The Entrepreneurs: Exploring the Business Opps of Photography

October 29, 2014

By Laura Brauer

PIXELLU SMARTALBUMS

Photo © Lucid Captures

The Photographer
Daniel Usenko, an international wedding photographer, educator and a rising star in the world of photo technology, came to the U.S. after surviving a civil war in the small country of his birth (The Republic of Abkhazia) and is now based in Seattle.

The Challenge
After nearly ten years of shooting weddings, Usenko’s album orders were piling up and he was spending lots of late nights drinking multiple cups of coffee while trying to stay awake enough to create high- quality products for clients.

The Solution
Determined to find a better way without giving up important revenue, Usenko collaborated with his friends Sergey Lomakin and Alex Prykhodko (CTO and CFO, respectively) of Pixellu to find a solution. Their answer was technology, and they used it to design Pixellu’s SmartAlbums software.

SmartAlbums’ software interface (top) and a finished album created with it (bottom).

Simple and beautiful, SmartAlbums launched in November 2013 and already has thousands of users, including top photographers like Anna Kuperberg, Gabe McClintock, Nordica Photography and Sergio Photographer, all of whom rave that the album design software “blows everything else out of the water.”

Making album design easy and enjoyable (even for people who usually hate the process), it takes a few minutes to learn, and less than a half hour to create the average album and order it directly from the supplier. “When we hear from photographers that SmartAlbums has helped them get their lives back, it drives to further improve our products and to find new ways to support their businesses,” Usenko says.

THE IMAGE SALON

The Photographers
When Daniel Kudish and Davina Palik started their wedding photography business Davina + Daniel in 2009, they wasted no time ascending to the top. The Montreal-based duo made a name for themselves as innovative destination wedding shooters with extraordinary technical and post-processing skills, and now their schedules are filled up with weddings, photo shoots, speaking engagements and projects for publishers.

The Challenge
Just one year after the launch of their wedding photography company, Davina and Daniel had created more business than they could handle on their own—a job hazard they had hoped for in their original long-term business plan.

The Solution
Confident that they could teach other photographers to create images in their style, first they assembled a team of associates and launched their studio, Grey Sparrow, which captures and processes more than 85 weddings a year.
With their post-processing workshops selling out, and a well-honed team of photo editors, it was natural for Davina and Daniel to jump into their next venture—The Image Salon, launched this month. 

(Top) A wedding portrait edited at level “BEST” by The Image Salon. Rich, vibrant tones are achieved by editing the image first in Lightroom, and tweaked further in Photoshop. (Bottom) The same photo edited at different levels by The Image Salon. Photos © Grey Sparrow Studio

A post-processing and editing service, The Image Salon allows photographers to spend less time at their desks, offering batch processing of 100 images at a time as well as individual image manipulation. Both businesses allow the couple to satisfy inquiring clients, help other photographers, and build a lifestyle that fits their strengths and goals.

GOOD GALLERY

The Photographer
Rob Greer is most well-known for his creative wedding and commercial photography, and as an online entrepreneur (he co-founded Golfballs.com in 1995, now one of the top five golf retailers in America). His portrait and product work is sought-after by clients including Disney, Oracle, Microsoft and Reebok, while his wedding work is recognized in both online contest galleries, and on the walls of prestigious international print competitions like WPPI.

The Challenge
Greer began building websites and web-based applications almost 20 years ago. As the internet evolved, he saw it become increasingly critical for photographers to have unique and user-friendly online portfolios that could be found quickly by search engines.

The Solution
After waiting several years for other companies to produce the kind of portfolio layouts and content management systems that he wanted to work with, Greer took matters into his own hands and created Good Gallery

A Good Gallery portfolio interface.

Launched in 2014, Good Gallery’s portfolio and content management system is designed for the needs of professional photographers and artists. Offering fast portfolio websites and mobile sites that feel more like apps, Good Gallery combines sleek designs with solid search engine optimization capabilities. SEO automation tools include file renaming, sitemaps, structured data, geocoding, canonical support and Google authorship, while the on-screen display technology discourages screen captures. With thousand of customizable settings, Greer says “helping photographers differentiate themselves so they can attract the clients they want is Good Gallery’s number one focus.”

MARK HOMZA,
FLIXEL CMO


Bringing Cinemagraphs to the People
Mark Homza stumbled into the hybrid realm of “living photos” with his business partner Philippe LeBlanc back in 2011 after seeing the work of creative duo Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg (who first coined the word “cinemagraph” to denote both the animated image’s continuous cinematic quality and its photographic foundation). To make them more accessible, Homza and LeBlanc launched Flixel in 2012, a creative platform that provides artistic tools—such as the latest Cinemagraph Pro that launched in February and won the Apple Design Award a few months later—and provides users with the means to host cinemagraphs on their websites. Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model has even tapped into Flixel, and now that clients (advertisers, specifically) have seen a 500 percent increase in engagement with cinemagraphs versus static images, Homza says, we will likely see more of them in the near future. “As artists continue to push the limits,” he says, “cinemagraphs will be here to stay.” —LP

VANIA BARBIERI
AND CHRISTINE BERRY,
BLOOM THEORY FOUNDERS


Putting Style in Camera Straps
After first meeting as classmates in a graphic design course back in 2006, Vania Barbieri and Christine Berry’s friendship blossomed into a joint photography business a couple years later. As Simply Bloom Photography, LLC, the duo was named one of the “Top 20 Destination Wedding Photographers” by Destinations Weddings and Honeymoons magazine in 2011.

That same year, they launched Bloom Theory, a camera strap company (operating under Simply Bloom) that creates fashionable straps for “photographers just like us,” Barbieri says, “feminine, with a love for fashion and accessorizing.” Throwing out nylon in favor of locally-sourced and handmade materials like silk and lace has resonated with photographers looking for something a little more chic from their camera accessory. Last year’s line of scarf camera straps in particular, Barbieri says, “are meant to look like part of one’s outfit, and are still functional and lightweight.”

The unique concept behind Bloom Theory has essentially marketed itself; within one month of launching, Martha Stewart and Lauren Conrad reached out to Bloom Theory to feature their straps. Barbieri and Berry also market heavily on social media with various promotions, and their partnerships with online resellers like Ruche and commissioned photographers has helped spread the word.

“We always stay true to what we, ourselves, love and love to wear,” Barbieri says. “We believe that’s been a contributing factor to our blessed success: the straps are a reflection of our sense of esthetic.” —LP

PHOTO BOOTH SUPPLY CO.

The Photographers
Recently married, Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos have been busy shooting weddings since 2007. Awarded Wedding Wire’s “Bride’s Choice Award” for three years running, their work has been seen on TLC and published by Inside Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Moment Junkie and Sterling Engagements.

The Challenge
Several years ago, photo booths became all the rage in L.A., and wedding planners were adding them as a “necessary” part of their clients’ wedding budget. Unfortunately, the quality and customer service of many of the companies was lacking. After shooting several weddings where the planner or couple was disappointed with their photo booth experience, Wong and Santos decided to purchase a photo booth of their own, but found it to be overweight, unsightly and counterintuitive.

The Solution
To solve the problem for themselves and their clients, the couple designed a highly portable, elegant and user-friendly photo booth made of lightweight steel, and launched their own business called Photo Booth Supply Co.

Since its inception a year ago, the booths—manufactured locally in Southern California—have been used and purchased by top photographers around the world, including Susan Stripling, Davina and Daniel, and Fer Juaristi. With booth options ranging from $5,575 to $8,800—depending on the inclusion of cameras, printers and strobes—PBSC allows photographers to offer a fun extra to clients, and create new revenue for their businesses. “The success stories we hear from our clients bring us joy, and knowing that their clients have gorgeous, often hilarious images to remember their events by is the best part of all,” Wong says.

JEN ROZENBAUM,
BOUDOIR BUSINESSWOMAN


Lusting for Lingerie, Comfortably
After six very successful years as a boudoir photographer, Jen Rozenbaum recently branched out to offer her clients, as well as us regular folk, the ability to pick out, get fitted and order lingerie directly from her. “I have seen my fair share of lingerie over the years, and sadly, most of it has been ill-fitted, not flattering and confusing,” Rozenbaum says. And though she always made it work for her clients during a shoot, taking the horror and confusion out of a lingerie purchase is something that she says makes sense in the evolution of her business.

Rozenbaum will carry inventory in different sizes, brands and styles—25 percent comprises foundation pieces (everyday bras, underwear, etc.), 75 percent being sexier items—all in an effort to push people toward her mission: helping women find their femininity.

“I go to the manufacturers directly,” she explains, “and the beauty of it is, I can travel and fit clients, and if it doesn’t look good, I will find something that does. Maybe you’ve never worn a garter before, but I will teach it to you because I am an expert. There aren’t many lingerie stores you can go to and feel comfortable asking for that kind of help.” —JT

JEREMY COWART,
OKDOTHIS APP CREATOR


Making Creativity More Social
If you’ve ever experienced an artistic lull, Jeremy Cowart’s goal is to help you through it—with social media, of course. Cowart came up with the idea for the app OKDOTHIS through teaching photography and realizing that “people know how to see, but they don’t really know how to direct subjects or tell people what they want.”
OKDOTHIS is not a static portfolio site where your photos are just broadcasted, but instead it is a lively community with constant idea-sharing. “We want the community to not only post, but to explore,” Cowart says. “It’s one central place for creatives around the world that encourages growth and inspires us all to do more.”

Just like Twitter has “tweets,” OKDOTHIS has “DOs,” and there are DOs for every moment of life. “[Let’s say] you’re at your office or drinking coffee at a coffee shop—you would choose that category before you take a picture,” Cowart says. Users are able to scroll through all kinds of ideas to prompt their subjects. “We’re just excited about this concept of idea-sharing,” Cowart says. “In terms of apps, this has never been done in the photography world.”

Cowart says the app includes other social features such as followers, filters, feeds, likes, as well as a curated discover and trending section not measured by popularity. “In the past, the creative decision has been up to the photographer to make, and now that creative decision has gone social,” Cowart explains. “Ideas are infinite because they’re uploaded by other users every second.” —JG

KRISTI DRAGO-PRICE,
EDITOR’S EDGE
PHOTO CONSULTANT


Gaining an Edge on the Competition
Back when she was lead photo editor of BRIDES magazine for over 13 years, Kristi Drago-Price interviewed, hired and directed every genre of photographer and stylist there was—including fashion, beauty, still life, lifestyle, portrait and travel. A wedding and family portrait photographer herself, Drago-Price realized the worth of her fellow wedding shooters, calling them “hidden gems who seamlessly portray all genres rolled into one.” 

Now a freelancer who produces shoots for Architectural Digest, Glamour, Self, BRIDES and The Knot, Drago-Price was also inspired to start up Editor’s Edge, her own photo consultant business, to help her colleagues hone their brands. “A successful photographer gains the eye of editors, books their ideal clients and stays true to their artistic senses while standing out in a flooded marketplace,” she explains.

Courtesy of Kristi Drago-Price

Emphasis on Editing
“The first step is admtting you need help,” Drago-Price laughs when explaining why it was important for her to create Editor’s Edge. “It’s hard to edit your own work, and it’s hard to figure out how to present yourelf in the way you want, to the clients you want to get, while staying consistent to your brand.” Photographers, she adds, have a habit of putting far too much work on their website. “The metaphor I use is, ‘Your site should not be like opening up your linen closet and seeing all of your towels shoved in here and there; it should include only your best china,’ or in this case, the images you are most proud of.”

Coming up with the concept for Editor’s Edge came to Drago-Price as an “aha” moment during a yoga class. “It was January and I was reasesssing my life’s goals, realizing that I had a specific skillset as an editor that could prove helpful to others. In the past I had just assumed everyone knew how to market their work, edit their work and present their best selves.” Over the years, Drago-Price met a lot of photographers who hadn’t updated their website or brand in years. “They were too busy being a small-business owner and doing sales tax and other business-y things that just had to get done.”

Her main gripe about the industry was that she wasn’t seeing any real types of consulting businesses geared toward wedding and portrait lifestyle photographers. “Where can you go to get honest feedback and critiques?” Drago-Price answers her own quesstion by offering photographers different consulting services, including ones on portfolios, websites, getting published, branding and marketing, as well as a mix and match of services or mentoring. No matter the service, Drago-Price definitely gets right down to business. —JT