Hello Central Texas!
Welcome to Tempest Photo Group's Homepage.
Order Your Custom Team DVD Shows Now!!! Time is running out!!!
Need more information on our DVD shows?
Click on the "DVD Shows" button to your left or "Email Us" to find out more!
We are covering even more Central Texas high schools& sports this school year. With new schools being added to our list, we are looking forward to the new year - which means basketball, soccer, softball & baseball. Thanks again for stopping by and please visit us in the future for more photos and special offers!
Instead of having you read everything about us, we have a small list of FAQ's below that will help you find exactly what you want to know. Just click on the links below to go to the information you want. Each subject has a "Go to top of page" link that will bring you back up to this area.
I Only Have Dial-up, PLEASE HELP!!!
100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
YES!!! DVD Shows & Commemorative Posters of our team, please tell me more...
Do you offer athletic program design?
We had a schedule change, our game has been moved to another location... What do I do?
Who and What is Tempest Photo Group?
Why do we do it?
How do we do it all?
What does it cost?
Can I Make Special Requests?
How Does all of this work?
I need a photographer, what do I do?
Do you shoot all digital photography?
Does digital have the same quality as my old film camera?
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I Only Have Dial-up, PLEASE HELP!!!
We understand that some of our customers may only have dial-up. If you would, please click on the "Email Us" on the left navigation bar and let us know of your situation. We have alternate methods of sending you proofs that may be a little easier. (Go to top of page)
100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!
I know I'm shouting, but why shouldn't I!!! All photos, photo products, apparel and miscellaneous products are all 100% guaranteed. If for any reason you are not happy with your order, please contact us. We will insure that you are happy with any product purchased from us and our partner companies.
There is one caveat. The lighting conditions at some stadiums and indoor gyms is not very good and some events will be a little grainy. We try, whenever we can, to minimize photo noise, or "graininess" in our photos. Some venues just do not have very good lighting. We still back our products, but there is nothing we can do to undo graininess.
Parents ask us often why they can't take any good photos? The lighting in some stadiums and gyms is so dark that it takes a very expensive camera and lenses to capture enough light to produce a decent photo. To learn more about photography, please click the photography link to the left. (Go to top of page)
DVD Shows & Commemorative Posters, designed by us...
DVD Shows: YES! we do create & produce DVD shows. The DVDs can have game videos, photos, sound, music, different layers of sound, transitions, fades, just like a regular DVD. Each DVD is delivered in a jewel case with a customized CD Label, is playable on a computer, has a menu for navigiation and Tempest Photo Group's contact information for future reference. All parts of the DVD can be customized to your specifications. If you are interested, please email us ASAP. These shows can not be done "last minute". They do take time. Email us!
DVD Pricing? Each DVD costs $25 (on average) + design time. We will waive the design fee if we have a large enough order for the finished DVDs.
Commemorative Posters: Your star athletes would love poster sized prints for their rooms with photos of their teammates, cool graphics, in the school's colors. Each team poster can be made using parent's photographs, other photographer's photos (Or ours), and can include rosters, names, jersey numbers, level of playoffs made, team records - anything the team would like. These posters can be custom-made per athlete, but would be very expensive due to design and time involved. We normally design one big poster for a team or group of teams at a school and try to include photos of every athlete on the team. Email us!
Athletic Program Design and Printing Help
We need a new design for our programs, but we are on budget - can you help? Definitely. We work with booster groups all over Central Texas. We understand that some teams want the 5A "Big Show" program, but might have a 1A budget. We wil try to work with you on getting your programs designed and printed. From initial concept & design, through sorting the ads, photos, and information pages, through final printing and delivery - we can do it - any sport, any level of team. Please email us you ideas and specific information. (Go to top of page)
We had a schedule change, our game has been moved to another location... What do I do?
Please contact us via e-mail immediately. Normally, parents we met have our contact numbers. We don't like to post them on the website. We have found that if we posted our phone numbers, we will start getting tee-marketer calls and other companies contacting us that we don't want. (Go to top of page)
Who and What is Tempest Photo Group?
Tempest Photo Group is a sports photography and graphic design company, located in Central Texas and owned by Michael Steele. You might catch him and others at some of the local high school athletic events. We photograph middle school, high school and college athletic events, marathons, triathlons, bicycling, sports league teams and individual photos, as well as corporate events, college social functions, and many other types of events. Mr. Steele is also a regular photographer for the Hays Free Press in Kyle, Texas.
We are always interested in photographing any event you may be hosting or involved with. If you are in need of a photographer, please click the email link on the navigation bar on the left.
On the graphic design side, Michael Steele has been working in the design and printing fields for 12+ years. Do you have a project you need help with? From small business start-up logos and sports program ads to full color brochures and business stationary, we can help your project look great! If you like to contact us, please click the email link on the left. (Go to top of page)
Why do we do it?
With backgrounds in photography and design, we love to be creative and the thrill of competition. There is something about high school and college athletic competition that is still raw and pure, before our kids graduate and join us in the "real world". We all all still competitive, but to see our children grow-up, play sports, and enjoy that thrill of competition, is amazing. TPG enjoys offering great sports photography of your kids doing what they love and enjoy.
Hi, I am Michael Steele, owner of Tempest Photo Group. I played soccer from age 6 to 16. My soccer team and I went to the State tournament and won it all. I was also in Band for 7 years from middle school through high school in Corpus Christi and played alto and baritone saxophone. I only have a handful of photos from that period in my life. My parents were not big picture takers. So I personally try to capture all of the action at games, even band members, flag corps, dance teams, cheerleaders and crowds. So many parents would love to have photos of their star child and his friends having fun. Everytime I am on the field or in a gym, I am doing what I love to do, capturing great photos for the parents and athletes. Once our kids grow-up and move on to the next phase of life, all we have is memories and photos of them to hang on to. I only hope I can capture some great photos of your kids and mine as they grow up. Thank you for allowing me to do what I love and providing you with great memories. -Michael Steele
How do we do it all?
A very organized schedule, high quality cameras and lenses, and many long hours processing thousands of photos. We have a workflow that helps in the processing, but it does take time to process 600 photos from a Friday night football game or from Tuesday night volleyball.
We also meet the parents at various events, like to get to know you, and maybe even get a great sports photo of your athlete with you in the background cheering them on. (Go to top of page)
What does it cost?
For action photography, we do not charge for attending high school and college games. We attend the games, try to photograph all players, coaches, cheerleaders, band members and the crowds. We process the photos, crop to 8x10 dimension, and upload them to our ordering page where you can view and order the photos you want. We try to work with parents and booster groups to let everyone know about our photos via word-of-mouth and e-mails.
For middle schools, leagues and other sporting groups, if there is enough interest, we can bypass any charges. We can work with our contact person to let everyone know via e-mail. We also pass out cards at events directly to parents and individuals.
For specialized action photography of single person or athlete, please e-mail us and let us know what you have in mind. (Go to top of page)
Can I Make Special Requests?
Yes you can. Has your athlete grown-up with someone else on the team? Or maybe you have a special photo that we can capture for you during a game, just let us know via email. (Go to top of page)
How Does all of this work?
With our online ordering, your event can take place here in Central Texas or anywhere, participants can visit our site, view the pictures for free and order what they want at their convenience! All orders are shipped directly to the individual customers wherever they may be. No hassling with proof books or keeping track of who wants what and completing all of the orders yourself. We take care of it all. Do you have parents out-of-state or hours away? No problem.
For our regular photo events, we have partnered with Eventpictures.com. By doing this, our product selection is much, much greater than what is offered by other photographers . All orders are filled within 2-4 days and shipped promptly to your door.
For our teams and individuals, we work with the best labs in the country that specialize in high volume, high quality, fast turnaround service. With today's technology, why should anyone have to wait months for photo orders?
We understand the frustration some people have with photographers. "Too pricey, takes too long, won' return my e-mails or phone calls, quality of photos is terrible, my kids leg looks like its cutoff". We have children that play sports also. Our pricing is lower than the national average by 30%. Turnaround times are strictly tracked to insure orders are filled promptly and on time. We always take the extra time required to insure your kids look great whether we are shooting an individual, team or action photos. (Go to top of page)
I need a photographer, what do I do?
Are you a race organizer, athletic director or league board member looking for a new photographer? or maybe a parent wanting GREAT action shots of your kids playing their favorite sports? You can click one of the links to the left to view our portfolio or e-mail us. Let us know what your needs are and when you might need a photographer.
Do you have a "Non-Sports" event you need a photographer for? We also have ultra-portable, high-power flash equipment for events where flash photography is allowed. Any event - anywhere - anytime - have cameras, will travel.
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Do you shoot all digital photography?
Yes, we do take all digital photography of every event. We typically will shoot 200-600 at high school sporting events and 1000-2000 photos at races and other larger sporting events. Can you imagine sifting through and processing hundreds of photos a night? Well we can. But not without help. That is why we have the latest color correcting and calibration software to expedite our photo processing and to insure great color on all of our photos. This allows us to shoot more events and get our photos uploaded faster than other photographers. (Go to top of page)
Do digital cameras have the same quality as my old film camera?
Digital cameras when first introduced were very low quality. But the novelty was there and not paying for film and processing anymore saved money. With the technology improving over the years, even low to middle price range cameras take good photos now. The equipment we use is on the high end of the quality and price spectrum. We are all Nikon digital cameras and auto-focus lenses. Shooting photos as much as we do, we have good timing when taking photos and are able to capture great photos at any event. (Go to top of page)
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