AAPI News

We are sadden by the loss of members of our AAPI family…

Kenneth “Ken” Bennett passed peacefully in his sleep on July 25^th 2019 at his home in Jackson Wyoming at 80 years old.  He was pioneer in the Old Time Photo Industry spanning from 1973 until he retired in 2008 .  He began his Old Time Photo career at swap meets in Southern California in 1973. He finally made his way to Wyoming in 1974 and setup a Studio in Cody Wyoming.  Then in 1978, he moved from Cody to Jackson Hole and opened DeJaVu Antique Portraits (now called Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos) directly across the Teton Theater/Bunnery Restaurant.  He loved western history which gave him passion to create Old West Studios with a “classy feel” to many different set designs in the Old Time Photo Industry. He opened over 16+ Old Time Photos during his working career.   He will be missed.

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Richard Millener with Millener Productions in Bear Lake, California died March 2019.  He had been a member of AAPI since 1993 and for the last few years, he had been our official Convention photographer.  Richard’s quirky ways and unique style left an impression on everyone he met.  He will be missed.

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Jack Kimmins with Old Time Photo Supply died August 30, 2018.  He was AAPI’s biggest cheerleader, always encouraging membership to every new customer he met. He was the first to volunteer for any job and position. He was not afraid to put himself out there and be a little silly much to the delight of all.  Jack is irreplaceable. He will be missed.

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Dallas Wade Dietrich died October 29, 2016 at age 68.  He and his wife Mary owned and operated several businesses in Rapid City, Spearfish and Keystone, South Dakota including Goodtyme Photos, which has been a member of AAPI since 2014.

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Gail Pierce Larimer passed away November 19, 2016, one day after her 78th birthday. She was born November 18, 1938 in Stigler, Oklahoma to William and Kathleen Pierce.  She and her late husband Ted (who passed away in 2007) owned and operated the Eureka! Connection.  Gail was the Executive Director for AAPI from 1995 to 2010.  Gail will be missed.

Carol and Colin Branner of My Antique Portrait Studio in Calgary were honored with the Antique & Amusement Photographers International Service Award. The award was present to the Branners on February 3 at the association’s 2016 Annual Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The AAPI Service Award is presented annually to a member or members who have gone above and beyond to help the Association. The Branners’ exemplified the award. They both have been a member of AAPI since 2008 and in that time they have served on various committees and helped behind the scenes at the annual conventions. Carol Branner was also elected to serve on the AAPI Board Directors for 2016 – 2018.

The Branners’ have owned and operated My Antique Portraits, a mobile studio, in Calgary for over ten (10) years. Their mobile studio travels around to different events and fairs throughout Alberta, Canada. For more information on My Antique Portraits, you can visit them online at http://www.myantiqueportrait.com or email them at [email protected].

Ruth Short formerly of Short Takes Old Tyme Photos was honored at the 2016 Antique and Amusement Photographers International Convention & Trade Show held February 3 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Short was inducted into the AAPI Hall of Fame, one of the association’s highest honors.

Short, with her late husband Dana Short, were owners of the former Short Takes Old Tyme Photos studio in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The studio closed in 2013. The AAPI’s Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals who have made an important contribution to the old time photo industry and to Antique and Amusement Photographers International Association and are no longer in the industry.

AAPI is a professional association for photographers and vendors specializing in souvenir photography including antique or “Old Time Photos,” special events, historical re-enactments, and amusement portraits. Members are located throughout the United States and Canada, as well as several other countries. For more information, visit the AAPI website at oldtimephotos.org.

Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. with instaimage Photography in Northern Nevada and Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits in Monterey California, was recognized with the prestigious Martin & Bertha Glaser Memorial Award at the 2016 Antique and Amusement Photographers International Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 3rd. The award was presented to Mulvihill by Derrick Gillikin, the 2016 AAPI President.

The Martin & Bertha Glaser Memorial Award, the highest honor in the Antique & Amusement Photographers International Association, is bestowed annually to a member who has given years of dedicated service to AAPI and the Old Time Photo industry. Mulvihill exemplifies the award. He has been a member of AAPI since 2004 and in that time he has served on various committees and the Board of Directors. Most recently, Mulvihill served as the 2015 Chair of Communications and 2014 Treasurer of AAPI Board Directors. He helped revamp the Association’s website and has introduced new methods of communicating with members.

Mulvihill has owned and operated instaimage Photography, a sports, portrait and event photography business in Northern Nevada for over thirteen (13) years. He opened his Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits studio in Monterey, California in 2007 which is located in the 700 building on Cannery Row in Monterey. Previously, the studio was located in South Lake Tahoe for over 20 years. For more information on instaimage, visit http://instaimage.com. For more information on Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits, visit http://docwenzels.com.

You can find some photography events and some business opportunity under the Members Only Opportunity Knocking…check it out.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING

The Photo Contest Entry Form for the upcoming Photo Contest have been posted, you can click the link in the Photo Contest menu at the top or click the link below.

Good Luck!

AAPI Photo Contest Entry Form 2015-2016

The Rules (some changes…) and Categories (no material changes but some clarifications…) have been posted under the Photo Contest menu.

Please take a good look at them before you get involved with your season so you can start keeping an eye out for that next blue ribbon entry!

The links are also here…

2016 Photo Contest Rules

2016 Photo Contest Categories

Look for the Spring Edition of the 2015 FLASH in your mail.

Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum in Plano, Texas earned the Best of Show for the 2015 AAPI Photo Contest held in January during the 2015 AAPI Convention and Trade Show. His photo, which won first place in Most Creative Portrait-Not Digitally Enhanced category, took the top honor from out of all 30 categories. Vahrenkamp also had a total of six first place photos including one Technical Excellence. Todd Corneil, the Photo Contest Chair, presented Vahrenkamp’s with the award during the backless ball ceremonies at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. There were over 346 photo entries in the competition.  To see all the first place winners, go to https://oldtimephotos.org/2015-photo-contest-winners/

The winners for all categories are as follows:

Best Portrait of a Man –
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second (tie) – Karla Barnett with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Second (tie) – Jennifer Ricci with Old Time Portraits, Baileys Harbor, WI
Third – Paul Gunn with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada

Best Portrait of a Woman –
First – KJ Dong Jia with Allways Antique Photo, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Second (tie) – Angela Isaac with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL.
Second (tie) – Chelsea Bates with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third – Alex MacPherson with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada

Best Portrait of a Baby (age up to 2 years) –
First – Karla Barnett with Busters Old Time Photos, Galveston, TX
Second – Paul Gunn with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Third – Melissa Schoonfield with Yesteryear’s Photographic Emporium, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Best Portrait of a Child (age 2 to 12 years) –
First – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Second – Natasha Dragomirova with Flashback Photos, Ocean City, MD
Second – Rachael Zuleger & Carissa Bouie with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third (tie) – Ashleigh Davis with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third (tie) – Alexis Pierce with Old Time Photos Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN

Best Portrait of Children –
First – Jessica MacNeill with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Faye Boughton with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third – Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO

Best Portrait of Two Persons –
First – Jessica MacNeill with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Jay McLure with Flashback Photos, Virginia Beach, VA
Third – Liza Xenzova with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Best Group Portrait— 4 to 9 people –
First – Nikki Alexander with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Second – Alex MacPherson with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Third – Richard Millener with Millener Productions, Big Bear Lake, CA

Best Group Portrait—10 or more people –
First – KJ. Dong Jia with Allways Antique Photo, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Second (tie) – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND
Second (tie) – Elizabeth Lexchel with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Most Humorous Portrait –
First – Ashleigh Davis with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Second – Elizabeth Lexchel with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third (tie) – Jessica MacNeill with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Third (tie) – Daria Ochulina with Yesteryear’s Photographic Emporium, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Best Victorian Themed Portrait (2 or more people) –
First – Kayla VanBrabant with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Second – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND
Third – Karla Barnett with Busters Old Time Photos, Galveston, TX

Best Western Themed Portrait (2 or more people) –
First – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Second – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo Medora, ND
Third (tie) – Greg Stein with Flashback Photos, Virginia Beach, VA
Third (tie) – Chelsea Bates with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO

Best Civil War Themed Portrait (2 or more people)
First – Tim Burke with Old Time Photos Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN
Second – The Staff with Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Third – Faye Boughton with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN

Best ’20s Era Portrait (2 or more people)
First – Jessica MacNeill with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND
Third – Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO

Best Wedding Portrait (An Old Time photo of 2 or more people)
First – Kayla VanBrabant with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Second – Cody Wiseman with Goodtyme Photo, Keystone, SD
Third – Angela Isaac with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL

Best Boudoir Portrait (1 woman)
First – Jessica MacNeill with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Jennifer Lewis with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL
Third – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Best Pirate Themed Portrait
First – Alex MacPherson with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Angela Isaac with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL
Third – Karla Barnett with Busters Old Time Photos, Galveston, TX

Best Steam Punk Themed Portrait –
First – Nathaniel Burke with Old Time Photos Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN
Second – Derrick Gillikin with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL
Third – Faye Boughton with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN

Best Portrait of Any Other Era
First – Alex MacPherson with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada
Second – Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third (tie) – Martin Schmidt with Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits, Monterey, CA
Third (tie) – Skip Hill with Old Time Photos Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN

Best Native American Themed Portrait
First – Angel Andringa with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Second – Erica Lannon with Flashback Photos, Virginia Beach, VA
Third – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Best Portrait of a Senior Citizen (One or more people, all must be 60 years or older)
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second – Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third – The Staff with Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Most Creative Portrait—Not Digitally Enhanced
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second – Ashleigh Davis with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third – Alex MacPherson with Grandpa’s Antique Photo Studio, Cavendish, PEI-Canada

Most Creative Portrait—Digitally Enhanced –
First – Elizabeth Lexchel with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Second – Jason Shatzer with Flashback Photos, Ocean City, MD
Third – Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO

Best Chromakey Portrait –
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second – Fionnghuala Smith with Cobh Pastimes, Cobh, County Cork, Ireland
Third – KJ. Dong Jia with Allways Antique Photo, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Best Matched Use of a Portrait and Poster Mat –
First – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND
Second – Alyssa Raynie with Old Time Photos Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN
Third – Faye Boughton with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN

Digital Poster –
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second – Katie Livingston with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third – Caitlin Blaedow with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Best Amusement or Entertainment Portrait –

First – Jena Kottra with Professor Bellows Photographics Bloomington, MN
Second – Nikki Alexander & Nikki Hodge with Busters Old Time Photos, Branson, MO
Third – Derrick Gillikin with Instant Ancestors, Inc., Kissimmee, FL

Best Portrait of a Pet(s) or a Pet(s) with Its Owner(s) –
First – Elizabeth Lexchel with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Second – Aimee Glandt with Goodtyme Photo, Keystone, SD
Third – Kamila Bikbulatova with Yesteryear’s Photographic Emporium, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Best Self Portrait –
First – Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX
Second – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND
Third – Ann Haislett with Yesteryear’s Photographic Emporium, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Best Portrait of Your Staff –
First – The Staff of Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Second – Caitlin Blaedow with The Antique Photo Parlour, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Third (tie) – Kamila Bikbulatova with Yesteryear’s Photographic Emporium, Rehoboth Beach, DE
Third (tie) – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND

Best Holiday Greeting Card –
First – The Staff of Judge Roy Bean’s Old Time Photos, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Second – The Staff of Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN
Third – Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND

Technical Excellence –

Faye Boughton with Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN in Best Matched Use of a Portrait and Poster Mat
Bill Vahrenkamp with Imaging Spectrum, Plano, TX in Digital Poster
Ella-Jo & Todd Corneil with Todd’s Old Time Photo, Medora, ND in Best Self Portrait
The Staff of Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN in Best Portrait of Your Staff
The Staff of Professor Bellows Photographics, Bloomington, MN in Best Holiday Greeting Card

Jeff Mulvihill, the 2015 Service Award recipient pictured here with President Derrick Gillikin

The AAPI Service Award goes to a AAPI Member who has gone above and beyond for the Association. This year’s recipient of the AAPI Service Award went to Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. with Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits in Monterey, California.

Jeff has supported the association by serving on the AAPI Board of Directors, as Treasurer for the Association, and various committees including chair of the 2014 Financial Committee. He diligently worked behind the scenes helping to put together the 2015 AAPI Convention and constantly had a eye on the AAPI financials. Congratulations Jeff! Well deserved.