I started this business 15 years ago, before facebook, Instagram and Twitter really took off. The only ‘free advertising’ was word of mouth and kijiji. Boy the times have changed! We have managed to adapt to the changing world of social media, SEO, among many other changes in one of the most competitive markets in our province. In case you haven’t heard, 5 years ago (and possibly, still today, I haven’t looked into it recently), we had the most photographers per capita in all of North America, right here in Saskatoon 😳.
Running a business isn’t easy. Running a business with SO much competition has been tough, especially during a pandemic. Overhead is HIGH, and business has slowed with many people constantly rescheduling due to illness, etc.
Working in a over-staturated market, has forced us to step out of our comfort zone and do a few things to stand out from the competition. So what makes us different than everyone else? A combination of the following:
Education. We are constantly paying for courses on an annual basis, to keep up with the trends. Education has been and always will be important to me. I know I don’t know everything, so learning all the time is what keeps me inspired.
Equipment. Our equipment is $$$$$. providing our clients with top quality images.
Availability. We do this full time, so our availability is plentiful.
Peace of mind. If we have to cancel for any reason, we won’t leave you hanging. We will either reschedule to another date or have another photographer photograph your session for us. This has only happened once in the past when I was sick with a flu and had a grad session in the books (it was too tough to reschedule hair/makeup etc).
Studio. We have a nice, warm, cozy studio to shoot in all winter (and summer) long. Perfect for a back up on those rainy days too.
Experience. With 15 years of experience under my belt. I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. Experience will ensure your family session runs smoothly.
The process. We like to get to know all of our families before we get them in front of the camera, which is why we have a consultation with every client before their session. It’s important to me to have a bit of a repertoire with our clients before we ever pick up a camera. After the session we will have you back to the studio for an ordering appointment. At this time, I will personally help you go through your all of your images and decide which images you with to purchase and which images you don’t.
Retouching. We retouch every single image you purchase. This doesn’t mean we throw a filter in your image and deliver. We go over each image, individually and remove blemishes, acne, whiten teeth etc. We had our family photos done once and I had to retouch a zit off my face. I didn’t realize my photographer at the time didn’t do retouching on her images. Lesson learned. I promise you, we will take care of all the retouching so your images will be ready for print! Our rule is if it’s not there permanently, we will happily remove it. No filters used here!
Me! I know it sounds cheesy but I’ve been doing this for a while and it’s my main priority to make you feel as comfortable as possible in front of my lens. I have a few tips and tricks to get those natural smiles. If your photographer isn’t personable, you likely won’t have a good experience in front of their lens. My main priority is to make you feel at ease, which will translate into beautiful, natural looking smiles. I’ve been in front of the camera more times than I count and still feel super uncomfortable. So one of the things I’ve learned from being in front of the camera is my photographer must be personable to make me feel comfortable with a camera in my face.
If you are looking for a family photographer here in Saskatoon and area and want someone who is experienced in their field, I would love to meet you! You can check out this short video HERE to see what a session with us looks like (Please note this was shot precovid.).
