BF Stop 2

I think the strongest part is the 100% non-profit aspect.  The fact that what we’re doing here has a higher goal.  Yes, we want to make SPECTACULAR images.  But, there are kids all over the world who are hurting.  They are fighting devastating battles, and virtually without exception, they find themselves in situations that are far beyond their ability to help or control.  Attempting to help those children is what drives me, and I think my customers, also.

The weakest part is probably the fact that because of what I do in my “other life”, I cannot devote myself to this every single day.  That may change over time.  We’ll just have to see how it goes.  It’s still very, very early in this process.

What’s in your camera bag?

Canon 40D.  Canon EF 50mm 1.4.  Canon  EF 24-70 2.8.

Hasselblad 500cm.  Carl Zeiss 80mm f2.8.

Ilford HP5 Plus (400).  Kodak Tri-X 400.  Kodak Tmax 100.  Kodak Tmax 400

Sekonic L-358 light meter.

Canon SpeedLite 580EXII   (but very rarely used, if ever!)

What your best advice for an up & coming photographer?

Just go for it and keep your head up!  There’s no room for self-doubt, hesitation, or worry.  Just follow your dreams and where they take you.  Be yourself.  Take photos that inspire you and they will find an audience.

And be patient.

What’s your most successful marketing concept?

Well, it’s funny.  Here lately, I’ve been going retro and loving the look of true black and white film photography.  There are a lot of good ways to replicate the “look” of film in Photoshop, but at the end of the day, they are just that…”replicas”.  The more you look at true black and white film photography, the more you realize that for black and whites, it’s almost impossible to duplicate the look of film.  And although some would say “film is dying”, there’s actually quite the sub-culture of photographers out there who are keeping it alive with photos that are breathtaking.

So, currently, I would say that my favorite product is one that has been around for AGES!  Ironically enough, I have a feeling that the less and less people are exposed to film photography, the greater the likelihood of it making a comeback.  That is to say, people will be more likely to say, “Wow, that’s a really cool photo.  How come I never see stuff that looks like that anymore?”  And like everything else, it will very likely cycle back around and become “in-style” again.  People will start seeing true film photos in their friends’ houses and want that “vintage” look for themselves.  Every other industry shows a similar pattern of trends cycling over the years.  I really think that would be good for the art of photography.  The digital age of photography and Photoshop has a chance of “watering down” the art form, and many would argue that indeed it already has already begun to do that.

What’s playing on your iPod currently?

It really boils down to just a few.  1.)  Raise as much money as I possibly can for my charities.  2.) Achieve a balance between maintaining my unique identity as a photographer versus shooting what other people want to see and are willing to purchase.  3.)  Be the best possible husband and father my wife and children could ever hope for…while balancing this endeavor and my “day job”.

Now, about my experience with Jen Thompson and BigFolio!

Well, I hardly know where to start!  Their products obviously speak for themselves.  However, working with them is really about much, much more than that.  The customer service is what is so unbelievable.  Jen has been the most amazing and patient logo designer I could have hoped to work with during this process.  She put up with me the entire way, and seems to know just how important the process is to her clients.  I absolutely LOVE the fact that she let me go “back and forth” and put up with the anxieties and stressors that creating a logo/brand can have on one of her clients.  After all, this is your LOGO!  I felt like I was the only client she was working with, which is obviously not the case, but that’s exactly how she makes you feel.  Unbelievable, really.

The support staff at BigFolio have also been literally unbelievable from a customer service point of view.  I have no experience with website design.  ZERO.  But, all of my questions were answered promptly and respectfully…no matter how silly they probably were to the staff.  Couldn’t be more pleased and satisfied.  5 stars.  No doubt.