Why We #KCFocus

With photography, mindset is everything. It’s easy to believe — especially in a world constantly generating content — you need to be a pro photographer with a $5,000 camera to take a photo that stands out among the masses. But that isn’t true. Everyone is capable, and the more you practice, the easier it will come. For the last couple of years, we’ve challenged our team to overcome their own mindsets to become better photographers through #KCFocus.

THE 4-1-1

#KCFocus is our bi-weekly photography challenge that exists to challenge our team to creatively hone their skills and practice using the elements of design in photography. (#KCFocus was formerly known as #KCSnaps.) We also see it as a unique way to encourage participation (and a little bit of healthy competition) from both Koch Comm’s staff and the public. We’ll typically post the challenge with an example of the topic on our Instagram and then ask our team and followers to play along. Participants take a photo that fits the parameters of the challenge, post it on their Instagram account and use #KCFocus to enter.

While we have some great photographers on our staff, the ability to take a great photo is useful for everyone. It’s useful for our social media team members as they cover live events all over Oklahoma, and it’s useful for taking photos of your nieces and nephews at family gatherings.

Previous topics for the challenges have focused on various elements of design — like line, texture, color, space — and provided an opportunity for participants to think beyond the familiar. Others have highlighted the changing of seasons, specific colors and trends. Practicing something as simple as the rule of thirds, or looking for a specific shape or color in the ordinary, can immediately improve the composition of a photo. The elements of design are like blocks that build on each other or the ingredients that create a recipe. And once you know the rules, don’t be afraid to break them with intention!

#KCFocus is something unique that Koch Comm does—it’s both a peek behind the curtain into our team’s culture and a community-building exercise, both inside and outside of the walls of our office. Plus, it’s a practical way to challenge ourselves to think outside the box, with the added bonus of giving cultural snapshots of a day in the life, or present day OKC.

WE’D <3 FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN #KCFOCUS

All non-Koch Comm employees who participate in #KCFocus this month will be entered to win a 2018 Keep It Local card. The #KCFocus topic this go-round is Resolution. You can interpret that however you please, and we’ll see you over on Instagram.