A Portrait Studio Near You

Settling into the New Photography Studio

Time flies! I’ve been in my new Troy headshot studio for over a month. It’s hard to believe.

Portrait Photography Conference

To keep things interesting, I decided to attend a conference and tradeshow right after opening the studio.

I was at the WPPI Conference + Expo in Las Vegas. Check out the full post. I’ve been to this conference in the past, but attending this year so soon after the studio move has given me a different perspective as I grow my business. Besides getting the opportunity to enjoy some warmer, sunnier weather, I also learned a lot about new trends and advancements in the portrait photography industry. One trend was very clear — headshot photography is only getting bigger. Nearly everyone I talked to in the wedding or portrait disciplines either has started offering professional portraits or is seriously considering it. The jump is not seamless, though — I would encourage you to stick with a specialist.

I’m excited to integrate some new ideas or approaches as the year progresses. Stay tuned for a separate post on the conference and my takeaways.

Troy Portrait Photography — Finding The Perfect Space

Before moving to Troy, I shared a space in Rochester, which, while cozily located right in the middle of downtown Rochester, didn’t provide as much freedom for me to permanently set up equipment or create a custom layout. Of course the tradeoff was lower overhead. But with a growing client base, the tradeoff was outweighed by the need for a fixed space.

When I was first scoping out my current studio in the Mercantile Bank building, the open space immediately jumped out as a major perk. It needed almost no buildout. Just some new flooring and a fresh paint job, and I was good to go. Painting a studio is pretty easy — the choices are white, or black. Gray is an option too, if you want to live dangerously. The idea is to stay neutral and avoid any potential light contamination or color casts created by the studio lights reflecting off walls, floors or ceilings. So having a fun accent wall isn’t really an option.

And as more and more photographers have begun working either exclusively on location (like local parks) or out of their own homes, photo studios have become increasingly hard to find — so the good ones have to be really accommodating. The fact that my space can hold a vanity area, client meeting space, print display, and changing area is important in offering a full portrait experience. With the convenience, efficiency, and flexibility I can offer now that I’m right in the Big Beaver corridor, I know more great things are in store for 2019.

As far as the décor and finishings, there’s still work ahead, but I’ve aimed for a comfortable, minimalist style that allows my clients to relax and their personalities to really shine in the final portraits. With lots of new clients enjoying the space already, the value has come through in every shot.

As I continue to work on the first impression my studio conveys, how’s your first impression management coming along for the year? Has it been a while since your last business portrait? Make your appointment today! Or if your business is growing and could use a little marketing attention, I’d love to help you with some custom stock images.

How Photographers Network at WPPI 2019

Recently, I traveled to Las Vegas for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Conference (WPPI). It’s one of the largest conferences for people photographers. Attendance hovers in the thousands!

Aside from escaping the rough Midwest winter (although it did snow in Vegas a few days before I arrived), it’s an energizing event. February is typically a little slow for wedding and family photographers, but not for me, so I had to make a carefully timed break. Headshot photography demand remains this time of year. In fact, the beginning of the year always has a bit of a rush. Think gym memberships. The good news is that once you get a headshot, you don’t have to keep coming back to the studio a few times a week to maintain it.

The Print Competition

The conference hosts an international print competition where judges scrutinize every conceivable detail of printed work. Watching the process is a learning experience. This is an area I just haven’t pursued. With the daily management of my business, it hasn’t made sense for me. But who knows... I did attend a very interesting lecture on fine art printing of digital images. This is a discipline of photography that has so far escaped me. Accessible training is limited. And the experts are difficult to find.

Keynote Photographers

We heard from Alexi Lubomirski, one of the keynote speakers, and the most recent royal wedding photographer. He’s actually a fashion photographer. He acknowledged that he got a lot of negative social media feedback on a couple images. We photographers tend to get hung up on details that only matter to other photographers.

Photography Gear And More Gear!

The huge trade show is a great way to keep up with the latest trends and equipment. This is the best opportunity to pepper the manufacturers with questions. Nikon and Canon have made a huge push into mirrorless camera technology. Up until recently, they had been slow to the game. Sony, Fuji, and others have a solid head start. As a Nikon shooter, it was good to see they’re now in the game. Mirrorless is the future, there’s no doubt.

With Nikon technicians on hand, it’s a perfect time to get cameras cleaned and checked. We subject our cameras to a lot more wear and tear than a consumer camera. While they are quite rugged, a tune up never hurts.

Back to Business

I always try to attend as many business classes as possible. After all, when running a business, if I can effectively market my work, it doesn’t matter how good my images are. So topics like SEO and social media or video marketing are critical.

Among Friends

And of course it’s great to be among fellow photographers facing the same challenges I do each day. We can compare notes, share tricks, sympathize with struggles and offer a fresh take lingering business challenges.

Did you attend WPPI? What did you think?

If you’re in another line of work, what’s your industry flagship conference? I’d love to know.

Troy Photography Studio Update

It's been a crazy few weeks, but I'm excited to announce that I'm up and running in my new Troy studio. Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been working on and some thoughts on running a small business.

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On Outsourcing

Since my last update, the furniture has been delivered and assembled! Yes, I outsourced the furniture assembly. Me spending 3 days fiddling with boxes and instructions doesn’t make sense.

As a business owner, it’s critical to recognize when it makes sense to outsource. I try to outsource tasks when there’s something else I can be doing to build the business. Remember the idea of opportunity cost from economics? Bookeeping, for example, is a huge mental drain on my energy and time and I bring no additional value to the process. I can better use that time to generate new business through marketing efforts — blogging, networking or generating social content. Most importantly, that extra time is spent serving my clients — that’s why they hired me.

On Spreading the Word

Press releases have been submitted. Yes, some might say a traditional press release is out of touch with current media trends, but I believe in reaching people in the channels they already read. With a big corporate audience, press releases make sense. Plus, as a member of the Troy and Rochester Chambers, I can submit a press release as part of my membership.

I’ve updated the address in my Google Business listing and Chamber directories. Having a dedicated local presence is great for SEO — so I wanted to make sure to leverage that benefit as soon as possible.

On Soft Openings

I don’t think anyone is every 100% ready when opening a business. There’s always some little detail that could use additional attention. But the perfect opening that never happens benefits no one. So, my scheduling software is updated which means you can book an appointment in the new space right now! As I get settled, additional appointment availability in February and beyond will be coming!

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Have you recently moved a business? Or do you struggle with outsourcing and delegation? If so, drop me a note. I’d love to hear about the challenges you faced.

If you’re due for a new headshot, make an appointment today. I can’t wait to show you the space!

Coming Soon — Troy Photography Studio

What better way to kick off 2019 than to announce my new Troy Photography Studio!

In just a few short weeks, I’ll be moving in. All the details will follow. At the moment, I’m buried in all the planning details. Furniture decisions, space planning, technology considerations, internet access, light stands, backdrops and so many other random little details. Thankfully, my wife got me the most important detail — a coffee maker!

Thanks to your support, this past year was my best by far. The need for a dedicated studio space became very clear over the summer. It’s something I’ve been pondering for a long time. But this was the first time it just made sense.

Individual Headshot Clients

Individual clients will benefit from a fixed space where I can really refine the entire client experience. And with a location in Troy, right off I-75, I’ll be more accessible to the larger metro Detroit area.

Corporate Photography Clients

Corporate clients will benefit as well. I’ll still be available to travel to a conference room near you, but as my corporate base grows, the need for makeup and new hire sessions grow too. When photographing lots of people in a day or two, things come up. The dreaded fire drill email from the boss, a pressing client need, or illness all are quite common. Accommodating these last minute changes will be just a simple calendar appointment away.

The studio will also be a great meeting place. Client and networking meetings will be a snap. And I’m also looking at the possibility of offering small workshops. Do you have an idea for a workshop? Or would you like to partner on a workshop? Send me a note!

Look for appointments in the new studio very soon

If you want to pencil something in, let me know. The month will book up fast. Otherwise, keep an eye on the blog for updates. If you’re not already getting my newsletter, I’ll be sending an update there as well.

Thanks again for your support. Make it a great year!

Meet Psychotherapist Vince Anthony Pitre

Many of my headshot clients are therapists. They all realize the power of a warm and welcoming first impression. Not unlike an attorney or physician, we trust therapists with the most sensitive challenges that life tends to lob our way. Vince humbly exudes that sense of trust and approachability. It was my honor to help him with a professional image.

Tell us about your business.

As a psychotherapist for over twenty-one years, I’ve helped a national park full of people to quit smoking, release weight and anxiety. My clients are mostly women and men between the ages of 25 – 55 and teens with support of a parent. My practice is located at 16 ½ and Mound in Sterling Heights, MI.

What’s unique about how you do what you do?

Common talk therapy engages conscious thoughts, feelings and behaviors in a useful process that’s like pruning a tree. Even though I do great talk therapy, for clients who are ready to go beyond that, I love to go deeper by addressing the roots of symptoms. By working together to correct the conditions underlying symptoms at the root, the insides can gradually match the outsides as clients grow out of their problems while developing mobility, stability, strength and power from the inside out.

What’s the one thing most people don’t know about your industry, but should?

An effective therapist has extensive experience, training and above all has found the courage to find themselves, facing both their light and darkness in an ongoing evolving process to better help, encourage and inspire others to live their best life. An effective client is someone who goes to therapy because they initially feel a need to release pain, bad habits and navigate changes. They discover that they've been in therapy with themselves all along. Now they're coming to therapy for professional guidance to augment their own process not from a sense of need but rather from a sense of wonderment and want for discovering the true nature of how they can uniquely learn, heal and harmonize with change to become their best.

Where can readers go to learn more?

Ready to be, do and have your best? Set up a free 20-minute phone consultation: newoutcomestherapy.com/contact/

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If you’d like to discuss updating your image for a new website or rebrand, let’s chat.