Meet Jay Vogt. Jay is currently assuming the role of intern here at the studio. His work ethic has proved invaluable as has his craftsmanship at making delicious coffee. He just finished watching the television series Chuck and he is currently suffering from withdrawals. He is also a huge fan of electronic music and enjoys contributing to our musical education here. Jay just started a full-time job and he is balancing his newfound responsibilities while also working to complete his required college hours. It's been a busy few weeks (hence the lack of blog posts) but yesterday, we decided to finally get out make some images so that we could properly introduce him here. Happy Friday everyone. 

Growing up in Tulsa, my home was about 5 minutes from the Philbrook Museum of Art. I remember taking art classes there as a child but as I got older and busier, I sort of forgot about the place. Last weekend, I went back for the first time in awhile. The place has changed a great deal and yet, it was somehow still familiar. I enjoyed perusing the collections and of course, I decided to try and make some art of my own. All images made with an iPhone 5s. Enjoy.  

Although I've called Northwest Arkansas home for a number of years, Tulsa Oklahoma is where I was born and raised. I've been gone from Tulsa for almost 15 years and yet, I can still get around the city without having to use my iPhone for directions. Last weekend, I used my iPhone exclusively for making images. Here's a few of my favorites. Enjoy.

There are lots of things to love about being a small creative company. Valentine’s Day would be a great day to list off how awesome our clients are and how much we love them. We could go on and on about how much we love what we do and the fact that we get to do it everyday. But instead, I (Philip) am going to get a bit personal and tell you all how much I love my wife.

Today on the blog, we're sharing some images created for Masons, a fashion forward boutique   in Fayetteville Arkansas. We had a lot of in the studio goofing off with silly faces, oversized balloons and equally large flowers. Background music for the shoot was provided by artists such as "The BeeGees" and Linkin Park, courtesy of my wife Kristen's "exercise playlist". You can shop Masons at both Fayetteville locations or through their website. And be sure to check out their new look book featuring lots of fun fashion and gift ideas for Valentine's Day and Spring (which we hope is right around the corner). Cheers.  

Meet Angie Evans Benham, one of the true heroes of civil rights and integration in schools. As a fifteen year old high school student, she acted on her conscience and her beliefs and in doing so, helped change history. 

Say hello to the a nifty little product known simply as "The Microfiber Pouch." We had the opportunity to create a little video for Cumberland Concepts, the brains behind the Microfiber Pouch, to help demonstrate their new product and its many uses. The idea behind the video was to take a simple product and to give it an endearing personality while also demonstrating its versatility and practicality. Look for the Microfiber Pouch in Wal-Mart stores in the near future or order from their website. In the meantime, you can see it in action by clicking the video above. Enjoy. 

Last Friday's mail brought with it, a wonderful surprise...scanned negatives of some film I had sent off awhile back. Shooting film is a nice contrast to shooting digital in that it forces you to stop, think through the camera settings, carefully compose your image and then, click the shutter. If you're shooting a Holga however, you pretty much just aim and fire and pray that something turns out. The following images were created using a Holga 120 CFN. Enjoy. 

Last week, we made a very bold statement and that statement was followed by a video that helped us make a big announcement. For the last 8 years Novo Studio has been made up of myself (Philip) and at weddings or crunching numbers, my wife (Kristen). Unless you count our bulldog (affectionately known as "the bosco"), it's just been the two of us. That number changed a few weeks before Christmas when we found out that we were going to have a baby. And then, it changed again the day before this video went live, when we found out that we were actually having two babies. We are still reeling with excitement and fear from this news but after 10 years of marriage, we couldn't be more ready to start a family with two little ones. I made the video as a simple way to announce our news to our family and friends, many of whom are also colleagues and clients. However, I didn't anticipate the overwhelming response. Our phones buzzed and rang with congratulations and well-wishes, tips on raising twins and a few wisecracks telling us to "brace ourselves". And we just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to you all. It's truly a blessing to be able to share this part of our lives with you. I'm no Ann Geddes, but I do believe I'll be posting a few more baby pictures in the future :)

Cheers.

We recently procured a copy of a printed piece that incorporated some of our images from the Fayetteville Public Library. Designed by DOXA, the piece was centered around stories and quotes from lifelong patrons and was used by the library to communicate the library's influence in the community. It's always a joy to work with DOXA and with the Fayetteville Public Library and we were thrilled to learn that the campaign raised plenty of awareness and also, quite a lot of money. For us, this job was a great reminder that Photography is always at its best when it serves alongside others for a greater cause. 

Jonesboro Arkansas is home to a large university, a thriving downtown district and very soon,  a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital. We had the opportunity to travel down to Jonesboro, tour the new facilities and create images for a promotional publication that will introduce the public to the new facility. Here are a few images that will be used in the publication. Enjoy!

We're only 3 weeks into the new year and already, we're positive that nothing else we post this year will even come CLOSE to what's in this blog post. Bold statement? You betcha. But it's true and this video will prove it. Enjoy. 

We were recently hired to document the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the architecture/engineering firm Crafton Tull. With offices and locations all over the region, this company has earned itself a longstanding reputation for quality and excellence. During the night, I witnessed longtime leaders and newer employees alike chatting, laughing, welcoming friends and colleagues and celebrating the anniversary together. Here's a few images from the evening. Enjoy.

Last April, I posted a quick review of sorts on my new Fuji X100s. Since then, I've been using it religiously for everything from paid work, to documenting my daily life. I take it on hikes or bike rides or quick trips to the backyard so that my bulldog can empty his bladder. When I'm not using it, it sits on my desk because it's a great looking camera and I love looking at it. It's a great travel camera, too. I barely pulled out my DSLR while in Europe this past summer. And on flights, it looks old enough to not be considered "a portable electronic device", rendering it usable for photographing takeoffs and landings out the window. In Africa, it performed just as my X100 had performed the year before, but without the quirks of the menu or aperture settings freezing up. And wherever I go with it, I always get the same reaction; "Oh sweet, you're shooting film!" Of course when they find out it's digital, they just assume that it's a good looking camera, a novelty design with an ordinary inside. Boy are they wrong. After many months of travel and use, I'm finally sitting down to give a bit of a summary as to why I fancy this little camera so much. Ive split my review into two categories, one for photographers and one for consumers interested in a good camera. I've also posted a number of images that I've captured over the course of my time with X100s. If you have any questions or comments, they are always welcome.

Here we go. 

For the life of me, I can't recall a wedding other than my own where I had to hold back a few tears. But such was the case this past weekend, when Collin Jackson and Erin Pham recited their beautifully written and intensely personal vows to each other. It was a beautiful day for the wedding. For what seemed like the first time this year, the temperatures rose above freezing and the sun graced us with its warmth. We arrived in the morning and spent the day with Collin and Erin, their family and friends as they prepared for the long awaited celebration. And when it finally arrived, I found myself, like the hundreds of others in the room, getting a little emotional. Stone Chapel was indeed packed out for the celebration, but I do believe even MORE people packed out the adjoining reception area, where the guys from Brock Entertainment pumped out the music and the motivation to respond to that music with lots of epic dance moves. Even with 11 stitches in my knee from a recent mountain biking accident, I found myself in the middle of it all, capturing various displays of awesomeness while attempting a few dance moves of my own. All in all, it was a wonderful way to start out 2014 and we are SO HAPPY for the new Mr. & Mrs. Jackson. Here's a few images from the day. Enjoy!

As always, it was a wonderful experience documenting the Mercy Charity Ball. This year was the 20th annual celebration of the event and the evening was full of good food, great entertainment, auctions, photo booths, dancing, finger painting, more entertainment, awards, drinks, testimonials and of course, more entertainment. Here's a few images from the evening. Enjoy.

This year, we had the opportunity to document the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas's Christmas Concert. The performance featured a number of special vocal performers and high school choirs from Bentonville and Harbor Highschool. Under the continued direction of conductor Paul Haas, myself and the sold out audience were treated to a few hours of beautiful music. Here's a few images from the evening. Enjoy.

Say hello to Bend Studios, a brand new boutique fitness center in Fayetteville Arkansas. Bend Studios is one of only a few fitness centers in Northwest Arkansas that offer barre classes, body conditioning and strength training exercises centered on the use of a ballet barre. They also offer classes for spin, pilates and mat. And if you're into spin classes, you'll definitely appreciate the Realryder bikes they have. We spent some time with Bend Studio owners Erica and Beth, along with their wonderful staff to document some of their classes and also, to capture their beautifully outfitted space. If you're interested, you can view and sign up for classes via their brand new website and the first class is on the house! 

If your New Year's Resolutions include fitness, two of our recent clients may be of interest to you. The first is Cari Oschman, a personal fitness and nutrition coach who recently just launched her new program and website. We recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Cari to create some images for her new site. Cari is hardcore about her health, but she's also very personable and approachable and she wanted those aspects of her personality reflected in the images on her site. If you're interested, head on over to her site and have a look around. And if you sign up for any of her 8 or 12 week programs before Jan 15th, you get a 20% discount. Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year to all of the people we are privileged to call friends, clients, colleagues and fans and a sincere thank you for making 2013 the epic year that it was.