The August Spotlight on Business comes to you from Christina Ramirez Photography. If you have not had a chance to see her gorgeous work . . . . you should run quick. I promise you will be inspired. It’s truly beautiful in every way. I love to hear what makes a successful business and the best parts about it. I interviewed Christina and here is what she had to say.
What is the most valuable business advice you have ever gotten?
Don’t worry about what other people are doing, how they are doing it, break the mold, and be fearless. I am a believer that we are the ones that put limits on ourselves, so I truly strive to up my own game, remain positive and never tell myself that I can’t.
In no more than 12 words, how would you describe your brand?
Colorful, fun, fierce and chic.
Is there something special you do when your business reaches a goal?
Honestly, I don’t have a tradition for this, but it’s something I should definitely implement! And soon…
What is your favorite tool that helps run your studio?
For me it is not a thing but people: my assistant Ashley and my photo-editor. I had a heart to heart early last year with my business mentor and she basically told me that if I didn’t relinquish some control my business would have a real difficult time growing to it’s fullest potential. The moment I allowed myself to relax and have help I have become more efficient, and am able to bring on more business. My studio has been growing at an incredibly rapid rate ever since.
What product do you sell most of?
Wrapped canvas for sure! My clients love seeing their images displayed as wall art. It seriously gets them so excited, not only for my teens but their parents too. Lately, I have also been selling a lot of metal prints, they’re just way too cool for people to pass them up!
How do you nurture your creativity?
I love building mood-boards and am driven a lot by a location. Once I have a location in mind then my brain starts to flow with ideas of how I can use the space, the way the light will fall onto the subject and all around them, the wardrobe I want, the colors that will work, even down the lenses I will use. I try to bring something new to every session and that’s part of the challenge, it’s fun!
What is the best application investment you‘ve ever made?
Hands down, the Portraiture plugin for Photoshop. Wow, what a difference it makes and the amount of time it saves is incredible. Worth every penny.
What is the best equipment investment you’ve ever made?
It’s a tie between my Canon 5D Mark III camera body or my 70-200mm f/2.8 L series lens. I seriously am obsessed with both, my hubby may be just a little jealous…
What’s your advice for better profits?
If I can advise anyone to do anything to double their profits its to stop selling just the CD, sell prints and start offering in person sales. The most fascinating part about photography is that we can freeze time. The reality is that we do not know if in 10 years our clients will even be able to pop a CD into their computers to view their photos since technology is forever changing, so why provide a product to them that is not going to withstand the test of time? I bring this up to clients that ask about just purchasing the CD, and they always say “I never thought about it that way…” Educate your clients and they’ll value you your work that much more. Show samples of prints and products; once they see and touch it, they want it and almost always they will purchase more. I more than tripled my profits by doing in-person sales and my CD is only sold in my top collections. Yes it more time consuming, but there’s nothing better than seeing your clients light up when they see their images for the first time, and then light up again when you deliver their timeless products that you know they’ll cherish forever. It’s so worth it, every single time, and your bank account will thank you!
Have you had to change your game to stay ahead in the photography world?
Absolutely! and that’s a great thing! I want to grow, I want to constantly be learning, I want to continuously offer things that people around me have never seen before and offer an experience that is unique and memorable. It only makes me a better photographer and business owner.
The Business Spotlight blog post is sponsored by Rebooku, a fantastic online company. I have had the opportunity in the past week to use their services and it has been EXCELLENT! I am adding them to my workflow immediately. Here is what Christina had to say about her experience using the Rebooku services “I had an album designed through them. It was incredible.” Here are just a few samples from her album designed by Rebooku. It is gorgeous!
Where can potential new clients and our readers view more images and learn more about your business?
Email: misschristina59@yahoo.com
Website: www.christinaramirezphotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/christinaramirezphotography
Instagram: @misschristina59
Twitter: @misschristina59
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