Before/After Opportunity April 27th

Newsome’s Studio will be partnering with Mary Kay on the morning of Saturday, April 27th. Call the studio to schedule your before/after makeover by Mary Kay representatives. Newsome’s will photograph one “before” image, and a handful of “after” images. We will fully retouch your favorite “after” image and create one 8×10 PRINT for you.

In addition, the before/after images will be uploaded to the Mary Kay website and your friends can log on and vote for yours as their favorite. Whoever receives the most votes, will be awarded a $5,000 donation in their name, to their favorite charity that benefits women and/or children.

Cost to participate is only $50, including the makeover, photo session, and 8×10 PRINT! Bring a friend- make it fun!

 

STUDIO MOVING SALE!

We’ve relocated the studio. Not an easy task – ever (this is our 5th location in 26 years). What made this one so tough was that we’ve moved into a smaller space, so we had to make some tough decisions about what we could keep and what needed to be left behind. Well, we’ve about sorted it all out and now we’re having a “We’ve Moved To A Smaller Space And Can’t Bring It All With Us Moving Sale.”

Saturday, May 19th, from Noon till 3:00 PM, at THE OLD STUDIO (13910 N. Dale Mabry Hwy).

We have an assortment of office furniture, a couch, coffee table, file cabinets, props, toys, Strasburg children’s clothing, a changing table, frames, mirrors, and much, much more. Everything is priced to sell and everything MUST GO!

Give me a call this week (968-2810) if you have any questions. See you at the OLD studio next weekend!

Senior Versatility

High School Seniors are always encouraged to bring several looks and outfits to their session. Kaylee did just that. Here she is, elegant as ever in her prom dress, as well as having a bit of fun in something casual. Two absolutely different looks that worked! Thanks Kaylee!

WE’RE OPEN!!!

You want to know what moving a photography studio is like? Imagine changing Halloween costumes while riding a motorcycle… after a few glasses of wine… Oh yes, it’s that intense. HOWEVER, we’re pleased to report no lives were lost (a few other things are still missing), and we are now in our new digs at 11738 N. DALE MABRY HWY. Still in Carrollwood, at MAIN STREET PLAZA, next to Mimi’s Cafe and Michael’s Grill.

Our first client in the new studio today was a repeat client and UK citizen, Lizzie, who needed a US Visa photo. So here, my friends, is the VERY FIRST image taken at fifth location of Newsome’s Studio of Photography!

Just in case you didn’t know, Newsome’s Studio can handle all your passport, immigration, citizenship, Visa, Weapons Permit, Student ID, and DV Lottery photos for ANY foreign country.

So next time you’re in the neighborhood (C’wood), stick your head in the door and you just might walk away with a masterpiece of posing and lighting just like Lizzie here!

Jessica Frech’s Star is Rising

Over the Christmas holidays I noticed a Hyundai commercial with a young, pretty, guitar playing, singer. Intrigued by the sound and curious if she was really playing that guitar or just an actress faking it, I did a bit of Goggling and found Jessica Frech.

Turns out Jessica is quite the YouTube sensation. She’s a 20 year old college sophmore at Belmont University in Nashville majoring in song writing (yes, she was really playing that guitar). She put words and music to a series of images from the web site http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/ and in no time at all, it went viral (over six million hits to date). An astute ad exec saw The People of Walmart video and convinced Hyundai to let her write, produce, and star in her own Hyundai commercial. In fact, she did two of them!

Shortly after that she partnered with a company called Kickstarter.com, which specializes in finding backers for projects. Jessica’s project was to produce an album of songs she’d written. She needed $8,000 – she raised $29,000 (she has quite a following on her YouTube channel). Those who contributed in the financing of her album were rewarded with items such as signed CDs, signed posters, and props used in some of her other YouTube videos. For her largest backers, she agreed to write a song or company jingle (this is where I got really interested).

We jumped in with both feet and are anxiously awaiting the master version of our song – (hint: senior portraits at Newsome’s). I know Jessica has a large following on YouTube, and most of her followers are likely closer to her age than mine (although they really do span many decades), but I’m curious how many of my readers/clients have already heard of her. So, please, let me know by completing the poll below, and feel free to comment on how or where you first saw her. Her album “Reality” was released on iTunes last week and I can tell you now that she is destined for stardom. If you don’t know her yet, you surely will very soon!

New Studio Coming Soon!

Newsome’s Studio will be moving soon (our 5th location in 26 years). Still in Carrollwood, we’ll be in the Main Street Plaza (where Michael’s Grill and Mimi’s Cafe are). New address is 11738 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.

I don’t necessarily enjoy the labor involved in moving a business, but the thrill associated is more like a new adventure. We took possession of the place yesterday and have a target date for a grand reopening of May 1st.

Here’s a quick pic of the interior, which MUST be painted quickly because it makes me nauseous to look at!

Passport Photos for Any Country

In my early years of business, we owned a “passport camera.” It was a Polaroid. We only did a few passports and immigration photos in a given week. One day the camera broke. It was going to be very expensive to replace that camera and would take quite a while of doing passports to cover the cost, thus, we quit doing passports.

A while back I heard a very wise person say “Find out what your competition can’t do, and do it.” Taking a good look at the evolving business model of professional photographers these days, it was obvious they can’t do passports – they don’t have studios and the term “millimeters” confuses them.

So, thanks to the versatility of digital cameras and good quality printers, we once again began offering passport photo services. Over the last year or two, we’ve provided weapons permit photos, passport photos, immigration photos, citizenship photos, student ID photos, DV Lottery photos, and residency photos for dozens of foreign countries.

Discount stores who offer passport photos are only able to accommodate US passports, not Canadian, UK, or anywhere else. Most foreign country specs are measured in millimeters, not inches, and some have different specs regarding background color, size, paper finish, etc, leaving the consumer to rely on professional photography studios who can customize their passport type images.

We still work by appointment – yes, even for a passport photo – yet we use professional lighting (to make you look your best), and will guarantee our images pass muster at your given consulate. Give us a call when it’s time to update your passport photo.

Executive Board

Sometimes, everything falls into place, but the place is all wrong. In this case, the Executive Board for Corporate Financial Associates out of California, looked spectacular, but… the curtains were the wrong color, they didn’t close or extend far enough, there was a wall on the left that crowded the image, the chairs were so orange it hurt my eyes, and the orange hue in the floor didn’t help. Fortunately, this sort of thing can be corrected in post-production, and I knew when shooting it that it was going to need some major help. Here’s a little before/after for your visual enjoyment!

“It’s funny because it’s true!”… Homer Simpson

Sent to me by a very good friend, I’m not even going to comment on this chart, except to say that however exaggerated it might be, it accurately reflects the mindset of a majority of long-time professional photographers in my industry.

Something to ponder when vetting a photographer for your next family portrait.

PPA Convention Provides Inspiration

Kaye and I just returned from a long weekend in New Orleans, attending the 133rd annual convention of the Professional Photographers of America.

Photography conventions have always been a source of inspiration for me, beginning with programming by industry leaders, a world-class tradeshow, and an extremely large International print exhibit.

But the most inspiring part of this weekend were the people. Everyone I met was a source of inspiration. I remember being one of the younger photographers at these conventions. I looked up to the older, more experienced generation of professionals and worked hard to compete with them in the quality of my images and the success of my studio.

Over the past five years our industry has experienced a large shift in both age and gender of professional photographers, attracting an incredibly large number of females under the age of 40. Suddenly, I find myself not only being older than a majority of my competitors, but something of an “old man” among a sea of “young women.”

While at the convention, I attended the Annual Awards Banquet of the American Society of Photographers. The ASP membership is by invitation only, consisting exclusively of Master Photographers (print competition award winners) and Photographic Craftsmen (Speakers and Competition Judges). By virtue of the time it takes to earn either or both of these distinctions, a majority of the ASP members are over the age of 50 (my playgroup).

Seventy Five percent of the images in the International Print Exhibit were created by ASP members. That alone speaks for itself as to the high caliper of work this small group creates.

Needless to say, that while walking the tradeshow floor or attending programming among all the young, female newcomers, I felt akin to a third wheel or a fish out of water. This inspired me to want to create better images and give the young guns a run for their money competition-wise, not to mention show them how a photography studio is meant to be run.

Then, while attending the ASP banquet, I was inspired again - on a major scale! How could I NOT be? That room was full of my idols - the photographers I’ve been looking up to for 25 years!

Ultimately, the PPA convention was a huge success for me. Good programming, great images, and people who inspire. Whether they inspire me to create better images, or to outwit, outplay, and outlast my competition – I drew inspiration from all of them.

2012 Outback Bowl

What a game! Michigan State over Georgia 33-30 in triple overtime! This is our fifth year shooting images for the Outback Bowl committee. This year they surprised us by putting our name in lights! What an awesome honor, and what a great way to kick off 2012!

Welcome Back to Quality

An observation over the last few months… Welcome Back!

We’ve seen many returning clients recently who, as a result of a sour economy over the last two years, had responded to another photographer’s Groupon ad or just hired a brand new photographer who practically gave their work away in exchange for experience.

As has become the norm for newcomers with little to no professional experience, they do all their work at a local park, use “all natural light” (they own no lighting equipment), and they fancy their “style” as “photojournalistic” (which has become industry code for knowing nothing about posing or composition).

They use the “spray and pray” method of shooting – firing off hundreds of images in the hopes of getting one or two good ones. Then they cover up bad technique and deplorable lighting with any number of Photoshop tricks, plug-ins, actions, and gimmicks, and burn it all to a CD to give to the client, leaving them to figure out how and where to have prints made.

Not exactly what would be described as a “professional” business model. Not at all.

It was great to see these returning (and some new) clients again this fall. They weren’t at all shy about telling us their horror stories either. Sad, what so many are promoting as “professional photography” these days. Unfortunately, that clock can’t be turned back, but there’s still hope for the future. There are still quality professional studios out there, and we’re thrilled to welcome you back.

Welcome back to Quality. Welcome to Newsome’s.

Yes Folks, it’s Satire – But an ACCURATE One!

Going viral over the last two weeks, was a YouTube video posted by “Missy MWAC” (Mom With A Camera). A satirical parody of what much of the photographic industry has become over the last few years (the extreme, but still quite accurate).

Let’s face it; the preview window on the back of the camera was the game-changer. It supplied an awful lot of false confidence to the untalented masses that they too, can call themselves a “professional photographer.” Toss in a “fix it in Photoshop” mentality, and add a double dose of praise heaped on them by their facebook friends (“Awesome pics!” “Beautiful photos!” “Fantastic images! You should GO PRO!”), and you have a recipe for disaster, playing right into the psyche of bored, unemployed mothers of young children everywhere. (Don’t get mad at me, the demographics back me up on that one).

The reaction within the industry to “Missy MWAC” has been split, with an advantage going to those in support of her videos and begging for more (she’s acquired nearly 900 facebook friends in just over two weeks). Her YouTube channel – with only five videos – has received over 100,000 views in the same amount of time, with many photographers and bloggers reposting links on their facebook pages and blogs worldwide (yes, I’m now one of them).

Viewer reaction can be categorized in four ways:

• You “get it” that it’s satire and you love the humor (typical reaction from a long-time pro);
• You “get it” that it’s satire and you’re insulted, thereby hating her (typical reaction from an MWAC);
• You “don’t get it” as satire and believe she’s really who she says she is and you hate her for being an MWAC (typical reaction from a really dense long-time pro who can’t believe anyone would give advice like hers); or
• You “don’t get it” as satire, believe she’s really who she says she is, and you love her and want to be her (typical reaction from a totally clueless MWAC).

*A footnote here… her flawless performances have fooled and angered MANY, yet after they caught on, fell in love with her*.

At least one blogger who fits into category #2 (with the exception of having the wrong genitals) has labeled her a “cyber-bully” and stated that anyone who thought it was funny “should be ashamed of themselves.”

Sorry Pal, not me. I think she’s hysterical and I see it as satire on a genius scale (that makes me category #1). If Kristen Wiig did this on SNL the world would be doubling over in laughter.

At any rate, this is a few minutes of fun, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

CLICK HERE →  MWAC ATTACK – Episode 1 – The Camera  ← CLICK HERE

Missy MWAC

Facebook Friday for Executives – Oct 14th!

Mark your calendars NOW! Friday, October 14th, from 9 to 5. Call 813-968-2810 to give us a heads up that you’ll be here, but no appointment is necessary. We’ll take a limited number of head and shoulder shots, you select your fav, and I will fully retouch the image and email you a high res, printable 5×7 JPEG (digital file) and a copyright release.

It’s this simple – UPGRADE YOUR IMAGE FOR ONLY $89! Call South Tampa and Carrollwood’s BEST PHOTOGRAPHER 2011! See you on the 14th!

 

THANK YOU CARROLLWOOD!

And the hits just keep on comin’! After posting my thanks to my South Tampa clientele, I was informed by another client that we were also voted BEST of CARROLLWOOD as well! You can’t beat that for a mandate from the public! THANK YOU CARROLLWOOD, WE LOVE TOO!

THANK YOU SOUTH TAMPA!

How very cool! And what an honor to be chosen BEST of SOUTH TAMPA by my clientele! WE LOVE YOU TOO! We weren’t even aware of the voting until we’d received a call from the Trib, so for all who thought enough of us to cast your vote, THANK YOU!

Competition Images Earning Merits

The Annual Image Competition hosted by the Florida Professional Photographers was last week at The Rosen Plaza in Orlando. Four of my images earned “Merits,” which in the competition world is golden. All four of these images were created for my clients – (we have the best clients in the world!).  A hardy THANK YOU goes to all of them!

Florida Professional Photographers Board of Directors

The 78th Annual FPP Convention just concluded in Orlando last week. Last fall, in an emergency board meeting, I was appointed Secretary Treasurer of the association. Having helped resolve some major issues they were having over the last year, I announced that I will resign the post at the end of this fiscal year (November 1st), quite comfortable they are now in very good hands. I had spent eight years on their board in the ’90′s and served as President in 2001 (TEN YEARS AGO???). This photo was made during the General Membership Meeting during this year’s Convention. What a great bunch of people I had the honor of working with.

L-R: Kaye Newsome, Teresa Stevenson, Sandra Pearce, Donna Campiz, Dana Lunden, Kevin Newsome, Debbie Alcorn, Martin Gudz, Jackson Koontz, and Larry Brewer. Photo by Linda King

“Available Light Only”…. NOT!

Over the last few years the photographic industry has exploded with a new breed of  ”professional” photographer. One common thread among them is the “all natural, all available light” business model. Real photographers recognize this ‘one trick pony’ as nothing more than an excuse for not owning any lighting equipment or knowing what do to with it even if they did.

This lack of education about lighting is likely a result of the preview window on the back of digital cameras. In the film days, it took real guts to call yourself a “professional.” You had to know lighting and exposure. You had to be educated at your craft and strive to become a master at it. It was typically five days before your negatives came back from the lab and you could breath again, knowing you hadn’t just ruined someone’s entire wedding.

Nowadays, you get that instant feedback from a preview window, so newer photographers don’t seem to care about quality lighting as long as they get a “good enough” image on the back of the camera. This is where the quality of “professional” photography has taken a turn for the worse.

I would never declare myself so incredibly talented that I could show up to paint your portrait – and not bring any paint! And images like this can NOT be created with “all natural, all available light.” This is what a real professional can do. This is real photography.

Cornel Commedore on the Sax

The Sax player was photographed – in the studio – with studio lighting. “Naturally,” as a real photographer, I have professional lighting equipment ”available” to me. This is called ‘painting with light’, and it’s something we do everyday.

Chipping and Painting for Good Samaritans

A friend of mine sent me an email looking for volunteers to do a little back-breaking volunteer work for Saturday morning. I didn’t have anything on the calendar and offered my services. Doug Berger of Advanced Restoration, Polson Painting, and Chino Restrepo of Window Tinting on Wheels all showed up with their crews and their families, and in just a few hours we finished off an exterior face-lift of the Good Samaritan Clinic in New Port Richey that had begun the day before. The clinic provides healthcare for those who may not be able to afford it and survives off the generosity of others. I was honored to do what I could to help out. My task… chipping and repainting parking bumps!

I Love Halloween!

One "Schock"ing Halloween image...

Besides being the only time of the year that I purposely overeat my share of chocolate, I’m amazed at how very cool some of the costumes are. This brother and sister worked very well in tandum together to help create one great Halloween portrait!

Great Labor Day!

Logan flew in from Hawaii for a quick weekend and surprised us by arriving 9 hours early and just waltzing into the studio just in time for lunch. Still in his uniform from work, I drug him into the camera room for a fast round of images. Here are a few of our favorites.

No Better Place to Recharge Your Batteries

Just what the Doctor ordered. Kaye and I along with three very good friends just returned from ten days in paradise – the North Shore of Oahu. Logan is still stationed in Hawaii and lives just minutes from where we stayed so needless to say we spent as much time with him as possible. This photo, taken from our balcony, shows what a beautiful place the North Shore truly is. 

It’s Not Too Late For Senior Portraits!

The rush is on! Just weeks away from graduation, several class of 2010 high school seniors are calling for senior portrait sessions. Whether they are looking for something suitable to send out with their graduation announcements, sorority recs for college, or to create that last great portrait for mom and dad before heading off to college, the camera room is seeing plenty of senior action. These few images were from Emily’s session of Plant High School.  

Join Our Fan Page – Receive Benefits!

The Newsome’s Studio of Photography Fan Page on Facebook is now up and running and should prove to be a real benefit for its fans. We intend to periodically send out announcements about discounts and special offers that will only be available to our Facebook Fans. These will be limited time offers but certainly worth hearing about and taking advantage of.  The only way to know about and receive these offers is to become one of our Facebook Fans, so go to the home page of our website and click the button that says “Become a Fan”. See you soon!

House Rep Janet Cruz

I was scheduled to give a seminar on Executive Portraiture to the Tallahassee Professional Photographers Guild Thursday evening and took the opportunity to visit an old friend while I was there. Newly elected Florida House Rep Janet Cruz Rifkin was a classmate of mine from the 7th grade on. We graduated Robinson High School together in 1974. Always with a smile and a great sense of humor, she was voted “Most Witty” in high school – a trait that will no doubt serve her well in the political arena. We’re all proud of you Janet and expect great things from your involvement in our legislative branch.

Surprise Visit

Logan surprised us yesterday when he flew from Hawaii to Tampa, walked in the door and said “I’m hungry, let’s go to lunch!” He’s only here on a weekend pass and has to leave to go back tomorrow. Had just enough time in the studio to grab a few updated shots. Here’s my favorite.

Lieutenant Logan E. Newsome

Cypress Run Block Party 2010

I live in a great country. I live in the best neighborhood in Tampa too. We have 32 homes on our little circle and on the first Saturday in March for the last 7 years we’ve blocked off a portion of the street and celebrated the good life. Nearly every single home was represented here and the party went from 10:00 am till midnight. God Bless America!

Outback Bowl 2010

Our third year of doing photos for the Outback Bowl. Weather left a little to be desired but equipped properly, we got the shots we’re hired to get. Great game between Auburn and Northwestern. THANK YOU OUTBACK STAFF!

Kaye & I at Outback 2010

Merry Christmas to All!

I love it when clients can think outside the box and have faith in our ability to do the same. These are both collaborative efforts with the Kent Family and the Schnurr Family to create an interesting Christmas card. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to all!

Toys for Tots Delivered

Well friends, the fruits of our 15th annual Toys for Tots campaign were delivered today to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots distribution center. Over 120 toys were generously donated by our friends, clients, neighbors and business associates. Thank you to everyone who participated in making the holiday’s a little brighter for those in need. You’re the best!

Ally’s Senior Pictures

I had family in for Thanksgiving. First, my brother and his family of six, followed by my sister and her family of five – all from Atlanta. I had the pleasure of doing senior pictures for my niece, Ally. She wanted an “urban” look so we hit the pavement in Ybor City. Here’s a slideshow of some of her favorite images.

Brian Newsome & Family

My brother Brian, his wife Kim, and their four kids, Zachary, Savannah, Maria and Joshua made a quick visit from Atlanta this week. As is customary, I’m the family photographer… here’s a few images from their family session…

Mini Triathlon at Ft DeSoto

I’d never attended a triathlon before so when I found I had three friends competing as a relay team I jumped at the chance to cover the event. The mini triathlon held at Ft DeSoto October 24 was a huge event. My dentist, Dr Juliet Bulnes of Westchase Esthetic Dentistry, is a celebrated triathlete having competed for Team USA in Australia earlier this year. She kicked off the relay with a 1/3 mile swim followed by a transition run of about 200 yards. She passed off to Jamie Heggedal of Carrollwood Massage Therapy who biked a blistering 10 miles. He then passed off to Mike Trevor of Mike’s Auto Detailing who flew through a fast 5K. They turned in a time of 57:56 and crushed the next closest relay team by nearly SEVEN minutes!

What an awesome team effort. Congratulations guys! You’re an inspiration to us all.

Stephanie’s Sunday

In late August a very good friend of ours, Debbie Alcorn, was elected President of the Florida Professional Photographers. In late September, less than a month later, her 31-year-old daughter, Stephanie King suffered a brain aneurysm and spent 3 weeks in intensive care. A seminar to raise funds for expenses has been organized by a group of local professional photographers for November 15th at the Doubletree Hotel on Cypress here in Tampa.

Bruce Wilson, a second generation photographer from Kissimmee will be presenting information on high school senior portraiture; Alycia Alvarez from Brandon will be speaking on infant portraiture, and Cindy Strickland from Tallahassee will be covering children’s portraiture. These three one-hour seminars will be followed by a roundtable panel discussion on the photography industry consisting of Bruce Evensen of St Pete, Eve Sanz of Brandon, and Kevin Newsome of Tampa and moderated by Al Audleman of Brandon.

To attend, you may send your cash or check (made payable to The Stephanie King Fund) for $50 to Newsome’s Studio at 13910 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Suite 6, Tampa, FL 33618. If you cannot attend the seminar but would still like to make a donation, you may send your check to Newsome’s Studio.

It is amazing how quickly life’s roller coaster can change course and how draining that can be with your emotions. Kaye & I have known Stephanie since she was about 15 years old. She is now married and has a 3-year-old son. Her husband was laid off of work a while back (another casualty of today’s economy) and there’s a very difficult road ahead for her. This seminar is but a small token of our love for Stephanie, and her mother, Debbie.

Thank you to the Doubletree Hotel for working with us and providing a wonderful venue for next to nothing, and to Regions Bank for their assistance in setting up The Stephanie King Fund. Additionally, all the speakers, panelists, moderators, and mentors being auctioned off have all graciously donated their time and energy to make this seminar happen.

If you’d like additional information on how you might be able to help, please contact Kaye Newsome at 813-968-2810.

The Color of Summer

This morning Kaye & I made a trip to Riverview to photograph a pair of absolutely beautiful children.  We’re receiving more requests for outdoor sessions of kids being kids and getting out of the studio is always a treat.

Jenna and Katie

We purposely asked for brightly colored clothing and selected a playground that was painted in primary colors, then timed it for mid-morning so the kids would be in a good mood and full of energy.

Katie with a beaming smile

Jenna and Katie were true professional models for us and had some of the most beautiful blue eyes you’ll ever see.

Jenna being coy

Florida Convention Ends

Wow. Been a busy month. I just returned from Orlando where I presented a seminar on children’s portraiture. What a fantastic group to work with. The Florida Professional Photographers annual convention had a sold out Trade Show, a beautiful print competition and display, and about a dozen nationally recognized speakers giving programs.

The many faces of Ellie Salmons.

I spoke early Sunday morning and mixed my three hour seminar between preaching from the soapbox (Fixer Inhalers vs Pixel Pixies) and encouraging these two industries to recombine into one again, then working with infants, toddlers, and tweens. The best part was getting to photograph a handful of models and doing demonstrations on lighting and posing (or anti-posing as I like to think of it).

Young Keller, The Lady Killer

The images attached to this post are from those taken during the seminar. A HUGE thank you go out to Ellie, Susanna & Diego, and Keller, who all put up with me like true professionals.  Love you guys!

Diego giving the look that will melt mom's heart.

Susanna beaming with personality and body language.

B&B on Tiffany Hill

Selena Einwechter's Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill

While vacationing in the NC mts last week, Kaye & I dropped in on a former classmate of mine. Selena Einwechter left Tampa for greener pastures and certainly seems to have found one. After decades of dreaming and years of planning, Selena’s dream of opening a Bed and Breakfast has finally come true.

Perched atop seven beautifully landscaped acres and nestled on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest in Mills River south of Ashville, B&B on Tiffany Hill has set a new standard for the Bed and Breakfast world.

Built from the ground up and incredibly decorated with attention to detail evident everywhere you turn, Tiffany Hill offers five bedrooms – each with their own bath - a large breakfast table to seat 12, a library, a sitting room with fireplaces, wi-fi throughout, a walking trail with several points of interest offering views to sooth the soul and Selena herself as your host, cook, and knowledgeable reference library for the surrounding area.

Anyone wishing more info on this wonderful opportunity for escape can visit www.bbontiffanyhill.com. Please tell Selena we said “Hello”.

NC Mts Worth the Trip

10 year old Madison caught dinner!

I do a lot of traveling and have logged quite a few frequent flyer miles already this year, but up till now it has always been work related. For the first time this year I was able to pack a bag and not bring the big guns (cameras) to shoot with.

Kaye and I were presented with an offer we couldn’t refuse – four days and four nights staying at a friend’s second home in the beautiful NC mountains. No agenda, no timetable, just a quiet little slice of heaven with a few good friends, a bit of trout fishing, and great food.

This is the largest trout I’ve ever seen in person, landed by 10 year old Madison shown here with her proud dad, Alan Eckelman.

Thank you to Jay & Barb Sinsley for sharing your home and hospitality, and thank you to Alan, Ellen, and Madison for showing Kaye & I such good times.

Honey… I’m Home!

A full week staying in The Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach sounds like paradise. Problem is, my feet never found time to touch the sand! I spent five solid days at Daytona State College attending a workshop on building and optimizing web sites from Jeff Johnson, one of the most experienced web designers in the country. The school was hosted by the Florida Professional Photographers and was attended by about 170 people. My class had only 11 students and was very intense but Jeff has a great sense of humor and made learning “code” and Dreamweaver design far easier than anticipated. I’ve built a half dozen web sites over the last 10 or 11 years but I’m self-taught and knew there were tricks I could use to speed up my web workflow. Thanks Jeff!

Back to School

I’m headed to the Florida Professional Photographers’ Florida School for a week long workshop. The school is held once a year in Daytona Beach at Daytona State College and attracts 150-200 serious professionals to take classes from one of 11 instructors on everything from lighting, marketing, sales, digital workflow, web sites, etc. This will be the 11th time I’ve attended this school over the past 15 years and I never tire of seeing all my old friends from across the state (and southeast) who take their craft seriously enough to invest in conventions and workshops like these. It doesn’t hurt that the host hotel is located directly on Daytona Beach either!

The House that Jim Built

Jim Larkin is retiring after three decades as Headmaster of St John Greek Orthodox Day School. Here he’s surrounded by just over 200 of the thousands of students whose lives he’s touched throughout the years. My own son, Logan, attended St John from K3 through the 8th grade.

Congratulations Mr. Larkin!

The House That Jim Built

Soccer Balls Arrive

Thank you again to all who responded to our call for soccer balls and school supplies. We shipped about 20 soccer balls, pens, pencils, markers and school paper to Logan who passed them out to the Iraqi school kids in the village near his post. 

In one image, the Iraqi police are unpacking things (Logan on right), in the other image you can see kids holding up pencils and soccer balls.

A friendly gesture like this goes a long way to build trust and respect for both civilians and troops. Thank you all again!

The Flutist

Photographed a wonderful young lady this week who, for a high school senior, is an accomplished musician. This is one of my favorite images from the session which netted several “fav” contenders.

The Flutist

A 30 Minute Present

Logan with LTC Da’ud and School Principal

Logan on right lunching with Iraqi Police

Logan with Iraqi school children

Logan called from Iraq this morning to wish me Happy Birthday. A 30 minute phone call was the absolute best present he could possibly deliver. He’s still at a very small combat outpost about 75 kilometers south of Mosul. In the short time he’s been there he’s met with and had dinner at the local tribal Sheikh’s home, visited the village school, had photos taken with the kids, lunched with the police chief, and attempted to spread a bit of goodwill to the locals. He says the local kids are all asking him for pens, pencils, paper (for school) and soccer balls!  We’re working on another care package to include those items along with candy and snacks for the children and troops.  If anyone has any connections that might be able to provide us with some used soccer balls, it would be very much appreciated!

UPDATE!…

A huge THANK YOU to our friends and clients who responded to our call for school supplies and soccer balls! We’ve now shipped 20 soccer balls and a lot of paper, pencils, pens, and markers for the Iraqi school children in the nearby village of Bayji. An extra note of thanks goes to Plant soccer player and high school senior Lexi Rakestraw and her mom, Jeanette Jason for bringing us ELEVEN soccer balls! THANK YOU AGAIN!

SEPPA Convention Ends

It’s nearly midnight on the last day of the 2009 SEPPA Convention and what a convention it was. While my official reign as President of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association ends  June 1st, the bulk of my duties ended today. A huge thank you to all 15 speakers, 14 judges, nearly 100 vendors in the trade show, and countless volunteers who helped to make this convention a huge success. Athens, Ga ROCKS!

Update on Logan

Logan is now at COP Nepsa (combat outpost) north of Bagdad. The outpost is little more than an Iraqi home with a wall around it, housing about 80 soldiers. Their mail, laundry, and supplies arrive once a week via helicopter. They now have the Internet so we occasionally get the chance to IM him through Facebook. Their job is to work with the local Sheikhs to rebuild infrastructure – roads, garbage collection services, etc. It appears the only danger might be the loss in translation of Logan’s sense of humor. Those who know him know that he can amuse himself quite easily but the Iraqi’s are not exactly known for populating the planet with comedians. God help us all.

Southeastern PPA Convention Begins

Sitting in the Tampa airport on my way to Athens, Ga. The Southeastern Professional Photographers Association bi-annual convention begins this weekend. As President, I have this knot in my stomach that feels suspiciously like “wedding mode”… the same feeling I get the morning of a big wedding – anticipation of a great day coupled with anticipation of disaster.

The SEPPA convention only happens every two years, plenty of time to forget all the things you swore you’d remember to help this thing run smoother than the last time. I have a great team on the board and feel very confident that things have been taken care of (famous last words).

I’ll return Wednesday the 29th after passing the gavel to Mary Alice Ross of Georgia as the next SEPPA President. The only thing greater than being President is being Past President!

The People of Earth are going to need him…

My son just sent me a text. “Landed in Kuwait… will call when I can”. Those words allowed me to breath a sigh of relief. He’d left his duty station in Hawaii Wednesday, flew to San Francisco, DC, then to Kuwait. It took a day and a half to get there. He’ll be in Kuwait a week to ten days, then on to Iraq. Looks like Camp Speicher in Tikrit right now. Should come back to Hawaii in October. Think the wife and I may decide to spend Christmas in Hawaii if all goes well. God, I’m proud of that young man. The people of Earth are going to need him. 

2nd Lt Logan E Newsome