MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Majestic shots of Mount Rainier with one of Team McChord's shining C-17 Globemaster IIIs parked in the foreground. 

Personalized gold commander's coins with McChord's logo embossed on one side. Crisp action shots of Airmen working out. 

All of these things help fashion a steadfast and professional identity for McChord and its Airmen. 

And there's a good chance the 62nd Communications Squadron's multimedia shop had a pivotal role in bringing each image to life. 

The shop's primary duty is to communicate Team McChord's mission to the public and the base community through photography and graphics projects, said contract manager and designer Randy White, 62nd CS. 

The shop's photo responsibilities include taking pictures in support of the wing commander and the base public affairs office and taking studio portraits for professional use. 

The shop also develops mission-essential signage and graphics for various squadrons and base organizations, creates official certificates and designs visual aids for training and recruiting, Mr. White said. 

"Graphic design is all about communication," he said. "We help Airmen who come in with a project communicate their message through our art work." 

Because the shop's photographer, Abner Guzman, 62nd CS, is familiar with the production process and knows what look each project is going for, he is able to provide a professional photo to begin the process, he said. 

But the shop also gives squadrons the chance to check out cameras to add their own personal touches to projects by providing their own photos to multimedia for training or mission-essential projects. 

The cameras may be used for coverage of military-affiliated activities such as formal recognition ceremonies, official squadron physical training or training exercises, said interim base multimedia manager Landy Schwiesow, 62nd CS. 

The cameras may not leave the base unless they are required for coverage of a military event, he said. 

The shop also has two video cameras that can be checked out, but Airmen must provide their own tapes for the video cameras, he said. 

While most of the squadrons have an idea of what they want to do with a graphics project, sometimes the staff even helps people further formulate and mold an idea for it, said graphic designer Adamarie Lewis-Page, 62nd CS. 

"We help them distill their message while showing the professionalism of the base or event in the finished product," she said. 

That can sometimes mean giving people not necessarily what they expect -- much to their delight, Mr. White said. 

"We enjoy taking what they're trying to say and helping them saying it better," he said. 

A majority of the shop's work lately has been in support of Air Mobility Command's Rodeo 2007, which will take place in July, said Ms. Lewis-Page. 

The multimedia shop is the only one in AMC working on graphics for the event, and it's a job they handle with pride due to their familiarity with Team McChord's mission and the military community, she said. 

By combining shots with special lighting that showcases McChord's combat airlift mission, distinctive landmarks that highlight the Puget Sound and Air Force emblems that embody pride in the military, the shop is able to fashion products that inform, educate and invoke a great sense of pride, she said. 

"The final creation is a total team effort that makes an impact to whoever views it," Ms. Lewis-Page said.