Do you believe in ghosts?

If you believe in ghosts, you're not alone: a Gallup poll found that one-third of all Americans believe in ghosts.  There are also thousands of people who search for ghosts as a hobby.  While the evidence is difficult to prove, I think it's all based on personal experiences... perhaps you may have seen or felt some unexplained "presence" where you had that uneasy feeling as if someone is next to you.  Real or not, we all love good ghost stories!

To experience your next ghost story, check out our upcoming art photography retreat location: St. Mary's Art Center in Virginia City, NV.

This 2013 "Altered Visions - Escape into Photography" retreat is being hosted in a haunted hospital. Cool, huh?   You can even read a published ghost story about St. Mary's here.

Please share with all your photographer friends.

Altered Visions Photography Retreat - September 2-7, 2013

Through Altered Visions, I will now be co-hosting art photography retreats with fellow photographer, Chris Raecker. Our retreat this year will be located at St. Mary's Art & Retreat Center in Virginia City, Nevada on September 2-7, 2013. We create unique experiences and find places where working professionals, emerging artists, and dedicated amateur photographers can bring their work to the next level. This will be the centerpiece photography event for St. Mary's!  A small group of photographers will join me and Chris in the desert hills of Virginia City. Great food, drink, and camaraderie will punctuate a week of intense learning and productivity. Daily excursions will take place around Virginia City and the extraordinary Bodie State Park. Lab time will be spent sorting out technical and artistic issues. The lab is where post-production and printing take place, along with some brief presentations. We will also schedule time for group feedback on everyone's work. There will be plenty of time available for personal exploration.

I have been visiting St. Mary's on an annual basis for much of my adult life.  This location is a remarkable part of the country and you too may find yourself returning again and again.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime photography retreat and we hope you will be able to join us! Let St. Mary's Retreat be your art-making home.

Please visit our Altered Visions Web site for more information.

Special Event for Saturday Place Charity

Curtis Newborn Photographic was given the opportunity to provide 5x7 photo prints of donors and Chicago Bears football players at the annual Cocktails for Brighter Futures event on June 11, 2013.  This event supported Saturday Place, a Rashied Davis Charity.

The annual happy hour fundraiser takes place to honor students, Chicago Bears players, and donors. This year’s special guests included Laurence Holmes (Emcee for the evening), Johnny Knox, James “Big Cat” Williams, Rashied Davis, and a host of other past and present Chicago Bears and local celebrities.

What is Saturday Place?

Saturday Place is an enrichment program for 3rd and 4th grade Chicago Public School students who are performing at least one year below grade level. It's a once-a-week program comprised of activities quite different from the typical classroom. The program provides support in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science—and has been proven to help students gain confidence and raise their grades in their regular classrooms.

This event was located at Rockit Bar & Grill.

Event photography for business

Event photography for business can be a tricky proposition. One of the biggest things to remember is you are shooting “marketing material”, not family portraits or scenic landscapes. These images are destined for websites and corporate collateral and advertisements. Everything has to be viewed with this mindset. Beyond the Keynote Speakers, everything else you shoot will for the most part be considered “bonus” material. Be sure to get a few candid shots of people during the meet & greets. Again don’t be bashful here. Feel free to approach a couple/group and ask politely for a photo op. If there are silent auction items make sure to grab a few of those. Here is your chance to be a little creative. Shoot the items off angle or close up.

One other thing you may or may not want to do involves cropping. Normally I try to get my shot framed correctly in the camera and only crop if necessary. However with events I tend to shoot a little wider so the client has some freedom to crop the image as needed. You never know exactly how they will use your image rather it be on a website or a print publication. Giving them a little freedom like this will be greatly appreciated. And just so they know I do always make it a point to inform them of this freedom.

Hopefully some of this has been helpful to anyone who is thinking of shooting an event or has been hired to shoot one. I’ve only touched on a few of the many areas to consider (contracts, payment, how images are licensed, etc). Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.