Collages.net recently had the chance to talk to Edson Dias of Dias Photography about his studio’s success in 2008.

How did you get into the photography business?
I went to school for fine art with a concentration in computer design and photography, but I was always interested in art.

How long have you been in the photography business?
I started in the wedding photography business five years ago in 2004.

Describe your style.
My style provides a balanced approach. I have an artistic and photojournalistic component to my photography with a touch of a formal approach. I mainly shoot weddings and portrait photography and also touch on a formal approach.

What gear do you use?
I use all Nikon gear and shoot with my Nikon D3. My second light is crucial to doing what I do. Using a second light with an umbrella is a really important part of what I do as it creates a really unique look to my images.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by new things. I find inspiration in other photographs outside of the wedding industry. Those types of photographs inspire me to do new things in my wedding photography because doing wedding photography can get a little redundant so it’s always inspiring to look at other forms of art and photography for inspiration.

What is your favorite Collages.net product or service and why?
Number one is using the online hosting through Collages.net. Online hosting is really huge for my studio. At the end of the year, I see a lot of sales from my Collages.net event sites and I appreciate the fact that Collages.net will relaunch my sites at the end of the year, boosting print sales, which makes a big difference in my studio’s bottom line. I also really love the online chat feature, collagesChat, and this year I hope to start using Collages.net Albums and Album Design so I can outsource all aspects of creating my albums.

Do you use Facebook or other social networking sites?
I use Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, and LinkedIn for my business.

What was your wackiest wedding moment?
There was a moment at the end of the day after shooting a long wedding that I’ll never forget. It was towards the end of the night and people were really getting into the reception and everyone was dancing and getting loose. The DJ was blasting this music and everything was going great, and I had my bag of gear next to the DJ where I usually keep my gear. My assistant and I started packing up because the night was ending. Right as we were about to leave, I picked up my camera bag and I accidentally pulled the cord out of the wall connected to the DJ’s gear. The room was silent - it was so embarrassing.

What was your best business decision in 2008?
My best business decision was to hire help. I hired an assistant who helps me at weddings and with editing. Hiring help allowed me to focus on marketing, getting published, and exhibiting my work in 2008.

How are you getting more clients in 2009?
What I’m focusing on more is doing two things differently. The first thing is that I’m focusing on creating relationships with preferred vendors. I’m getting to be a preferred partner with vendors I’ve worked with in the past and am providing them free pamphlets to show off their work and my own work as well. I design the pamphlets myself and they cost me about $350 to print them, but it provides continual exposure from the wedding coordinator from a venue I shoot frequently. It’s extremely effective and not that expensive in the end. Clients then have something to take home with my name and studio information attached as opposed to an album or other product left in a hotel that they can’t take home with them. My second focus is converting more leads into bookings. I get enough leads, e-mails, and phone calls about my studio, but I want to close more clients. To accomplish this, I am working on my presentation when meeting with clients. This includes working on my salesmanship, how to sell better. The most important aspect of sales is working on interpersonal skills and how to connect with people. Learning how to communicate more effectively and how to be a better listener will not only allow me to close more business, but it will also make me a better photographer.

When people leave your studio, what impression do you want them to leave with?
I want them to have good, quality photos. I want them to feel good. I want them to enjoy my work and feel that I was easy to work with.

Collages.net would like to thank Edson for sharing this information about his studio. If you would like your studio to be featured on our blog, please e-mail us at customerservice@collages.net.

This week’s websites of the week come from Grant Isaac Studio and BlueFlair Photography.

Beth and Ben were married on a bright, clear, and cold January day outside of Columbus, OH. Grant Longenbaugh of Grant Isaac Studio recalls, “Beth arranged to have the entire wedding and reception in the same beautiful church so everyone could stay warm all day, which also gave us a nice block of time for pictures with just Beth and Ben. The pictures taken during that time ended up being our favorites from the day because the two of them seemed so at ease and happy to be with each other!”

Nicole Achartz of BlueFlair Photography photographed Josh at Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad, California. Nicole said, “Leo Carrillo Ranch is a National Landmark just over the hill from our studio. The ranch is one of our favorite locations for the myriad of background choices and beautiful light. The session was amazing as Josh is an incredibly outgoing and expressive six year old. Josh is a model and with those eyelashes, dimples, and that personality, there’s no telling how famous he’ll become.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Collages.net is pleased to announce the latest addition to its album collection - album design! Let Collages.net take album design off your to-do list. Today’s studios are constantly looking for ways to create time and find good values. Collages.net’s Album Design Team is dedicated to providing a personalized design that is tailored to your clients’ individual styles. Send us your images and we do the rest - color correct, design, print, and bind.

Collages.net Album Design features include:

• Color Correction - Color correction can be added to any album design order.
• Turnaround Time - Album designs are completed within ten business days or less.
• Design Review - Upon completion of the album design, you will receive a low resolution PDF.
• Revisions - After you have reviewed the design, up to ten changes all given at the same time can be made to the design at no charge.

Collages.net’s design, print, and bind album solution helps successful studios across the United States save time and money by centralizing their product workflow. To learn more about Collages.net’s Album line that includes leather and photographic covers, visit www.collages.net/albums.

For more information or to get started with Collages.net Album Design, contact Collages.net’s Customer Service Team at www.collages.net/chat or customerservice@collages.net.

This week’s websites of the week come from More Than An Image Photography and Socialite Studios.

Lacy Dagerath of More Than An Image Photography shot Britany’s bridal portraits at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Lacy recalls, “Britany was a blast to shoot! It was a family affair with mom, dad, and future mother-in-law and everyone was so much fun. I can’t wait to shoot her big day!”

Joelle Susan of Socialite Studios shot Krista and Phil’s wedding in St. Leo, Florida. Joelle describes, “Krista and Phil’s day embodied the spirit of the ‘classic’ wedding. From the colors to the church, the ambience of the day was elegant all around. It was also great to share portrait time with their adorable baby boy.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

You are already talking about us – now it’s time that you started getting paid for it!

Whether you love us for online hosting, prints, albums, press printed books, gallery wraps, cards, or as a one-stop-shop solution for your studio, through the Collages.net Referral Program you can earn $50 of product credit for each professional photography colleague you refer.

Blogs, forums, and associations have become a great tool for networking and finding solutions to problems you face every day in the industry. What online solution should we use? Who has the fastest turnaround time on albums? What company can I trust with my print business? We are now giving you an incentive to brag about your partner - Collages.net, the industry’s leading online workflow, print, and product solution. Collages.net offers:

• Elegant online presentation – flexible enough to meet the needs of various studios
• Best professional color lab – over 50 years of print experience
• Innovative, modern products – Collages.net gives studios a full product line to present their images
• Fast turnaround times – no matter the product, Collages.net delivers a high quality product quickly
• Phenomenal customer support – four ways to get answers to your every question: phone, e-mail, chat, support site

Getting started is easy. Here’s how:

• Click on the Refer Now button or visit www.collages.net/referral
• Provide your friends’ studio contact information.
• An e-mail will be sent to your friend on your behalf. In the message, your friend receives a coupon code for $25 of product credit, redeemable after sign-up.
• Your friend signs up and starts using Collages.net for any of its services and products.
• Once your friend spends $100, you will receive an e-mail with a coupon code for $50 in product credit. There is no limit to how many friends you can sign up.

As always, if you have any questions about this program, feel free to contact Collages.net Customer Service by phone (877) 638-7468, e-mail customerservice@collages.net, or collagesChat www.collages.net/chat.

This week’s websites of the week come from Schmitt Photography and Jane Decle Photography.

Tyler Schmitt of Schmitt Photography photographed Alli’s senior portraits in the new community center in Gladstone, Missouri. Tyler recalls, ”Alli has been a family friend since she was born. She was the flower girl in our wedding, so we were really excited when she chose us to shoot her senior portraits. We had plans to for an outdoor session, but snow pushed our plans indoors. We chose the new community center for its textures, open spaces and light. It was a little strange to shoot while her friends were working out, but we had a lot of fun and were very pleased with the results.”

Jane Decle of Jane Decle Photography photographed Barry and Sonia’s wedding on the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. “Trinidad is a really beautiful location to shoot weddings,” Jane describes. “There are many historical sites that can be used for portrait shooting that are all easily accessible. The formal portraits for Barry and Sonia’s wedding were photographed at the Trinidad Country Club, an old estate house on a few acres of land.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Collages.net recently had the chance to talk with Barbie Hull of Barbie Hull Photography about her studio and her blog. 

How would you describe your studio style?

Candid, fun. I just like to have a good time with my clients so their true personality comes out.

What type of photography are you most passionate about?

Weddings and travel.

Where did you find your inspiration for your blog’s design?

I am always looking for new styles. Right now I have the black background that really makes the images pop.  A year ago, I had a blog that was highly stylized, which I later thought made the blog look too busy causing the images to be lost.

What was important to you when looking for a blog vendor?

Control and design. I chose WordPress as my vendor because they have both of these. I have complete control of the look and feel. Even the menu bars are designable. They also have excellent customer service, which is important for any vendor.

Which entry has been your most popular entry this year?

It was probably a posting I did about a charity event that I and other photographers in the area helped with called Get Hitched, Give Hope. This event was a charity auction where wedding services were auctioned off. The profits were donated to an organization called Brides Against Breast Cancer. This organization grants wishes to woman in the final stages of breast cancer. This year on February 14, I am going to be shooting a dream wedding for one of these women. It is going to be beautiful. Check out my blog on the February 15th to see images from the event!

What do you write about on your blog?

Typically, I write about my clients and vendors. I like to talk about how much fun my clients are. They tell me they feel like celebrities. My vendors also like the attention - it looks good for both of our search engine rankings to have the additional links.

How do you see the blog benefitting your studio?

Having the blog has been huge for my studio. I rely mostly on word of mouth advertising. So the blog makes it easier for my clients to spread the word about my studio. They pass it along to their friends. Which is great for me.

Do you have any blog stalkers?

Yes, (Laughingly) I do. I run into people at parties and as soon as they hear my name they tell me, unapologetically, that they stalk my blog. I don’t mind.

What advice would you give to photographers who are looking to start a blog or revamp their blog?

Make sure to update your blog at least once a month and include as many links as you can. Doing both of these things, will increase your search engine rankings making your studio easier to find.

Let’s talk! If you’d like your studio featured on Collages.net’s blog, send an e-mail to customerservice@collages.net.

On Monday, January 26, 2009, CEO of Collages.net, Kevin Casey, joined 60 photographers in Bridgeport, CT to deliver a seminar entitled “Finding Your Blue Ocean,” designed to help photographers think like a start-up company as they take their studio to new heights. He based this workshop on his belief that everyone is an entrepreneur and affirms that whether a photographer has an established and profitable studio or a new studio or business, the most successful companies in the world constantly think like a start-up. Kevin has delivered this seminar to numerous other photography associations and groups to the benefit of all.

Rob and Kathleen Trenske of Robert & Kathleen Photographers, also in Bridgeport, hosted the workshop for about 60 professional photographers from the region. The group interaction from this seminar provided dozens of fresh, new ideas designed to fuel the continued success of the photographers’ studios. Rob and Kathleen said, “There was an incredible turnout. I met people who were in the area that I didn’t even know about. What was really great was the idea of working differently. People who would normally be in competition are getting together and coming up with fresh ideas and are partnering together.” Rob went on to say, “It was great to receive positive feedback from photographers who came from both near and far. One studio drove four hours to come! He sent me an e-mail the following morning and told me that the time was extremely valuable to him. I received similar feedback from other studios who attended as well.”

“This is exactly the message that studios across the country need to hear right now,” says President Kevin Casey. “In this economy every studio should be thinking creatively to grow their bottom lines and stay on the cutting edge.  This interactive two hour workshop, which involves breaking the larger group down into discussion teams of eight photographers, yields an incredible number of new ideas and strategies.  As each team presents the ideas that are working in their studios and the programs that are not working, you can see the light bulb come on as studios’ blue oceans become visible.  Moderating and helping the studios think their way through these concepts is fun – for me and for them.  Every photographer leaves the workshop with at least three to four new ideas that they can then execute on.  I’m glad that I can use my expertise and business experience to help our Collages.net photographers - and all photographers for that matter, do well in the business they are passionate about.”

It’s true, Collages.net wishes to help your studio succeed. If your photography group or association would like to have Kevin’s Blue Ocean workshop/seminar come to your town or your convention, please contact Collages.net at customerservice@collages.net  or (877) 638-7468. At Collages.net, we provide information on ways to improve business practices, sell more, and build your brand under the community section of the website. If there is a topic that you would like to know more about, e-mail us at customerservice@collages.net or leave a comment on our blog.

Photo courtesy of Robert & Kathleen Photographers

This week’s websites of the week come from Off Guard Photography and Stubbs Photography by Kim.

Heidi Rote of Off Guard Photography in Carlsbad, CA, captured these portraits at Carlsbad State Beach. Heidi recalls, “Cody is deploying with the US Navy for nine months, leaving his family behind. These portraits are a special gift for the family, created with the purpose of remembering blissful times together. The Haizlip family had fun playing and laughing with their daughter, Ravan, and I had the honor of capturing their perfect, sincere moments together. Working with families like this is the primary reason I believe in a candid approach - the best pictures happen when you stop looking for them!”

Kim Stubbs of Stubbs Photography by Kim photographed Rebecca and Matthew’s wedding in Oklahoma City, OK. Kim remembers, “Rebecca and Matthew were married at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City, OK. The couple met on E-Harmony and after photographing their engagement and wedding, their pictures reflected that the two definitely had the ‘29 dimensions of compatibility’!”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.