f ō t ō r a c l e | the oracle of photography

Lawrence Chan from Tofurious successfully used a combination of marketing techniques (including social media) to become the most inquired wedding photographer in the industry. Lawrence Chan’s LA Smug presentation is for part-time and full-time wedding photographers who want to better understand their target market and to maximize social media to generate more business.

f ō t ō r a c l e . c o m presents 20 Questions with Lawrence Chan of Tofurious…

Peter Garr:  Several months ago I had the pleasure of attending your SEO Workshop and was amazed at what I learned about the marketing power behind Search Engine Optimization.  What can we expect from Tofurious in 2010?

Lawrence Chan:  I will continue blogging and offering digital products, but will focus heavily on social marketing and branding.  I feel that a photographer has to wear many hats when the only one that fits best is shooting.  It takes precision and balance in order to juggle all of them, so I am hoping that my experience in business will offer some guidance.

Peter: WPPI 2010 is coming up right around the corner from March 4th through 11th.  What does Tofurious have in store for people going to WPPI in Las Vegas next month?

Lawrence:  Good question!  I have found great success as a marketing consultant in the wedding industry, so I will continue exercising that muscle.  I will have two items at booth 1240:

1. One on one consultation by me
2. Portfolio review by my guest – Grace Ormonde of Wedding Style Magazine

Peter:  You traveled throughout Europe last year.  Of all the cities you visited, which was the most memorable and why?

Lawrence:  This question just caused a flashback of good memories.  I am leaning towards Nice, France because I found a small business that served, in my opinion, the absolute best and most fluffy mint and chip gelato ever!

Peter: You mentioned in a recent blog post that you recommend “Confessions of a Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella as a must-read marketing book.  First, what marketing insight do books like “Shopaholic” and similar offer photographers?

Lawrence:  Quoting from the blog, “Rebecca Bloomwood (protagonist) is the true epitome of a consumer. While she humorously delves into her reasons (or non-reasons) for compulsively buying things, the better we understand how a consumer’s mentality works, the better we can create a marketing campaign for that specific audience (or any audience for that matter).” There are other philosophies that I drew from the series of which I will save for a blog post in the near future

Peter:  What inspired you to read “Shopaholic” in the first place?

Lawrence:  I, too, am a shopaholic.  Here is something else I learned from the book: one has two options in this situation – “make more or spend less.”  Fun philosophies for life!

Peter:  What are some other books you recommend?

Lawrence:  I recommend Dan Brown books, Harry Potter series, and the Twilight Saga.  Although business books offer guidance, I feel that it is equally crucial that we step away from our work and see things through a different lens.  Plus, having a little adventure in our lives cannot hurt.

Peter:  When and how did you get into photography as both an interest and as a business?

Lawrence:  To be completely honest, I started as a business (not of interest).  It’s a numbers game.  However, after the exposure, I came to appreciate the joy of shooting pictures, so the scale has tipped.

Peter:  Tofurious likes tofu.  That’s a no-brainer.  What the world is dying to know is whether Tofurious likes Tofurkey.  Have you ever had Tofurkey?

Lawrence:  Actually, I never tried Tofurkey!  I intend to try it this year.

Peter:  You’re the special guest speaker at the February 2010 L.A. SMUG.  With February being the month we celebrate President’s Day, which historical U.S. President is your favorite and why?

Lawrence:  Benjamin because he’s on the $100 bill.  Just kidding – I don’t want to sound superficial, but I’ve learned to keep politics private hah!

Peter:  February also marks Valentine’s Day.  What was your most memorable Valentine’s Day?

Lawrence:  There was one evening where I took Julie to Stinking Rose and had so much garlic that the evening [and morning] was memorable.

Peter: Your presentation at the L.A. SMUG is about understanding our target audience and maximizing social media to grow our businesses.  What are some benefits photographers can expect by applying your techniques?

Lawrence:  The goal is for photographers to book more weddings!

Peter:  What do you think is the single most important thing photographers should be doing today in order to book more clients?

Lawrence:  Focus less on the art and more on business – specifically marketing oneself.

Peter: I know you recently worked on what sounds like a very interesting project in Denver with some well respected and well-admired people in our industry.  What’s the CxO Fight Club all about?

Lawrence:  The name suggests that five companies will fight against each other.  Instead, we were there to collaborate with each other with the hopes of elevating the industry.

Peter:  In addition to many talents you both have, you and Jasmine Star both share a passion for Chipotle.  What’s your favorite item on their menu?

Lawrence:  I personally favor the chicken salad with black beans, rice, spicy corn, hot chili, a dab of sour cream topped with a pinch of cheese.  However, I do have a hankering for their new chicken pozole, but that’s only offered at their flagship restaurants in Denver.

Peter:  Who’s your greatest influence or inspiration as a photographer and why?

Lawrence:  Gosh there are so many! When I first started, it was Jessica Claire and David Jay.  Now the list is super long.

Peter:  Who’s your greatest influence or inspiration as an entrepreneur and why?

Lawrence: Jeff Jochum – hands down.  He’s just a downright cool guy!  I’ve never had any mentors before him, so I can’t compare, but it’s rare to find someone willing to help without expecting anything in return.  He inspires me to do the same.

Peter:  How would you finish this sentence?  ”To succeed as a photographer, you must …”

Lawrence:  …have clarity in your business model.  With advancement in technology and affordability of DSLRs, the increase of competition is inevitable.

Peter:  What’s a typical workday for Tofurious like?

Lawrence:

8:00 am – wake up
8:30 am – gym 
10:30 am – answer emails 
12:00 pm – eat lunch  
12:30 pm – work, work work 
6:00 pm – make / eat dinner 
7:00 pm – work, work, work
7:30 pm – Two and a Half Men 
8:00 pm – work, work, work 
12:00 am – sleep

Peter:  Where do you see the photography industry headed over the next 5 years?

Lawrence:  I envision the use of various technologies to captivate clients – videos, iPad portfolios, etc.  Cameras are no longer the only extensions of our businesses.

Peter:  Where do you see yourself headed over the next 5 years?

Lawrence:  Tweeting from France

A big THANK YOU to Lawrence Chan for answering this month’s 20 Questions on…

f ō t ō r a c l e . c o m.

Lawrence Chan from Tofurious is the special guest at this month’s
Los Angeles SmugMug User Group (SMUG) meeting.

LA SMUG

Thursday February 18, 2010

7:00 PM

The Global Cafe
11002 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604

FREE and open to ALL photographers.  Tell your friends!

More info at Meetup.com

Jim Brammer is an award winning photographic artist and owner of State of the Art Images, a fine art, portraiture and commercial photography studio located near Los Angeles in Tarzana, California. Recently awarded 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Woodland Hills – Tarzana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Photographer from the Los Angeles Daily News, Jim is also the President of Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County (PPLAC).

Jim will be the guest speaker at this month’s Los Angeles SMUG on Thursday January 21 at the Global Cafe in Studio City.  I interviewed Jim this week for a new interview series here at fotoracle.com called “20 Questions With…”

So here it is, 20 Questions With Jim Brammer.

Peter Garr: How and when did you begin your career in photography?

Jim Brammer: I retired from IBM at the end of 2006 and spent 2007 consulting for IBM while I built the infrastructure for my photography business.

Peter: Who or what inspires you most as an artist and why?

Jim: Photography is all about this big, bouncy stuff called light, so I spent the first several years of my career seeking out and learning from photographic artists who could teach me how to control and shape it.  I owe the start of my photography career to Amy Cantrell and Judy Host – I attended their workshop “The Art of Lighting”, in 2007, where they taught me the basics of natural and studio lighting.  Tim Meyer is an absolute wizard with lighting and posing.  I attended his basic and advanced lighting classes at PPC’s West Coast School in 2008 and 2009 and he gave me critical technical knowledge that forms the foundation for everything I do with light in the studio.

Peter: Who or what inspires you most as a business person and why?

Jim: When it comes to the business of photography, I owe my inspiration to two incredible photographers.  Sandy “Sam” Puc’ is the consummate business person when it comes to the marketing of photography – she is an absolute genius and no one does marketing better.  When it comes to the business metrics – actually running the business – no one does it better than Anne Monteith.  I recently attended a 2-day course with Anne Monteith and Carol Andrews at PPA’s Imaging USA 2010 in Nashville and I have a fresh, enlightened view on the business side of photography.

Peter: What is the greatest accomplishment you’ve had as a professional photographer?

Jim: I shot the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.

Peter: What did you learn from that accomplishment?

Jim: I learned that I love to shoot concerts.  As a jazz enthusiast and photographer, it doesn’t get any better than standing at the edge of the stage while listening to and shooting your favorite artists.

Peter: What is the greatest failure you’ve had as a professional photographer?

Jim: One of the basic tenets of my business is Client satisfaction.  My policy on satisfaction is quite simple and straight forward:  “If you aren’t 100 percent delighted with your photo session or your images, we’ll reshoot or reprint until we get it right, or refund your money – period.” Very early in my career I shot my first commercial assignment.  This woman was creating a new product line and wanted to have her portrait on the label.  I went on location and did the shoot outdoors around 4:30 in the afternoon.  The lighting was exquisite – I was able to take advantage of the late afternoon sun for my fill light and used a large white reflector for my key light.

When I delivered the images the woman was visibly disappointed.  As I spoke with her I realized what had happened.  She was not happy with the blouse that she had worn for the shoot.  The neckline was a little too low and the blouse had short sleeves so her chest and bare arms detracted from what should have been the focal point of the portrait – her face.  The blouse was also a little puffy, making her look larger than she actually was. I offered to fix it in Photoshop or reshoot, but she wouldn’t hear of it – she was just totally disappointed.  Her feeling was that I should have advised her about the proper attire before we started the shoot and she was right.  I ended up refunding her session fees and walking away – the only time I have had to do that. I felt terrible!

Peter: What did you learn from that failure?

Jim: I learned that, in addition to ensuring the lighting, posing, background and exposure are correct, it is the photographer’s responsibility to ensure that the subject is advised on the proper attire.  In this case the biggest problem was her bare arms.  Immediately after that incident I did two things.  I created a “portrait style guide”, which advises Clients on the proper attire to select for a given situation.  Now, when I book a portrait session, I give or send that guide to the Client.  The second thing I did was to implement a “pre-session consultation”.  Now I insist on meeting with the subject in advance of any portrait session or, if it is a commercial shoot, I meet with the art director.  If the shoot is to be done in my studio, I will invite the Client in for the pre-session consultation a week or so before the shoot.  If it is a location shoot, I meet the Client or art director at the location so I can get a feel for the background and lighting situation and advise them in advance on anything that should be done to ensure the best possible environment to accomplish their goals for the shoot.  This also allows me to plan for the lighting.  Yes – this adds an additional component to the overall amount of time that I invest in the shoot but it is so totally worth it.  My Clients get to see that I am acting as their consultant to ensure that we get the best possible results.

Peter: Your presentation at the January L.A. SMUG is titled “From Zero to Hero – How to Brand, Market, and Grow Your Photography Business.”  What is one of the most important thing photographers should be thinking about when it comes to marketing?

Jim: Create an infrastructure for your business identity – decide on the name of your studio, set up your domain name and design your logo.  Then develop your business identity marketing materials with a common look and feel.  The logo use and color palette should be the same across all of your marketing materials, from your business card and stationery to your Web site and the signature in your email.

Peter: Your background includes a career as a sales and marketing executive for a blue chip technology company.  What experience from that career has benefited you the most in your photographer career?

Jim: The sales and marketing experience I picked up during the course of my high-tech career is priceless.  It gave me a clear understanding of the need to create a strong business identity while pursuing a strategy of brand recognition in the community and markets that I choose to serve.

Peter: You’re very active in giving back to the community through your photography.  Why do you believe in giving back to the community?

Jim: In my high-tech career, as well as my more recent second career as a photographic artist, I’ve enjoyed good fortune and success in my endeavors.  Now it’s time to give back to the community – the people and institutions that have given so much to me and my family.  I believe that whatever you give, you will receive threefold in return.

Peter: What are some ways other photographers can get involved in giving back to their communities?

Jim: Find a charity that you are passionate about and orchestrate a charitable marketing campaign to benefit that charity.  For me, that charity is the City of Hope.  Ten years ago, our son was cured of leukemia at the City of Hope.  We could never repay them for saving our son’s life.  I am on the Board of Governors there and the Speakers’ Bureau, and I give ten percent of every session fee to them.

Peter: Your work includes fine art, portraiture, and commercial photography.  What are the unique artistic challenges and rewards of each type of photography?

Jim: Fine art allows me to exercise total control and artistic freedom over my photography.  By extending my fine art approach to portraiture, I am able to give my Clients a unique experience while creating landmark family heirloom portraits that they will treasure for years to come and pass along through the generations.  Commercial photography is probably the most fulfilling and challenging, as every engagement presents a different lighting situation.  Lighting is my passion and I love to work with the Client and the Art Director to design and deliver the images that best articulate their marketing vision.  Whether it is fine art, portraiture or commercial photography, I take great pleasure in understanding the wants and needs of my Client.  In the end, I want the Client to view me as a partner in the creation of the most compelling images they could imagine.

Peter: What are the unique business challenges and rewards of each of those types of photography?  Do you market differently to fine art clients than you do to commercial clients?  If so, how?

Jim: Yes – you absolutely market differently to each segment.  For fine art, it’s about putting together a body of work, then identifying and working with the gallery that can best fulfill your creative vision.  Getting your “gallery of choice“ to exhibit your work can be challenging, but that’s part of the fun (I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment).

For portraiture, it’s about getting to the right families and executives in your community.  The challenge is to identify them.  So far, I’ve been quite fortunate and successful with community involvement and word of mouth but I need to create some serious marketing campaigns to take it to the next level.

For commercial photography, it depends on the segment you are marketing to.  I shoot everything from executive portraits to corporate events, products for marketing campaigns and concerts.  I use a very different approach in the way I market to each of these segments.

Peter: What’s your dream photography assignment and why?

Jim: I think I shot it already –  the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.  Like I said earlier, as a jazz enthusiast and photographer, it doesn’t get any better than standing at the edge of the stage while listening to and shooting your favorite artists.  I guess my ultimate dream assignment would be to shoot jazz artists and festivals around the world.

Peter: What’s your nightmare photography assignment and why?

Jim: Weddings – I don’t do them because I choose not to deal with the “bridezilla” effect.

Peter: If your clients could all use one word to describe your work, what one word do you want that to be?

Jim: Brilliant

Peter: Do you have one tip that photographers can benefit from in order to stay competitive and financially lucrative in this current economy?

Jim: Take the time to understand your cost of sales and put together a business plan that establishes realistic revenue goals for the markets you choose to serve.  Then work relentlessly to get your name into the community.  Join your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club or networking group. Put together a charitable marketing campaign.  Identify charities that are near and dear to your heart and work closely with them.  Work hard and give tirelessly to your community, and your community will give back to you threefold.

Peter: What are some goals you have for your business in 2010?

Jim: From a business perspective, my plan is to double my business in 2010.  I also have a “stretch” goal to triple the business, and that is what I will work toward.  From an artistic perspective, my goal is to continue to hone my skills in lighting, posing and composition by pursuing educational opportunities wherever and whenever possible.

Peter: You’re the President of the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County.  What are some benefits of PPLAC membership?

Jim:  PPLAC is committed to advancing photographic excellence while maintaining the highest standards of ethical practices and conduct.  To that end, each and every one of our events offers an opportunity for networking and informal interaction among members.  We have an incredible lineup of rock star photographers on our speaker list for 2010.  Names like Ken Sklute, Eddie Tapp, Gil Garcetti, Lee Varis, Lia Sigerblom and Yogi Patel.  Where else can you receive cutting-edge education and information, re-charge your creative juices, network with other photographers and pick the brains of instructors – all in the same event?  When it comes to establishing relationships and partnerships with your industry peers, it doesn’t get any better than this!

Our members are full- or part-time studio photographers, independent fine art photographers, portrait, wedding, or commercial photographers, videographers, assistants, Photoshop experts, students, educators and individuals or firms serving the professional photography industry. PPLAC is the local affiliate of Professional Photographers of California (PPC) and Professional Photographers of America (PPA).  As the local affiliate, we provide the educational tools, networking, information and resources to help photographers accelerate the growth of their professional photography business.

Please go to www.pplac.com for more information.

Peter: When you’re not working, what do you like to do for fun?

Jim: I enjoy spending time with my wife, Marcia, and our children and grandchildren.  Marcia and I are passionate about wine and jazz and we are always on the lookout for opportunities that allow us to pursue those passions – whether it’s a weekend trip to wine country, a jazz cruise or jazz festival, we’ll be  there  and it’s a good bet that you’ll see me shooting something along the way… with my camera, that is.

Thank you Jim for taking the time to answer 20 Questions for  f ō t ō r a c l e.  I’m sure other photographers will learn something from your insight.

Jim Brammer is the special guest speaker at this month’s
Los Angeles SmugMug User Group (SMUG) meeting.

SMUGs are free meetings open to all photographers.

Jim will be giving the presentation…

From Zero to Hero – How to Brand, Market and Grow Your Photography Business

As a photographer, you probably have the creative/artistic side of the business nailed – right?  If you’re shooting great work and your clients love it, what more do you need?  Well – if you are as busy as you want to be, then maybe that’s all you really need.  On the other hand, if you’d like to get busier this is the program for you!

In his former life, Jim Brammer was a sales and marketing executive for a blue chip technology company.  After retiring in 2007, Jim decided to pursue his passion for photography.  By extending his corporate sales and marketing experience to his fledgling photography business, Jim got his photography business up and running in two short years.  In 2009 Jim was honored with the 2009 Small Business of the Year Award by the Woodland Hills – Tarzana Chamber of Commerce, and the 2009 Readers’ Choice Award from the Los Angeles Daily News.

Jim’s “From Zero to Hero” program explores the business of professional photography from a marketing and sales perspective.  You will learn about

• branding – it’s much more than simply coming up with a name for your business
• marketing – once you’ve got the brand, how do create awareness of the brand in your community?
• growing – as your brand becomes known in the community, how do you turn “mind share” into “market share”?

Get ready for solid, actionable advice and step-by-step tips and techniques on how to brand your business, attract clients and maximize sales opportunities.

LA SMUG

Thursday January 21, 2010

7:30 PM

The Global Cafe
11002 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604

FREE and open to ALL photographers.  Tell your friends!

The AP reported this week that my favorite warehouse store, and probably yours too, Costco, is no longer carrying Coca-Cola products in its warehouse stores.  Hard to believe, but it’s true — no Coke on Costco shelves.  Costco made this decision because the chain can’t come to an agreement with the soft drink maker.  According to Costco, Coke isn’t being competitive with its pricing, and Costco — a brand that’s identified with value, wants to keep it’s prices low.  Costco is so committed to keeping prices low for it’s members, that it’s willing to risk its relationship with Coke, one of the largest and most powerful brands in the world.  Why would Costco do that?  Because Costco management knows that the strength of the Costco brand is built on giving it’s members optimum value.  Rather than weaken it’s brand, Costco knows that being loyal to its brand identity and customer base is critical in maintaining the leadership position it has within the marketplace.

We can look at Costco’s bold move and learn a a few very important lessons on branding and marketing our photography businesses:

1. Identify your clients
   Costco really knows its customers.  Costco has always been a “members only” club store that continually succeeds at meeting the needs and wants of its members.  As pro photographers, it’s just as important for us to understand the needs and wants of our target client base, and then provide a solution for them.  When we make our businesses truly about serving our clients’ wants and needs, we’ll see our businesses grow in record time.

2. Create value
   Benefit – Cost = Value (Benefit minus Cost equals Value)
   It’s no question that Costco is known for delivering value.  Just like Costco, we have to deliver value to our clients.  Value doesn’t necessarily equate to the lowest price, so please don’t confuse the two.  For the most part, Costco sells commodities – goods and services you can buy anywhere.  But if you can buy the same stuff down the street, why would you want to pay for an annual membership to Costco?  Because Costco delivers value with more than just lower prices.  Some of the added value at Costco is the larger sizes, the member services, and exclusive products that only they carry.  Costco knows what it’s members value.  Do you know what your clients value?  Do they value only price or do they value more?  Maybe they value award-winning images?  Full service attention?  Experience?  Personality?  High-quality albums?  It’s most important to identify what your clients value and then determine what benefits and, at what cost, you can deliver those benefits to them.  That’s what creates value.  Keep in mind that what your clients value are not necessarily what my clients value.  Part of identifying your clients’ values is to determine how uniquely you can provide benefits to them.  The more specific and unique the benefits you  provide, the greater your value will be to your cliens, and ultimately, the cost to hire you will increase in accordance to your value.

3. Be confident
   In order to negotiate so fiercely with Coca-Cola, Costco has to be confident in its position at the negotiating table.  Costco has about 57 millions members worldwide.  That’s a huge customer base that Costco is betting that Coca-Cola doesn’t want to loose, especially considering that Costco still carries Pepsi products.  Also consider that Costco carries a selective line of products — usually limiting the selection of any type of product to only one or two national brands and sometimes offering their well-respected house brand — Kirkland.  Costco has mastered the business of warehouse club sales, from the way it deals with vendors, employees, and members, it is a success in all accounts.  Like Costco, we need to also be confident in ourselves if we are to be successful in the photography business.  It’s not only important to be confident in creating fantastic photographs, it’s even more important to be confident in all areas of your business.  Do you have a solid contract?  Is your equipment reliable and do you have backups?  Are you insured?  Is your bookkeeping accurate and up-to-date?  Do you have positive referals from satisified clients?  Have you been published?  Do you have a strong network of wedding professionals to refer you?  The more of these things you can say yes to, the more confident you will become, and this type of confidence is important in creating and maintaining your brand identity.

So there you have it — three lessons we can learn from Costco in brand identity.  Now if I could only learn how walk out of Costco without wanting a slice of their killer pizza!