Photos!

I just got back from our FANTASTIC photo shoot with our new professional photographer. One of the main things I'm trying to do this year, in addition to launching a few new products and getting them onto store shelves, is to upgrade all our marketing material so that what people see via website, marketing brochures, trade show setup, etc, is in line with the brand we've created. The brand is currently seen as an upscale, high-end product but much of our marketing material is truly "middle-market" so it all needs to be brought up to speed.

One of the key steps to achieving that is to get new professional photos since the last time we had real photos taken was two years ago. I went in today with a list of shots we had to have and a list of shots I'd love to get and walked out with all those and more. My photographer was wonderful and I'd tell him what I envisioned using each picture for and he would get it set up and looking wonderful. I just saw the pictures as they flashed on the computer screen but I'm over-the-moon happy with what I saw and can't wait to pick up the proofs and the disc on Monday.

One thing that did make the photos really "pop" was due to a tip another entreprenuer gave me. Photographers obviously have lots of backdrops and props in their studio but this friend recommended I hit up Papersource and Impress (fancy paper stores) and buy a small stash of anything unique that caught my eye. We ended up using the paper I bought today in the more artistic shots since I specifically bought that paper with various products in mind. At the end of the day it cost me approx $30 for the paper and the return was some amazing looking shots that I just know are really going to stand out in advertisements and blow people away at trade shows.

Not to mention that at the end of the day he charged me *far* less then I was expecting to get charged. We had talked about price initially but with photographers, obviously, a lot of the price is dependent both on time in studio as well as post-production. At the end of todays shoot he gave me a better idea of the price range we were playing in and it's less then I anticipated. I also found out that he offers his services up at an upcoming silent auction I'm planning to attend so I plan on trying to secure his services once again as I know I'll be needing more photos again at some point.

If anyone would like the name of a really great product and food photographer (he does the "menu" food shots for Nordstrom) in Seattle let me know.