Thursday, 14. January 2010
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…”
Jim Brammer
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
FREE and open to ALL photographers. Tell your friends!
