Chilling With Birmingham’s Cool Santa

By Keisa Sharpe-Jefferson The Birmingham Times Antonio Boswell, professional photographer of A. Boswell Media Services, has an alter ego that’s popular this time of year: He’s Cool Santa. Boswell said the concept came about as he was trying to help a fellow business owner and friend during one of their slowest seasons – during the holidays. “We were sitting in my studio and told her, ‘why don’t you find a Santa and do a tour?” he recalled. “And I’m not thinking she was going to ask me to be the Santa. I was just coming up with ideas.” He teamed up with Comedienne Joy, of the Eat Drink Ride party bus tour in 2019 and said the 10 adults who were on that bus loved it. He opted for non-traditional attire, which included “a red blazer, black slacks and a white shirt … a Santa hat and mirrored aviator shades.” “When they stepped on that bus and saw me, they loved it. They were asking, ‘Where did you find the ‘Cool Santa’?” “Every restaurant we went into, everyone who was dining would say – I’ve never seen a Santa like you. You are the coolest Santa I’ve seen.” Developing the...