I'm nt sure, but I think this will go up on my blog tomorrow.

[Aric C. Hoek]

First let me say that the new random images on the Portal are way cool.

OK. The following is a cut and paste from something I have been writing over the past few hours. You may be able to connect with where I am coming from. I am going to wait until tomorrow to decided if I am actualy going to post this on my blog. Yes... the wine is flowing agian.

I am just sitting in my chair writing waiting for my wife to get home from work, so I thought I woudl share what I have writen tonight.

Copy and Paste -

Title: How to get your photographer really excited about you! Or at least how to get me excited about photographing your wedding. Or something along these lines.

Do you want me to be excited about photographing your wedding? Then you need to read this entry. This entry is a bit long, but in the end, you might understand where I am coming from.

Normally the blog entries I write are light and happy, but right now I just need to vent. Blog entries should be real right? And while that voice in the back of my head says that this is not the place to vent, I also hear a voice saying that this is exactly the place. Venting on my own blog just shows my readers that what I have to say here is always the truth.

I need to preface a bit first though, and this preface may be a bit boring, but it is essential to understanding where I am coming from.

1986 was my introduction to photography. I sold my first image in 1988.

During my first year of college in 1988 I declared my major in Fine Arts with a minor in business. Throughout my college career my major never changed. I have always known what I wanted to do, and what made me the happiest. Photography.

My freshman year was at Salem State College just south of Boston. In 1990 I traveled to Florence, Italy and studied cinematography and advanced black and white photography. That same year I transferred to Northern Arizona University.

In 1993 I graduated from NAU with a BFA, with an emphasis in photography and a minor in business. When I graduated, I could phtography anything professionally.

In the summer of 1993 I moved South to Phoenix with some friends and worked for the next two years at two different photography studios. The size of my room in the house I was living in during those two years is the size of my closet today. Those were hard times.

The first studio I worked at out of college was run by a man named Bill Flowers. Bill photographed schools all over the state of Arizona and he photographed little league sports in the city of Phoenix. He dominated the Phoenix market and his business was huge.

After a year of basking in the Phoenix sun photographing kids on one knee with a baseball bat, or football, or soccer ball, or whatever kind of ball I decided I had learned all I wanted to learn from Bill. I then applied to work with Jim Duke, also in Phoenix. Mr. Duke redefined my definition of huge.

Duke Photography got me involved in proms and my first introduction to professional studio photography. I worked diligently for Mr. Duke for just under two years, after which I decided it was time to move back to Houston.

Once back in Houston I worked as a district trainer for all the new photographers working at Glamour Shots. Yes,Glamour Shots. Working there actually gave me a fantastic education in the business of photography. I was there from 1993 - 1995.

In 1995 I re-applied to a photography studio called Gitting’s. The first time I had applied Gitting’s was years earlier, however I was turned down due to lack of experience. Gitting's is the pinnacle of photography in Houston and many areas. A man named Greg Lorfing runs and owns Gitting’s now. Greg had hired me to work in his digital lab. Digital photography was just staring up at this point. While there I was scanning film on a drum sanccer and retouhing.

From Gitting’s I moved onto Houston Photo Imaging in 1997. I was brought on to manage their digital department at their Shepherd location. I left HPI very quickly after discovering that the owner and I weren’t going to get along very well. We had some very strong differences.

In 1997 I started a company called Advanced Digital Imaging. ADI was a digital photo lab. I was drum scanning in film from the best photographers in Houston, digitally retouching the files to perfection, and then selling those digital files back to the studio. The education I received was phenomenal. ADI closed in 2003.

In 2003 SOLARIS was born. Prior to it’s conception I had received a long and hard education into the world of becoming a professional photographer. I am most definitely not the accountant that quit their day job one day and picked up a camera the next. Photography is all I have ever done in my life to earn money.

Looking at my website you can see that my clients have paid me to travel all over the world to create my unique style of imagery for them. I have paid my dues and now I am producing some fantastic work for my clients.

I really do not want to hurt my business with this entry. Quite the opposite. If you are looking for individuals to make your wedding special, then you need to seek out the people that live and breathe wedding photography, video, flowers, cakes, or whatever.

Here is what I am getting at. When you decide to contact a wedding vendor for the very first time, think about what you are going to say. Are you sending out an email message that is obviously a cut and paste to every wedding vendor in Houston?

Lets say two people are contacting me the same week, and their weddings are both on the same day. The first email reads something like this, “Packages and prices please.” That’s it. Nothing else.

Later that same day lets say I receive and email that reads something to the effect of, “We love your work and we have read your blog. We can see that you are passionate about what you do and we would love for you to photograph our wedding. Could you please tell us the next available time that we can meet with you to discuss our needs.? Your work is really what we are looking for.”

Who do you think I am going to contact first? Am I going to contact both inquiries? You bet. I am going to contact both inquiries, but I am going to schedule one before the other.
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I am not sure of how I am going to end this entry, but I kind of like it the way it is.

[xseption]

Live and breathe photography ... great choice of words and a great point to be noted

BLOG IT!

[CobyPhoto]

Originally Posted by Aric C. Hoek

Prior to it’s conception I had received a long and hard education into the world of becoming a professional photographer. I am most definitely not the accountant that quit their day job one day and picked up a camera the next. Photography is all I have ever done in my life to earn money.

Aric,

Very apt way to clarify the difference between a professional and someone who loves photography and does this as a sideline.

I originally started in this business, in 1986 straight outta RIT then took a second job to help support myself and now own a studio. Photography has been my passion and source of income for a long time as well.

And no, I am not trying to flame those who do it as a sideline. This in my opinion is one of the main factors that sets the professionals apart from others...24/7, 365 live and breath photography. You just can't approach your craft with the same passion, expertise and devotion to the craft if you have another career demanding equal or more time, (the one that pays the bills) and that isn't taking into account time you spend with family.

I am going to remeber this and quote you in the future!

P.S. Are you going to the Guild meeting the 19th.? If so I will look you up and say hello.

CJ

[xseption]

Aric:

What are the names of the three songs on your site? ... I need to get a copy of each of those for the sheer enjoyment of the music ... plus your site is well done!

[LoungeLizard]

I'll go out on a limb and disagree respectfully disagree with Coby. What determines a professional is the way they approach the work and the client. It is NOT whether you do it full time, part time, or whatever. It is the person who has a passion for the work and the clients. It is the person who treats the clients AND their peers with the outmost respect. It is the person who BEHAVES as a professional. It is a person who exibits expertise in what they do.

There are plenty of full timers in this business who I'm sure you would NOT consider "professionals". Working at something part time does mean the person is NOT a professional.

Now, Aric, I have never met you though I've heard some very good words about you. I like what you wrote and to me it is trying to tell the client that THEY should act as a professional. They should treat you with respect. They should treat your work with respect. They should treat you like they would like to be treated.

Unfortunately, aside from being a rant, I don't know what benefit you would gain from posting that in your blog.

[CobyPhoto]

Originally Posted by LoungeLizard

I'll go out on a limb and disagree respectfully disagree with Coby. What determines a professional is the way they approach the work and the client. It is NOT whether you do it full time, part time, or whatever. It is the person who has a passion for the work and the clients. It is the person who treats the clients AND their peers with the outmost respect. It is the person who BEHAVES as a professional. It is a person who exibits expertise in what they do.

Agreed, it is always more than just one thing that makes one a "pro" in their particular craft. And I have to say, I think your last line should read: It is a person who delivers (not exibhits) expertise in what they do.

As far as Aric's rant about clients, I feel you give up the right to complain about clients the moment you open your own business. They are your life blood and you must please them at all costs, even the ones you would rather not.

CJ

[DeLeon]

With all due respect, it reminds me going to an "uppety" department store and not getting help because I didn't kiss the salesman's a$$.

I'm sorry, my entire career until now was in retail sales. I have made a living treating people like I was glad that THEY wanted to do business with ME. That is what always got me the big sales.

This entry sounds like your clients should be thrilled that you are willing to give them a small amount of your time.

[LadyShutterBug]

I can say wholeheartedly that if i had read something like that on your website, as a bride looking for a photographer, (if i even made it past the education/experience part.) i would seriously be rubbed the wrong way.

In planning my wedding, I immediately ruled out any vendor who seemed at all high-maintenance. To me, that's how you come off there. To quote my husband's favorite MTV show, "NEXT!"

There are probably people to whom budget is not a bother, and they are willing to pay whatever you ask... but that isn't the case for most people. Most people need ot know if they can afford you before they go getting all involved with you. Even people who are incredibly artistic and love photography and appreciate all of your edication, talent, and hard work.

Your work is beautiful-- but you are not a one-of-a kind, irreplaceable artist who is above providing a high level of customer service. Flat out saying "Look, I've got experience and a chip on my shoulder. Kiss my ass or I'm not going to be excited about talking to you" is the message I get from you.

Vent your frustration HERE, to us! That's what we're here for. Putting that kind of thing on your blog or professional website is only going to make you look like one of "those" wedding photographers that I avoided like the plague.

[Collins]

Aric:

Before I start, I want to say that I don't know you personally, but based on your posts and such, think you are probably a awesome guy. It's also obvious based on your website you are an awesome photographer.

Now...

For starters...while many/some of us can appreciate your background, I can't see the typical bride sticking through most of what you wrote here. There is a lot of build up for a denouement that is very anti-climactic. Maybe some of it could be condensed? Now ignoring its length, the moral of the story could definitely put people off...as a rant among peers I think it could work, but I sincerely hope you don't put this on your website.

As a professional wedding photographer, you may get curt e-mails, etc. But you also get great gushing ones. These are the breaks...

[sbp]

Aric
Great blog. It was good for me because I know little about photography.

Many people who are big money who don't care about $$ but only qulity they also do not want guy/girl who put $$ first then client priority.

That is what I think you have come out in your blog.
I am not expert in English So I can't tell you what to change but if you change some wording it will come out nice (only last two paragraphy)

[boomerd35]

The entry does come across as a little arrogant, but I don't see anything wrong with that necessarily. You are obviously to a point in your career where you can be selective about your clients, and I don't see anything wrong with telling potential clients upfront what you like or expect. It may drive away potential customers, but I'm sure you knew that before you typed the words.