By Tiana Kennell
Two grinning young men greet their principal during their daily half-mile walk through the school’s hallways. They pass a physical therapist encouraging another student in a walker to take a step on his own. Meanwhile, students in tiny classrooms listen attentively as teachers praise them for mastering tasks like eating a sandwich or tying a shoe.
It’s all part of a typical day at the Moses Field Center, a special Detroit Public School that focuses on the needs of mentally handicapped children.
The school, established in 1983, teaches verbal and non-verbal communication and other essential life skills to cognitively impaired children between the ages of 3 to 13. Principal Steven Artt says the school is one of five local public educational facilities and two elementary schools that focus on the needs of children with learning challenges. (Keidan Elementary is the Westside equivalent of Moses Field, which is located on the Eastside of Detroit.)
Artt says that Moses Field is special because its curriculum is designed to meet the children’s needs. Whether a student needs a physical therapist, a nurse or someone who cares, they can get it all the school. “We’re able to offer the children every service they need on staff,” he says.
Moses Field classrooms are separated into four levels for the Severely Multiply Impaired, the Severely Cognitive Impaired, the Moderately Cognitive Impaired, and the Autistic Impaired. Artt says that a teacher and two paraprofessionals are placed inside the classrooms of 12 or fewer students to guarantee that each child gets equal amounts of personal attention. Classrooms are equipped to handle the needs of each child. In some cases that means tube-feeding devices for the children who cannot orally ingest their meals. And since many of the students use wheelchairs, everything from the buses to the swings in the gym is wheelchair-compatible.
“I call it a full service station,” says Elaine Kosloski, a special education teacher for more than 30 years. “It has everything!”
Everything includes activities such as making strawberry jam, preparing meals, creating scrapbooks, and going on field trips. The students have visited malls, parks, petting farms, swimming pools and the Michigan State Fair. Kosloski says the lesson students learn is, “We can go out and do it too!”
John is one example.
A 12-year-old severely multiply impaired child, John (not his real name) was stoic and noncommunicative when he started attending the school two years ago. Gary Peppler, John’s special education teacher, says he rarely attended school and seldom interacted with other students. The school contacted Child Protective Services of Michigan and requested an investigation. The agency determined that John was living in filth with an aunt who was physically and emotionally unable to care for him. After being removed from his home and placed with a foster family, John began to attend school regularly. Since then, he has learned how to speak and has formed relationships with the other children and teachers.
“He’s talking all the time in full sentences,” Peppler says. “When we’re in the hallways, he knows everyone’s names.”
That message of hope floods the school hallways every day as the children become more independent. They are taking their first steps, forming their first complete sentences, and defying the limitations. Artt says students many of the students at Moses Field eventually advance to traditional schools and transition centers where they learn job skills and work-related academics. Former students have obtained jobs at stores and car washes, and some have learned to live alone or with another student.
“The goal is to have as many students who are capable to get a job,” says Artt, who has been principal at Moses Field for the last two years. “Our goal is to have the children integrated with the community and not be isolated.”
The school also provides support to the parents and guardians. Artt says the Moses Field’s Local School Community Organization (LSCO) invites guest speakers to their meetings to educate parents and answer questions. The group also hosts annual potlucks and picnics to encourage the families to meet and share with one another. Kosloski says when the parents and siblings interact and network with each other they realize that they are not alone.
The school has not only benefited the students and families, but also the Moses Field staff.
“I really enjoy the children because they are loving and caring,” Artt says. “I enjoy coming in talking to them and seeing what progress they have made. It’s almost like a family.”
For more information about the Moses Field Center, call (313) 866-5790.
(African American Family Magazine, October 2007)
Friday, September 4, 2009
Rosedale Park Players
Tiana Kennell
A 53-year-old theatrical company tucked away in a tidy neighborhood on Detroit’s west side is doing its part to eliminate society’s focus on race.
The Park Players of North Rosedale Park, a local neighborhood theater group, takes a colorblind approach to casting when auditioning actors for roles in their shows. A colorblind cast means that actors of any race are cast as characters of any race.
Case in point: Among a bevy of village maidens in the group’s March production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, one was Eastern Indian, one was White and one was Black.
“We’re a mixed racial neighborhood and group and it just gives us a great deal more flexibility and reflects where Detroit should be and what Detroit should be doing,” says Roger Loeb, a member of the Board of Directors for The Park Players.
The group consists of metro Detroit residents from diverse ethnical backgrounds, economic classes and ages. But together they all have the same purpose, which is to create unforgettable experiences through comedies, dramas and Broadway musicals. Loeb says that this unified effort didn’t always exist in North Rosedale Park, which stretches east of the Southfield Freeway to Greenfield Road.
“Historically it was a white dominated group that struggled to attract African Americans, and happily we’ve made considerable progress in the past five to 10 years,” says Loeb, a member of the theater and a resident of the neighborhood for more than 27 years.
Robert Closson, the official North Rosedale Park historian, and his wife Marcia joined the theater in 1977. At the time, Closson says the theater, which officially opened in 1954, enforced a strict rule permitting only resident involvement. He says the original goal of The Park Players was “To bring good theater to North Rosedale Park.” But that policy changed as time passed and northwest Detroit became more integrated. The currecnt objective of the oldest surviving community theater in Detroit is “To bring good theater to anybody who wants to see it.”
“We are no longer defined as a neighborhood,” says Closson.
However, he admits, the Rosedale Park Players have helped enrich the community. The quiet, middle-income enclave of brick, ranch and Tudor style homes is the only residential area in the city that can boast of a spacious, professional quality theater—right in the heart of the city.
Wyandotte’s native, Carly Matkovich, 22, has worked with several other theater groups, but she describes the Rosedale Park Players as “one of the best groups I’ve been in.
“I don’t care if I have to drive 45 minutes to get here,” says Matkovich, who was cast in the fall production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as Sandy, a student at a Scottish school in the 1930’s.
She says the members make the group special.
“People come from all over southeastern Michigan… all ages and races. Everyone has a story to tell and they’re genuinely nice people,” she says.
The characters in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie were written as Caucasian but the cast members were multiracial. The young students in the play were actors ranging from preteen to mid-20s.
“We have to ask our audience to suspend disbelief-- and that’s what theater is,” says Loeb, who directed the play. “None of this is happening and the audience knows that. But our audience has learned a lot because of the kinds of things we have asked of them in the past.”
He says in prior shows, there have been many mixed racial families and couples. However, colorblind casting does not always fit the script.
“We did To Kill a Mockingbird, and it’s very specific. It’s in the South in a certain era, and it has a pro-racial theme. Certain characters have to be African American and certain characters can not be African American,” Loeb says. “Other than that there is no reason not to do colorblind casting.”
Upcoming auditions for “Smokey Joe’s Café” will be held in December. The play will open to the public on February 29, 2008. For more information, call (313) 835-1103.
African American Family Magazine November 2007
A 53-year-old theatrical company tucked away in a tidy neighborhood on Detroit’s west side is doing its part to eliminate society’s focus on race.
The Park Players of North Rosedale Park, a local neighborhood theater group, takes a colorblind approach to casting when auditioning actors for roles in their shows. A colorblind cast means that actors of any race are cast as characters of any race.
Case in point: Among a bevy of village maidens in the group’s March production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, one was Eastern Indian, one was White and one was Black.
“We’re a mixed racial neighborhood and group and it just gives us a great deal more flexibility and reflects where Detroit should be and what Detroit should be doing,” says Roger Loeb, a member of the Board of Directors for The Park Players.
The group consists of metro Detroit residents from diverse ethnical backgrounds, economic classes and ages. But together they all have the same purpose, which is to create unforgettable experiences through comedies, dramas and Broadway musicals. Loeb says that this unified effort didn’t always exist in North Rosedale Park, which stretches east of the Southfield Freeway to Greenfield Road.
“Historically it was a white dominated group that struggled to attract African Americans, and happily we’ve made considerable progress in the past five to 10 years,” says Loeb, a member of the theater and a resident of the neighborhood for more than 27 years.
Robert Closson, the official North Rosedale Park historian, and his wife Marcia joined the theater in 1977. At the time, Closson says the theater, which officially opened in 1954, enforced a strict rule permitting only resident involvement. He says the original goal of The Park Players was “To bring good theater to North Rosedale Park.” But that policy changed as time passed and northwest Detroit became more integrated. The currecnt objective of the oldest surviving community theater in Detroit is “To bring good theater to anybody who wants to see it.”
“We are no longer defined as a neighborhood,” says Closson.
However, he admits, the Rosedale Park Players have helped enrich the community. The quiet, middle-income enclave of brick, ranch and Tudor style homes is the only residential area in the city that can boast of a spacious, professional quality theater—right in the heart of the city.
Wyandotte’s native, Carly Matkovich, 22, has worked with several other theater groups, but she describes the Rosedale Park Players as “one of the best groups I’ve been in.
“I don’t care if I have to drive 45 minutes to get here,” says Matkovich, who was cast in the fall production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as Sandy, a student at a Scottish school in the 1930’s.
She says the members make the group special.
“People come from all over southeastern Michigan… all ages and races. Everyone has a story to tell and they’re genuinely nice people,” she says.
The characters in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie were written as Caucasian but the cast members were multiracial. The young students in the play were actors ranging from preteen to mid-20s.
“We have to ask our audience to suspend disbelief-- and that’s what theater is,” says Loeb, who directed the play. “None of this is happening and the audience knows that. But our audience has learned a lot because of the kinds of things we have asked of them in the past.”
He says in prior shows, there have been many mixed racial families and couples. However, colorblind casting does not always fit the script.
“We did To Kill a Mockingbird, and it’s very specific. It’s in the South in a certain era, and it has a pro-racial theme. Certain characters have to be African American and certain characters can not be African American,” Loeb says. “Other than that there is no reason not to do colorblind casting.”
Upcoming auditions for “Smokey Joe’s Café” will be held in December. The play will open to the public on February 29, 2008. For more information, call (313) 835-1103.
African American Family Magazine November 2007
Discovering Jet Skiing
By Tiana Kennell
When you think of jet skiing, you may be reminded of the action-packed beach scenes of the 90’s television show “Baywatch”. Whenever there was trouble in the water, a lifeguard was quick to jump onto his watercraft and race across the ocean, bouncing and weaving through the choppy water to save the victim. More often than not, the lifeguard was a California-bred, Caucasian sex symbol, not an average, working-class African American living in Detroit. But more Black Michiganders are defying the stereotypical image and climbing onto jet skis.
Detroit-native Billy Womack, 46, has blazed a foamy, white trail for them. Womack has professionally jet skied for 20 years, gaining three national championships and several dozen awards in the sport. He is one of very few Blacks who has jet skied professionally and the only one to reach his level of success. However, being the minority in his field has worked to his advantage. “I got a lot of notoriety and fame from doing this,” says Womack. “I stand out as an African American. Everyone calls my name out immediately.”
Unfortunately, many African Americans feel that the idea of jet skiing is farfetched. Minister Carlton Honey, a recreational jet skier, thinks that the problem is a lack of exposure to the sport. “People don’t step out of their box and try new things,” says Honey, 23, from Word Restoration Ministries on Detroit’s west side. “If I wasn’t introduced to it, I wouldn’t have done it.”
To encourage friends who may be fearful of riding, Honey compares jet skiing to riding a motorcycle. “If you can get on a motorcycle, you can jet ski. There are the same risks.”
Womack, who is now residing in Long Beach, Calif., grew up racing motorcycles and dirt bikes in Michigan, but gave up the land activities when he was 30 years old. “I was getting hurt and thought water would be safer,” says Womack, brother of the Detroit Board of Education President Dr. Jimmy Womack.
Billy Womack was living in Florida when he began jet skiing as a safer alternative. He enjoyed the hobby, but his competitive spirit drove him to race. He entered his first jet skiing race at age 34 and won first prize. He had only participated in three competitions when Yamaha, a company that makes personal watercrafts (PWCs), offered Womack a sponsorship deal. He moved to California to race for Yamaha specializing in endurance racing. The course for the endurance race stretches more than 30 miles up the Pacific coast from Long Beach to Catalina.
Two years ago when Polaris, his latest sponsor, stopped manufacturing PWCs, Womack retired from racing. After 20 years, he says it was time. “I was ready for a break,” says Womack, who has also been a pilot for American Airlines for 27 years. “Now I just do it for fun.”
Twice a week, Womack and his friends still ride the course of the endurance race for recreation and exercise. “It’s an incredible workout in the open ocean,” Womack says. “It’s an adrenaline rush and a cardiovascular workout.”
Jet skiing can have great physical health benefits, but riders have found that it also adds a refreshing thrill and relieves stress. Honey and his family head to Lake St. Clair twice a month during the summer to jet ski together and relax. Honey says he loves being in control of the watercraft. “It’s the rush! My energy level! My heart is racing—I’m a whole new person!” he says.
A few places that metro Detroiters go to jet ski are the Detroit River, Cass Lake in Waterford, Ford Lake in Ypsilanti, and Orchard Lake. Honey sometimes rents or uses his uncle’s PWCs. Many boating stores have jet skis available to rent. The cost can vary depending on type and size.
Maria Lawton, a Detroit Public School teacher at Golightly Education Center, and her friends have also found enjoyment in the water sport. She has been a jet skier for 10 years, but Lawton found serenity in water long before she began riding. She has an apartment on the riverfront in downtown Detroit, a lakeside house in Canada, owns a boat, and has aquariums throughout her home. But the exhilarating feeling of being on a jet ski couldn’t compete with any of that. Her admiration for jet skis was sparked during her teenage years at Country Day High School after seeing some of her classmates’ families with their PWCs. “I saw it and I wanted it,” says Lawton, 40. She bought her first craft 10 years ago and her second, larger one seven years ago.
Their passion for the hobby gave Honey and Lawton the will to overcome the hurdles they encountered when they got started. Honey has never learned how to swim, but wears a lifejacket every time he rides. Lawton had never taken lessons in jet skiing before buying her first PWC. That didn’t stop she and her friend from hitching her brand-new, top-of-the-line watercraft onto a trailer and driving to a lake to break in the machine. “It was hilarious,” says Lawton about her first time riding. “I didn’t know what to do with it.”
She and her friend struggled all day with the jet ski. Not knowing how to transfer it from the trailer to the water, they sank the craft in the lake. After pulling it from the water, they drained it and inserted the tubing that kept it afloat. Just when they thought their troubles were over, the friends climbed onto the vessel together and flipped off of it before ever starting the engine. They learned the hard way that each jet ski has a certain weight capacity. By trial an error, the educator and her friend finally got the hang of it. “Now I’m an expert,” Lawton says.
Knowing the ins and outs of operating a watercraft beforehand is important when operating a watercraft is an important factor for having a safe time on the water. A careless mistake can put novice jet skiers and those around them in danger.
Last May, the NFL’s New England Patriots player Marquise Hill was killed in a jet-ski accident at the age of 24. When falling off of his watercraft, the lake’s strong current swept Hill away. The tragic incident is a reminder of how important it is for jet skiers to wear a life jacket, which will help keep them afloat if they fall off their craft. Carrying a signaling device is another good safety measure since it helps rescuers find toppled jet skiers more easily. Many other safety precautions are similar to those for operating a car. “Be aware of others in the water,” says Womack. “Look over your shoulder before turning.”He also warns riders of avoiding distractions. Multi-tasking caused Womack to sustain an injury. Womack says he was playing with his GPS tracking system on his craft before a race when he fell off and tore a groin muscle.
Be careful of letting children ride. After seeing his 7-year-old niece fall off, Honey says he thinks jet skiing is only suitable for teens and adults. Michigan law requires that jet ski operators have a license, which is available for people ages 12 and older. Those up to age 14 must meet certain safety requirements. They include having a boating safety certification, being accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and only using a PWC that’s equipped with a lanyard.
The lanyard, which cuts the engine off is a rider falls off the jet ski, must be tied to either the child or parent. A lanyard-equipped jet ski isn’t just a good idea for kids, though.
Honey warns newcomers to be aware of the power of the machines. He says that many new riders are thrown off of their jet skis when they first start.
Although safety is important, Honey says Blacks shouldn’t let fear of water—or something new—prevent them from discovering the thrill of jet skiing.
“The world says we are only doing typical sports like baseball, basketball and football,” Honey says. “There are more things in life than what they give us. The only thing we have to do is go out and get it.”
African American Family Magazine July 2007
When you think of jet skiing, you may be reminded of the action-packed beach scenes of the 90’s television show “Baywatch”. Whenever there was trouble in the water, a lifeguard was quick to jump onto his watercraft and race across the ocean, bouncing and weaving through the choppy water to save the victim. More often than not, the lifeguard was a California-bred, Caucasian sex symbol, not an average, working-class African American living in Detroit. But more Black Michiganders are defying the stereotypical image and climbing onto jet skis.
Detroit-native Billy Womack, 46, has blazed a foamy, white trail for them. Womack has professionally jet skied for 20 years, gaining three national championships and several dozen awards in the sport. He is one of very few Blacks who has jet skied professionally and the only one to reach his level of success. However, being the minority in his field has worked to his advantage. “I got a lot of notoriety and fame from doing this,” says Womack. “I stand out as an African American. Everyone calls my name out immediately.”
Unfortunately, many African Americans feel that the idea of jet skiing is farfetched. Minister Carlton Honey, a recreational jet skier, thinks that the problem is a lack of exposure to the sport. “People don’t step out of their box and try new things,” says Honey, 23, from Word Restoration Ministries on Detroit’s west side. “If I wasn’t introduced to it, I wouldn’t have done it.”
To encourage friends who may be fearful of riding, Honey compares jet skiing to riding a motorcycle. “If you can get on a motorcycle, you can jet ski. There are the same risks.”
Womack, who is now residing in Long Beach, Calif., grew up racing motorcycles and dirt bikes in Michigan, but gave up the land activities when he was 30 years old. “I was getting hurt and thought water would be safer,” says Womack, brother of the Detroit Board of Education President Dr. Jimmy Womack.
Billy Womack was living in Florida when he began jet skiing as a safer alternative. He enjoyed the hobby, but his competitive spirit drove him to race. He entered his first jet skiing race at age 34 and won first prize. He had only participated in three competitions when Yamaha, a company that makes personal watercrafts (PWCs), offered Womack a sponsorship deal. He moved to California to race for Yamaha specializing in endurance racing. The course for the endurance race stretches more than 30 miles up the Pacific coast from Long Beach to Catalina.
Two years ago when Polaris, his latest sponsor, stopped manufacturing PWCs, Womack retired from racing. After 20 years, he says it was time. “I was ready for a break,” says Womack, who has also been a pilot for American Airlines for 27 years. “Now I just do it for fun.”
Twice a week, Womack and his friends still ride the course of the endurance race for recreation and exercise. “It’s an incredible workout in the open ocean,” Womack says. “It’s an adrenaline rush and a cardiovascular workout.”
Jet skiing can have great physical health benefits, but riders have found that it also adds a refreshing thrill and relieves stress. Honey and his family head to Lake St. Clair twice a month during the summer to jet ski together and relax. Honey says he loves being in control of the watercraft. “It’s the rush! My energy level! My heart is racing—I’m a whole new person!” he says.
A few places that metro Detroiters go to jet ski are the Detroit River, Cass Lake in Waterford, Ford Lake in Ypsilanti, and Orchard Lake. Honey sometimes rents or uses his uncle’s PWCs. Many boating stores have jet skis available to rent. The cost can vary depending on type and size.
Maria Lawton, a Detroit Public School teacher at Golightly Education Center, and her friends have also found enjoyment in the water sport. She has been a jet skier for 10 years, but Lawton found serenity in water long before she began riding. She has an apartment on the riverfront in downtown Detroit, a lakeside house in Canada, owns a boat, and has aquariums throughout her home. But the exhilarating feeling of being on a jet ski couldn’t compete with any of that. Her admiration for jet skis was sparked during her teenage years at Country Day High School after seeing some of her classmates’ families with their PWCs. “I saw it and I wanted it,” says Lawton, 40. She bought her first craft 10 years ago and her second, larger one seven years ago.
Their passion for the hobby gave Honey and Lawton the will to overcome the hurdles they encountered when they got started. Honey has never learned how to swim, but wears a lifejacket every time he rides. Lawton had never taken lessons in jet skiing before buying her first PWC. That didn’t stop she and her friend from hitching her brand-new, top-of-the-line watercraft onto a trailer and driving to a lake to break in the machine. “It was hilarious,” says Lawton about her first time riding. “I didn’t know what to do with it.”
She and her friend struggled all day with the jet ski. Not knowing how to transfer it from the trailer to the water, they sank the craft in the lake. After pulling it from the water, they drained it and inserted the tubing that kept it afloat. Just when they thought their troubles were over, the friends climbed onto the vessel together and flipped off of it before ever starting the engine. They learned the hard way that each jet ski has a certain weight capacity. By trial an error, the educator and her friend finally got the hang of it. “Now I’m an expert,” Lawton says.
Knowing the ins and outs of operating a watercraft beforehand is important when operating a watercraft is an important factor for having a safe time on the water. A careless mistake can put novice jet skiers and those around them in danger.
Last May, the NFL’s New England Patriots player Marquise Hill was killed in a jet-ski accident at the age of 24. When falling off of his watercraft, the lake’s strong current swept Hill away. The tragic incident is a reminder of how important it is for jet skiers to wear a life jacket, which will help keep them afloat if they fall off their craft. Carrying a signaling device is another good safety measure since it helps rescuers find toppled jet skiers more easily. Many other safety precautions are similar to those for operating a car. “Be aware of others in the water,” says Womack. “Look over your shoulder before turning.”He also warns riders of avoiding distractions. Multi-tasking caused Womack to sustain an injury. Womack says he was playing with his GPS tracking system on his craft before a race when he fell off and tore a groin muscle.
Be careful of letting children ride. After seeing his 7-year-old niece fall off, Honey says he thinks jet skiing is only suitable for teens and adults. Michigan law requires that jet ski operators have a license, which is available for people ages 12 and older. Those up to age 14 must meet certain safety requirements. They include having a boating safety certification, being accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and only using a PWC that’s equipped with a lanyard.
The lanyard, which cuts the engine off is a rider falls off the jet ski, must be tied to either the child or parent. A lanyard-equipped jet ski isn’t just a good idea for kids, though.
Honey warns newcomers to be aware of the power of the machines. He says that many new riders are thrown off of their jet skis when they first start.
Although safety is important, Honey says Blacks shouldn’t let fear of water—or something new—prevent them from discovering the thrill of jet skiing.
“The world says we are only doing typical sports like baseball, basketball and football,” Honey says. “There are more things in life than what they give us. The only thing we have to do is go out and get it.”
African American Family Magazine July 2007
Unique Strawberries
By Tiana Kennell
Cupid isn’t always a diaper wearing, bow and arrow-toting baby. These days, a 32-year-old, Detroit health care worker who makes desserts that will make you fall in love.
Darnell Daniels became the Cupid of chocolate when he created Strawberry Spirits, an on-line company specializing in alcohol-infused fruits dipped in chocolate.
Eight years ago, while watching his mother make chocolate, Daniels asked himself, “What would I like for someone to do for me that would be unique and different?”
Noticing the hollow core of a strawberry, he decided to take the idea of chocolate-covered strawberries to another level by adding alcohol to the center. By trial and error, Daniels found the perfect recipe, and his desserts became a hit amongst his family and friends.
“I’ve had people say, ‘I don’t like strawberries or chocolate, but these are excellent!’” Daniels says.
Strawberry Spirits offers a variety of fruits, flavors and combinations, including non-alcoholic beverages. Daniels says he works with his customers to personalize the desserts and make them even more special and romantic.
The desserts that have gotten the most attention are the “Tuxedo Men,” Irish cream liqueur-filled strawberries decorated with dark and white chocolate, and the “Caribbean Berry,” toasted coconut infused with Malibu rum and covered in white chocolate.
Other popular choices are the “Martini Berries,” “Long Island Berries,” “Margarita Berries” and fruit kabobs.
The tasty treats are available by the dozen for holidays, special occasions, or average day chocolate cravings.
“When people think of holidays I want them to not only think of cards, flowers and candy, but of strawberries,” Daniels says.
To place an order with Strawberry Spirits, visit www.StrawberrySpirits.com.
February 2007/ African American Family Magazine
Cupid isn’t always a diaper wearing, bow and arrow-toting baby. These days, a 32-year-old, Detroit health care worker who makes desserts that will make you fall in love.
Darnell Daniels became the Cupid of chocolate when he created Strawberry Spirits, an on-line company specializing in alcohol-infused fruits dipped in chocolate.
Eight years ago, while watching his mother make chocolate, Daniels asked himself, “What would I like for someone to do for me that would be unique and different?”
Noticing the hollow core of a strawberry, he decided to take the idea of chocolate-covered strawberries to another level by adding alcohol to the center. By trial and error, Daniels found the perfect recipe, and his desserts became a hit amongst his family and friends.
“I’ve had people say, ‘I don’t like strawberries or chocolate, but these are excellent!’” Daniels says.
Strawberry Spirits offers a variety of fruits, flavors and combinations, including non-alcoholic beverages. Daniels says he works with his customers to personalize the desserts and make them even more special and romantic.
The desserts that have gotten the most attention are the “Tuxedo Men,” Irish cream liqueur-filled strawberries decorated with dark and white chocolate, and the “Caribbean Berry,” toasted coconut infused with Malibu rum and covered in white chocolate.
Other popular choices are the “Martini Berries,” “Long Island Berries,” “Margarita Berries” and fruit kabobs.
The tasty treats are available by the dozen for holidays, special occasions, or average day chocolate cravings.
“When people think of holidays I want them to not only think of cards, flowers and candy, but of strawberries,” Daniels says.
To place an order with Strawberry Spirits, visit www.StrawberrySpirits.com.
February 2007/ African American Family Magazine
Hip-Hop Gets the Royal Treatment
By Tiana Kennell
Wave your hands in the air. Drape yourself in their clothing lines. Kneel as they lead you in prayer. And admire them as they sit upon their canvas thrones on the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD).
Acclaimed Russian artist Alex Melamid has unveiled his “Holy Hip-Hop!” collection of life-size oil paintings of 12 influential and accomplished men. They include 50 Cent, Common, Kanye West, Reverend Run and Russell Simmons.
Melamid personally studied the modern moguls for two years to capture their true personas in their natural environments and everyday clothing. He painted them in the “old master” style commonly used between the 17th and 19th centuries to paint royalty.
“In Melamid’s mind, hip-hop art is very important to the hip-hop culture,” says MOCAD Acting Director Marsha Miro. “They are today’s royalty and in some ways respected more than political leaders.”
Collectively, the subjects have produced clothing lines, record labels, chart-topping albums, books, non-profit organizations and other products and projects. They have served as spiritual advisors, motivational speakers and entrepreneurs.
Despite the controversial lyrics and negative behaviors of some of these figures, for better or worse, their accomplishments relegate them to the status of leaders and role models to the young and old.
“Having had the opportunity to travel to Europe and Australia, I’ve seen first-hand how hip-hop artists are received as royalty,” says Khalid el-Hakim, midwest regional director of the Hip Hop Congress, an organization that challenges social and political injustices.
“Hip-hop has impacted the world because it is the voice of the underclass,” he says. “In countries such as France, Palestine, Brazil, Cuba and Kenya, hip-hop is being used by the artist to bring attention to the oppression the youth are experiencing.”
After Melamid’s introduction to the hip-hop industry by his music video director son, Dan “The Man” Melamid, he felt inspired by the culture and its power. According to Miro, because of Melamid’s awareness of Detroit’s influence on hip-hop culture, he had a strong desire to open his exhibit at MOCAD.
Detroit is the first city to host the show. “He wanted an urban museum where people would understand the exhibit,” Miro says. “This is a city that would enjoy this and understand that these musicians are artists and relevant in today’s world.”
On April 20, the last day of the Melamid exhibit, another hip-hop show will roll through. The Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a trailer filled with more than 1,500 memorabilia items, will visit MOCAD for its monthly, free-admission Family Day.
The Mobile Museum, created by el-Hakim, provides visitors with an opportunity to see rare hip-hop photographs, clothing, albums, poetry and other items. Families can also participate in the interactive graffiti art, DJ, MC and breakdancing workshops.
“This experience will be a great introduction to the elements of hip-hop by being exposed to artifacts that reflect the depth of the culture,” says el-Hakim, who is also a Detroit Public Schools teacher and vice president of Iron Fist Records.
He adds, “More importantly, the Family Day will be an opportunity for the generational gap to be closed a little bit because children as well as parents will be able to fully participate in the activities.”
SIDEBAR
Holy Hip-Hop!- Now through April 20
Black History 101 Mobile Museum-April 20 Only
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
4454 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Hours: Wednesday and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
(313) 832-6622
www.mocadetroit.com
African American Family Magazine April 2008
Wave your hands in the air. Drape yourself in their clothing lines. Kneel as they lead you in prayer. And admire them as they sit upon their canvas thrones on the walls of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD).
Acclaimed Russian artist Alex Melamid has unveiled his “Holy Hip-Hop!” collection of life-size oil paintings of 12 influential and accomplished men. They include 50 Cent, Common, Kanye West, Reverend Run and Russell Simmons.
Melamid personally studied the modern moguls for two years to capture their true personas in their natural environments and everyday clothing. He painted them in the “old master” style commonly used between the 17th and 19th centuries to paint royalty.
“In Melamid’s mind, hip-hop art is very important to the hip-hop culture,” says MOCAD Acting Director Marsha Miro. “They are today’s royalty and in some ways respected more than political leaders.”
Collectively, the subjects have produced clothing lines, record labels, chart-topping albums, books, non-profit organizations and other products and projects. They have served as spiritual advisors, motivational speakers and entrepreneurs.
Despite the controversial lyrics and negative behaviors of some of these figures, for better or worse, their accomplishments relegate them to the status of leaders and role models to the young and old.
“Having had the opportunity to travel to Europe and Australia, I’ve seen first-hand how hip-hop artists are received as royalty,” says Khalid el-Hakim, midwest regional director of the Hip Hop Congress, an organization that challenges social and political injustices.
“Hip-hop has impacted the world because it is the voice of the underclass,” he says. “In countries such as France, Palestine, Brazil, Cuba and Kenya, hip-hop is being used by the artist to bring attention to the oppression the youth are experiencing.”
After Melamid’s introduction to the hip-hop industry by his music video director son, Dan “The Man” Melamid, he felt inspired by the culture and its power. According to Miro, because of Melamid’s awareness of Detroit’s influence on hip-hop culture, he had a strong desire to open his exhibit at MOCAD.
Detroit is the first city to host the show. “He wanted an urban museum where people would understand the exhibit,” Miro says. “This is a city that would enjoy this and understand that these musicians are artists and relevant in today’s world.”
On April 20, the last day of the Melamid exhibit, another hip-hop show will roll through. The Black History 101 Mobile Museum, a trailer filled with more than 1,500 memorabilia items, will visit MOCAD for its monthly, free-admission Family Day.
The Mobile Museum, created by el-Hakim, provides visitors with an opportunity to see rare hip-hop photographs, clothing, albums, poetry and other items. Families can also participate in the interactive graffiti art, DJ, MC and breakdancing workshops.
“This experience will be a great introduction to the elements of hip-hop by being exposed to artifacts that reflect the depth of the culture,” says el-Hakim, who is also a Detroit Public Schools teacher and vice president of Iron Fist Records.
He adds, “More importantly, the Family Day will be an opportunity for the generational gap to be closed a little bit because children as well as parents will be able to fully participate in the activities.”
SIDEBAR
Holy Hip-Hop!- Now through April 20
Black History 101 Mobile Museum-April 20 Only
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
4454 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Hours: Wednesday and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
(313) 832-6622
www.mocadetroit.com
African American Family Magazine April 2008
A SEA OF KNOWLEDGE
Local collector donates rare works by African American authors to WSU
By Tiana Kennell
Imagine waking up next to Langston Hughes, having breakfast with Rosa Parks, watching television with Ralph Ellison and coming home every evening to Phillis Wheatley. This is a typical day for a former English teacher, whose entire house is filled with more than 18,000 different titles by African Americans ranging from Amiri Baraka to Zora Neale Hurston. More than 5,000 of the books are rare, autographed, first editions from greats like Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.
Now get ready for this—he’s giving them all away.Jay Charles Levine, 58, already has deposited more than 400 volumes of African American literature into the “Jay C. Levine Collection,” located in the Special Collections Room of Wayne State University’s Adamany Library. After about 40 years of collecting, the WSU graduate school alumnus says this is “the right time” to donate.“The purpose of collecting is that you want others to benefit,” Levine says. “It’s much more rewarding than keeping them in my house.”When the administrators and staff of WSU learned the size of his donation, they were overwhelmed. Barton Lessin, Adamany Library’s assistant dean, says, “I’m excited because it gives an opportunity for people to learn and study firsthand from material that is some of the greatest literature in the U.S.”The first shipment was received on December 28, 2006, and many more will follow over time as Levine spends his days preparing box after box of rare African-American literature from what he calls “Jay’s Library and Museum of African Descent.”Levine’s personal library has grown to take over his entire house, leaving only narrow paths to walk along. Over 300 autographed photos of artists like Billie Holiday and Sammie Davis Sr. and Jr., hang on the walls. The floors are covered with boxes of authentic documents, some signed by Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass. There are even Playboy magazine articles written by Alex Haley, journalist and author of “Roots.” With these are movie posters of Paul Robeson, Dorothy Dandridge and Josephine Baker and other legends. Also gracing the collection is classic memorabilia from the Negro League, including autographed photos, posters, team cards and baseballs. And African statues accent the museum, paying tribute to the motherland.WSU will receive books and articles from the personal library, but Levine says he is still searching for the perfect place to donate the other items. This may be a wise move since Levine’s home has been subject to past natural disasters. In 1985, his house burned down leaving only the collection standing. Two years ago, it survived a bad water leak.Although some items were destroyed, neither fire nor water could extinguish Levine’s passion. Since childhood, Levine has loved reading and greatly admired a number of authors. His love grew into a hobby that not only entailed finding books, but also getting the authors to personally sign them.The first writer to sign for him was Nikki Giovanni at a book signing in Detroit. On that day, Levine says he was encouraged by her to find more authors to do the same. However, it was at a Chicago book conference about 15 years ago where Levine met the woman who truly impacted and inspired him to continue his hobby, Gwendolyn Brooks. A long line of fans stood in front of the table where Brooks sat, signing one book at a time. Levine stood to the side with a huge box of about 50 copies of various books by his favorite poet. “I didn’t know if I’d get one signed!” Levine says.He knew that the odds of getting all of the books signed were against him, but he kept hoping. After the conference, when the crowd had cleared, Levine heard the kind words that he’d never forget. “Go get those books!” Brooks ordered him. Levine did as he was told and joined her in a room where they privately talked while she signed every copy in his box. He would later dedicate the “Jay C. Levine Collection” to the late poet.Since the beginning of his quest, Levine says he has met every living contemporary author he has ever admired and taught in his classroom, including Margaret Walker, Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. For more than 30 years, Levine brought these authors into Detroit’s Kettering, Southeastern, Fine and Performing Arts, Crosman Alternative high schools and Jackson Middle School, where he was a teacher and counselor. Several years ago, he had created one of the first African-American Literature classes in Detroit schools, opting to use books from his home instead of the schools textbooks. He says to earn an A in his class, students had to read a minimum of four books from the stock during the school year.“Many of the students never had read one,” Levine says. “They never had the opportunity.”He allowed students to take the books home to read, and if a student lost one of the books, the fee was a quarter. “You can tell how long ago that was,” Levine chuckles.Teaching in Detroit neighborhoods where gangs were rampant, Levine introduced authors that students could relate to, learn from and enjoy, such as Donald Goines, who wrote from experience about brutal street life. One school term, Levine says he asked a student who was a gang leader to serve as editor of the Kettering newspaper and yearbook. Years later, the young man was featured in a New York magazine for his testimonial story of leaving street life behind to make a better life for himself.Many of Levine’s former students have won writing awards, attended college, become authors and poets and lead successful lives. He was honored at a banquet for being the most influential teacher in a young girl’s life, and still receives “thank you’s” and graduation and wedding invitations from past students who keep in touch. Regarding finding rare books, Levine says, “A lot of times you find things by accident. Other times there are auctions or used bookstores. I guess over time, I’ve been fortunate.”
African American Family Magazine April 2007
By Tiana Kennell
Imagine waking up next to Langston Hughes, having breakfast with Rosa Parks, watching television with Ralph Ellison and coming home every evening to Phillis Wheatley. This is a typical day for a former English teacher, whose entire house is filled with more than 18,000 different titles by African Americans ranging from Amiri Baraka to Zora Neale Hurston. More than 5,000 of the books are rare, autographed, first editions from greats like Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.
Now get ready for this—he’s giving them all away.Jay Charles Levine, 58, already has deposited more than 400 volumes of African American literature into the “Jay C. Levine Collection,” located in the Special Collections Room of Wayne State University’s Adamany Library. After about 40 years of collecting, the WSU graduate school alumnus says this is “the right time” to donate.“The purpose of collecting is that you want others to benefit,” Levine says. “It’s much more rewarding than keeping them in my house.”When the administrators and staff of WSU learned the size of his donation, they were overwhelmed. Barton Lessin, Adamany Library’s assistant dean, says, “I’m excited because it gives an opportunity for people to learn and study firsthand from material that is some of the greatest literature in the U.S.”The first shipment was received on December 28, 2006, and many more will follow over time as Levine spends his days preparing box after box of rare African-American literature from what he calls “Jay’s Library and Museum of African Descent.”Levine’s personal library has grown to take over his entire house, leaving only narrow paths to walk along. Over 300 autographed photos of artists like Billie Holiday and Sammie Davis Sr. and Jr., hang on the walls. The floors are covered with boxes of authentic documents, some signed by Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass. There are even Playboy magazine articles written by Alex Haley, journalist and author of “Roots.” With these are movie posters of Paul Robeson, Dorothy Dandridge and Josephine Baker and other legends. Also gracing the collection is classic memorabilia from the Negro League, including autographed photos, posters, team cards and baseballs. And African statues accent the museum, paying tribute to the motherland.WSU will receive books and articles from the personal library, but Levine says he is still searching for the perfect place to donate the other items. This may be a wise move since Levine’s home has been subject to past natural disasters. In 1985, his house burned down leaving only the collection standing. Two years ago, it survived a bad water leak.Although some items were destroyed, neither fire nor water could extinguish Levine’s passion. Since childhood, Levine has loved reading and greatly admired a number of authors. His love grew into a hobby that not only entailed finding books, but also getting the authors to personally sign them.The first writer to sign for him was Nikki Giovanni at a book signing in Detroit. On that day, Levine says he was encouraged by her to find more authors to do the same. However, it was at a Chicago book conference about 15 years ago where Levine met the woman who truly impacted and inspired him to continue his hobby, Gwendolyn Brooks. A long line of fans stood in front of the table where Brooks sat, signing one book at a time. Levine stood to the side with a huge box of about 50 copies of various books by his favorite poet. “I didn’t know if I’d get one signed!” Levine says.He knew that the odds of getting all of the books signed were against him, but he kept hoping. After the conference, when the crowd had cleared, Levine heard the kind words that he’d never forget. “Go get those books!” Brooks ordered him. Levine did as he was told and joined her in a room where they privately talked while she signed every copy in his box. He would later dedicate the “Jay C. Levine Collection” to the late poet.Since the beginning of his quest, Levine says he has met every living contemporary author he has ever admired and taught in his classroom, including Margaret Walker, Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. For more than 30 years, Levine brought these authors into Detroit’s Kettering, Southeastern, Fine and Performing Arts, Crosman Alternative high schools and Jackson Middle School, where he was a teacher and counselor. Several years ago, he had created one of the first African-American Literature classes in Detroit schools, opting to use books from his home instead of the schools textbooks. He says to earn an A in his class, students had to read a minimum of four books from the stock during the school year.“Many of the students never had read one,” Levine says. “They never had the opportunity.”He allowed students to take the books home to read, and if a student lost one of the books, the fee was a quarter. “You can tell how long ago that was,” Levine chuckles.Teaching in Detroit neighborhoods where gangs were rampant, Levine introduced authors that students could relate to, learn from and enjoy, such as Donald Goines, who wrote from experience about brutal street life. One school term, Levine says he asked a student who was a gang leader to serve as editor of the Kettering newspaper and yearbook. Years later, the young man was featured in a New York magazine for his testimonial story of leaving street life behind to make a better life for himself.Many of Levine’s former students have won writing awards, attended college, become authors and poets and lead successful lives. He was honored at a banquet for being the most influential teacher in a young girl’s life, and still receives “thank you’s” and graduation and wedding invitations from past students who keep in touch. Regarding finding rare books, Levine says, “A lot of times you find things by accident. Other times there are auctions or used bookstores. I guess over time, I’ve been fortunate.”
African American Family Magazine April 2007
Kahn Santori Photography Studio
By Tiana Kennell
Carefree and in love brides and grooms smile from the walls of Kahn Santori Photography studio. They are completely oblivious to the adversities their photographer went through to be able to create their picture of perfection. Bad locations, a recession, family tragedies and internal demons are just a few of the hardships. But each time he has triumphed proving that Kahn Santori Photography studio (www.KSantori.com) is built to last.
Owning a business during a recession is tough. Working in a neighborhood where no client wants to venture makes it tougher. Khan Santori, 32, was residing on the Westside of Detroit in a colonial-style home with his wife, Latasha, and their three children when he opened his studio in 2002. Nevertheless, the studio was in the living room of the home.
When potential clients saw Santori’s work on his website, they were eager to meet him. Once realizing they wouldn’t be meeting in a glamorous studio, but in a regular house in a regular neighborhood, Santori said some clients cancelled their consultation or just didn’t show up. Some of those who did meet with him still chose to take their business elsewhere, and Santori couldn’t help but feel that his work was being overshadowed by his circumstance. His ego was dealt a hard blow.
“I didn’t have the confidence,” he says. “I had to do some reading and self-exploration to be confident in front of people, not be ashamed of my surroundings and understand myself.”
He began meeting clients at posh coffee houses instead, but it wasn’t the answer. What he realized he had to do was build trust by showing his clients the real Kahn Santori. That began with a photo album.
When a couple arrived at his home for their consultation Santori pulled out his parent’s wedding album from more than 30 years ago. He told the story of how he was only a year and a half when his parents died, leaving him to be raised by his grandparents. Page by page he showed the pictures, taken by his grandfather, of his parents exchanging their sacred vows and standing with family and friends in that very living room. He explained that the album was one of the very few intimate mementos he had left of his parents.
“This is what I’m all about,” he’d say to the couple. “And I want you to look at your album in 30 years and have the same reverence and feelings as I have for this album.”
Santori would then lie out photos from current weddings he shot and share the personal stories of those couples. By that time, the clients were no longer looking at outer appearances, but at the talent before them.
Santori says that taking the new approach caused an increase in his business, grossing about $10,000 in 2007 to $40,000 in 2008. “I had officially turned the corner,” he says. “I’m in this regular colonial on the Westside of Detroit where nobody wants to come, but I’m booking weddings and competing with big studios. I did something that I felt was very hard to do.”
Although Santori moved out of the area with his growing family and into a subdivision outside of the city, Santori still works close to home—in a private studio inside of his home, to be exact.
CUTTING BACK
Running a studio from home is one way Santori curbs spending. Other ways require self-control and budgeting. Since opening Kahn Santori Photography seven years ago, where he also offers editorial and documentary photography services (www.ksantophoto.com), Santori has used a plethora of tools to create his masterpieces. He’s found that sticking with his equipment is hard to do when the temptations of new and updated models are constantly coming onto the market. It was once his weakness.
“Because technology is updating so fast there’s probably something that comes out every month that I’d want, especially in the software field. I finally got myself in control. Some of the things I can do now is with a camera I’ve had for five years,” says Santori, who currently uses a Nikon D300, D200 and D70. He also prefers using Apple’s Mac computers, Alien B lights, and the software Adobe Lightroom, I-View Media Pro and Photoshop. “It’s not about the camera but what you can do with it. The new stuff may make you do it faster, but you can’t buy everything that comes out.”
He also found that not participating in bridal shows and canceling the ad subscriptions that aren’t beneficial to his business helps save money. However, he learned to invest in profitable mediums. “I have an ad in The Knot that runs about $400 a month, but it’s the most premier listing. That’s what makes me money.”
THE PEOPLE’S PHOTOGRAPHER
Having the proper advertisements and keeping up an attractive website have worked well for Santori, but he says most of his business comes through referrals. Clients who are pleased with the outcome of their engagement and weddings photo albums are quick to recommend Santori’s services. But it is more than his talent that wins clients over.
Santori immediately comes off as a warm, inviting and down-to-earth guy with a jolly personality, charm and knack for relating to everyone. He has the ability to gain the confidence of clients and make their relationship feel more like a friendship than business. “I’m a regular dude,” he says. “I don’t have the ambiance or reputation to blow you away. I may not come across as this calm, suave photographer, but I’m the type that every blue-collar worker can talk to.”
The comfort level transfers from the consultation to the engagement session to the wedding day. Santori uses the engagement session for he and the clients to become familiar with each other’s personalities and work habits. He compares his style to a mixed breed of photojournalism and traditional wedding photography. “It’s me interacting with them. I put them in a position and I communicate what inspiration I’m looking for,” he says. “I add to the vision. I had a bride who did a Bridezilla pose like she was attacking her bridesmaids. That’s what she wanted.” All he asks is for the clients to trust that he will make everything work.
He recalls a time when that trust was put to the test. Santori was scheduled to shoot his newlywed clients in between their wedding and reception. The couple wanted the shoot to take place at a location 30 minutes out of the way. To Santori, this was no problem. However, the limo driver reminded everyone that in twenty minutes his services were over, endangering the newlyweds and their wedding party of either being stranded or paying extra. Santori stayed calm and led the limo in a search to find a closer location. No one saw Santori on his cell phone with his wife frantically trying to figure out where. Then something caught his eye.
“I looked over and saw an office building that had the cobblestone, Old English, antique look. The lighting was good and I had a tree. I said, ‘We’re going right there!’”
Santori says that from 6:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. he took the essential photos, including the newlyweds, the parents, maid of honor and best man, leaving five minutes for the group to get to the reception before the limo changed back to a pumpkin.
The following week Santori received a call from the thankful, crying bride after she and her family looked at the album. “She said, ‘Everyone was in tears! And you caught all the moments. The building was like our own little castle, and everything was so beautiful. We know we kind of put you on the spot...’ That was one of my most stressful and most proud moments ever.”
PAYING IT FORWARD
Many of the lessons and kindness that Santori passes on to others he has learned from mentors. From his grandfather he learned to never let an occasion go by without recording it on film. From a photographer Santori respectfully calls Mr. Burns, who he assisted during his early 20s, he learned the basics of photography and how to interact with clients. And from Marco Antonio (www.Marco-Antonio.com), who became a friend while working in the field, he was taught the business side of photography and was introduced to WPPI.
In an attempt to pass on the wisdom he has received from others, Santori uses his online blog (http://ksantori.blogspot.com) to post tips and tricks for clients and fellow photographers. “Blogging is important because it’s the only thing on your website that will keep them coming back,” he says. “It’s current. With blogging people can see you behind the pictures.”
He says doesn’t worry about helping the competition. He concerns himself with something deeper. “Good karma. People get caught up in the competitive nature of photography. If you’re a photographer who’s got a good client base, runs a good business, and focuses on marketing and customer service, you’ll stay in business.”
(WPPIOnline.com, May 2009)
Carefree and in love brides and grooms smile from the walls of Kahn Santori Photography studio. They are completely oblivious to the adversities their photographer went through to be able to create their picture of perfection. Bad locations, a recession, family tragedies and internal demons are just a few of the hardships. But each time he has triumphed proving that Kahn Santori Photography studio (www.KSantori.com) is built to last.
Owning a business during a recession is tough. Working in a neighborhood where no client wants to venture makes it tougher. Khan Santori, 32, was residing on the Westside of Detroit in a colonial-style home with his wife, Latasha, and their three children when he opened his studio in 2002. Nevertheless, the studio was in the living room of the home.
When potential clients saw Santori’s work on his website, they were eager to meet him. Once realizing they wouldn’t be meeting in a glamorous studio, but in a regular house in a regular neighborhood, Santori said some clients cancelled their consultation or just didn’t show up. Some of those who did meet with him still chose to take their business elsewhere, and Santori couldn’t help but feel that his work was being overshadowed by his circumstance. His ego was dealt a hard blow.
“I didn’t have the confidence,” he says. “I had to do some reading and self-exploration to be confident in front of people, not be ashamed of my surroundings and understand myself.”
He began meeting clients at posh coffee houses instead, but it wasn’t the answer. What he realized he had to do was build trust by showing his clients the real Kahn Santori. That began with a photo album.
When a couple arrived at his home for their consultation Santori pulled out his parent’s wedding album from more than 30 years ago. He told the story of how he was only a year and a half when his parents died, leaving him to be raised by his grandparents. Page by page he showed the pictures, taken by his grandfather, of his parents exchanging their sacred vows and standing with family and friends in that very living room. He explained that the album was one of the very few intimate mementos he had left of his parents.
“This is what I’m all about,” he’d say to the couple. “And I want you to look at your album in 30 years and have the same reverence and feelings as I have for this album.”
Santori would then lie out photos from current weddings he shot and share the personal stories of those couples. By that time, the clients were no longer looking at outer appearances, but at the talent before them.
Santori says that taking the new approach caused an increase in his business, grossing about $10,000 in 2007 to $40,000 in 2008. “I had officially turned the corner,” he says. “I’m in this regular colonial on the Westside of Detroit where nobody wants to come, but I’m booking weddings and competing with big studios. I did something that I felt was very hard to do.”
Although Santori moved out of the area with his growing family and into a subdivision outside of the city, Santori still works close to home—in a private studio inside of his home, to be exact.
CUTTING BACK
Running a studio from home is one way Santori curbs spending. Other ways require self-control and budgeting. Since opening Kahn Santori Photography seven years ago, where he also offers editorial and documentary photography services (www.ksantophoto.com), Santori has used a plethora of tools to create his masterpieces. He’s found that sticking with his equipment is hard to do when the temptations of new and updated models are constantly coming onto the market. It was once his weakness.
“Because technology is updating so fast there’s probably something that comes out every month that I’d want, especially in the software field. I finally got myself in control. Some of the things I can do now is with a camera I’ve had for five years,” says Santori, who currently uses a Nikon D300, D200 and D70. He also prefers using Apple’s Mac computers, Alien B lights, and the software Adobe Lightroom, I-View Media Pro and Photoshop. “It’s not about the camera but what you can do with it. The new stuff may make you do it faster, but you can’t buy everything that comes out.”
He also found that not participating in bridal shows and canceling the ad subscriptions that aren’t beneficial to his business helps save money. However, he learned to invest in profitable mediums. “I have an ad in The Knot that runs about $400 a month, but it’s the most premier listing. That’s what makes me money.”
THE PEOPLE’S PHOTOGRAPHER
Having the proper advertisements and keeping up an attractive website have worked well for Santori, but he says most of his business comes through referrals. Clients who are pleased with the outcome of their engagement and weddings photo albums are quick to recommend Santori’s services. But it is more than his talent that wins clients over.
Santori immediately comes off as a warm, inviting and down-to-earth guy with a jolly personality, charm and knack for relating to everyone. He has the ability to gain the confidence of clients and make their relationship feel more like a friendship than business. “I’m a regular dude,” he says. “I don’t have the ambiance or reputation to blow you away. I may not come across as this calm, suave photographer, but I’m the type that every blue-collar worker can talk to.”
The comfort level transfers from the consultation to the engagement session to the wedding day. Santori uses the engagement session for he and the clients to become familiar with each other’s personalities and work habits. He compares his style to a mixed breed of photojournalism and traditional wedding photography. “It’s me interacting with them. I put them in a position and I communicate what inspiration I’m looking for,” he says. “I add to the vision. I had a bride who did a Bridezilla pose like she was attacking her bridesmaids. That’s what she wanted.” All he asks is for the clients to trust that he will make everything work.
He recalls a time when that trust was put to the test. Santori was scheduled to shoot his newlywed clients in between their wedding and reception. The couple wanted the shoot to take place at a location 30 minutes out of the way. To Santori, this was no problem. However, the limo driver reminded everyone that in twenty minutes his services were over, endangering the newlyweds and their wedding party of either being stranded or paying extra. Santori stayed calm and led the limo in a search to find a closer location. No one saw Santori on his cell phone with his wife frantically trying to figure out where. Then something caught his eye.
“I looked over and saw an office building that had the cobblestone, Old English, antique look. The lighting was good and I had a tree. I said, ‘We’re going right there!’”
Santori says that from 6:15 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. he took the essential photos, including the newlyweds, the parents, maid of honor and best man, leaving five minutes for the group to get to the reception before the limo changed back to a pumpkin.
The following week Santori received a call from the thankful, crying bride after she and her family looked at the album. “She said, ‘Everyone was in tears! And you caught all the moments. The building was like our own little castle, and everything was so beautiful. We know we kind of put you on the spot...’ That was one of my most stressful and most proud moments ever.”
PAYING IT FORWARD
Many of the lessons and kindness that Santori passes on to others he has learned from mentors. From his grandfather he learned to never let an occasion go by without recording it on film. From a photographer Santori respectfully calls Mr. Burns, who he assisted during his early 20s, he learned the basics of photography and how to interact with clients. And from Marco Antonio (www.Marco-Antonio.com), who became a friend while working in the field, he was taught the business side of photography and was introduced to WPPI.
In an attempt to pass on the wisdom he has received from others, Santori uses his online blog (http://ksantori.blogspot.com) to post tips and tricks for clients and fellow photographers. “Blogging is important because it’s the only thing on your website that will keep them coming back,” he says. “It’s current. With blogging people can see you behind the pictures.”
He says doesn’t worry about helping the competition. He concerns himself with something deeper. “Good karma. People get caught up in the competitive nature of photography. If you’re a photographer who’s got a good client base, runs a good business, and focuses on marketing and customer service, you’ll stay in business.”
(WPPIOnline.com, May 2009)
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