ade and gina | pennsylvania wedding photographer | pennsylvania bridalmakeup artist | small business saturday

hey all,

i have teamed up with my life partner gina to provide photography and makeup for lovers. 

[edit] have you seen our new website?

  www.adeandgina.com

she  is a physician as well as a bridal makeup artist. we have formed a family oriented company aimed at creating lasting memories for brides and grooms of which our personal values and by extension our company values are based in the concepts of love, style, fun, and healthy relationships.

bridal makeup artist

her name is gina charles and you can see her work at www.makeupbydrg.com
gina specializes in bridal and beauty makeup. as well as mentioned earlier, she is also a family medicine physician with a concentration in women's health. gina also treats skin, specifically acne and hyper pigmentation. over the years she has fused together both of her passions; i.e. treating patients as well as doing their make up: which is all part of her campaign to make women feel as good as they look.

small business saturday 

we have worked together on a number of weddings, creative projects, portrait sessions, birthday parties etc... take a look of some of the work we have produced over the years.

ade and gina | pennsylvania wedding photographer | pennsylvania bridal makeup artist | small business saturday

the crutch of social marketing

this week we have a guest blogger, Andy MacPherson who is one half of Macpherson Family Photography. Andy and his wife Connie are wedding photographers who hail from new jersey.  Andy has an interesting take on why it is necessary to get out from behind the computer and socialize in regards to marketing.

Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared. - Sparky Anderson

The main thing I wanted to talk about is marketing a new business and a few interesting things I have found. I have a rather “new” photography business because I recently moved my business from Florida to New Jersey, which created a whole new set of challenges. This meant, I had to find creative ways to get my name out to my new community. I’m a little bit of an introvert, I’d rather stay at home and hang out by myself than go out and with a group of people. I’m much more comfortable sitting home drinking a craft beer and playing video games, or surfing the web: this is a very common trap for anyone who is trying to grow their business. Like most creative people we tend to be introverted which does not translate well into expanding into larger markets. Being introverted does not have to be a business killer, if you know how to embrace it and use it to your advantage.  Therefore, I always keep in mind: “Take responsibility for yourself.., because no one's going to take responsibility for you.” -Tyra Banks

I originally thought I could just grow my business and get new clients by using social media, my blog, my website, and anything else I can find online. As photographers we should be using all these outlets to promote our business but we should not use it as our only form of marketing. Business is about people and by only using the internet we are limiting our reach.

Subsequently, business is about the owner solving problems for clients, and getting a financial return for their efforts. If people trust a business person they will gladly compensate you for your product. As a photographer my product is my photography and what I can create for the client. Photographs are  my product, and most importantly it is a part of me, it is my creation. People are hiring me  for what I can do; they are hiring me because they like and trust me. Think about it, if you lined up 100 photographs of different weddings from 100 different photographers and the photographers weren't allowed to be in the room with the display. Then, ask a bride to pick a wedding photographer based solely on the photographs in front of her, what would her main objection be?  I can guarantee you it would be “well I would really want to talk to the photographer and meet them before I decide”.  So I have to remind myself to get out of my comfort zone and get out of my house and do some real marketing. Because it as William James, the father of modern psychology said, and I paraphrase: one has to run far enough on their first wind to find out if they have a second wind.”

 So as I close, I want to challenge you to get out there, start meeting people, vendors, and potential clients alike, then find out their needs and help them. Some concrete ways of doing so is to be a part of fundraisers and community events.  One of our family clients recently had their little girl diagnosed with leukemia. We did a fundraiser for her and people loved it, which helped raised money for her treatment. So get off the computer and get out there and meet people.  Find people on social media and meet up with them, find groups online you can get involved with then go in person and make connections. Find creative ways to let people know what you do.

‘The more you do something the easier it gets: “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves. -Thomas Edison

fear based marketing

 fear is a powerful emotion and motivator to buy.

my financial consultant, suggested to me sometime ago that "in america, only purchase a new car if you are a millionaire...get as much out of your current car as possible."  i may have taken his advice a bit too far but in the process of becoming even more financially responsible, i literally and figuratively watch every dollar i spend.

my current german model make car has continued to serve me well and has taken me as far as ohio, new york, marylannd, virginia, connecticut, new jersey and back to shoot portraits. at 145000 + miles it is strong and continues to run.   

so recently, i went to get an oil change at a monro service center  in my city and the attendant was telling me that i needed new front brake pads and rear tires for my vehicle.

now instead of simply telling me, he took out a brochure with pictures of brake pads and tires on them.  along the bottom a scales measuring the thickness of break break pads and tire threading in inches. most importantly, the scale is composed of 3 main colors: red, yellow, and green similar to a traffic light.

moreover, around the world, red is associated with danger and yellow associated with caution and green means its ok.  note well, two of 2/3 main parts of the scale is is based on caution: red and yellow.

the attendant then proceeded to check off that my brake pads were in the red zone and rear tires were in the cautionary yellow zone. now, more than likely anyone ending up in the 2/3 cautionary zones what do you think they would more than likely do? that's right, feel fear and buy, buy, buy.

how can you use some of these marketing concepts in your photography business? 

keep kewl!

marketing via instagram

my instagram: www.instagram.com/shodiphoto

instagram is owned by facebook, as a result both platforms are interlinked with each other. one can post from instagram directly to facebook, tumblr, and four square with one click. facebook is one of the better social marketing tools for entrepreneurs and instagram is also rising in popularity. it makes much sense to have both.

some basics of instagram

 the platform can be used from your computer, iphone, or android. 

designing your instagram; follow the same rules as designing for other social networking sites. you want to focus primarily on your business; however you also want to demonstrate a bit about your personality. the reason for this is that people get bored with you shoving business in their face all the time. your clients and potential clients want to know a bit about your personality.  

 tools to manage instagram (all free)

there are multiple tools for managing instagram, some are used to see who follow and unfollow you and so forth. i don't concern myself with that because it is is a waste of time for the most part, and has little to do with bringing in revenue. i have a business to run and time is precious. though the more people are aware of your brand the more likely you are to be successful. you will have to figure out the balance for yourself.

i do however use instasize, since instagram offers a 640x640 pixel window. instasize re-sizes your images to fit the window. also picstich which makes 2 or more pics into a collage.

hashtags: allow you to reach a wider audience, so i strongly suggest using them. the key is to increase brand awareness. if you are a wedding photographer who posted a bridal pic one of your hashtags that can be used is #bride among many others.  a potential bride who searches clicks on #bride hashtag will be able to find you.

video: as of wed august  7th, 2013 instagram is now allowing you to upload pre-recorded videos. which means you can showcase your business with show reels.  the specifics for the video is that has to be no more than 15 secs long and 640x640 pixels.  

here is an example of a video i showcased on instagram for of some personal work  which also markets my business 
http://instagram.com/p/dITGnVs5Zk/

keep kewl!


harrisburg, pa wedding photographer

last lap lime and value.

lime verb \li-ime\
transitive verb
1: to hang out and chill with friends
etymology: of caribbean origin

recently Dr. G makeup artist and i shodiphoto hosted a lime for our past clients and friends. we went to a union hall for a bit of bocci, beers and socializing.

for my non west indian friends, a lime is defined as a hangout for friends and depending on the region it can be a bit more complex. it was a lime with a bit of twist, pun intended of course.  the twist was that we did it without "west indian music" (reggae and soca.) and food. instead we had beers and attempted to play bocci  and offered lollipops... we had a great time.

never miss an opportunity to advertise or market.

no matter how skilled you are at your craft or good of a product you offer, your business will drowned without solid marketing and advertising. does macdonalds still need to advertise and market? they are global already, so why advertise? a few months ago i was driving down interstate 81 and i kid you not i believe i saw a macdonalds billboard at every mile. market and advertise!

value

always remember people like value. if your friends or past clients are coming out to hang with you. ask yourself what is the value in them being there? different people attend social gatherings because they find different forms of value. those values may range from something as simple as socializing, having a good time, friendship, food and drinks, potential business or potential romantic relationships... but if people see no value in attending most people won't waste their time.

this is the same for service or products you offer. ask yourself, what value am i offering to clients?  value is subjective in regards to products, time, and perception.  high end business spend a ton of marketing dollars in creating a perceived value for their products. there are many reasons as to why consumers view a product as having value. here are only two of those many reasons 1) part of it is based on how well the service or product is presented.

a few years ago i was in paris and at the louis vuitton store they serve drinks (champagne, orange juice, water) while customers shop.  2) the amenities that surround that product also gives the product perceived value.

keep kewl!

six steps to creating a unique client experience

"people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - mya angelou

your unique client experience should be geared towards making clients feel positive emotions.

i once shot a wedding at the watermill and one of the honored guest who was already married was assisting the bride, i lightly teased about the size of her wedding ring. and for the rest of the wedding i referred to her "the lady with the big ring" she enjoyed it, the bride enjoyed it and to this day she is known to me as such.

when the bride contacted me a few months after, she mentioned "the lady with the big ring" enjoyed herself and the photos." as well as she [the bride] enjoyed herself by extension of my interaction with the honored guest.


6 steps 


1. website: the experience begins with your website. before clients  meet you, they should be visually stimulated by your work. as well as your website should be easy to navigate and give an introduction to your personal and/or business identity.

2. before the consultation meeting: respond promptly to emails and calls. thank them for contacting you and make a connection via telephone or email if possible as well as establish a bit about your personal identity.

3. consultation meeting:                                                                                   
a) dress for the occasion:  this could mean many things.  i wear a pair of shoes, jeans, a blazer, and button down shirt. i smell great, my nails and hair are properly groomed.

b) engage all the clients' senses: the meeting place should smell good. therefore i recommend any of the following as a background accented scents: candles, scented oils,  incense, food, brewed drinks, fresh flowers (smell). hug, shake hands,  if possible go through a mini posing session and this point you can show them how to pose by holding hands, hips, shoulders (touch).  offer a tasty beverage (taste.) have a beautiful ambiance, lighting, and great prints, albums etc (sight and touch.)

c) credibility: speak to clients as friends, truthfully, joke lightly and laugh. most importantly listen to their needs and expectations. set client's expectations and connect with them.

4. after booking/ after consultation meeting: send a thank you email or if booked send a custom gift, which they aren't expecting and a thank you card, business cards, custom folder, containing other custom items: contracts, promo cards etc.

5. wedding day/engagement session: be early, light complements for the bride, groom, guest and wedding party. engage briefly in conversation. attend to their needs and make their family and friends comfortable. you want to be viewed and treated as a guest at the weeding and not a vendor. 

6. post wedding: send a custom thank you card or another thank you gift. deliver their images, albums and other products before the allotted time based on the client expectations set in the beginning. 

one of the main keys to your unique client experience is to under promise, and over deliver in a way that's unique to your business and by extension your personality; do not promise or deliver like another business, find your own niche that works for you. 

take a look at this video from ninja new york restaurant and get an understanding of a great client experience, then google and read the reviews on yelp.

keep kewl!

seeing with my heart

as i grow as an artist; i begin to see more with my heart.

when i was a boy, no older than ten years old, i kept a sketch pad.  i would place one of its pages over an image and use carbon paper to trace the outlines of animals, then color the image that i replicated with colored pencils.

one day i decided to do something different, i tried to draw freehand, the three little pigs it was... needless to say, when i finished coloring them, my pigs were brown, the legs were disproportionate, they wore hats unlike the original. but most importantly they were my pigs: different than the original. from that day on, i never traced again.

in my wedding photography, i have started to look more for moments between client and photographer as opposed the old photographic model i operated on i.e. of maximizing the number of photographs between lens and client. this new model has begun to make a profound positive difference in my relationship with clients and development as an artist. i connect more with clients and my eyes, lens, and heart find and see more moments.

in regards to images, my heart envisions lots of images that look and feel vintage. so how do i as an artist balance my nostalgia for things vintage: jazz, old photographs, vintage fashion, black and white images, deep textures etc... with modern wedding photography? i don't trace, i create little pigs that are my own; i see with my heart.

note: see with your heart as well as find balance between you and your client's needs, yet you must come to the point of deciding "this is how i shoot, this is my style," and hold steadfast to that notion. it sounds a bit counter intuitive but its not. and stay away from trends. "two roads diverge in a yellow wood" you can't travel both if you want to have a legacy.

keep kewl!