What I Learned at Harvard

January 24th, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

I’ve been asked over and over what I got out of the three year program at Harvard Business School that i recently completed.  It’s taken me some time to fully absorb and mentally organize my observations, because I learned so much it’s hard to narrow down the experience into one cohesive Blog post.

It’s not just the Harvard program itself bouncing around my brain, but the realization that this program corresponded with one of the world’s worst financial crises since the Great Depression.  I’ll never forget that first year in October 2007, watching the large screens in the communal room as the market fell before our eyes and business as we know it changed.

At that time, I had recently separated my corporate photography business from my original business, so my revenue source was mostly from corporations, and two of my largest clients were Lehman brothers and AIG.  If any of you own a small business, you can imagine what this economic news did to my peace of mind.

At Harvard that first year, I learned about finding opportunities in turmoil.  And there was certainly a lot of turmoil. Read the rest of this entry »

Engagement Moments to Remember and Photograph!

January 11th, 2011 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

This holiday season, we had the privilege of photographing two marriage proposals, both different in style and circumstance but similar in romanticism.  Men, take note!  Here are two ways to really bowl over your intended.

The men behind these proposals spent hours (and considerable expense) carefully planning their engagement occasion to awe and amaze their beloveds.  Both women were successfully bowled over and both said yes!  Both marriage proposals were planned as part of a New Year holiday trip to New York City each couple had planned.  In both cases, we worked long distance to execute exactly the engagement scenario that each man wanted to create.

One proposal was done outdoors in Central Park.  “Ron’s” fiancé-to-be didn’t even know our photographer was there, because Ron wanted to present the photo as a surprise gift afterwards.  Our photographer found the couple at a pre-determined spot in the park, positioned herself well away from them and had an assistant with her to act as decoy.

We got some beautiful photos, made all the better in their naturalness and spontaneity because the photographer’s presence wasn’t felt.  The couple’s joy and happiness is palpable in their photos!  After the proposal, our photographer rush-processed the shots, chose one to print, and had the framed photo delivered to the couple’s hotel by the next day. Read the rest of this entry »

A Reflection on the State of Event Photography

January 3rd, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

If you’re like me, ripping off that last page of the calendar is a time of reflection, an opportunity to take stock of your business and in some cases, the people in your life.  When I look back on this year I am truly grateful for the people I get to work with on a daily basis and to those who have trusted our company with preserving the memories of their special events.

We continue to pursue our goal to create a company that provides a quality product with exceptionally responsive service.  The wonderful news is that our planners and clients who work with us are recognizing the value we offer them, and our company continues to thrive in an environment where most photography businesses falter under the weight of intense competition and shifting consumer needs.

Our YouBooth photo booth has proven to be the most successful product we created this year.  It stands out from the other free standing photo booths because it does it all: high quality prints that pop out in seconds, simultaneous transmission to A/V screens and the ability to customize back drops and branding on the prints. Read the rest of this entry »