by David Ball
Staff Writer
Jacksonville native Pete Helow found contentment in a number of different careers, from accounting to advertising. But it took a bit of soul searching, and an eye-opening trip to uncover his family roots Lebanon, before Helow found true professional nirvana behind the camera lens.
“You’ll find this funny, but in October of 2005, I read the book “The Kite Runner,” Helow said of the Khaled Hosseini novel that chronicles the tumultuous period of the Russian occupation of Afghanistan and of a man’s return to the country after fleeing to the United States.
“I’m full-blooded Lebanese, and I told my wife I had to go back to Lebanon,” continued Helow who was raised on the Southside. “I wanted to find where my roots were. My wife told me to go.”
During the 12-day tour, Helow said he met 40 relatives he never knew existed and was occasionally greeted with rose petals. But more importantly, he said he was inspired by a culture of people “who truly embraced the journey of life.”
“I thought this was the perfect time to address what I’m doing with my life,” said Helow, who was then co-owner of a successful advertising firm. “To enjoy the journey would be to do something I really loved, and I looked at my three hobbies.”
Helow loved playing keyboard in rock bands and flying airplanes – not exactly stable professions, he said. His other passion, photography, seemed like the perfect fit, and so Pete Helow Photography was born.
His studio, located above the Ossi, Butler, Najem & Rosario law offices on the Southbank, focuses on high-end portraits, photography of theatrical performances and modeling parties. He does not shoot weddings or other events.
“I shoot on a simple, plain background and I have the subjects wear solid-color clothing, so the attention goes right to the face,” said Helow. “I learned I really enjoy photographing people.”
For Helow, his current business was a natural progression from his careers in printing and advertising. Helow graduated from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina with a degree in accounting, and he worked in the trade for a year but ultimately found number-crunching “very boring.”
He then was offered a sales position at his uncle’s business, Empire Printing on Lem Turner Road. After two years he bought the company in 1979 and moved the operation near Springfield in 1984. “I loved the creativity of taking a blank sheet of paper and turning it into something,” he said. “I loved solving our clients’ communications problems through our printing.”
But Helow left the company in 1991, which was the same year he turned 40. “I did some soul searching, and I really wanted to get into something more creative than printing, so I started a design firm.”
Empire Image Development ran smoothly but was missing a true advertising component Helow wanted. In 1995, he merged his firm with Les Loggins Advertising and created Empire Communications Group and a solid partnership that lasted 11 years.
But then came “The Kite Runner,” and ultimately Pete Helow Photography. He said he learned much of what he does by watching the commercial photographers light up and shoot people and subjects for his advertising work.
“I’ve never shopped other studios to see what they do,” said Helow, “but clients have said that I take a lot of time when them, where they feel rushed at other places. I never hurry, and I guess that’s just my enjoyment of the session.”
Helow said he usually spends up to two hours photographing a subject and then some significant time using Photoshop to make each photo flawless. His Web site, www.petehelow.com, offers many examples of his work and allows ways for customers to view and purchase prints online.
This month Helow celebrated one year for his studio, and he expects some significant growth as he gets more referrals and establishes himself as a premier studio photographer. Helow said his dream is to own his own building with a studio upstairs and an art gallery and party space downstairs, something unique in Jacksonville. Although he doesn’t want his work to feel too much like a job.
“I’d like it to stay where I can still manage it alone,” said Helow. “If I did three sessions a week, and that allowed me to fly around and still play music, that would make me happy.”
As for returning to Lebanon, he said he is waiting until after country elections in September to know if it will be safe to travel there. If he does go, he said he’ll be bringing his three daughters, who are also musicians like their father.
“They play together sometimes, but they never play with dad,” said Helow. “I’d like to jam with them. Maybe one day.”