2012 RNC Convention now only 101 days away

TAMPA - You can snap anyone's picture, but capturing a portrait takes experience and finesse.

"Nice -- drop your chin just a hair," said photographer Penny Bailes to a client in her studio.

Bailes' work is a snapshot of Tampa's social and political scene.  Now her small woman-owned and operated business is preparing for what could be its biggest job ever.

"One other thing that we're doing is working with other vendors and putting together like our own little core group of suppliers. People that we know that are very high-end and whenever we get a lead we can refer these other vendors at the same time," said Bailes.

MamaRazzi Foto is hired to photograph parties and events leading up to Tampa's 2012 Republican National Convention.  As of Friday, we are 101 days away from the largest event Tampa will likely ever host.

"We're ready for the onslaught of sending out marketing.  We've got postcards.  We've been researching delegates, keeping tight contact with all event planners," said Bailes.

The Tampa Bay Host Committee is fundraising.

"Our stated budget was $55 million and we break it up into benchmarks.  The RNC wants to know 'ok, have you raised this much by this date, this much by this date, etc.,' and so far, we've met every single benchmark," said Jones.

The benchmarks and how much they've raised to date is still under wraps. The figures won't be public record until October, but CEO Ken Jones gave us a better idea who's donating.

"If you look at some of our national donors who have been made public already, I believe Hewlett Packard, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Google, AT&T-- those are some big national donors," said Jones.

Jones says Publix is a big local donor-- the kind that puts the Host Committee closer to its next June 15 benchmark and the kind that will bring MamaRazzi Foto more business.

"Just the sheer number of people who are going to be here and the amount of parties and events going on is just mind boggling," said Bailes.