Mark M. Sweeney, M.photog.Cr.

Rey Benasfre

Rey Benasfre is a wedding and portrait photographer based out of
Jacksonville, North Carolina.  While stationed in Japan in 2013,
Rey started in photography while traveling and soon found a love for Milky 
Way photography.  His work and expertise in unique Milky Way photography has
 earned him a place as a speaker for ShutterFest in 2020.  After chasing and
 photographing the Milky Way for over two years he began photographing
 families and weddings.  As a full-time active duty Marine, he started Rey 
Benasfre Photography and has been photographing weddings and families
 all across Eastern North Carolina.  During this time he had joined PPA and PIGOENC where he is an active member.  When Rey isn’t glued to his computer he loves traveling and discovering new places with his family.

Milky Way Photos Made Easy

Class Description:

Have you ever seen Milky Way images and wonder how do they do that?  I want 
to show you that it’s not as hard as it looks.  In this class we will cover:

How to easily photograph the Milky Way with any camera.

How to get the stars to look tack sharp

.

Learn when and where to find the Milky Way

.

How to plan your shot

.

How to edit your shot.

Learn advanced Milky Way techniques

.

Photographing people and adding light to your image.

This class is designed for beginners although I will also cover how to 
incorporate this technique into portrait shoots!  Create something different 
and epic for your clients!

Leon Johnson

Leon Johnson is an award winning portrait and fine art photographer based in San Antonio Texas. He specializes in painterly portraits inspired by paintings of the Neoclassical and Impressionist periods of art, fantasy literature, and vintage BNW Portraits. His love of photography began earnestly while living in Europe and falling in love with the landscapes and architecture of the region. He has been photographing portraits for five years and has worked as a professional photographer for three.

Leon’s art-inspired portraits are intimately composed and are immediately recognizable by the classical and timelessly styled simple garments and the resemblance to oil paintings. Despite his background in engineering, Leon has evolved as an artist whose work reflects his love of times gone by and lands far away. He aims to give the viewer of his portraiture an intimate look into his subject, a snapshot into a moment of their life. He reinforces the timelessness of his scene with, jewelry, period- appropriate hair and makeup and custom-made garments made mostly of coarse linens and cottons.

With every portrait, Leon wishes to transport and transform his subject to a different time and place and allow them to see themselves in an artistic and alluring light.

Mary Fisk-Taylor, MBA, M. Photog., CR., EA-ASP, CPP, ABI, API

Certified Story Brand Guide, Profit First Professional and Guide

For almost 25 years Mary Fisk-Taylor has owned a portrait and wedding business with her business partner, Jamie Haynes in Richmond, Virginia. Hayes & Fisk Photography is one of the most sought-after Portrait and Wedding studios in the industry. Mary and Jamie are both incredibly committed to preserving family legacies, professionally capturing and printing portrait and milestone memories. They both believe that these fleeting memories need to be proudly displayed in family’s homes, not living digitally on phones, computers, and modern technology. Mary also partners with her mom and sister in a boutique volume and high school senior portrait studio that caters to local private schools and stresses both excellence in hometown and local client service and technical proficiency in the art of photography.

Mary was very pleased and honored to have received her Master of Photography, Craftsmen of Photography, and Certification of Professional Photography in just three short years. Mary has been named Photographer of the Year in 2007 and has won Best Wedding Album of the Year in Virginia several times. Nationally she has had her prints and albums recognized as Grand Imaging Award finalists. Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious Virginia Award, which honors photographers for their committment and dedication to their state association, and the business of professional photography. And, in 2012 she was awarded the PPA Charities Legacy Award for her work and dedication to the philanthropic arm of PPA. In 2014 Mary was awarded the Charles H. (Bud) Haynes Award for her distinguished service to PPA and its members and for encouraging business awareness and practices in the field of professional image-making. And in 2015 Mary was honored to receive the National Award from the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association for her commitment and dedication to Professional Photography and has gone on to receive two more National Awards from other affiliates. Mary has also taught and lectured all of the United States, as well as the Philippines, Korea, Canada, Mexico, Italy, and most recently South Africa.

Mary is of course most proud of her two beautiful children, Alexandra and Jackson. Her husband, Daryl, and she enjoys the flexibility and joy that owning a profitable photography studio has allowed their family. Mary currently serves on the Executive Committee of the PPA Board of Directors, is a proud member of the Society of XXV, and is a past President of the PPA Board of Charities. She holds offices and board positions for her state professional photography affiliate, Virginia PPA and serves on several philanthropic and local boards. She is extremely active with Operation Smile International and has served as a staff phtoographer for several events and missions. At the age of 42 Mary was named one of Virginia’s Top 40 under 40 for her leadership in the community, volunteer and charity work, and her business savvy.

maryfisktaylor.com

hayesandfisk.com

reallifestudios.net

mary@maryfisktaylor.com

Friday
3:45 – meet at hotel
4:30 – tour of Tumbleston Photography
7:00 – model shootout at Mel’s Filling Station and Automotive Museum

Saturday
8:00–9:00 am registration with coffee and bagels sponsored by Tumbleston Photography.
9:00–9:15 – Welcome
9:15-11:15 – Mark Sweeny – Posing class
11:15-12:00 – Annual Business meeting and Board elections
12:00-2:00 – lunch on your own
2:00-5:00 – Rey Benesfre – Astro Portraits
6:30–8:30 – Awards Banquet

Sunday
8:00-9:00 – coffee and bagels sponsored by Tumbleston Photography.
9:00-12:00 – Leon Johnson – Fine Art Portraits
12:00-2:00 – lunch on your own
2:00-5:00 – Mary Fisk-Taylor – business

The Annual Convention is FREE and open to all PPSC* Members in good standing.

*Did you know? If you are a PPSC member, you will earn ONE merit towards your Associate Fellows or Fellows Designation!