Shooting weddings is a calling. It isn’t easy. You deal with hopes, dreams and raw emotions. Everyone has expectations. Not only does the passion and love have to be captured, so does the energy and spirit of each couple. Portland photographer Eric Holland and his team at Holland Studios have figured out how to capture it all and they do it exceptionally well.

POUNDS: What inspired Eric to become a wedding photographer?
HOLLAND STUDIOS: Eric loves to talk! He really gets to know people and what makes them tick. He has a unique ability to translate that into images that capture each couple and tell their story. In fact that is what we love the most about wedding photography. We’re storytellers.

POUNDS: There is a terrific energy to your images. You seem to be able to bridge the gap of what is “expected” by the parents and what is” desired” by the bride and groom.
HOLLAND STUDIOS: We encourage our clients to allow us to shoot their engagement session.  This allows us to build a relationship with them right from the beginning.  We shoot what we see but we also shoot what we feel. Of course we make sure to get the “expected” shots of faces and smiles and that builds trust for the parents.  Once a couple sees their engagement session photos, they fall in love with the images. That’s when they begin to trust us to capture their wedding day, their love story.

POUNDS: Tell us a little bit about your process.
HOLLAND STUDIOS: We schedule a details meeting with our clients before each wedding. We use two photographers for most of our weddings so we can cover every angle of the whole look and feel of the wedding. Holland Studios has four photographers and each has a second shooter they like to work with. Listening is vital. We go over the flow of the day and really listen. Then we’re able to hear what is most important and make that the focus of our job.  We understand our clients before the wedding so we exceed their expectations.

We’re able to combine our dream and style with their needs, make it work together and create a perfect, complete story.

POUNDS: How much does the location dictate your shots?
HOLLAND STUDIOS: Looking for light and angles drives us more than the location.  You can always find the “right” spot, even if the venue is not what you would think. We work at so many venues that we can switch from urban architecture to a vineyard in a day.

POUNDS: What is the best advice you can give a bride and groom
about being photographed?
HOLLAND STUDIOS: Choose a photographer whose work you love and that you’re comfortable with. If you are not comfortable and you don’t communicate with your photographer, it will show in the images.

POUNDS: Do you have a favorite wedding memory that stands out in your mind?
HOLLAND: Yes, an amazing story. This particular groom and bride were each recovering from marriages that did not last.  They hadn’t met one another yet. Both were in their homes on the same Sunday morning, watching the same program on television.  It was a wedding show that featured Eric as a vendor. They both decided if they were ever to marry again, they would hire Eric.  Well, of course they met, and fell in love. When they began talking about wedding plans they each had a “must have” photographer in mind and that was Eric!

POUNDS: What advice would you give a new wedding photographer, just beginning their career?
HOLLAND: Master your skills. Go to conventions and seminars. Join associations. Walk away from each event with a new idea that you can use to better yourself and your business. Once you’re established, give back to your profession.

Most of all do what you love and love what you do.

POUNDS: What inspires you?
HOLLAND STUDIOS: Our clients, new products, new camera gear, and the spirit of competition! Every day is a new day. Every new day brings the opportunity to see and create.

What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Not when the Pounds team hits town. Our Marketing and Sales Manager Raquel Bowles tells all!

POUNDS: How many years has the Pounds team been attending WPPI?
RAQUEL: This is Pounds’ fifth year attending WPPI.

POUNDS: What made this year great?
RAQUEL: This year was great because we had the chance to spend time with existing customers but to also meet some new,exciting and interesting photographers.

POUNDS: What were the highlights?
RAQUEL: Watching photographers learn from our speakers. We want to educate photographers to grow their businesses so we pick speakers who can do that.  We actually had photographers that were working in other labs’ booths come over to learn from us!  Everyone loved wavy metal. We had so many photographers talking about it.

POUNDS: When you go to trade shows like this what do you learn that helps you do a better job for your clients?
RAQUEL: The feedback is phenomenal.  It is our chance to spend time with existing customers to learn what they like or don’t like.  We also get the opportunity to learn from new photographers what products they are looking for.

POUNDS: What sort of customer input and response did you get?
RAQUEL: The speakers were a big hit. We also found that our customers are very excited about how the lab is growing. Our existing clients are happy because, as we grow, we are able to offer more products. New clients are not only excited about our products, but our ability to streamline their work flow and present marketing solutions to build their business. We always hear about our great customer service and that is extremely gratifying because customer service—giving our clients more––is the heart of what we do.

See pictures on our Facebook page.

Photography has always embraced women and women have always embraced photography. The first professional woman photographer, Antoinette de Correvont, took aim in 1843. Although photography has always been an equal opportunity field, women seem to have made a distinct mark on the industry. Margaret Bourke-White was the first Western photographer allowed into the Soviet Union back in 1930. Diane Arbus rocked the world with her stark, truthful portraits in the ’60’s. The last twenty years have seen portraiture taken to an entirely new level by Annie Leibovitz.

Today, more than ever, professional photography is filled with remarkable women making remarkable images. Kelly Moore Clark is one of those women. From the opening image on her website it’s apparent this is not your average gal. Think Patti Smith with a camera. Her work is beautiful, edgy, artistic, innovative and a little quirky, just like Kelly.

We nabbed Kelly for a little Q&A recently.

POUNDS: What do you think female photographers bring to the photographic party that may be different from male      shooters?

KELLY: I think women have the ability to relate to their subjects, especially their brides. Personally I know how I want to be photographed, so I am constantly mindful of my client’s best angles and all the small details. Everyone has a best side and I feel like I take the time to find it.

POUNDS: What inspired you to become a photographer?

KELLY: I actually didn’t mean to become a photographer, It just happened.  I had a boyfriend that photographed for our college yearbook and I thought, “Hey, I could do that!‚Äù Keep in mind I‚Äôd never  even owned a point and shoot. I talked the yearbook into hiring me. I bought a Rebel (the film kind) took a class that summer on darkroom photography, the rest is history!

POUNDS: Has becoming a mother changed the way you see things through the lens?

KELLY: I think it’s made me more confident in my decision to not photograph children. Give me a bride or a model any day! I want someone who I can control, and kids are tough! I respect child photographers more than ever!!

POUNDS: How do you keep your photographic edge?

KELLY: Keeping balance in my life, and not working too much keeps me excited about when I do photograph. I think the number one reason a person can be uninspired is from being burned out. Also, constantly trying new techniques keeps me excited about what I do.

POUNDS: What do you think attracts women to photography?

KELLY: I think there are many reasons women are getting into photography.  With the digital age, it’s easily    accessible.  Many women are staying home with their children, so photography is something they can do to earn a living.  I also think both women and men in general think that photography is the “cure for the common cubicle”.  It’s has the appearance of being the dream job. Many people are sorely disappointed to realize that running a photography business takes up more time than their old full time job!

POUNDS: Tell us about the Kelly-Moore bag. What was the Inspiration?

KELLLY: I began sketching and dreaming about coming out with a bag of my own 3-4 years ago.  When I got pregnant with my daughter, Posey, it was put on hold for a while.  About a year ago, it resurfaced, and I began pursuing it pretty passionately. My inspiration was the fact that I couldn’t find a bag to wear while shooting that was both fashionable and functional. I‚Äôm so excited about the future of this brand! I’m hoping to come out with many more styles and colors in the next year.

Be sure to check out Pounds on Facebook or Twitter to find out about our special give-away from Kelly at WPPI!

For more on Kelly: http://www.kellymoorephotography.com/

Imaging USA is one of the largest trade shows in America. Estimates on attendance this year in Nashville are hovering around 12 thousand. Numbers like these indicate that photographers are doing what they usually do, being proactive. In order to create new business you have to get out there and see what’s new. There’s no better place than ImagingUSA to keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening in photography.

Our sales executive, Sean Roach, who joined us nine months ago, was a newbie at Imaging this year.  “It was huge and it was great,” he said. “Photographers were looking for something new and we had a great response to our Chromalux and metal products.”

“The highlight of this years show were the three great speakers in our booth giving great information to others,” Roach said. Pounds hosted Eric Anundi, past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon, Lewis Kencheloe, President of the Professional Photographers of Texas and Carrell Grigsby, PPA Photographer of the year in 2008.

“Tradeshows are a terrific opportunity to hear great ideas from our customers and get perspective about products that will help them. Building personal relationships is what it is about!”

Roach learned something else at Imaging USA. Look at the map.
“It took me about 20 minutes to walk to the tradeshow from my room. On checkout day I found a short cut that could have had me there in under 10 minutes.”  Newbies!

Photographers are creative beings. They turn the ordinary into the extraordinary with just the right light, just the right angle and of course just the right talent. The problem is photographers have to market themselves and often that visual “right” brain just freezes at the thought of creating and implementing a studio-marketing plan.

Marketing has taken on a new life with the advent of websites, social networks, blogs and the ability to post video. It’s become more creative, so it’s actually easier than ever for you right brainers!

“Our website is our  #1 marketing tool,” Michelle Stevens said. Stevens and her husband Justin own Artistique Photographie based in Tualatin, just outside Portland, Oregon.  Stevens was named Wedding Photographer of the Year in 2009.

Their website layout is elegant, yet warm and inviting. The home page is divided into three sections; Weddings, Blog and Portraits. The blog is front and center.

“We’ve been blogging for about three years,” Stevens said. “The greatest thing about blogging is how searchable the content is.” The studio has booked weddings simply by adding the name of a venue into the title of their blog. “The important thing is to put both the ceremony and reception venue, as well as the city and state in your blog title,” she said.

Social networking has been an instrumental part of Artistique Photographie’s marketing plan. “Facebook is a huge part of our marketing strategy,” Stevens said. “ I don’t think there’s any studio that should not be using Facebook as a part of the way they reach clients.”

Stevens always pulls one or two photos from a session and posts them to a client’s Facebook page. This creates “teaser” photos on their wall and of course those photos are posted wearing the studio logo. This creates a buzz, getting the client, their family and friends excited about seeing the rest of the photos.

“Last week I received an email inquiry from a bride who saw our images on her friend’s Facebook page,“ Stevens said.

That is the entire point of social networking. Your work speaks for itself and the social networking machine is doing all the heavy lifting. You have no direct mail printing costs, no postage, and no expensive print media advertising.

Stevens’ primary focus when marketing her studio comes down to four avenues: the website, the blog, a Facebook presence and online bridal sites.

The studio has a few more marketing strategies that work exceptionally well to demonstrate their talents. They’ve created a gallery that showcases wedding details, something that is often overlooked. Most photographers show details but few make it a point to bring attention to the fact.

“Brides spend a ton of time on the details and they want them captured,” Stevens said. “One big thing about marketing is that even though you know that you do something and think it’s a given, it isn’t necessarily so. You really need to show all the aspects of how you capture a wedding to make sure you’re covering what is important to each bride.”

The last important piece of Artistique Photographie’s marketing plan is one that engages the viewer and allows them a peek behind the scenes. Stevens had Ambient Sky Studios shoot a video about the photo shoot experience. “People buy experience as much as they buy physical products,“ she said. “We wanted to show what a shoot with us is like. We are very lucky to know some amazing videographers who create cinematic wedding movies so the quality of the video is great.  Networking with professionals in other fields like this is critical to being able to come up with different ways of marketing.” Stevens had a huge response from the video and reposts it periodically to keep it close to the top of their blog.

Heading into the New Year, it’s impossible for a studio, serious about marketing, to discount the value of a website and blog. The cost of creating and maintaining a website is negligible and blogs are free. Social networking is simply a form of communication

Whatever you do, start with a website first. It’s the most important piece of any marketing plan. Stevens has plans to rework their website for even greater search engine optimization. “ If you come up on the top of a Google search and you have an amazing website, you really shouldn’t have to do any more marketing!”

Eric John Photography specializes in fine portraiture and wedding photography. Eric John Anundi. and wife Shawna established their business in 1993 and have become one of the premier studios in Oregon. Eric has been the recipient of a Fujicolor Masterpiece Award and four Kodak Gallery Awards. He is a past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon and has served on the board of directors of PPO for five years. The Anundis realize the importance of staying on trend both in their creative endeavors and in their approach to marketing. In January of 2009 Shawna began blogging as a key ingredient of their marketing strategy.

“I had heard over and over how important blogging was,” Shawna said. “I watched webinars through PPA and Marathon Press that talked about how to blog, what to blog and how to stay in constant contact with your customers.”  Shawna thinks it’s vital to stay in touch with existing customers, show potential clients their work and most of all to give visitors to their blog a feeling of knowing more about the Eric John family. “ So many of our customers have become our friends as well and we love to stay in contact with them.”

The Anundis had their web designer create the blog to match their website. “Consistency is key and you want everything to look the same so people recognize the “ericjohn” look,” she said. The couple use Blogspot. “It’s free and very simple to use, something you can do at home and your customers will love it.”

Shawna tries to post daily but when there’s a time crunch she has a great tip. “Do your blogging in on or two days for a long period of time and set the blog to post on different days”. The Anundis use the site to showcase their work. Although Shawna does write about specials and events they have going on they realize most people want to look at the photos.

It can be hard to measure the return on a blog but the Anundis have a counter to keep track of visitors and know that their blog gets a lot of traffic. “We also know our customers are always asking our employees when their son or daughter will be on the blog and how excited they are. It’s a great way for them to share these images with other
people and feel famous for a day!”

Blogging is an essential tool for photographers today. Staying in touch, by giving clients a sense of constant contact makes them feel special and involved.

“I don’t think you can afford to not blog or use Facebook,” Shawna said. “It’s what this generation is all about. Don’t be left behind!“

http://ericjohnphotography.blogspot.com/

SEO = Search Engine Optimization. Why on earth do you need to know about this as a photographer? Well you have a website. That is your calling card. Websites are where people go to make sure that you are “real” that you are the professional they need. In order to find your website, you need good SEO.

According to Wikipedia “search engine optimization is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a web site from search engines” like Google or Yahoo. Good SEO means people find your website on the first page of Google, Yahoo or Bing and hopefully within the top three non paid listings on that page. Remember those first few listings on search engines are not free. People pay big money for that placement.

There are services specializing in SEO and they are available for a monthly fee. They will analyze your site and have engineers work on properly coding the right words that will be picked up and move your site up the “ladders” or lists that appear when you search for a company. These fees are often out of budget for photographers. In fact, they are often out of budget for most professionals!

Don’t panic. There are many ways to get good SEO.

Put your keywords to work. Keywords are words and phrases that are essentially short cuts to information a consumer needs.  Some of the keywords for the photography industry would be simply  “photography”, or your particular specialty, for example; “wedding photography”, “senior portraits” or “sports photography”. Make sure you use these phrases in your site, but don’t overuse them. Overuse has a name now, “keyword stuffing”. The search engines are on to this and it can end up harming your site. Balance is everything.

Hyperlinks are another good way to make sure you get good SEO. Hyperlinks are those words and phrases that you see within the text of the copy on your website or your emailed promotion pieces, highlighted in blue. They link to an external page or website.

Cross-linking to a site with good SEO will increase yours. For instance, your photography company is a resource service for a well-known event planning company. Potential clients like to see sources on the event planner’s sites. If you work consistently with an event planner, the beauty of hyper linking phrases and cross linking sites is mutually beneficial. It’s millennium marketing!

Photography is a highly competitive industry. Marketing has changed drastically over the past few years. We’ve shifted from the traditional marketing model of sending out printed promotional pieces, buying ads in magazines and advertising on radio or television. The old promotional avenues are cost prohibitive and really no one is paying attention to them anymore.

Think about it. Today everyone has DVR, so they don’t have to view commercials. The advent of iPods has turned people away from the radio. No one has time to read the newspaper anymore so ads there are not going to bring you customers.  Traditional avenues of reaching potential clients have dried up.

What has replaced those avenues is a whole new series of marketing channels.

Every professional now has a website. That is your calling card; the place people turn to make sure you are legitimate. A website is the most vital piece of your marketing puzzle.  What else do you need?

BLOG IT
Create a blog. A blog is essentially your voice. You can educate your clients, post new photos and include links to great information. More importantly, a blog creates an instant feeling of friendship. It draws people to you and your business. Creating content for your blog is another way to be found on the web. People will pass your posts on to their friends creating a deeper and wider visibility for your company. A recent webinar on HubSpot, a web based company specializing in inbound marketing software, revealed that companies who blog have 55% more visitors to their websites. You don’t have to post every day. Post once a week, even once a month, but develop that presence. Have a look at WordPress or Blogspot and get started!

FACEBOOK IT
Facebook is a phenomenon. Never before has anything captured such universal, global attention. If you don’t have an account, get one. It’s important and it’s easy. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/2u5yd6 for the complete lowdown.

TWITTER IT
Social media is the new buzz term. It includes Facebook, Linked In, and a host of other outlets. One of the most influential of these is Twitter. Think about Twitter as the Readers Digest version of Facebook, without the quizzes! Short, sweet and to the point. Type in the keywords for your industry. Look at “wedding photographers in Dallas” (or your particular area) or “sports photographers in Houston”. If you are not showing up on the first page, then you need to Twitter! There is already a conversation about your industry going on. Join that conversation.

LINK IT IN!
Linked In is probably the most seriously regarded of the social media. This is definitely a business resource. There are 48 million users. Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on Linked In. You can find and be introduced to the professionals you need to work with to accomplish your goals. It’s a terrific avenue to drive business back to your website. Take a look at this link, which includes a step-by-step video: http://learn.linkedin.com/what-is-linkedin/

Don’t let any of these new tools overwhelm you. The best news is that they are free. Decide how much time you can devote to social network marketing each week. It shouldn’t take up more than 10% of your time. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and get started!

Meet Kelly Moore Clark.  Kelly is one of the featured photographers in our “Signature Portrait” series.  She stepped in front of the camera to have a portrait made in a location and style that she uses for her customers.  The Community team combined the image with a short profile and her comments on why she is a Pounds customer.  She also gave us a Behind the Scenes account of what happened during the shoot.  We’d like to thank Kelly for participating in this project.  And now, we are pleased to present this unique portrayal of Pounds Community member, Kelly Moore Clark:

See Kelly’s Profile

Who was your Signature portrait taken by?
Brandi Howard.  She’s my best friend and my assistant.

How did you decide on that location?
It’s my back yard

What is distinctive about your style of photography, and what makes this your Signature Portrait?
I would say my “signature style” is daring, fearless, edgy and fun.  I like the fun colors in this photo.  We found the chair at a junk sale.  Purple is my signature color, so we couldn’t pass it up!

Did anything funny or interesting happen during this shoot?
My shoes were covered in red mud!

How did you feel in front of the camera, and did you learn anything that will help you when you are photographing other people?
I’m usually pretty confidant in front of the camera, but I still have the nerves that everyone gets.  My goal is to photograph every one of my clients the way that I like to be photographed.  I work really hard to find people’s best angles, and make them look as great as they do in real life (and sometimes better!!)

Thanks for joining us online for the latest updates  from the Pounds Community. Here you will find interviews with the top pro’s in professional photography, product previews, marketing tips, trends in digital technology, and more. So come back often to see what’s new. If you have something to share, add a comment. Or contact us by e-mail at community@poundslabs.com. We look forward to hearing from you!