Tess Hinson's Winna! Winna! Chicken Dinna!!! Fan Choice Contest

How fun is this??? My client in Tennessee, Tess Hinson is producing a new CD so she is asking her fans to pick out the album cover from the photos I shot over the holidays. She has narrowed the images down to four and whoever votes on the winning image is going to go into a drawing for a swag bag of goodies...She hasn't revealed everything in it yet but I know that the new CD will be in there along with the other two she has released so far.

How do you get in on this??? Go to her FaceBook Fan Page TESS HINSON and vote your choice (and like her page so you can get updates on her progress). So make your pick and GOOD LUCK!!!

Tess Hinson Americana/Folk Singer                                                                    Copyright www.marciaphoto.com 2014

When The Headshot Becomes Fine Art

What's a Headshot for but promotion...Showing the world who you are in a single shot. Sure there are the photos of you in your Sunday Best in front of a plain blue background but the best ones show not just who you are but what you are...and the very best transcend the typical standard grin to elevate into fine art.

Some of my sessions are specifically headshots, but for artists, musicians, actors, creatives I also offer an Artist Portfolio, designed not only to get those facial close ups in but also to bring in body gestures and coordinated backgrounds, too.

I recently photographed Rio Markham, an actor here in Phoenix and in the course of creating images that evoked the Old West for a man that is Cowboy raised we came up with this image...

Headshot or Art...you decide.

Rio Markham                  copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2015 all rights reserved

Tess Hinson, An Americana Original

Tess Hinson, Americana Singer                                                                                    Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014         

....It introduced me to some friends of mine and brightened up some days.
It helped me make it through some lonely nights.
What a friend to have on a cold and lonely night...

-This Old Guitar, John Denver

Like John's guitar, my camera has been all of that to me...helping me to make friends, help them laugh and cry, old photos carrying me through those cold and lonely nights. It's through a friend that sings these very words that I share with you now, that brought me to the friend I am delighted to share today.

Old Trucks and Guitars - Tess Hinson, Americana Singer        Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014

I met Tess Hinson at the John Denver Tribute Festival that is held in Aspen Colorado each October in celebration of his life. It's a generous community of musicians and fans and musicians that are fans as well as friends of John who shared his life. Tess is a most ardent musician fan. This past December she brought me out to rural Tennessee to share her music, the land and her friends with me while I created an artist portfolio for her.

I'd like to share this lovely woman with you so I asked her to tell you about her music and muse:

Music has been a part of my life since the moment my soul was formed. I cannot imagine a life without it.

I started playing guitar and singing when I was about twelve years old. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were my role models...I lost touch with my roots when I got married and had two beautiful children.

As I grew older I started singing gospel music at church...Lost touch again when I remarried and moved to Tennessee. When I realized that a life without music was not acceptable I started writing songs.

I have always loved John Denver and started attending his annual tributes in Aspen....I was so inspired and encouraged by the folks I met there that I found my place again. I have since recorded two CD's..One of my original songs and a John Denver cover CD including two original tribute songs

The most exciting moment and life changing event was singing at the Wheeler Opera House at the John Denver tribute week this past year in Aspen.

I know that a life without music is a life without joy and passion....I just can't do it. I live to sing and sing to live.

Just My Cowboy Boots And Old Hat - Tess Hinson Americana Singer   Copyright Marcia Mauskopf 2014

Tess can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/teresajohinson?fref=ts

http://www.reverbnation.com/tesshinson

The High School Senior Portrait Conspiracy

Ok, so now that I have your attention...

It's not really a conspiracy, just a contract that makes it easier for the school to do it's job efficiently and give the students a unified look...what am I talking about? The yearbook senior photos!!!

But here's the thing...not all parents realize that they only have to do the official yearbook photo with the contracted photographer..the photos that you want to display in your home and gift your family and friends with can be done by any photographer. School contract photographers are good at what they do best, creating clean standard portraits that offer a consistent and concise look grouped on a yearbook page but the fact of the matter is that they are bound to do an enormous number of portraits in a limited amount of time where as the boutique photographer takes only a limited amount of sessions insuring that each student's portrait is as unique as they are. The average Senior class in the Phoenix Metro area is approximately 500 students and contract photographers are often committed to more than one school. By contrast, I limit my senior sessions to 25 or so per season, so that I can create portraits that truly reflect what's important to your teenager at this transitional and exciting time of life.

Music student Rebecca doing what she loves best, singing!                                                Copyright Marcia Mauskopf

Every Senior deserves a good yearbook photo...and a one of a kind experience that's as individual as they are...take a look at the expanded sessions the contract photographer offers along with samples of that work and if you like it by all means one stop shop...but if you are looking for something different remember that you can have more than one photographer to save these particular memories.