mayor
It is not everyday that one gets hired to photograph an event in Albuquerque New Mexico that is attended by the mayor, a Senator and a Congresswoman, but that is what I go to do as the photographer for the grand opening of General Atomics! That is of course Mayor Keller in the above photo who I will have another chance to photograph soon for a Gladiators arena football team promotion.
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I have experienced since 2009 something I did not know about being a photographer, that I would get into very cool events I would not normally attend as a civilian. This is certainly true when being hired by clients for exclusive events, but equally true for attending networking events, ribbon cuttings and grand openings like this one in Albuquerque, New Mexico for FUSE Makerspace which was attended by the mayor even!
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A festive ribbon cutting at 211 Tampa Bay using many pairs of scissors! - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 on hotshoe @ 1/4 powerOne of my favorite types of photography jobs I get our ribbon cutting events. This Wednesday I got to photograph no less than two ribbon cuttings for 211 Tampa Bay as they held a morning event and an afteroon one too. The morning was hosted by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce so I got to see some old friends from there and other networking regulars. It was really tight quarters for where they wanted to do the ribbon cutting. I had to stand about 4 feet up on a ladder to get high enough to clear a wall of cubicles to make the above shot.
There were a lot of iPads and iPhones featuring the 211 Tampa Bay app to try out - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 on hotshoe @ 1/4 powerI immediately saw that 211 Tampa Bay utilizes a lot of tech access via apps for the iPhone and iPad. They had some staff members giving demonstrations with chances for visitors to get hands on with the apps themselves also.
The Mayor of Largo Patricia Gerard (center) - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 on hotshoe @ 1/4 powerThe Mayor of Largo Patricia Gerard attended the morning ribbon cutting ceremony along with 211 Tampa Bay board members. Everyone wants a photo op with the mayor!
Sharing laughs at the 211 Tampa Bay ribbon cutting event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 on hotshoe @ 1/4 powerThere was a lot to do at this event from using tech like the iPad to taking a tour of the call center, and of course eating and having laughs with friends. Everyone with 211 Tampa Bay was very friendly. It was a good atmosphere to shoot in.
I resisted using an iPad so I did not feel the need to get one of my own! - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 on hotshoe @ 1/4 powerI look forward to continuing to be the photographer for 211 Tampa Bay. It is always nice to be able to photograph a fun event, expand my business network and of course provide the client with images they will enjoy for years to come.
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St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster (3rd from left) helps with a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Office Depot on 34th Street NOn Tuesday I was able to continue my great photography relationship with Office Depot in St. Petersburg by photographing a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new store on 34th Street North. This was also another chance to photograph St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helping cut the ribbon on a new local business. I am starting to get familiar with who in the local government attends these events, like Council Chair Leslie Curran (4th from right) and Council Member Bill Dudley (5th from right).
Office Depot handed out "big checks" to several local non-profit groups and donated 200 backpacks for school children.After I photographed my first Office Depot event in December I realized how a large corporation like Office Depot actually reaches out to be a helpful member of the local community by investing in local non-profits through donations of both cash and goods. They continued this custom handing out three more checks and 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to be given to local school children. Being able to photograph and be a part of an event like this is a satisfying experience. Office Depot has earned my business, which is mostly the purchase of printer ink, but still, in my mind through their charity work they have established a very positive image. It was also my second time to meet some of the regional management and they remembered me as well. I hope to continue to be able to photograph future Office Depot events showcasing their community work and new stores.
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St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helping Dr. Mona Henri with the ribbon cutting for her boutique's new location.This morning was my fourth opportunity to photograph St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster at a ribbon cutting for a local business. VIP Eye Care has been my source for contact lenses since moving back to Florida 2.75 years ago. I chose Dr. Henri's (in red above) eye care facility because I wanted to support a fellow independent St. Pete business rather than a chain with outlets across the country. As you would expect, the service is great and Dr. Henri's eye exams are actually kind of fun.
Warning, looking closer may cause sticker shock! - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th with Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/4 +2/3 power hotshoe mountedMost of the times I visit VIP Eye Care I am just in and out to pickup my contact lenses. At the ribbon cutting this morning I had a chance to browse the many designer brands of eyeglasses on display. Now, I have been a loyal Oakley man since I was 16 years old, so I am accustomed to paying a not insignificant sum for eyewear. However, Oakley provides "thermonuclear protection" which I absolutely believe in. Thus, $300 to $400 sticker prices for just an empty pair of frames was shocking to me! At least the ones for $400 were made of carbon fiber!
Candid Mayor Bill Foster trying on a pair of square lenses at VIP Eye Care in St. Petersburg FloridaMayor Foster declared himself as a person who really loves wearing glasses having no interest in lasic surgery or contact lenses. I liked that. You do not often hear people being proud to wear glasses, although I think it has gotten a lot cooler to do so in the past few years compared to when I was a kid.
Visit VIP Eye Care official website
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St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helps Eric Davis of freeFall theatre company do the ribbon cutting in St. PetersburgOn a bright and sunny Tuesday morning the new freeFall theatre company of St. Petersburg, Florida had its ribbon cutting on the front lawn with assistance from St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster. As you can see by the direction of the shadows, I had to shoot almost directly into the sun, which of course meant having to definitely use manual settings to insure the exposure was long enough to be able to see some details amongst the group and try not to just totally blow out the sky. Using my Nikon SB-800 Speedlight as fill flash, I was able to produces a satisfactory exposure.
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster addresses a packed freeFall theatre before the ribbon cutting.Before having to deal with too much light, I had to deal with far too little light inside the darkened theatre itself. The purple hues are due to the colored lights being used to light Mayor Bill Foster and the packed stands of attendees. This was not a situation where flash was allowed so that meant cranking the ISO up to 1600, setting the aperture to f/2.8 and using a steady a shooting stance as I could in the crowded conditions as I let shutter speeds dip to as low as 1/40th of a second making sure to shoot when the mayor froze his stance, otherwise even just a slow walk would lead to a blurred image at 1/40th of a second.
freeFall theatre company interior "Frogs" set - f/2.8 ISO 1600 1/40th handheld no flashSeveral people spoke and had the crowd quite energized. I was ready to see a full performance! We were treated to a small performance showcasing the current, impressive cast of The Frogs. Long ago when I was a USF student there was a brief period where I frequented a number of Tampa playhouses. I would like to again, but it seems ticket prices have gone up significantly since the 90s!
freeFall theatre company Eric Davis shakes hands after the ribbon cutting ceremonyIt is certainly not often one shoots in such extremely different light conditions in a span of five minutes. That is just part of being a professional photographer, being able to adapt to wildly varying shooting environments in minimal time with the ability to produce consistent results regardless. Lots of shooting experience in lots of situations gives one the confidence necessary to do this.
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster helping a young girl at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Urban Style Flats Apartments
A new innovative style of apartment living was launched this evening as Urban Style Flats of St. Petersburg had its grand opening. Besides being an affordable rental option for people wanting to live near downtown St. Petersburg and directly across from Tropicana Field, it will be home to visiting MLB teams playing the Rays. St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster was on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony helping a young girl with the traditional giant scissors used at such events, which despite their enormous size have poor cutting ability.
Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted in TTL modeDue to the long history of the newly renovated building, there were many people in attendance who had great past and present involvement in creating that community history. I spoke with one woman who's grandfather had lived in the building and she showed me the exact unit on a large photograph placard. I find when I attend such events, people tell me their stories. I do not know if it is because I am holding a large camera, or I have some other intangible trait that draws out such stories, but I am always interested to hear them. I like to learn about the history of places via people's own personal tales.
Celebratory spirits were high at the Urban Style Flats grand opening, even for the mayor.
For a Rays season ticket holder wanting an urban lifestyle, I can see these apartments being an absolutely perfect place to call home. You could walk door to stadium seat in minutes.
Jason Collin Photography for Events