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Photos top row - Saddle Peak Lodge from my series "Behind the Door - Chefs their Food and their Kitchens"
Photos second row - Hilton and Loews Hotels
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
My Girlfriend Calls Me "Prom King"
I was having a discussion with a few friends about my photography and what I do. It seems that the one common thing aside from the high quality of my work is that, you guessed it, I'm a Prom King. Not in the literal sense of the word. My girlfriend coined that phrase a while ago when she noticed that I just seem to attract all sorts of people and am able to make them all feel at ease. I like to have a good time and love to see others enjoying themselves. I can throw together an event at the blink of an eye and everyone is eating great food, drinking good wine and just having a great time. I do have one secret, I am a trained chef so maybe that helps a bit.
Yes, Rico, that's all fine and good but this is a photography blog, how does your "prom kinging" relate to your photography? Well it's more of an attitude, a lifestyle that allows me to create photographs that bring out that certain "je ne sais quoi" of my subjects, my clients and the overall mood on the set. I mean when I'm working with other prom kings then the work is just easier, it flows, the creativity is sparked and everyone's having a great time.
The overall point is why make the work difficult and arduous when you can create great work and have a good time doing it. It's the reaction I get whether I'm shooting for Hilton or The Saddle Peak Lodge, this guy comes in, makes us feel good, gives us more than we expected and then has a great time eating and drinking with us afterward, what's not to like. So that's what it's like to work with a prom king which just makes it all feel good.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Photography's impact on your business
In today's marketplace we are innundated with so many offers and messages from similar businesses that it is imperative to figure out a way to set yourself and your business apart from the others in your field.
Be a trendsetter in your field.
You do your work differently than everyone else, you're not just like the other guy and you certainly have your unique way of doing things. It's time for you to take the bull by the horns and become a trendsetter. One thing that will put in front of the curve is to take the photography of yourself and your products a more seriously. The photograph is the first thing that most people see when they come to your site. In the the case of a product, it's what they are going to base their buying decision on, yet today so many entrepreneurs compromise on this very important part of their marketing. They justify it by telling themselves it's too expensive or they'll do it themselves or get a friend with a camera to do it.
Why compromise on such an important part of your business?
Photography is as an investment in your company. It is a reflection of how you view yourself and your business. We come from a place of service holding our customers in the highest regard giving them our best and part of our service to them is to hold ourselves in high esteem as well by honoring the image that we project in public. This includes our photographic image.
Take a look at your own marketing materials, your website, ezine etc...
What is it that sets you apart from the plethora of people in your same industry?
How will you draw attention to yourself and get your brand identified?
There are several components to this one is the graphic presentation, another is unique attention grabbing headlines but the one thing that will set you apart immediately and communicate your message quickly is a great photograph or series of photographs that captures who you are or captures your products in the most visually arresting way possible.
We've all seen the typical headshot that makes you look like a very respectable person, but what does that photograph say about you and who you are? In addition we've seen photographs of products or facilities that are plain, don't show much detail, aren't well lit or just plain don't bring out the true quality of the product that you are selling.
One suggestion I would have would be to invest in a series of photographic images that set you apart from the others in your field. If you're a life coach or professional think of all the things that you do the hats that you wear in your business. Your customers will have an opportunity to get to know you a bit better through your use of photography on your website. When choosing a photographer look for someone who you feel comfortable with. Who brings something different to the party and can create a unique set of images that you can use in your marketing.
A great example of this is the way one of my clients Dennis Chamberland used the photographs that I took of him to create a unique web presence and business cards showing a more authentic side of his personality. It has allowed his prospects to get to know him a bit better visually without the need to read everything on his website.
Once you have the series of images created then have fun with them. Some clients use the images for different marketing pieces to accentuate the meaning of the piece. If you are in a specific field then you may want images that are photographed using an environment that is similar to the industries that you serve. The important thing is don't let the images go stale. Keep them fresh just as you do your business and the programs, products or services that you offer.
Remember it's your image so have fun with it and keep it fresh and alive, just as you do your growing business.
Be a trendsetter in your field.
You do your work differently than everyone else, you're not just like the other guy and you certainly have your unique way of doing things. It's time for you to take the bull by the horns and become a trendsetter. One thing that will put in front of the curve is to take the photography of yourself and your products a more seriously. The photograph is the first thing that most people see when they come to your site. In the the case of a product, it's what they are going to base their buying decision on, yet today so many entrepreneurs compromise on this very important part of their marketing. They justify it by telling themselves it's too expensive or they'll do it themselves or get a friend with a camera to do it.
Photography is as an investment in your company. It is a reflection of how you view yourself and your business. We come from a place of service holding our customers in the highest regard giving them our best and part of our service to them is to hold ourselves in high esteem as well by honoring the image that we project in public. This includes our photographic image.
Take a look at your own marketing materials, your website, ezine etc...
What is it that sets you apart from the plethora of people in your same industry?
How will you draw attention to yourself and get your brand identified?
There are several components to this one is the graphic presentation, another is unique attention grabbing headlines but the one thing that will set you apart immediately and communicate your message quickly is a great photograph or series of photographs that captures who you are or captures your products in the most visually arresting way possible.
We've all seen the typical headshot that makes you look like a very respectable person, but what does that photograph say about you and who you are? In addition we've seen photographs of products or facilities that are plain, don't show much detail, aren't well lit or just plain don't bring out the true quality of the product that you are selling.
A great example of this is the way one of my clients Dennis Chamberland used the photographs that I took of him to create a unique web presence and business cards showing a more authentic side of his personality. It has allowed his prospects to get to know him a bit better visually without the need to read everything on his website.
Once you have the series of images created then have fun with them. Some clients use the images for different marketing pieces to accentuate the meaning of the piece. If you are in a specific field then you may want images that are photographed using an environment that is similar to the industries that you serve. The important thing is don't let the images go stale. Keep them fresh just as you do your business and the programs, products or services that you offer.
Remember it's your image so have fun with it and keep it fresh and alive, just as you do your growing business.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
5 A Day #8 - Italian Local Men
One of the things I love about traveling are the local people. No matter where I am I love to sit and talk to the local people if possible or at least watch them. I know it seems voyeuristic but I like to see what they look like, how they interact, what they eat, if I understand the language, what they are saying. It's the locals that make the trip for me.
When I was in Tuscany for the first time, we arrived at the vineyard farmhouse where we were staying. They were having a party, celebrating their 20th year in business and Bastille day. Our hosts invited us to join the party. The people were so inviting and the conversations went well into the night covering many subjects from politics, to music, food and travel. It was a great experience. In Poland we went to a small village that was mentioned in a book that my wife was reading. We found some of the locals who showed us where the places mentioned in the book were. They found someone in the town who could speak english to translate what the grandmother and her friends were saying about the people who wrote the book along with those they wrote about. It was fascinating.
Men congregate in small groups. It begins at a young age. They get together to watch the women go by, talk about sports, politics have an afternoon drink or espresso and just take in the surroundings. It's a quiet time for them to unwind and contemplate life's questions. The images below just happen to be of local boys and men of all ages. They were taken in the area of Viterbo in Italy.
All images are for sale. They are printed to archival standards using 100% rag papers and archival pigment inks. Images are limited to editions of 25 for 13 x 19 and 15 for 17 x 22.
You can see more of my work on my website - www.ricomandel.com
When I was in Tuscany for the first time, we arrived at the vineyard farmhouse where we were staying. They were having a party, celebrating their 20th year in business and Bastille day. Our hosts invited us to join the party. The people were so inviting and the conversations went well into the night covering many subjects from politics, to music, food and travel. It was a great experience. In Poland we went to a small village that was mentioned in a book that my wife was reading. We found some of the locals who showed us where the places mentioned in the book were. They found someone in the town who could speak english to translate what the grandmother and her friends were saying about the people who wrote the book along with those they wrote about. It was fascinating.
Men congregate in small groups. It begins at a young age. They get together to watch the women go by, talk about sports, politics have an afternoon drink or espresso and just take in the surroundings. It's a quiet time for them to unwind and contemplate life's questions. The images below just happen to be of local boys and men of all ages. They were taken in the area of Viterbo in Italy.
All images are for sale. They are printed to archival standards using 100% rag papers and archival pigment inks. Images are limited to editions of 25 for 13 x 19 and 15 for 17 x 22.
You can see more of my work on my website - www.ricomandel.com
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