Rangefinder Magazine
March 2005

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Selling the [b] Experience by Linda L. May

When couples hire Becker, one of Orange County’s (CA) premier photographers, to capture their wedding day, they are in for an experience they will never forget. Becker wants clients to remember his name (or at least his [b] logo) and what a wonderful photography experience they had, decades down the road. “It’s all about creating that great experience for clients, so they will tell everyone they know how much fun it was to work with us. We’re not into high-pressure sales tactics, we let the images and the raves from previous clients sell themselves,” Becker says.

Stellar Service
The unforgettable [b] experience begins with the initial consultation. The mood is set for maximum impact from the moment clients enter Becker’s in-home studio. The reception/living room is decorated in dark, rich colors. Each item there is modern, tasteful and sometimes a bit eclectic, like his leopard-print chair. The Z Gallerie furniture is made of beautiful, dark wood and leather. Heavy velvet drapes block out all outside light. Becker’s lighting scheme is designed to set a soothing mood for clients, as well as show the multi-dimensional nature of his photographs, which are all framed in attractive browns and golds. The dangling halogen lights add a contemporary flair, blending the contrasting styles within the room, making clients feel welcome and comfortable.

Prospective clients enter the gallery, where scented candles burn, lighting the room with a soft glow. A 42-inch, plasma television on the wall is already set to the DVD menu page, ready to start. Clients are offered a selection of frosty beverages or coffee before settling in to watch the explosive four-minute presentation. A few hundred stunning images, set and timed to coordinate with dynamic music, flash before their eyes. When the presentation is over, the lights are turned up for clients to view Becker’s sample albums in a variety of textured leathers, while Becker explains his philosophy and style of work. “We have booked almost every couple who has been to the studio since we started this big screen TV presentation six months ago,” Becker tells Rangefinder.

This stellar customer service does not end once a couple has booked Becker. As soon as they become clients, they are treated like royalty. He is at their service, not only on the wedding day, but to answer any questions, or soothe any doubts, along the way. Becker considers his clients his foremost priority and is available any time to ensure they thoroughly enjoy their experience with his studio. One of the ways he helps this process is by asking brides to memorize his web site and pass it along to everyone they know who might be interested in wedding photography. As most clients are enthralled with the impeccable service and charm Becker offers, this is no hardship at all! According to Becker, the majority of his bookings still come by word of mouth from satisfied clients.

Although Becker is now reaping the benefits of success, it has been a long journey to reach this level in his career. In 1991, fresh out of high school, Becker opened Becker Photographer, Inc. out of his parents’ home in beautiful Mission Viejo, CA, conveniently located between Los Angeles and San Diego. In the past 14 years, Becker has progressed from a one-room operation to a flourishing business out of his own home, also located in Mission Viejo. Weddings are Becker’s passion, and bring in approximately 90 percent of his studio’s revenue, although he is also well known for model portfolios, which will be featured at a Los Angeles gallery at the end of the year. Now, his operation also includes two associate photographers, who shoot babies, children, families and seniors, generating additional income for the studio.

Finding His Calling
Quite by chance, Becker found his calling to become a photographer in high school when he took an elective photography class. Absorbing the technical aspects quickly, he soon joined the yearbook staff and worked for the school newspaper. To further his photography education, Becker worked evenings and weekends at a local photo lab. By high school graduation, he was ready to take his chances and become an independent photographer. Almost immediately, he started shooting weddings and building a solid client base from referrals. By establishing himself as being on the cutting edge of technology and style, in just over a year, Becker established a studio in his own home, allowing him to grow both personally and professionally.

When Becker first started his career, he photographed a few weddings, but was not overly excited, nor interested, in doing so. At the time, fashion photography seemed more creative and appealing.

However, in 1997, Becker discovered Denis Reggie’s photojournalistic approach, which was totally different than the traditional method of predominantly posed photographs popular at the time. The idea of capturing the event, rather than controlling it, was captivating. This new approach resounded with Becker in such a way that he knew he had found what he was supposed to be doing.

“At every wedding, my goal is to shoot like I am an old friend with a fancy camera,” Becker says. “I like to blend in with the guests, keeping the day very relaxed. I don’t want to turn a wedding into a full-blown photo shoot, although I do usually take some portraits. My goal is to capture thousands of fabulous images in a photojournalistic manner that records the events of the day. Usually, I give complete coverage, so 10 hours is not unusual for one of my weddings.”

Home Studio
Becker’s home is set up entirely for his smoothly functioning business. The gallery is downstairs off the main entrance, while several offices are hidden away upstairs, where two employees help him keep the workflow humming efficiently. Hillary Griffin, Becker’s full-time employee for the last five years, is the primary Photoshop expert and is responsible for most of the image post-processing and album design.

Part-time employee Jennifer Williams is the office manager, handling the billing, contracts and customer relations. Becker has spent years perfecting his workflow so his studio runs like a well oiled machine.

Because Becker has always been on the forefront of technology, he was willing to embrace digital capture, when the quality was acceptable for weddings. For the past four years, Becker’s studio has been 100 percent digital, and he has no complaints with the quality of his images, nor do his clients. But for those who insist on film, Becker politely refers them to fellow photographers who still shoot film.

Equipment & Digital
Becker uses Fujifilm FinePix S2 and S3 cameras because of the excellent image quality and accurate color straight out of the camera. This is important because Becker and an assistant may shoot 5000 exposures at any given wedding. Becker’s digital workflow system is sleek and efficient thanks to his network of Macintosh computers and back-up LaCie hard drives. Images are backed up three times for security—on the computer hard drive, on an external hard drive and on DVDs kept in a secure, off-site location. Wedding clients receive 1200 to 1500 proofs, all printed with no color correction or enhancements. However, as a bonus, Becker includes a few larger images with their proofs that have digital enhancements done, to show clients the possibilities for their photographs. All final images are fully retouched and enhanced prior to printing.

Most of his work is done on location, using natural light whenever possible, so he has no need for studio lighting equipment. However, when extra illumination is required, Becker uses a Nikon SB-80DX Speedlight on-camera. He never shoots straight flash; instead, he bounces it, using a Gary Fong Lightsphere diffuser to spread the light. “I turn my flash down to almost the lowest setting, so it’s more of a fill—just a kiss of light,” Becker explains.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Overall, Becker does very little media advertising, relying heavily on referrals from other photographers and previous brides. Becker and his competitors are on friendly terms, which benefits them all. About 75 percent of his assignments come through referrals. This fact is a testament to his consistently great work and charismatic personality. Other clients come through his impressive web site, often booking him sight unseen. This year though, to test the response, and because he got a fantastic rate, he is placing an ad in the new, local wedding magazine, Ceremony.

In another creative attempt at marketing himself, Becker began a catchy, direct-mail campaign several months ago, which he hopes will keep the buzz about his work going strong. Each month, he sends out a different postcard to anyone who has ever done business with his studio, including other wedding vendors and those in his personal address book.

“Our new postcard campaign has a catchy, and hopefully, effective slogan. The back of the postcard reads: ‘On your wedding day, what will you [b]?’ The web site and phone number are also listed on the back. The front side has a single image, along with the word of the month. For example, we’ve done ‘[b] blown away,’ which has a picture of a bride kissing a groom with her veil blowing in the wind around their heads. Another postcard image is ‘[b] shocked,’ which is a picture of a couple on the beach in Cancun. While I was shooting their portraits, some big guy in a Speedo strolled directly behind them. The couple got the biggest kick out of it, and told me to keep shooting. I would have anyway because that is one of those rare, unexpected moments that totally sets their wedding apart from the rest. So far, the response is fantastic! Our goal is to get people to anticipate seeing what the next [b] postcard will say. We’re creating our own buzz!” Becker says. Promotions like this help sell the [b] Experience, as well as further establish his logo and brand name recognition.

This past year has been the best to date, according to Becker, and 2005 is already shaping up to be another record year for wedding bookings. One of the best business advantages Becker has gained this year is a new method for posting images online with a built-in shopping cart, to make it easier for clients to order reprints. When he first started using digital imaging, he used Pictage for hosting images online and fulfilling print orders. Several months ago, he began doing the digital work in-studio, then sending the printing to a local lab over the Internet. Since making this change, the orders come back faster. This new system is much easier for clients to navigate, and the savings to his bottom line are substantial. The carts are built by Troy Widner (www.pickpic.com), who specializes in creating custom online shopping carts to integrate directly with photographers’ web sites.

Becker’s main professional goals are to keep on the leading edge of technology, continue improving his photography with every event he shoots, and selling the [b] Experience. Over time, he plans to increase his celebrity, both within the local wedding community and destination wedding markets, while expanding his lecture and seminar schedule. Becker thrives on helping fellow photographers, especially in the areas of digital capture and workflow.

“One of my goals is to build a strong business in helping photographers. I’d like to do instructional DVD presentations, hold private consultations, and do more speaking engagements. I get a lot of satisfaction from showing others how to improve their business and increase their income, which also increases their happiness,” Becker concludes with a smile.

You can contact Becker at: b@the becker.com or view his web site at: www.thebecker.com/.

Linda L. May is a freelance writer/photographer based in the Midwest.