Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
Star Wars was probably the first movie (in a theater) I ever remember seeing WITH my father. I remember thinking “cool, I’m hangin’ out with dad.” He’s really been my best friend ever since. He was tremendously influential to me growing up. I admired his work ethic, intelligence and unique ability to become virtually anyone’s friend. He was truly the perfect package when it came to people you want to look up to in life.
Dad was the best man at my wedding in 1994. He gave me some of the best advice about marriage… by saying nothing at all. One of the fondest memories I have of my dad is just prior to the wedding ceremony, he steps into the room where I was waiting, stone-faced, solemn, expressionless, and says in the best monotone voice he can muster, “Tony… it’s time.” I felt like “hey, is this a wedding or a wake?”
I continued to look to my father as a guiding light. In my best of times, he would always point out things that I might overlook. In my worst of times, his advice and support was inspirational and always welcome. There was never a time that I did not want to hear from or about my dad. He just seemed like that little voice in the back of my head saying “be sure to check the details.”
I continue to remind myself that it was my father who was my inspiration in photography. Growing up he took lots of pictures of us kids (I have two brothers and a sister), and it was a G-R-E-A-T night when the slides came back from the drug store. Dad would carefully load them into the carousel or slide tray (more than once loading them upside down, backwards or both) and we would all watch the magic white screen to see what goofy stuff had happened to us over the last month or so. You are probably not surprised to learn that ALL of those slides are still in metal cases, stored under a bookshelf at mom’s house.
There are those who say I look like my father, have the same mannerisms and kindness as my father, and a respect for people… just like dad. If I could only have one of those, it would be the respect. To this day, people genuinely entertain me. I think dad got a kick out of the antics of some people, too. There were always moments growing up where dad seemed to chuckle at the silly things that people would do. So do I. In private, I laugh uncontrollably… and usually with Diana, who enjoys laughter just as much and almost as often.
To be fair, dad wasn’t the only great influence on my life. But he was a significant contributor.
He’s been gone two years today. I’ve made other blog posts about the days leading up to his death. I don’t need to recount those here. This is a celebration, after all.
I’d like to propose a toast… lift your glasses, be they adult spirits, juice boxes, or a tall drink of ice cold water… to the man who is truly a hero to me. Rest In Peace, dad. 🙂
We’re flexible enough to offer portraits in formal, traditional or casual attire. We photograph people, dogs, horses, cows and even iguanas. We have been up and down the coast, and in our own studio and the portrait park out back. And nothing strikes me as more fun than a family who enjoys being together. It showed today. 🙂
I get mixed feelings about the prom. I was not a big prom-goer in high school. I went to one, but it wasn’t a great experience. I was more a behind-the-scenes type anyway. So when I get to see all the kids in their finest attire and with their amazing personalities shining through, I get this happy feeling in the pit of my stomach that screams out “YES!!” and I cheer for these kids, having their last blast before the end of the school year. For many, it’s the end of high school altogether.
We took pictures on Friday and Saturday of last week for proms that were going on that night. It was for people who wanted something traditional, but that didn’t look like “school pictures.” No tricks, gimmicks, or overprocessed images. Just some good old-fashioned fun and portraits like nowhere else.
Now, I wish I could post all of them. But instead, I’ll post one that kind of epitomizes the great times we had.
We were thankful to learn that there were no major incidents at all three Berkeley County proms, and that safety was the main consideration for everyone. Good luck to everyone for the remainder of the school year!
A lady called us late last week and asked if we did restoration of old photos. We told her that we do, and she went on to explain that she had two large photos (for now) that were in a sad state. After a short description of the damage as a result of living through the years in conditions that were less than favorable for images, I asked her to bring them in.
On Wednesday, she was accompanied by her aunt (age 82) and her husband. The two images (both 16×20) were in worse shape than she’d made them out to be on the phone. Diana, who is our restoration specialist, reviewed them with the client and talked about what was necessary to get them back in to shape. But the whole time, I was looking at the one picture (shown below) and hearing its story… the photo is of the aunt’s great-grandmother. The photo was taken and printed some time in the late 1800’s. That’s over 100 years of history.
I’m showing you this now, before Diana does her miracles on it, because I want to share with you a portrait from years (over a century) gone by. I’ll be sure to show you before and after images for both photos, though.
Oh the babies we’ve seen!
I shouldn’t have to keep repeating this, but I will. I love babies!
This little guy is 7 months old. He had some wobble problems, both sitting and standing. But he was quite the trooper and made his mom happy with several fun and adorable images.
I’m just going to tell you this one straight up. No names, of course, but you’ll get the gist.
I went into a local office supply store which also has a copy/print center. I only needed 25 copies of something, and figured it would take a few minutes at most. I walked in, up to the copy/print center and removed my originals from the folder I’d brought along. And waited.
There were three employees (well, three people all wearing the same color shirt with the same logo on it… one assumes that they were employed there) in the copy/print center. One of the employees was talking with another, quite probably something that had nothing to do with me. In fact, I was never even acknowledged. I stood for at least 30 seconds (think that’s short? Stand up, check your watch, wait 30 seconds) waiting until the employee finally said “I’ll be with you in a moment,” only to continue a non-work-related discussion with another employee; for about another 1-2 minutes. I was seconds away from walking out when she finally asked how she could help me.
Nobody should have to wait that long for service when there are THREE employees doing virtually nothing else. What happened to customer first?
This is less a complaint (although you wouldn’t know it from what I wrote above) than an observation in how important customer service truly is to our business. Many of you could just as easily drop by the mall portrait center and get your photos taken… and you’d like be happy with your purchases. It’s great fun to have portraits done, and you might even get a good bargain in the process.
But here’s my point.
At EVERY step of the way, we are going to give you the best customer service possible. When you call, we are going to answer the phone promptly, respond to all your questions, and make sure you understand everything about how we work. If you have to leave a voice message, we’re going to call you back as soon as possible. When you come in for your session, we are going to spend some time before we break out the camera to get to know you. If you have small children, we’re going to let them get acclimated to us, and maybe even have some fun (See “How to Play Monster“) in the process. We’re going to listen to you, give you our opinion, help you decide on the best course of action, and take pictures until you are satisfied. When you come in to view the portraits, you are the ONLY person we care about right then. We will greet you, show you into our projection room, and make sure you are comfortable. During the order process, we will not SELL you anything… we don’t believe in high-pressure tactics. We will work with your expectations, your needs and your budget to get the best possible results from the images we captured.
Our finished products will last for many generations. We don’t print our products on-site, because the images from many quick print systems fade after only a few years. Ours are guaranteed (YES, GUARANTEED) for a lifetime (and more) not to fade. And if there’s something wrong with your order, we’ll fix it. Period. No qualms or arguments. Just bring your order back to us within 48 hours (two business days) and we’ll be happy to fix whatever is wrong.
We like people… it shows in how people like us. We’re fun-loving people so we’re going to have fun with you. But you’ll always get great customer service, because I cannot stand customer DIS-service!
The rite of spring for high school students everywhere is the The Prom. And the Berkeley County proms are THIS Friday and Saturday!
But sometimes one of the biggest hassles of the prom is getting photos done. First, there’s the line… it’s usually long, and takes up almost an hour of the limited amount of time you have at the prom. Then, there’s the background and photos… you have NO say in how those photos are done, and there’s always only one background – like it or not. Finally, there’s packages that you may not want, or packages that don’t meet your needs.
We’re offering a solution that answers all your concerns.
First, our prom photos are going on BEFORE the prom starts, from 3-7pm at our studio. There won’t be a line; at least not one to speak of. And when you arrive, our professional team will be ready to help you look your best, and give you directions along the way to get you in and out quickly.
Second, we’re offering THREE different background sets. Two will be exclusive offerings that combine great lighting and amazing set design… you will never see anything like this in a school prom portrait. The third background will be all white, a look that is timeless and focuses on JUST YOU! We will have a collection of additional props, chairs, and accessories you are welcome to use for your pictures, too. Just as a teaser, imagine having your prom photos with a feather boa, shimmery gold fabric or something else really cool! Since we will have time to spend with each couple, we can do MORE than just take your picture and shove you out the door.
Finally… we’ll have build-your-own packages available. Yes, we’ll have some pre-made packages, too. But if you don’t want any of our packages, you can create your own to your liking. You aren’t locked in to just one thing that way. You can select from desk prints, wallets, and several special items we will have available.
Let me wrap this up by telling you that this is a unique experience. And the only thing you pay for is the pictures. Packages start at $12, and we welcome car loads of your friends.
Interested? Go here for details, you can download an order form, and even get directions—> Prom Portraits!
Okay, the subject is kind of an attention getter. But to be honest, there really was a cow here… just a week ago. A real cow… bovine, hooves, moo… the whole thing.
You’re going to love the cow’s name, too. But that comes in a minute.
The REASON the cow was here is because it is the show piece of one of our seniors, Samantha. She wanted to highlight her affiliation with the FFA (she’s a local chapter president), and her intense love for farming. She’s even going to be going to school to specialize in farm science. That’s serious!
She wanted pictures with her cow, and some traditional images for her family…
Coming from a farm family, you have to remain practical when it comes down to understanding how you will treat your animals. As such, and with all the practicality of any good farmer, Samantha named her cow “Meatloaf.” 🙂
I’m in the unique position of meeting up with parents who have small children. Thankfully, all of these small children have an array of games that I have quite frankly almost completely forgotten over the years. Just a few weeks ago, I was reminded how to play peek-a-boo, and not long before that I received a complete training session on “tea party” (not the political one, either).
But last Friday I was thoroughly schooled on how to play “Monster.” If you’ve met me, you know that I can appear to many very small children as monster-like proportions. But little Miss Sarah wasn’t daunted. In fact, SHE was the monster, and I was the person “to be chased.” Well… it turned out to be a lot more fun than I remember. And there are a LOT of great hiding places in our studio. 🙂
Sarah as the monster:
Sarah as Sarah:
I’m still working on all the images from Saturday, but I noticed a few that had some interesting story behind them… and collectively they kind of recapped the day for me. We had a great time meeting all the dogs… and their owners, of course.
Here’s a bit of what went on…
Some just wanted to lounge for awhile
Some were braver than others
Some moments came when we least expected it
Some were intensely playful
Some just tried to figure out what we were doing
Some tried to give us instructions on using the equipment
But in the end, we all had a great time… more of the “portraits” when we get them done. Enjoy!
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