Another Chance for Santa Portraits This Year

Mrs. Santa checked their calendar, and they are available Friday morning the 21st. (I'm guessing after that they'll be packing the sled.) If you're interested in "Santa's workshop" portraits on that morning, let me know asap. (Couldn't get a Tues or Thurs this time, Kimberly.)

We can do the session and 24 Christmas cards for $75, like we offered last time. But you probably won't have the cards u

ntil after Christmas. Packages start at $125, so we can do the session and a package (8x10, 4 5x7s, 8 wallets) for $150.

Call me at 392-3929 to schedule. I'd like to book at least 4 sessions to make it worth Santa's time. We'll do this one through our non-profit corporation, and all proceeds will go to the Portraits of Hope project.

Update on Portraits of Hope

So, imagine yourself (if you have not already had the experience) dealing with cancer. There is a lot of stress involved. There is the physical stress of the disease. There is the emotional stress of just hearing the words "cancer" and "malignant." Then there is the emotional stress of dealing with the disease, personally, and for the effect it has on your family & friends, your job, your lifestyle. There is the physical stress of treatment. And, frankly, there is the spiritual stress of dealing with your own mortality and coming to grips with your faith, or lack thereof, and how that plays into the experience.

Stress is not just emotional. Stress in one area of our human nature - body, soul or spirit - puts stress on each of the others. Conversely, relieving that stress helps with the healing. Being at peace spiritually helps with the emotional and physical stress. Finding emotional release helps with the spiritual and physical healing. Getting physical comfort and nurture helps not only heal the body, but the spirit, mind and emotions.

That is the idea behind alternative treatments like massage therapy and acupuncture. Many cancer centers are beginning to offer these services. The Stephenson Cancer Center now offers massage therapy as a prescribed treatment for many of their clients. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover this treatment, and many patients cannot afford it.

According to a March 2012 article in the Wall Street Journal, massage therapy has been proven to boost immune function in women with breast cancer. The benefits go far beyond just a general feeling of wellness or relaxation. A single massage ranging from 15 to 45 minutes lowers cortisol, a stress hormone, in the blood; decreases cytokine proteins related to inflammation and allergic reactions; boosts white blood cells that fight infection; and lowers the heart rate and blood pressure.

Portraits of Hope is still in the works. We have had more delays and setbacks than I could ever have imagined setting out. When a reporter for the Mustang Times interviewed me awhile back, he asked me what it would mean to me to see this project completed. I had not thought about it that way before. I choked up, tears came to my eyes, and I said, "It would mean the world to me."

As the project has evolved over the past couple of years it has gone from a general project for "cancer research" to addressing this specific need. In working with the Stephenson Cancer Center, it was decided that the funds we raise will go to their patient services department. Initially, we thought we might be able to buy them a massage therapy table, but that has already been done. That is when they discovered the financial need for so many of their patients. Our goal is to raise $6,000 to start &/or contribute toward a fund to help pay for this treatment for patients who cannot afford it. We need your help. Contribute if you can. Help get your company to make a tax-deductible donation* or contribute as an advertising expense**. Small companies or large corporations, does not matter - please talk to them, show them this article, or even better, call me and tell me the contact person to whom I would need to speak. You can reach me at 405-392-3929.

*Our 501(c)(3) application is on file with the IRS and is making its way through the bureaucracy. 
**Contributing businesses will be recognized in the promotion of the photographic display we are creating, and on the display itself as it tours area businesses. This will be a lot of positive, high-traffic publicity. So a business could write it off as an advertising expense rather than a charitable donation if they prefer.

And, just a few more...

Here are some more Santa photos. What's Santa without Christmas trees & ornaments, and cookies?

Ashlynn wasn't real sure about the big guy in the red suit, either. And since she's a little young for video games, Santa had the monkey playing peek-a-boo with her. She got tickled with that, and was quite agreeable to sitting next to Santa, as long as she was in Papa's lap. So, my wife Trish stepped in behind the camera to create this portrait.

More Santa Portraits

Creating children's portraits has always been fun. Sometimes it's easier to get good expressions if you have a "wrangler." (A wrangler is someone to interact with the child, help make sure they stay in place*.) What better wrangler could you have than Santa Claus?

On the other hand, a big, bearded guy in a red suit can be a little intimidating at first glance. It took JW a few minutes to warm up to Santa. His dad pulled out his i-Phone and got him to show Santa a couple of his favorite apps. At first he just held the phone out from about 4' away. Dad convinced him to actually hand it to Santa. He did, then scooted back to a safe distance. After a couple of interchanges like that, he stayed closer and actually showed Santa the phone. It was Angry Birds that really broke the ice, though. He got a big kick out of showing Santa how to launch the birds and make them go "boom." After that they had a lot of fun together, and we got some beautiful images.

*Why would you want a child to "stay in place?"  Good portrait photography involves controlling light. Photography, by definition is "writing with light" - from the Greek "photos" (light) + "graphe" (write). You can scribble it down really fast, or you can learn beautiful "penmanship" - either one can communicate, but one is definitely more pleasing to the eye and tells the story so much more elegantly. In a studio setting, you can use a broad light source that lights a large area evenly, kind of like using available (all natural) light outdoors, or you can put the light where you want it so that subject is featured, and the rest of the scene supports the story. To light two faces, facing opposite directions and still minimize the light on the background and props took a bit of experimentation, and pulling some lights out of retirement in order to have enough lights for both subjects. It also meant finding ways to keep the children where their light was shining. Interacting with Santa was a big factor. Having them sit in a chair or on the table helped, too.

Santa Was Here

We had a wonderful time with Santa this morning. He's such a nice guy!

I have not done a lot of special promotions over the years; because I have never had very many people take me up on any of the offers. I am planning to change that next year, and do something new on the first Thursday of every month. I have been told that it just takes time and consistency to get people used to the idea that you are going to do something each month, to believe that what you do is so much better than everything else out there that it's worth taking you up on your offer, and to watch each month for promotions they want to be a part of.

So, even though we only had a few takers on today's special, I count it a big success. Santa and I are talking about some ways we can help each other with our favorite charities. And we are planning a special Christmas in July or August (maybe both) for people that want to plan ahead and get some really beautiful Christmas presents and cards for next Christmas 2013. Today's photos also gave us some great sample images that we can both use. Here's the first. I'll share some more in the next few days.

By the way, I had created a new wall in the studio with the idea of having something different and outdoorsy, and which I could use with different props to create a workshop for a little boys photo special, a Christmas tree & fireplace for winter portraits and Santa portraits, a cabin kind of look for seniors who like to hunt, etc. Then I saw some images by photographer Larry Hersberger of North Carolina. He's created a whole line of artistic Santa portraits with children. I really like what he's done. I don't want to copy it exactly, but I have to acknowledge his influence on my choice of a workshop look for today's Santa photos.