From photographer to geospatial analyst? How does that work?
You might look at my experience below and scratch your head about such an odd transition. At first glance, I have been involved in an artistic and visual pursuit as compared to a data science profession. However, I ask for a little forbearance as I connect the dots. What is a photographer but a visual storyteller? I was a photojournalist trained to communicate ideas in a universal language, and maps are but a visual rendering of our world; a method of telling a story about a place. As a geospatial analyst, I enrich those maps with greater detail so the stories I tell are richer and help people understand their community better. When I worked as a photojournalist, my wish was never more than creating images that did just that; tell a story about a community. The methods may differ, but the goal remains the same: I am still a storyteller.
Two decades as a professional photographer/business owner also provides valuable experience. I have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to work with almost anybody, and graphic design capabilities. In addition, while running my photography business, by its nature, my work was done with the added pressure of strict deadlines and the need to anticipate the client’s needs, or risk missing an opportunity entirely.
I function well within a team and have a history of collaborating with other creators. I show initiative, accept and offer constructive criticism, and support colleagues.
MICHAEL TEMCHINE
202.744.8447 (mobile) • michael@temchine.com • temchine.com
EDUCATION & PERSONAL
University of Maryland | College Park, MD | Graduate Certificate, Geospatial Information Sciences August, 2021, 4.0 GPA
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) | Rochester, NY | BFA, Professional Photographic Illustration, minor in Spanish
Clergy Hiring Committee | Baltimore, MD | Summer 2022 to present
Cubmaster & Den Leader | Baltimore, MD | September 2018 to present
Eagle Scout | Columbia, MD | November, 1994
SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
Computer skills and proficiency:
Esri: ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, StoryMaps, Dashboards, Experience Builder, ArcGIS API for Python, Portal for ArcGIS
Open Source: QGIS, PostGRES/PostGIS, GeoServer, Jupyter Notebook, Google Earth Engine, APIs, Nominatim
Amazon Web Services
Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, Bridge, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects
Microsoft Office Suite
Mac and PC
Languages/Libraries:
Python, Arcade, HTML, JavaScript, CSS
Geopandas, Pandas, arcpy, numpy, networkx, OSMNX
Camera skills and proficiency:
Expert in all professional camera systems and components in both controlled/uncontrolled environments.
EXPERIENCE
HEALTH SOLUTIONS RESEARCH, INC. (HSR.health) | 2021 - Present | Rockville, MD
Geospatial Analyst/Data Visualizer
HSR.health is a geospatial health analytics firm specializing in creating risk models for state/local governments, hospital systems, and other stakeholders. As the sole analyst initiated and designed a new line of products for the healthcare marketplace relating healthcare deserts. These analyses are HSR.health’s first products available on Esri’s Marketplace. Spearheaded custom analysis for the Maryland Hospital Assoc. on clinician access by county, census tract, zip code, and hospital catchment area. The analysis is an integral tool for agencies to determine populations in need of clinical resources. Participated in Open Geospatial Consortium's Disaster Pilots, assisting with efforts to maintain response capabilities during unfolding disasters as it pertains to health.
Care Desert Process
• Identified data sources critical for the analytical process, including: governmental (federal, state, supranational), private data providers (Google API, SafeGraph, etc.), member associations, and APIs.
• Created a Python script to determine closest clinics to each Census- designated place and applied a routing API to calculate the driving and walking distances, and duration from each place to the nearest clinics. The routing process allows for no-cost network analysis from point to point.
• Distances are aggregated to whichever geographic level is being analyzed for statistical analysis.
• Layered statistical analysis with social determinants of health, relevant health data, and client specific data to search for correlations and patterns.
General Duties
• Project ideation
• Collaborate with team members with brainstorming sessions, project support, and analysis
• Spatial analytics in Esri Suite and Python
• Python scripting for automation of large projects
• Geodatabase management
• Data development: conversion, geocoding, georeferencing, extraction, data creation and validation, ETL
• Proficient in vector and raster datasets
• Interface with PostGRES and SQL databases, AWS Cloud, Esri infrastructure via Python, and APIs.
• Work independently and with little supervision to complete tasks.
• Develop custom web applications: dashboards, experiences, StoryMaps, Insights, to deliver content and data.
• Ability to analyze complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and communicate pros/cons
• Use Esri’s Arcade language to analyze/visualize in understandable
• Strong ability to relate complex/technical material to non-subject matter experts in oral, written, and visual forms.
• Create simple to understand tutorials of complex application
14 North Strategies | 2021| Dakar, Senegal (remote)
Cartographer/GIS Consultant
• Created maps of Africa to illustrate intelligence reports.
• Identified and accessed appropriate data sources
• Prepared data for accurate mapping
• Performed spatial analyses
• Created visually appealing maps
PHOTOGRAPHER | 1999-2022 | Washington D.C.
Award winning editorial, photojournalism, corporate and event photography coverage.
Worked alongside a variety of professionals, subjects and vendors including reporters, editors, event coordinators, public relations teams, and executives to ensure coordination and optimal outcomes. Communicated with all parties, managed expectations and delivered high quality products in a timely fashion. Thrived in ambiguous, unscripted environments – often of great import and while covering sensitive subjects. Accustomed to working under tight deadlines.
• Covered the White House, US Congress, social issues, and major political events
• Expert in digital image workflows; downloading, editing, toning, retouching and transmitting
• Select editorial clients included: The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Australian, The Financial Times, Times of London, Agence France Presse, Associated Press, Toronto Star, ARTNews.
• Select corporate clients included: Marriott Corporation, University of Rochester, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Campaign for America’s Future, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Franklin Forum.
Skills acquired:
• Integration into extant teams
• Communication with experts and non-experts
• Emphasis on agile workflow for large projects
• Visual communication of abstract ideas
The Hill Newspaper | 1998-1999 | Washington D.C.
Chief Photographer
Responsible for photography coverage of The US Congress, the Capitol Hill neighborhood, The White House, and all government activity in Washington D.C. Assignments included breaking news, feature photography, portraits, food photography, landscape, international news events.
• Developed stories, edited, cropped, retouched and captioned photos
• Managed department budget as well as freelance and staff resources
• Worked with reporters, editors and graphic designers on art production
• Created photo filing system and database for archive and retrieval
Interests include hiking, bicycling, cinema, reading, road trips, soccer, cooking, Scouting, and family