CLOSE PROX GA-SMA GA-SA NEAR BASE OF TPA ARSA.

Narrative

I DEPARTED FROM PLANT CITY MUNI (X-17) ON AN AERIAL PHOTO MISSION WITH VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE TAMPA AREA. UPON DEP I CONTACTED TAMPA APCH FOR CLRNC AND TFC ADVISORIES. I WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE. AFTER FINISHING A NUMBER OF PHOTO SITES; I WAS CLRED TO THE NEXT LOCATION WHERE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I BEGAN AN ORBIT AROUND THE PHOTO SITE AND BEGAN PHOTOGRAPHING. AS I MADE A LEFT HAND TURN BACK TO THE E I SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE (BLUE & WHITE SMA) HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARD ME. I MADE A SHARP RIGHT BANK TO AVOID THE ACFT. AFTER BEING SURE I WAS CLR; I CALLED TAMPA APCH ON 118.8 AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF THE NEAR COLLISION. THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING WERE THAT THE OTHER ACFT OBVIOUSLY NEVER SAW ME BECAUSE HIS FLT PATH WAS UNALTERED. OBVIOUSLY THE OTHER PLT WAS NOT LOOKING TO SEE AND AVOID. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE CTLR APPARENTLY WAS DISTRACTED OR DIDN'T SPOT THE APCHING ACFT ON RADAR TO ADVISE ME. AFTER THE NEAR COLLISION; THE OTHER ACFT THEN CONTACTED APCH CTL FOR VECTORS. FORTUNATELY I WAS TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO OBSERVE FOR OTHER TFC AND WAS ABLE TO AVOID A DISASTER. AFTER THE OTHER ACFT CONTACTED APCH CTL; THE CTLR THEN ADVISED HIM OF MY LOCATION. THE OTHER ACFT STILL HAD NOT SEEN ME UNTIL AFTER SOMETIME WHEN HE THEN VERIFIED WITH ATC HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO THEN COMPLETE MY PHOTO MISSION AND RETURNED SAFELY TO PLANT CITY MUNI (X-17). TO AVOID A SIMILAR INCIDENT; PLTS SHOULD ALWAYS USE THE SEE AND AVOID SYSTEM EVEN UNDER ATC SEP. FURTHER; THE CTLRS SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF THEIR RADAR SCREENS WHEN SEPARATING TFC UNDER THEIR CTL. THE OTHER ACFT SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED APCH CTL SOONER BEFORE ENTERING CTLED AIRSPACE.