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.

Hello world!

I actually blogged back in ’98 when I launched my first studio web site. It wasn’t called blogging back then, I was just posting images and the stories behind them. I haven’t done it in quite a while so this is a rebirth of something I really enjoyed. So… in the twisted words of that Poltergeist kid… I’m baaaaaaack.

14th Annual Toys For Tots Campaign Underway

From now till late December Newsome’s Studio will be collecting Toys for Tots. Bring in a new unwrapped toy to your scheduled photography session and Newsome’s will add an 8×10 to your order at no additional charge. The normal session fee is due at the time of photography. This is the 14th year Newsome’s has participated in the Toys for Tots drive and finds it to be one of the most heartwarming charities available.

Barack Obama in Tampa

Last time I was this close to a Presidential candidate was in 1968 when Richard Nixon visited Tampa. I was 13 and my mom brought the whole family to see him. Barack is leading in the polls and could well be the next President. Like him or not, he’s a history maker and I wanted a chance to photograph him. These images were taken October 20th at a rally held at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. About 8K in attendance. The closest I got was about 12-15 feet away, and you know what?… in person he looks exactly like he does on TV.

First to Vote

Yep, you read that right. I was the first one in my precinct to vote on election day. Thanks to the time change I’ve been getting up early the last few mornings, so I put that misfortune to good use today. I arrived at my precinct at 4:20 AM and sat quietly wondering where everybody was until the next early riser arrived at 5:00. The poll volunteers began arriving at 6:00 and by 7:00 when the doors opened there were at least 100 people in line behind me. I was the first in and the first out. I voted. I have proudly voted in every election since I turned 18 and I was not about to let this election go by without my vote. Number one, it’s too historic to ignore. Number two, my son commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army in May and I owe it to him to cast my vote. It’s people like him who’ve given me the right to vote and it doesn’t go unappreciated. Thank you!

Tampa Bay Storm Chopper

Tampa Bay Storm Chopper

Dr Robert Nucci of the Nucci Spine Institute and owner of the Arena Football’s Tampa Bay Storm is raffling off a custom Harley. I had the honor of photographing it for their publicity shots last week. The proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Shriners Hospital. The bike was custom built by V-Force which is rumored to soon have their own show on cable, similar to Orange County Choppers.

Fast Trip to Houston

November 18th I flew to Houston, TX and presented a seminar on children’s portraiture to the Professional Photographers of Houston guild. What a great bunch of photographers they have. I judged their pre-program print competition as well and saw some terrific work being done by their members. Made some new friends and hope to go back again real soon.

I had great help from Kian Adkins, a wonderful photographer in Houston, who coordinated my equipment set ups and models. She brought me Logan & Tyler (brothers), and Stephanie & Jackie (sisters). They performed beautifully for me and made me look good. These are a few of my favorite images…

Great Day for the Beach…

This is Hubbell. Hubbell was a trooper. The beach session we did of Hubbell and his parents was full of laughter. In spite of the 15-20 mile an hour wind and a rather chilly sunset, Hubbell proved that a good disposition makes for great photographs.

Congratulations Haley!

Congrats to Haley Sidlasky from Sickles High School who won $300 in a drawing of all 2009 seniors photographed at Newsome’s Studio prior to Thanksgiving. We used to give away an ipod every year but these days everyone already has one – especially high school seniors! So this year, we’d planned on doing a $300 gift card, but then stories started hitting the news of all the folks losing out on using gift cards that were specific to stores that just declared bankruptcy (Circuit City, etc). In the end we decided that a $300 check would do just fine and the lucky winner could cash and spend it where ever they pleased. Haley (whose images are featured in a slide show on this blog) has a pretty cool trip planned in December, she’s headed to dinner at the White House. Hopefully the cash will come in handy for a little DC shopping. Way to go Haley!

Gift from Canada

Received a surprise via email today. This image was taken by famed Canadian photographer Henriette Plas when I was teaching in Vancouver in July. She caught a candid moment of me ‘stirring the pot’ with Molly and her parents who were posing as models for me. What a wonderful spirit Molly was and what a surprise gift to receive this from Henriette. Thanks H! How’s the weather up there, eh?

Toys For Tots Delivered

Our 14th Annual Toys For Tots drive netted nearly 100 toys this year, down from previous years for obvious reasons, but still a thrill to participate. We delivered a very stuffed toy box to the Marine Corps distribution center on Thursday.

We’d like to thank all of our very generous clients who brought us toys (a few even came with ‘bags’ of toys), and we’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, etc, etc.

We look forward to seeing you all again in 2009!

Steppin’ Out in Style

Typically, beach sessions are considered the most casual of family portrait sessions. Well the Ottingers are anything but typical and if anyone can pull off a formal look at the beach it’s this family. Not having discussed clothing prior to the shoot I admit I was a bit surprised when they showed up in formals… pleasantly surprised. No… make that thrilled! THIS is thinking outside the box. I love the idea of a formal look at the beach and may have just been shown an untapped niche. THANK YOU Ottinger Family!

Southeastern Tour

As President of the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association I’ve had the honor and pleasure of attending 4 state conventions in the last month. February 8th and 9th I went went to Maryland and South Carolina, staying just long enough to attend their Awards Banquet and present the Southeastern Award to two very deserving individuals, Jill Bochiccio and JeeJee Cowherd. I flew to the Virginia convention February 24th and presented the SEPPA Award to their past president, Anthony Rumley, then to the North Carolina convention March 3rd to present the SEPPA Award to Danny Daniels. What an honor to recognize such worthy recipients with this award.

Long Awaited GET LEGAL Seminar

Is he talking about YOU?

Monday, March 23rd, we’re hosting a two hour seminar for new photographers titled “The GET LEGAL Seminar”.

Since the advent of digital technology, our industry has experienced a tital wave of newcomers. In the film days, it took real guts to make a go at calling yourself a professional photographer. Reason was, you had to really know lighting and exposure intimately because it was typically 3 or 4 days before you saw your negatives and knew if you “got the shot”. That gut-wrenching period was eliminated when they added a preview window to the back of cameras.

In the film days, you also had to have a few other major things to be considered a professional… You had to shoot with a medium format camera (not 35mm), you had to have a yellow page ad (not just a listing in the white pages), you had to operate a legitimate business (have a Sales Tax Certificate and an Occupational License), and you had to have a camera room possibly in your home, but most likely in a commercial or retail location.

These days, professional digital cameras look nearly identical to consumer grade cameras and having a web site has replaced the now obsolete yellow page ad. Template driven web sites can be purchased and launched for as little as $100 these days and can be maintained for as little as $7 per month. Compare that with the several hundred dollars per month commitment that came with a yellow page ad and it didn’t possess a fraction of the information you can post on a web site!

As for shooting in a camera room or opening a commercial/retail location, that has been brushed aside by today’s newcomers as unnecessary, allowing them to promote their “style” as more “photojournalistic” by conducting all their photo shoots in parks, the beach, or the homes of their clients.

The sad reality about this industry evolution is that it is now so easy to launch a web site and call yourself a professional photographer that the last, most important step (operating within the law), has been largely ignored by many of today’s newcomers. They’ve skipped the whole “sales tax certificate/occupational license thing” and are operating cash under the table businesses. Some may be collecting sales tax from their clients, but not reporting or summitting the tax to the Dept of Revenue. Others are quite up front with their clientele that they’re “just doing this on the side” and don’t believe that they need to collect and pay taxes on their transactions. Most of them truly do not believe they are doing anything wrong and are oblivious to the fact that the law says otherwise and they may be guilty of a third degree felony by operating in this fashion.

Having worked in this industry over 23 years, I can chalk up their felonious ways to being naive and clueless as to how to properly start or run a legitimate business. Rather than contact the Department of Revenue and sick ‘em onto the competition, I’ve chosen to be supportive of their efforts to follow their “passion” (the most overused term in our industry today) and assist my newfound competitors in obtaining the necessary paperwork to legitimize themselves.

On Monday, March 23rd, I’m inviting all interested parties to attend a two hour seminar in my studio and bring their laptops. Using my wireless network, I will walk them through the necessary steps to obtain a Sales Tax Certificate (free), a Federal ID Number (free), an Occupational License (costs range from $22 to $200 depending on your business location) and Fictitious Name Registration ($50 if necessary).

The cost of this seminar is only $40, a small price to pay to guarantee the DOR won’t be hunting you down and pressing charges of “theft of state funds”.

I invite all my newest competitors to stop bastardizing my industry and come put on the uniform and play ball in a real ballpark – the truly rewarding and LEGITIMATE field of “PROFESSIONAL” photography.

The “Stupid Question Seminar” April 6th

Hot on the heels of the “GET LEGAL Seminar” comes the “STUPID QUESTION Seminar”. Monday, April 6th, Kaye and I will host an ALL DAY (9AM to 5PM) seminar geared for all those good folks who’ve recently (within the last 5 years) joined the ranks of professionals in our industry. Anyone can attend, provided they submit a copy of their SALES TAX CERTIFICATE qualifying some degree of commitment to our industry. No ticky, no come in.

The seminar will prove to be invaluable to those who wish to tap the 30 years experience I have in this industry and get the answers to those questions that you feel are just too stupid to ask out loud.

Here’s how it’s gonna work…
You bring me all your stupid questions anonymously written on 3×5 index cards. I will randomly pull them from a box and provide the answers to the entire class. No one is embarrassed, everyone gets educated.

We will automatically cover studio lighting for a one light to a five light set up; environmental lighting; sales by projection; pricing; and digital workflow.

Lunch will be included, along with a signed copy of Kevin’s book “Children’s Portrait Photography – A Photojournalistic Approach”.

Thirty years experience available to you all day, lunch, a book, and answers to all the stupid questions you can muster. Heck, we may even give a prize for the stupidest question of all!

All this for only $149.

To register or to ask stupid questions ahead of time, call the studio at 813-968-2810. Seating is limited. Save yourself a lot of time correcting stupid mistakes by knowing the answers before you do something really, really stupid.

Folks Got Legal

Congratulations! A small group of photographers officially obtained the right to legally call themselves “professional” photographers by attending the GET LEGAL workshop at our studio this evening. I’m proud of each of you who demonstrated your commitment to our industry and to your new vocation and will do everything I can to assist you in becoming successful in this profession. 

You are my friends…. now, those other folks who don’t feel it’s necessary to operate as a legally established business and would rather commit a felony by “stealing state funds” as the Florida Statutes put it… well…… Let’s just say that illegally established photographers are bastardizing my industry and I really don’t appreciate it. They’ll get theirs in due time.

Lookie Me… I’m a Star!

Grayson Kamm & Kevin Newsome shot on Kaye's iPhone

Took my wife to lunch today at Chili’s. As we were getting out of the car, a young man with a video camera approached. Turns out he was Grayson Kamm from the local CBS affiliate, Channel 10.

He was doing a story on how restaurants are marketing very heavily right now to draw customers into their dining rooms. He wanted to know what prompted us to eat out today and were we at all concerned about spending money to eat out considering the economy is in the toilet (well, he didn’t quite put it like that but it was close). 

I gave him my best sound bite (no pun intended) and then went in to eat lunch. I eat out very rarely for lunch, usually opting for a light cesear salad in the studio but had a few errands to run today that just happened to overlap with mealtime.

As for how the economy is affecting my eating habits… I haven’t lost any weight so I reckon it hasn’t gotten that bad!

If I don’t wind up on the cutting room floor, it should air today/tonight. Film at 5, 6, & 11…

A Face for Radio?

I apparently wound up on the cutting room floor… I found the story on their web site – it didn’t make the air at all – and I’m not even in it. I reckon I didn’t give them the doom and gloom sound bite that the media so desperately wishes to promote these days. Oh well. I guess for now, the only network willing to air anything I have to say is YouTube – the poor man’s network!

Brainstorming with Top Pros

The sour economy has been felt by many in our industry. When I travel to conventions and speak with other photographers I typically find that the only ones telling me business is up are those who are so new to the industry they had no business at all last year. Hard not to be up when you have zip to compare it to.

However, for those of us with a long history as full time pros, there’s been a drop in business – some more than others, but nearly all have felt the pinch.

That’s what makes a weekend like this past one so great. Kaye & I just spent three days in Okeechobee brainstorming marketing and business ideas with the owners of six of Florida’s most successful studios. Networking with others in the profession is a great way for us to share ideas that can be easily implemented in our studios, providing our clientele with new and better products.

The studios represented were from all different corners of the state so our marketing areas will not overlap, making sharing and brainstorming so much more effective. Now that we’re back, we cannot wait until we get to the studio and can begin implementing what we’ve learned and introducing these ideas and products to our clientele. We believe our clients will be pleased too.

Heart Gallery Session…

I just finished a photo shoot with three very funny young men. They were sent by the Heart Gallery, a non-profit group that organizes photographers to create portraits for children who are up for adoption.

The images are displayed in a traveling gallery, accompanied by information cards about the children themselves and contact info that could lead to their adoption. Unfortunately, I cannot post any images from the shoot because of privacy laws, but suffice it to say that I’m confident I captured an image that truly portrays these children as the close, warm, and loving siblings they are.

Wish I could share it with you here, but I’m quite certain you can view it along with the images created by other photographers of several other children in the gallery once it is finished. The gallery is often set up in public venues such as malls in order to draw interest from potential “forever families”. I will post info here on its whereabouts when available. Good Luck guys!

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

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!

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.

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!

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!

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

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 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

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!

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!

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.

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”.

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.

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

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.

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.

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…

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.

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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.

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!

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.  

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. 

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.

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!

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!