Commercial, Corporate & Event Photography

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Corporate photography (executive headshots, public relations, and annual reports) and event photography (conventions, special occassions). I periodically shoot portraits as well, as I have been training portrait and event photographers since 2004.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Look at the experience - the number of clients, the size and type of clients, and the quality of work. Are they making a full-time living delivering work on deadlines and in difficult situations? Are they organized and can they communicate a clear plan to you? Are they getting good clean images at the shoot? If work needs to be delivered on a deadline, time may not allow for someone to "fix it in Photoshop."

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. There are two facets to photography - technical skill and artistic style. Most photographers have either one or the other. There are also two facets to a photography business - photography skills and business acumen. Most photographers do not have the business experience to survive. Photographers must work *with* their clients to create win-win opportunities.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Knowing all the details and requirements up front allows me to properly prepare a plan and a quote for you. Not having a budget can cost you valuable time generating unrealistic proposals and revised proposals. Let us know exactly what you need (deliverables and types of imagery) and when you need it, as well as any restrictions or special considerations such as access, time constraints, space limitations, etc.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We create outstanding images that our clients remember. We frequently hear clients remarking that they remember that shot, and they knew at the time that it was going to be a good one. We encourage people to have fun, and let them see that they look great the way we capture them. That builds their confidence and trust. And then we deliver polished work, promptly!

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love meeting all the different types of people that we encounter at various shoots. We pride ourselves on being able to fit in with any type of crowd - from executives to blue collar workers. I enjoy getting to know people I wouldn't otherwise meet and getting to know more about who they are and what they do.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. "How did I look in that one?" And when I show them, they are excited - and much more relaxed and enthusiastic from that point on. They know that I'm working hard to make them look good, while staying out of the way and not distracting anyone.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. The photography business is changing quickly and drastically. A professional understands this, and works hard to stay on the cutting edge and deliver more than is required. For each and every hour a photographer is on-site with a client, there are several hours working behind the scenes either in prep or post-production. The "hourly rate" is quite misleading.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I started with my junior high school yearbook, and a passion grew from there. In high school I managed a retail camera department, but didn't pursue an actual photography studio business until 1991.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I earned my MBA in 2007, so I have a strong grasp of the business needs of my studio. I continually attend photographic workshops and seminars, even on subjects I know and those I teach. I can always learn from others, and benefit from another perspective. Staying open to new trends and techniques helps keep me from staying stuck in the same old routine.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. More immediate gratification is the rule of the day. I photograph and print on-site at some events, allowing customers to take their images home with them (with the sponsor's logo or event title printed on them, for continuing advertisement). The trend is definitely towards video though. I currently offer animated video slideshows of events, ready to post online.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I photographed a national convention for a nutritional company this summer, providing 67 hours of photographic coverage over 3½ days. Approximately 5000 images were delivered on schedule 1 week after the culmination of the event.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. All of my pricing is based on a combination of Photography Fees (the time involved and the difficulty of the work) and the deliverables needed (prints, digital images, licensing, time frame).

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Study photography - really study it and learn it. Then study business, and learn what it takes to build and grow a business. Then assist an experienced shooter (even as an intern) so that you learn what else is involved other than pushing the shutter button.