Mark your calendars for a very special event in May!

Have you ever wanted to feel like a model for a day?  Well, now you can!  Evin Thayer is hosting the annual “A Face for a Cause” event at his studio and this year the fun lasts from May 3rd to May 27th!  Famous Houston professional makeup artists and salons are volunteering their time, talent, and materials for this event fundraiser so that you will look absolutely gorgeous for your photo session!  These are all friends of Evin’s who work with him regularly.  This is Evin’s 15^th year of raising funds for a Houston-based AIDS charity through the endeavors of “A Face for a Cause”.  

Evin Thayer is known for his celebrity photography and over the decades he has had the pleasure to photograph such famous people as astronauts Alan Bean and Gene Cernan; athletic greats Craig Biggio (baseball), Earl Campbell (football), Zina Garrison (tennis pro), Olympic Gold Medalists Tara Lipinski and Mary Lou Retton; Doctors Red Duke and Denton Cooley; and we can’t forget the radio and television media talents of Raul Brindis, Walter Cronkite, Jan Glenn, Mia Gradney, the staff at KUHF Houston Public Radio, Ernie Manouse, Steve Smith, Ron Stone, Dave Ward, and Marvin Zindler!  There is simply not enough room to mention all the politicians, socialites, and charity gala honorees, or the actors, actresses, playwrights, singers and other entertainers Evin has enjoyed working with during his 30-plus year career!  His photography has graced the magazines of Fave, Houston Health and Fitness Sports, Houston Modern Luxury, Houston Pet Talk, and Texas Monthly just to mention a few. 

With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day coming soon, this event starting on May 3^rd would make a perfect gift!  Evin’s clients wait all year for “A Face for a Cause” because it is their favorite event and everyone always has so much fun.  Don’t you think it’s time to pamper yourself or that special someone in your life and have some fun at Evin Thayer Studios. 

For $199 plus tax you get a Professional Makeup Application, a Studio Photo Session, and one retouched 5×7 Art Portrait — a savings of over $450.  All the event volunteers are hoping to make this fundraiser a huge success for LIVE Consortium and one hundred dollars of each $199 collected will be donated to LIVE Consortium to help with their health and wellness programs in Houston. 

In the process of being pampered like a queen, the end result will be an absolutely fantastic experience that Evin will capture for that once-in-a-lifetime moment!  This annual makeup and photography event makes the perfect gift for the high school senior or college graduate before they leave home to make their mark in the world. 

Evin offers free photography consultations so he will know the type photo you want him to capture.  It can be the traditional dressy clothes and background; or barefoot wearing casual shirts and blue jeans; or you can let your imagination run wild and do some glamour photos!  It is your day to celebrate and be photographed by yourself; with the family; your pet; the kids; or you can have Evin photograph everyone with the grandparents!  You decide!

Call Evin Thayer Studios today at 713-524-0199 to book your appointment for “A Face for a Cause”.  Evin Thayer Studios is located at 405 Avondale, Houston 77006.  The studio website at www.evinthayer.com has a wide variety of photography examples.  

To learn more about the work LIVE Consortium is doing in the Houston community, just visit their website at www.liveconsortium.org.

Okay guys, don’t be bashful.  Your wife or girl friend wants some pictures of you too!  I was the photographer for the Houston Fireman’s Calendar for 12 years and during that time I realized women love to see hot photographs of guys too.  Many a guy has bought photography gift certificates for their wife or for their girl friend.  Now it is time for the women too encourage their guy to give them a photograph of themselves.  Turn about is fair play.  With my “magic lens”, I can even make you look better than you can imagine!

 Give me a shout out and I will help you plan out a fun photo session either on location or at the studio.  You don’t have to be a model to have sexy photographs.  Take a look at what I have done for others.

Will the next generation be lost?  I notice so many of my friends have pictures on their cell phones.  When I ask them if they have saved their images, their reply is “No”.  If you are one of those who hasn’t saved or backed up your photos, here is my suggestion.  First you should download your images to your computer.  Your old photo negatives can be scanned and saved to your computer.  Secondly transfer the saved photo images to a DVD for permanent storage.  Finely, I still like to make a hard copy paper image and put it in an album.

I worry that the “new generation” of photo image makers are being very careless about where they are storing their images.  You can easily lose your cell phone as one friend of mine did the other night while we were at dinner.  His new I-Phone was left on the restaurant table, never to be seen again!  And of course, those who continually leave their images on the memory card in their camera without ever down loading those images….. BIG Mistake!  And has anyone heard of a computer hard drive crash!  It isn’t a matter of “if” but “when”.  I recommend saving all your photos several ways and in several different places.  That way you will be able to enjoy the pictures for years and years to come. 

Personally I still love the picture albums.  I am more inclined to pull out my real album and show it to friends.  Still, there is always the threat of fire too.  That is why I recommend a backup of your images stored in another location or a fire proof vault of some sort.  Friends and clients have told me that their photographs are one of the most treasured things they have!  That is why I recommend to everyone to be more careful about how you store your photo images.

Have you ever wanted to do a fun photo or something really crazy or provocative?  Evin Thayer Studios is introducing a new line of images that fall into a more “artful and unusual” photography category.

Have you ever dreamed of yourself as an Angel or possibly the Mad Hatter?   How about a famous actor you would like to imitate like Marilyn Monroe or a person in history?  How about Buddha contemplating in a Lotus Blossom or Julius Caesar at the Coliseum?  The more unusual, the better as far as I am concerned!  If you can dream it up, then I can certainly translate it into a fantasy photo!  We have a list of stylist, prop mistresses, makeup artist all available to help in creating your special one of a kind piece of art work.  We will plan your personal consultation here at the studio to map out all the details of your photo session from hair and makeup; to clothes and props.  Of course, because of the special nature of these art images, we charge more than our other images for this unique service.

I will also be offering the boudoir style images.  Many women want to give something like this to their husband or boyfriend for a special occasion like birthdays and anniversaries. 

In 2010 we will be featuring many of the “Fantasy Fotos” in Houston Modern Luxury magazine and Houston Health and Fitness Sports magazine.  Keep a look out in some of the up coming issues for these fun and amazing new style images!  If you want to have fun, this is the studio for you!  Bring your imagination to Evin Thayer Studios and make this the most exciting portrait of your life!

Are you getting too many repeat gifts?  One gift that will always be welcome by expectant mothers is a gift certificate for a photography session!  I guarantee this gift will never be returned.  Many expectant moms are starting their photography history starting with pregnancy portraits.  The first year of a baby’s life is so beautiful.  Their little hands and feet are so cute and that bond between Mon, Dad and Baby is something to make sure to record!  The time will fly by and before you know it, your newborn is a year old!

One of the best gifts you can give expectant parents is gift certificates to a quality photography studio.  This is a gift they will remember for a life time!

(Add Maternity Pic & Newborn Pic)

This has been one of the most amazing experiences for me!  For the last 3 months I have been photographing young patients who have been treated at TCH.  Their stories, their cheerful attitudes, their perseverance under adverse circumstances have made me realize that I should count my blessings and never ever complain about anything ever again!

We will be mounting this show (The Happy Faces Project) at Texas Children’s Hospital in the fall.  It will be displayed on the walls as you come out of the Ronald McDonald House.  I will keep you posted as to when the photographs are up.

Lions, Tigers and Bears…. Oh My!!  At Discovery Green in downtown Houston the Social Book turned the downtown park into the Land of Oz on Thursday evening, January 21^st.  Scott Evans, the founder of the Social Book, put together an all star cast with the Richard Brown orchestra and many songs from The Wizard of Oz.  Opera tenor, Kenneth Gayle sang “Home” from the Wiz.  Many of the Gala chairs for all the 2010 fundraisers were at hand to taste treats from the local Houston restaurants. 

The Social Book is celebrating its 15^th year.  I can remember when Scott Evans, Warner Roberts and I sat at Andres Café to plan the start of the Social Book.  Wow – Has the time flown by!  The Social Book is now the go to reference guide for all big functions here in Houston.  I was quite honored to be included this year in the Social Book’s “Houston Treasures”.  I’m not quite sure what kind of “treasure” I am, but many thanks to Scott and Warner!

Okay… Question: What is the hardest assignment?

Answer: When I get a call and the client tells me they have a 2 year old and a puppy!

Amazingly we seem to get great results even with the hard assignments.  I guess because I have been the cover photographer for Pet Talk Magazine for the last 5 or so years and we have gotten lots of practice with animals.  However, TWO is an interesting stage of a child’s life.  Everything is “NO”.  But we are able to overcome those issues by knowing how to entertain kids.

First, you have to know what is funny to a kid.  I am also lucky to have done photography for two child development books.  The author of the books taught me about all the stages that a child goes through in their life.  This has been very helpful to me over the years and has helped me to relate to kids on their level.  I think you really have to like kids too.  Some photographers just don’t “get” kids.  I think kids are wonderful jewels that are fun to watch and are so special….. each and everyone.

I have been doing the photography for the cover for Houston Pet Talk Magazine for a number of years.  Over time I have gotten to meet a lot of people that are pet lovers.  I have found some people have gravitated more toward cats, while others toward dogs.  Each species is interesting and lovable in their own way!  I am one of those people who actually have had both a cat and a dog.  After my dog Tobby passed away a few years ago, I was pet less for a few years.

This year I decided to adopt a cat named Hunter from an animal rescue organization called HOPE.  I call him a Cat/Dog (laugh)  Why?  Yes… he is a cat but he is a Dog like Cat.  He follows me everywhere and has to be right next to me at all times.  He even comes to me when I call him!  I found him yesterday lying on his back, legs stretched out like a dog.  I really lucked out with this cat.  He is funny, smart & affectionate!  Hunter is a male cat, which I understand from experts bond better than females.  Having had both, I would be inclined to agree!

Now the difference between dogs and cats is that with dogs, they are there to try to please you, where cats feel you are there to please them (laugh again).  Okay, so now I  have to find a dog that pleases the cat!  Any suggestions?

(Add cute pics = Cat, Dog)

As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, I went to the home of President and Mrs. Bush to photograph Barbara Bush for the cover of the December issue of Houston Pet Talk magazine.  Check it out at www.houstonpettalk.com.  While at the Bush’s home I had a great chat with her about pets and what they can mean to each of us.  On top of that, I have received two “Thank You” notes from her praising the quality of the work and she told me her children all loved the portrait.  When I met Barbara Bush in person, I thought she looked younger and prettier than many of the photographs I had seen of her.  This is what I tried to capture in the portrait I did of her.  She also helped me out by signing the nicest birthday card to my now 93 year old mother!

As always…. an interesting day at the studio.