As Pounds celebrates our 35th year providing quality products and dedicated customer service, we thought we’d give you a little insight into our own Chris Oelker and a sneak peak at what’s coming up!

Chris hails from Minnesota so of course he’ s a big hockey fan. Although he’d rather figure out how a book is assembled and bound than relax and read it, he’s been known to kick back at the beach with his family and is seriously devoted to the television series Burn Notice. He’s been with the Pounds team for 15 years. When we asked him what his “official” title was, he replied with his usual dry and witty demeanor, “That depends on which day it is and who is looking for me!” Chris oversees product development and marketing, so this week he’s going with the title Director of Product Solutions & Integration.

POUNDS What do you enjoy most about working at Pounds?
CHRIS The dedication of our team and the pride they take in their work to make Pounds successful. Contributing to that is what really keeps me going. We have a great team here and that always makes for a better day. Every day brings different challenges and opportunities in a photo lab, it keeps you on your toes!

POUNDS How do you think Pounds differs from other labs?
CHRIS We offer a competitive portfolio of quality products and our customer service is top notch. We aren’t a monster lab and we aren’t small either.

I like to think we’re “just right” and the photographers who partner with us know what I mean. Pounds Labs is More Than A  Print! We’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of Pounds Labs this year. Many of us have been around here for a while and we’re very much like a big family. There is a sense that we are personally vested in our business and we treat our customers like they are family. When they are successful, then we experience success. It’s a true partnership that is cultivated at Pounds.

POUNDS Photography is an ever-changing industry so what does Pounds do to stay on the cutting edge?
CHRIS Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times! We keep our eye on the technology and cultural trends and listen to what our customers want and need. Besides doing our own research, our vendors do a great job of providing us with guidance and supplying us with the tools and materials needed to provide innovative hot products.

POUNDS Have you seen the client base change over the years?
CHRIS Ten years ago in a film-dominated industry, our customer base was primarily regional. Now our base and potential customers exist wherever there is an Internet connection.

With the onset of digital photography, there are a lot more players in the game. The accessibility of digital equipment has saturated the wedding and studio portrait market with photographers. We’ve gone from a traditionally male dominated market to 67% female base. Our customers in the 18-45-age range make up 65% of our customers.

POUNDS What is new in product development and how do you try to figure out the “next cool thing”?
CHRIS When it comes to developing new products, ultimately the photographer’s client is our target. It’s very important to listen to our photographers because they are on the front lines and know what is and isn’t going to sell. We have to offer them products that they can sell and that will appeal to their clients. Sometimes they’re trendy and sometimes they’re very traditional. We also offer products that help photographers market their business and that can be used as selling tools. We generally look at what we’re currently providing and determine a few things that we can enhance then we put those on the project list. However, most new products arise from customer and team member suggestions. Influences from other industries, media and technology all play a role. I’ve even been known to think of a few on my long car rides between Austin and Dallas each week! Often we’ll look at what we have on hand and twist and tweak it until we find we have something unique and desirable. W avy Metal is a good example of that. No one offers Wavy Metal except Pounds right now.

POUNDS There is a strong component of education at Pounds. Tell me how that developed and where you hope to see it go in the future.
CHRIS The big push for offering education stemmed from the need to educate customers about digital shooting.  Years ago, when customers first started sending us digital files, some of the output wasn’t looking too good.  At first we thought we were having internal equipment problems, some prints looked great and some looked horrendous.  We quickly realized that it was some of the new digital photographers who needed a little help.  Image sensors do not at all have the latitude of the two stops of forgiveness built into Kodak Portra film. Around 2003-2004 it seemed like we were holding workshops three or four times a week that basically covered how to custom white balance digital cameras, explained color space, and recommended image file sizes and naming conventions.  Those classes eventually evolved into more technical concepts and studio workflow.  As more people jumped into the digital photography business, there was a need for some business management instruction.  Now we support workshops that focus on photography, studio workflow, business management and marketing.  We also have online go-to-meeting sessions just about every day to help our customers become familiar with various products and processes offered at Pounds.  We plan to do more to take advantage of easily accessible social media outlets like YouTube and post short instructional and informational videos.

POUNDS Customer communication is another important feature at Pounds. Pounds stays in touch with customers via email, newsletter, social media. Do you think Pounds has been a leader in this area and where do you see customer communication going in the future ?
CHRIS Getting the word out about Pounds’ great products and services is an important part of our business. Our strategy is to go where the customers are. We do that pretty well and are very conscientious about not spamming our customers with pontifications. We want to engage photographers and provide relevant and timely information. Using Facebook and Twitter allows us to get information out there quickly for the people that follow us. So of course, people need to follow us! Our emails and newsletters are specifically geared toward our customers for our “big “announcements and promotions. The Tip of the Week in PROS and Snap targets our customers as 90% of incoming orders come through  these two software-ordering options. We’ll be pursuing more video that is easily accessed on mobile devices and of course we cannot rule out telepathy as the next big customer communications movement!

POUNDS Customer service is another strong component of the Pounds structure.

Are there any new features in this area we can look forward to?
CHRIS Our customer service team knocks it out of the park every day. Darren, Erin, Vicky, Jim, Cheryl and Georgina, they rock! We really concentrate on keeping a personal touch in customer service. Call us if you ever have a question about our products or need a little guidance using our programs. Of course we can be reached via email and will respond just as quickly. Our service centers in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin labs are great resources for a little extra training and you can always get your hands on physical product if you are out and about and want to visit with one of our friendly reps. If you contact us on Facebook or Twitter, we’ll get you in touch with the best people to help you.

POUNDS What can you reveal about plans/products you are working on for the future?
CHRIS We have some imaged fine leather accessory products that are just about to launch and we’ll be coming out with some new ChromaLuxe™ metal options that are imaged metal panels floated on larger imaged metal panels in an assortment of composited positions. We’re also at work on improvements for our undergraduate school ordering, additional ordering user interfaces and some new press product options. Of course there is always something on the drawing board so keep an eye on your inbox, follow us on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to know!

It isn’t hard to define the role of someone in customer service. They have to be a good listener.

They can’ t make assump tions but have to anticipate needs. Resourcefulness and the ability to problem solve are essential.

The bottom line is they really have to like people and want to help them. Darren Hanson fits every part of the customer service definition. He’s been with the Pounds team for thirteen years. “It’s the daily communication I enjoy,” Hanson said. “That and the friendly work environment, of course!”

Hanson spends most of his time in the office working with customers but once in a while he’s able to attend an event like Imaging USA and WPPI and get face-to-face feedback from clients. “It’s always a surprise and it’s always a pleasure to put a face with a name,” he said.  “I’ve worked with most people for years and when I finally get a chance to meet them in person, I feel like I already know them.

Going above and beyond is a daily occurrence for Hanson. He solves problems; juggles an array of client needs and manages to ensure no balls get dropped regardless of the circumstances.

A great example of this was recounted in a letter we recently received from a new client. This past winter, snowstorms halted a lot of business. Shipping schedules were disrupted and carriers were scrambling to catch up on deliveries. “An order placed a week and a half earlier had still not made it and had been promised to a client for Valentine’s Day,” photographer Jim Presley of Presley Photography wrote. “When I called, the gentleman I spoke with urgently reprinted the portion of my order promised for that Monday, had it shipped overnight for Saturday delivery and literally saved my client for me. I regret to say I did not take down the names of the people who made this happen but I get the idea that your company is packed full of good-hearted and generous people that know what customer service is all about.”

You guessed it, our own Darren Hanson was that gentleman and the Pounds team earned another loyal customer for going above and beyond, something that is simply second nature for Hanson and for Pounds!

The Pounds team headed to Las Vegas in February for the annual WPPI convention and trade show. Chris Oelker reveals all!

POUNDS: How was the turnout this year?
CHRIS: I haven’t seen final numbers, but the estimate is over 15,000 attendees, 80 platform speakers, and more than 300 exhibitors!

POUNDS: Were there a lot of new face s?
CHRIS: Yes, new pho tographers seemed

to be in the majority. We spoke with a lot of people who were just starting out or had been in business for only one or two years. I think that really contributed to the atmosphere of enthusiasm and excitement this year.

POUNDS: What Pounds products and services stole the show?
CHRIS: Our metal prints, especially the unique wavy metal, were a tremendous hit.  Pounds has been dubbed “the wavy metal lab.” We heard this everywhere, even on the plane ride home!  Of course Pounds is a full service lab with a 35-year history! Other big hits were our press products, especially our Coil Bound Press Booklets and the Accordion Books with metal covers.

POUNDS: What was the feeling about business for 2011 ?
CHRIS: I’d have to say optimism was prevalent.

Many photographers are already seeing an increase in their bookings over last year.

POUNDS: Why is WPPI so important for our industry

?
CHRIS: WPPI provides photographers a full range of resources to help establish and grow their business.  It exposes photographers to educational opportunities, equipment vendors, workflow and business strategy solutions, and of course product providers like Pounds!

When a photographer chooses a lab, they are entering into an important partnership.  Each is dependent on the other in order to be successful. A lab converts the photographer’s artistic vision and image manipulation into a tangible product such as wall portraits or coffee table books for the end client.  WPPI helps facilitate that introduction to quality resources that are required to be successful.

That’s what customer service representative Vickie Viera wants you to know. Viera has been on the Pounds team for 6 years and loves her job!  Meeting expectations, anticipating needs and giving more than expected are just second nature to Viera.

POUNDS: What do you like most about your job?
VIERA: I get personal satisfaction out of helping others.

POUNDS: Tell me an “above and beyond the call of duty” story!
VIERA: I h ad a call from a client with a negative he needed scanned and printed in a few hours. It was for a funeral. We had t he order ready when he called back to say he could not make it to Dallas to pick it up. It broke my heart to imagine the print would not be t here. I asked my sister to drop it off at the funeral home almost 50 miles from here. She lives less than five miles from the client. It was very moving to be there when this family needed us.

POUNDS: What’s it like when you finally get to meet the people you are emailing and talking to on the phone?
VIERA: It’s always like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in years rather than someone you have never met. It is always a joy to meet them face-to-face.

POUNDS: You were able to attend Imaging USA. How important do you think it is it for you to go to trade shows and get face-to-face feedback?
VIERA: It’s very important. I would s ay this is a critical team-building event for the client and for us. Once we have that interaction they are far less likely to feel like a number.  We become part of a team reaching for a goal.  We can address feelings, ideas and concerns in a way they often will not bring up on the phone. They feel they are calling someone who cares. Once that relationship is established we become a team. Customers are far more likely to share so we can address issues or concerns.

POUNDS: Do you try to get out on the road and see customers face to face at shows on a regular basis throughout the year?
VIERA: I have attended meetings held by our clients. I have met several of the people I speak to frequently and  it’s always a wonderful experience.

POUNDS: Tell us a bit about YOU!
VIERA: I am a fifth generation Texan and I love living here. I moved to another state for a few years but came back as fast as my feet would carry me! I have two grown “boys”. One is in the Air Force, the other is a Marine. I have been on the finishing side of photography my whole life and I greatly enjoy the experience! I’ve meet people who became life long friends, one print at a time.

POUNDS: What’s the one thing you’d like your customers to know about you?
VIERA: I care!

POUNDS: What’s the most important thing customers should know about the customer service at Pounds

?
VIERA: We are here for YOU!

Michelle Seigerman is a mover and a shaker. While moving comes with the territory of being a military wife, shaking things up is what she does naturally. Seigerman, owner of Ages and Stages Photography, shook up her own life while living in England a few years ago.

“It began as a hobby,” Seigerman said. “After having my son I needed to do something for myself, something creative.” Living the military lifestyle, far away from home, families are constantly trying to keep in touch. Kids are growing up fast, away from relatives, and sending photos to loved ones back home becomes a priority.  Seigerman had an epiphany.

“It’s hard to afford things off base,” Seigerman said. “I’ve always loved photography and I thought it would be great to offer our troops an affordable option for family photos.” Working with military regulations means you have to be resourceful when it comes to marketing. “You can’t advertise on a military installation but you can set up as a vendor when thereare Bazaars on base,” she said. Seigerman went to work.

She created business cards, got on the Internet to figure out pricing and set up a package deal for her photographs. “ I set up a cute fall scene with a backdrop and thought maybe I’d get a few people. I ended up swamped the whole weekend!”

Seigerman was off and running.

Business was booming and she had a steady clientele. Of course the life of a military wife is always in transition and in 2009, the family moved again.  Seigerman is now shaking things up in San Antonio, Texas!

“There’s a lot more competition,” Seigerman said. However, a whole new world of marketing opportunities opened up because they were no longer living on a military base.  “I initially tried mailing out postcards and putting them at local businesses but did not get an overwhelming response,” she said. Next came an ad in a neighborhood mailer and a small response. Seigerman started thinking.  She’d joined Facebook in England but once back in America realized the value of social media as a great business marketing tool. “I’m a big fan of Groupon,” she said.  “So I did an ad with them and that really got my name out there. People responded right away.  Once you get a client base, word of mouth goes a long way.”

Seigerman also offers deals and discounts and holds contests. “People really respond to contests,” she said.   You always have to be thinking when you move around. It’s all working for Seigerman. “Business is right where I want it to be now,” she said.

Seigerman is always thinking about the next marketing plan but she has found balance in her life.

With two children and a full time career that may sound impossible but she has it figured out.  “I shoot when my kids are in school and I don’t work every weekend. We need family time.” Being a parent and a former teacher has actually helped Seigerman with her work. “I’ve got more patience,” she said. “I love children and that shows. I love the art and creativity of photography and capturing a family naturally. I shoot in a photojournalistic style and people respond to that, it’s the way we like to see ourselves.”

So what happens when duty calls the family to another destination ? “Have camera, will travel, “ Seigerman said. “That’s the way it’s got to be!”

Who taught you the trick s of the trade? Who took you under their wing?  We all remember the teachers and the professionals who took the time and patience

to give us confidence, to help us deal with frustration and to reinforce our belief in our talent. Successful people in any profession consistently say one of the most important keys to their success was having a mentor.

Learning to be a photographer is so much more than understanding the best way to light a bride. Someone needs to tell you how to handle that bride when she bursts into tears, someone who’s seen it before and knows exactly what to say. Learning to deal with frustration and disappointment yet behave with humility and compassion are things that won’t be revealed in studio lighting classes. They are only learned through working with a mentor.

Apprenticeship is expected in photography. Everyone must do their fair share of schlepping camera equipment and holding scrims, paying their dues. Working as an assistant generally swings one of two ways. You either end up in a subservient position with no intimate knowledge of how to really run a business, or you find a successful, confident mentor who treats you as a protégé teaching, inspiring and nurturing your talent.

Working with a real men tor gives a new pho tographer many opportunities to learn about other parts of the business, including how to work with clients, how to actually run a

business and, to a degree, how to treat employees.

Photography is one of those pr ofessions in which mentorship is crucial to the success of the next generation. Someone recognized your talent. Someone admired you and believed in you. Someone showed you the ropes. Are you taking the next generation under your wing? Are you paying it forward?

We’d love to hear your experiences both as a mentor and a protégé. Send us a Tweet or share your experiences on our Facebook page.

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. Holl and 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.

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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 alway s be en 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 Pr ofessional 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!