Comments on: Who are you trying to impress? http://www.simpleandloveable.com/who-are-you-trying-to-impress How to make Simple and Loveable businesses Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:07:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: olivier blanchard http://www.simpleandloveable.com/who-are-you-trying-to-impress/comment-page-#comment-2513 olivier blanchard Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://simpleandloveable.com/who-are-you-trying-to-impress#comment-2513 Cool post. F360 photo+design (my latest baby) started out as a photography "non-studio," kind of in response to the industry norm you mentioned. We wanted to do two things: The first was to shoot the kind of photography that would excite us (and hopefully our clients and fans). The second was to rewrite the rules of the game, at least for this market. The other "photographers" in our area don't like us... And we know they think of us as a bit of a joke since we don't have a fancy studio and a posh gallery, and don't do family portraits and whatnot... But we're shooting for national magazines and global brands - and they're not. Boo-yah. We shoot people too, but only when the project interests us - which means that we sometimes take on portrait shoots for free. We tend to attract people who want the kinds of photographs that will visually define a period in their lives rather than be just a pretty picture for their mantle. We don't do "pretty." We capture the essence of a moment or a soul or a feeling, and more often than not, asking someone to pay us for the privilege just doesn't fly with why we shoot to begin with. While the other local photographers (the "real" ones) are spending $65 to sell each $75 print by trying to impress and outdo the other studios, we're doing real work. Without advertising. Without an agent. Without fancy digs. Without the need for our "peers'" acceptance. And we don't sell prints. We're photographers, not retailers. ;) Cool post. F360 photo+design (my latest baby) started out as a photography “non-studio,” kind of in response to the industry norm you mentioned. We wanted to do two things: The first was to shoot the kind of photography that would excite us (and hopefully our clients and fans). The second was to rewrite the rules of the game, at least for this market.

The other “photographers” in our area don’t like us… And we know they think of us as a bit of a joke since we don’t have a fancy studio and a posh gallery, and don’t do family portraits and whatnot… But we’re shooting for national magazines and global brands – and they’re not. Boo-yah.

We shoot people too, but only when the project interests us – which means that we sometimes take on portrait shoots for free. We tend to attract people who want the kinds of photographs that will visually define a period in their lives rather than be just a pretty picture for their mantle. We don’t do “pretty.” We capture the essence of a moment or a soul or a feeling, and more often than not, asking someone to pay us for the privilege just doesn’t fly with why we shoot to begin with.

While the other local photographers (the “real” ones) are spending $65 to sell each $75 print by trying to impress and outdo the other studios, we’re doing real work. Without advertising. Without an agent. Without fancy digs. Without the need for our “peers’” acceptance.

And we don’t sell prints.

We’re photographers, not retailers. ;)

]]> By: Curtis Routh http://www.simpleandloveable.com/who-are-you-trying-to-impress/comment-page-#comment-2541 Curtis Routh Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://simpleandloveable.com/who-are-you-trying-to-impress#comment-2541 We too, own a photography business without the pomp and circumstance of retail storefront or a big dollar studio. I work the business from my home and have enjoyed great success in a short period of time being photojournalists, rather than perfect light "picture snappers". We shoot very large events with thousands of people and sell our photo merchandise on-line. Our web site is "Quality Job 1" and we get many positive comments on the simple lay out, the ease of finding their photo(s), and making their secure on-line purchase. We shoot the people, hand out thousands of simple business cards and brochures, then sit back and watch the hits and sales. Through some extra involvement in amateur web sites, we are now getting hits from all over the world! In the first 18 months we have shot almost every "Big" event in the region. We have been in 2 national magazines with a third on the way. A friend of mine told me our product was unique because we offer "one of a kind" photos capturing a moment that would otherwise be forgotten or talked about with no visual record. We have images in homes all over the US, our competitors don't like us either, and we love it. We are doing something that has been attempted a few times in this area, but never materialized. We are fast becoming the photo group to have at any event... fairs, concerts, weddings, quincineras, baby showers, even rodeos. We just finished a 9-day event with 60,000+ people. 2 weeks prior to that we shot a 6-day national golf championship. All it takes is the eye for photography, the love of the chase, and enough guts to not listen to those who think we are crazy. We use less than pro series cameras, but shoot the lights out with what we have. We are now actively pursuing a franchise offering because so many people are amazed at the efficiency and quality of our work and customer service and want to do the same in their area. We don't sell prints either, we sell memories. One of a kind memories and it is working! We too, own a photography business without the pomp and circumstance of retail storefront or a big dollar studio. I work the business from my home and have enjoyed great success in a short period of time being photojournalists, rather than perfect light “picture snappers”. We shoot very large events with thousands of people and sell our photo merchandise on-line. Our web site is “Quality Job 1″ and we get many positive comments on the simple lay out, the ease of finding their photo(s), and making their secure on-line purchase. We shoot the people, hand out thousands of simple business cards and brochures, then sit back and watch the hits and sales. Through some extra involvement in amateur web sites, we are now getting hits from all over the world! In the first 18 months we have shot almost every “Big” event in the region. We have been in 2 national magazines with a third on the way. A friend of mine told me our product was unique because we offer “one of a kind” photos capturing a moment that would otherwise be forgotten or talked about with no visual record. We have images in homes all over the US, our competitors don’t like us either, and we love it. We are doing something that has been attempted a few times in this area, but never materialized. We are fast becoming the photo group to have at any event… fairs, concerts, weddings, quincineras, baby showers, even rodeos. We just finished a 9-day event with 60,000+ people. 2 weeks prior to that we shot a 6-day national golf championship. All it takes is the eye for photography, the love of the chase, and enough guts to not listen to those who think we are crazy. We use less than pro series cameras, but shoot the lights out with what we have. We are now actively pursuing a franchise offering because so many people are amazed at the efficiency and quality of our work and customer service and want to do the same in their area. We don’t sell prints either, we sell memories. One of a kind memories and it is working!

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