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email mspeermorgan@netscape.net



Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010 is almost history...............

When I was a kid growing up I thought that by 2011 I'd be flying around via a jet-belt, we'd be living on Mars, and cars would be propelled by by anti gravitational devices. I guess there was a bit too much comic book reading in my youth. However in 2011 we are going to have a great year. I have some specials planned for almost every month that will allow you to capture the flavor of your family for today and future generations.

I may seem to be making too much of a big deal of photographic family history, but my family has been fortunate enough to come across portraits of Mom and Dads' parents in recent years that we didn't know existed. My Dads' father passed away when Dad was young, and my siblings and I never knew him or our grandmother, on Dads' side. We were cleaning out an old desk and from under one of the drawers a picture dropped out. It was a picture of a man with a stringer of fish, a cane pole, wearing work pants, high top work boots, and a smile on his face. It was my fathers' father when he was about 25-30. The resemblance was as remarkable as the pictures we have of my father when he was a young child. My brother and Dad could have been twins.......about 25 years apart. If someone had not taken those pictures when they did, a part of our family history would have never been known.

One of my favorite pictures of Moms' father was taken in Canada and he's holding a large Muskie fish. He has on the style of pants that were the "item" to be wearing outdoors in Canada at the time, the flared "Mountie " style of pants. He's got on a vest and jacket....proper attire for the fisherman...a great document of the times.

With the specials we will be running this year, opportunity will be yours to own what now may seem to be just portraits. These images though will be the ones that become the priceless points of family history. Please email me at mspeermorgan@netscape.net to be placed on our mailing list of clients to get first notification of these specials. Generally the specials will only last one weekend at a time, so by the time you will probably hear about it from a friend, it will probably be too late to take part in it. Please put "Mailing List" in the subject line.

Have a great New Year, 2011 is going to be fabulous !!!

Monday, December 27, 2010

The year in review...

What a great year it has been ! Since getting the studio up and running at the end of May I have been steadily busier and busier. I must admit that I had forgotten how slow a new business is to get running, but I must have learned something. It seems like every turn had a bright light associated with it from the interview with the "Ah Hah" people from Mutual of Omaha, to the present with projects that are still unfolding. I can't tell you how excited I am at some of the specials I'm formulating for the new year 2011.

Portraits are the most amazing gifts that can be given. They solidify moments and occasions that are meaningful, can be reviewed and seen by individuals at a later time in their lives, and seen by relatives they will never know. I know in my family for instance, my brother looked exactly like our father as a young boy, as did his son. My sisters kids were also in the same boat. They were look a likes for their Dad. None of these comparisons could be made without the time being taken in the present, to save for the future.

The specials I will be running in 2011 will allow the "savings accounts" to start. I guess they are sort of like an annuity.......they just keep on growing in value. If you know of anyone that would like to start receiving email special alerts please feel free to have them email me to get on the "list".

Have an outstanding New Year !!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

It's almost over.....

This has been a great Christmas season for the new studio. I have opened new markets and am preparing for the January and Spring specials as we speak. I have a couple of more orders to come in tomorrow or Friday but for the most part, order delivery is coming to a close. I have booked a couple of sessions over the holiday which is something that goes with the territory. I work when families can get together.

Looking at our family for instance, my Mom is in Kansas City, Brother in North Carolina, and sister will be in Nashville. This is the first time in 60 years we haven't been together. I find it amazing that we have been able to hold it together for that long. But as Dylan says, "Times are a changing." The memories of Christmas's past surface every now and then when all of the pictures were square Black and White 3 x 3's. Kids in footed sleepers, a real tree, presents, torn wrapping paper, and young parents. The times have changed and rolled on. If nothing else I feel as though the holiday is a time to reconnect with old friends and just say "Hi, how've ya been?" I think that will be my present to me.....wish old friends well.

Have a Merry Christmas !

Monday, December 20, 2010

Christmas RUSH !!!!!

You know I just don't know how Santa does it. We have had so many orders come in for the Christmas season that I seem to be on the computer constantly placing the orders for my Clients. However I must say that by using the finest lab in the US makes life a bit smoother. In "the Old Days" we had to tape all of the negs to masking sheets, over a light table to arrive at our cropping. It was VERY tedious, and time consuming. Now it is all done via software. Quicker, more stable as we can see the end result before the prints get back, and sent via the internet as opposed to the Post Office. Turn around time almost immediate so I can now deliver products to clients that would have been impossible five years ago. I'm getting ready for next years specials so stay tuned !

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Web Page is up !!!

Years in the making....Cast of thousands.........No expense spared or trimmed !!!!!!

The Website is open !!!

morganstudiointulsaoklahoma.com is up and functioning. A bit more tweeking and we'll be rocking and rolling. Check on it for updates !

When you can't sleep..do something productive.

Every now and then I am stuck in a thinking mode and it is always at night. I got to bed about ten last night and was wide awake at 1:30. No reason to waste the time so I started thinking about marketing the studio. I have just come off two events that were VERY successful and I'm planning a new special for February. The name of the game is to continually expand your market with new clients and keep the old at the same time. About three it came to me and I got up and wrote the idea down. I can't tell you how many ideas I've lost in the fodder of sleep after being enlightened with the "Great Idea'. I now get up and write them down after I develop them.

I'm also trying to become engaged with a group that needs a videographer/blogger/still camera guy, that can travel well, roll with the punches, and do what he says he can. I know I'm the guy they need....I just have to convince them. I've shown them my hand, now I hope they see all the aces in it.

Over the last several days I have been reviewing some of my China images from 1987, when I was there for a month with Kodak. I thought I'd add them to the blog today because they have special meaning for me. It was an amazing time and I saw a part of the world, that up until that time, I never thought I would. Enjoy

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Media Stars

In the afternoon last saturday I met with a group of girls that wanted to learn about the media profession, advertising, the web, photography and the business of media. Inclusively as part of the project we had sessions both creating advertising images for the Girl Scout Cookie sale that is coming up and a few portraits of the girls. It was a good afternoon well spent.

Last weekend....the shoots....

I got up early Saturday morning as I wanted to be down at the "Breakfast with Santa" location early and be set up ready for the hoards of people I expected. I have been in the business long enough to know that Murphy DOES exist and if something is going to go wrong....it will happen where ever I am. I got the background up, lights placed and fired off a test shot on the exposure. Everything was in place and looked good.

In the kitchen were the cooks, accessory equipment they brought to cook and keep breakfast warm, and wait staff. People were starting to filter in with their kids and breakfast was being served, lookin' good, gonna work. I then noticed that the modeling light was out on my main, fill, and background lights. I checked and there was no power to my lights, period. I found the administrator I had been working with telling her that we evidently blew a fuse. She called the maintenance man who was on his way in and told him about the problem. He said he would be there shortly.

Concerned....yes I was concerned.....but Santa hadn't arrived yet so I was OK...thirty minutes go by....no maintenance man...but no Santa either. More people and kids.... Starting to sweat bullets but still O.K. Can't photograph kids with Santa if there is no Santa. Walking a thin line....The administrator then hears from Santa...Mrs. Claus has fallen the ambulance is on the way. I see dollar bills sprouting wings and headed south for the winter. Twenty minutes go by, I hear that Santa AND Mrs. Claus are on the way. There is hope.

Santa and Mrs. Clause arrive shaken, but in good spirits. Without my studio lights I decide to keep the show going I use my Nikon 900 flash which can do a good job, but will necessitate a bit more work on the digital negatives to get what I want.....but will work. The maintenance man shows up ten minutes later...lights are back on. YEEEEEEE HAWWWWWWWWW !!

In an effort to break in my new Marketing Director I brought her along. What a great way to get her feet wet. In this profession you seem to have to constantly be thinking on your feet and she saw that. We had a couple of people cut in line, frown frown, but in order to remain some semblance of peace, good will, and Christmas cheer, we moved right through it and kept on going. We extended the shoot time as people were still coming in and I was having a really good time. I was able to produce, for some Parents, the picture that will come in VERY useful as their children age.

Several kids had a minds eye image of a Santa that evidently did not meet the reality they were facing. One shove by Mom or Dad closer to the big red suit and the kids lost it. In every case I looked at the parent and asked what they wanted to do........."TAKE IT !!", was the reply. When the kids are 17 and step out of line, I know in my heart that one of my images of them with Santa, will be the threat and promise. Straighten up..or you and Santa WILL be in your Senior yearbook. Merry Christmas.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

New Marketing agent to join !!

The first of the year I will have filled a new position for my company, Director of Marketing. It will be filled by perhaps one of the most capable business people that I have ever known. Her marketing record is unmatched, and business sense edges on the realm of "6th sense". For the past twenty years she has held the Chief Executive Officer of two nonprofit organizations, advancing them far beyond the expected hopes of their Boards of Directors. She has received national recognition for her successes within the Organizations she has steered. Bringing these two organizations to the forefront was not easy. The economies and preconceived notions of what the organizations were, in both cities, had their challenges. She met them with creative ideas and innovative programs. It was not long before the media picked up on the fact that there was a "new idea machine" in town and they promptly embraced her personality and drive.

I actually have known her for almost 20 years. I can't tell you how amazed I've been in watching her face the challenges she has, constantly turning tough assignments into beneficial programs for her organization and the people in it. Watch out !! Morgan Studio is adding Karen Morgan, retiring C.E.O. of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma as our Director of Marketing/Vice President. Welcome aboard Karen.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Christmas !!!

What a wild time of year for our studio. As in the past, Christmas is the last really big event till the wedding season starts in April and May. We are already however speaking with prospective Brides for dates early in 2012. It just keeps getting necessary to book your wedding further out from the date of the wedding.

Saturday I have two large booking with a couple of organizations that should be fun and create a buzz from my new clients. I will be photographing Santa with individuals from a very large group of people at a local site that has a historically large turnout. It will really be a kick and full of surprises. You just never know two things, how the small kids will react and how the background will be received.

Having been behind the camera in many instances with Santa from Rotary's to other civic organizations, I have seen kids that you had to pry Santa away from, to kids that were terrified. You just never know until they are close to meeting him. My backgrounds are really different from most that you see. I generally shy away from the Trees and presents of the expected backgrounds......no real reason, just that I like to simplify the view so to speak. I'll include a picture Monday in the Blog.

My next assignment is to be photographing a number of girls that are interested in media and the production of it for ad agencies. I will bet that for many of them this will be the first time they will have ever been in a photographic studio. It should be a real hoot and open up a whole field of questions. I'm really looking forward to both jobs, it will be a fun weekend.