared homes and questioned Iraqi citizens, trying to find out where the rocket-propelled grenade had come from.
Former Cpl. Eric Ely of Naugatuk, Conn., also a combat photographer, worked with Keller for a good portion of his time in Iraq. He said Keller's understanding of the subject matter helped him get good shots: "He tries to convey through his camera what's happening at the scene and transfer that feeling."
At the end of the day, when everyone else kicks back, Keller sits down for a couple more hours of work. He has to go through his images, rename and resize them. Write captions for each and transmit them by satellite through a secure military Web site.
Sometimes, he'd send a snapshot to a fellow Marine's mother or girlfriend, if he could. It's not part of the job description, but how can he say no? "People are so thankful for that," he said. "This (job) is a little more meaningful than taking pictures of some paintball tournament."
Reach Jennifer Vogelsong at 771-2034 or jvogelsong@ydr.com.
Cpl. Shane Keller
Age: 26
Residence: Newberry Township
Occupation: He is a combat photographer for the U.S. Marine Corp. and is based in Camp Lejune, N.C.
Education: Attended Harrisburg Area Community College, 1999 graduate of Red Land High School.
Family: Parents Deb & Kevin Sorenson; brothers Jason Keller, 29, of California, and Tyler Sorenson, 15; sister Erica Sorenson, 19.
Hobbies/interests:Paintball, skateboarding, juggling.
top
What he carries
As a combat photographer for the Marines, Cpl. Shane Keller carries the following items to do his job:
· Canon 10D digital camera
· 16-to-35-milimeter, wide-angle Canon L lens
· 24-to-70-milimeter Canon L lens
· 70-to-200 millimeter, long-range Canon L lens
· Panasonic Toughbook heavy-duty laptop
· RBGEAN satellite (for an Internet connection)
Ellie
By JENNIFER VOGELSONG
Daily Record/Sunday News
York Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Launched:01/08/2007 12:56:41 PM EST
At bottom: · Cpl. Shane Keller · What he carries
Jan 8, 2007 — Shane Keller loves to be in the middle of the action.
In high school, he used a cheap point-and-shoot camera to snap pictures of his friends executing skateboard stunts in empty parking lots around Newberry Township. He captured fellow paintball enthusiasts pelting each other at a field in Halifax.
These days, Keller shoots in Iraq. Not with a gun, but with his Canon 10D.
He's a combat photographer for the U.S. Marine Corp, and this month he starts his second tour of duty in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar with the 2nd Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejune, N.C.
He photographs weapons caches and land-mine craters, vehicle damage and Iraqi civilians going about their daily life. He has shot frames for aerial reconnaissance and provided images for both historical documentation and the military's intelligence-gathering efforts.
Eric Sollenberger, owner of Beyond the Moment Photography in Lititz and an old paintball friend, said Keller has a knack for showing the ordinary in an extraordinary way with his photos.
"He uses different focuses and interesting angles to bring things to light," Sollenbeger said. One of his favorite photos is one Keller shot from down inside a Humvee, looking up at a machine gunner poking out the top. "You get the feeling you're in there with that guy."
Keller said his work is about two things: knowing how to take a good picture and being in the right place at the right time. That's why, after a high-school job in an Eckerd pharmacy photo lab and photography classes at Harrisburg Area Community College, he enlisted in the Marines.
He saw "combat photographer" advertised as a job on the Marines' Web site and thought it would be a perfect fit. Plus, his older brother had been a Marine.
"I can be the best photographer in the world, but if I never leave Newberrytown, what kind of photographs am I going to have?" he said. "I figured if I could travel with the Marines, I would be able to go where historical events are happening."
After boot camp and a few months of occupational specialty school, he was sent to Camp Lejune, N.C., in July 2004. For eight months, he photographed award ceremonies and changes of command, retirements, promotions and memorial services.
Then, in February 2005, he was sent to Iraq to document the experiences of the 3rd battalion, 25th Marine regiment.
It was scary, no question. But Keller said training taught him to function in the midst of chaos, to keep going while rounds of gunfire flew over his head.
So when he found himself in a Humvee in the middle of a five-point intersection in Haqlaniyah, heard something explode, lost his footing, fell to the ground, and broke the lens off his camera, he kept his cool.
He followed battalion members as they cleared homes and questioned Iraqi citizens, trying to find out where the rocket-propelled grenade had come from.
Former Cpl. Eric Ely of Naugatuk, Conn., also a combat photographer, worked with Keller for a good portion of his time in Iraq. He said Keller's understanding of the subject matter helped him get good shots: "He tries to convey through his camera what's happening at the scene and transfer that feeling."
At the end of the day, when everyone else kicks back, Keller sits down for a couple more hours of work. He has to go through his images, rename and resize them. Write captions for each and transmit them by satellite through a secure military Web site.
Sometimes, he'd send a snapshot to a fellow Marine's mother or girlfriend, if he could. It's not part of the job description, but how can he say no? "People are so thankful for that," he said. "This (job) is a little more meaningful than taking pictures of some paintball tournament."
Reach Jennifer Vogelsong at 771-2034 or jvogelsong@ydr.com.
Cpl. Shane Keller
Age: 26
Residence: Newberry Township
Occupation: He is a combat photographer for the U.S. Marine Corp. and is based in Camp Lejune, N.C.
Education: Attended Harrisburg Area Community College, 1999 graduate of Red Land High School.
Family: Parents Deb & Kevin Sorenson; brothers Jason Keller, 29, of California, and Tyler Sorenson, 15; sister Erica Sorenson, 19.
Hobbies/interests:Paintball, skateboarding, juggling.
top
What he carries
As a combat photographer for the Marines, Cpl. Shane Keller carries the following items to do his job:
· Canon 10D digital camera
· 16-to-35-milimeter, wide-angle Canon L lens
· 24-to-70-milimeter Canon L lens
· 70-to-200 millimeter, long-range Canon L lens
· Panasonic Toughbook heavy-duty laptop
· RBGEAN satellite (for an Internet connection)
Ellie