Over 10 years ago, while still a part of SMP, 5th Avenue Digital started by doing corporate photography, and we continued to focus on this segment after the split.  However, we soon realized we’d need to expand beyond this rather narrow market.  The companies officially separated shortly before the start of the economic meltdown.  Subsequently, the corporate work (particularly with our larger clients, Lehman Brothers and AIG) dwindled drastically.  We knew then that we’d need to regroup, find ways to reach new market segments and develop new offerings, if we were going to survive.

While the market has yet to truly rebound, we’ve been able to stay in business because we looked beyond our initial scope.  We now provide top-notch photographers for weddings, mitzvahs and other social events, offering a flexible range of talent, rates and services.  By offering these services at hourly rates, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors, and we’re meeting the demands of today’s consumers, who want tailored services to match their specific needs.  check out our  website for our social photography business.

We’ve also developed new products for our corporate and social clients, most notably YouBooth, our streamlined, modern version of the photo booth.  Most of our clients (especially event planners) prefer to keep things simple, working with as few vendors as possible.  By providing another service they may previously have sourced elsewhere, we’re able to be more of a one-stop-shop for all our clients’ photographic needs.

As any shrewd business person knows, thriving in this sluggish economy takes more than talent and drive.  Being a successful business owner also requires the ability to analyze and respond to the ever-changing dynamics of today’s marketplace.  And we don’t do it alone.  With help from my industry colleagues, family and friends, we plan to push forward and make the next two years even better than the first two.

Thank you, Howard Givner for the ispiration for this post on your thought provoking blog,  and thank you to all the industry professionals that have supported our growth and trusted us with your clients!  Lastly to my incredible team in the office and the photographers that work with us:  Thank you for working as hard as you do to see this business thrive!

What steps have you taken to survive in today’s economy?  I’d love to hear your stories so we can all share in each other’s successes, and we can all help each other thrive.

Sure, some of the details have been leaked.  We all know that it will take place at Astor Court, a Beaux-Arts mansion in Rhinebeck, New York, designed by legendary architect Stanford White, with stunning views of the Hudson River.  Some of us have read articles about Bryan Rafanelli, the Boston-based event planner who has worked with the Clintons on previous events.  How lucky for him that he is a trusted advisor and does not need to prove his loyalty on this important event.  How lucky for the Clintons, that they have found vendors that are honoring their privacy.

I’m guessing that she will wear a Vera Wang gown, since the news shows posted a Vera-looking woman opening the door to her salon as Chelsea was gracious to the camera.

I, for one, am excited to see if any of our friends are involved in the wedding. Is Sylvia is doing the cake?  (She has previously made one for Hillary.) Is it true that Jimmy Vale is providing the orchestra?  And which magazine will honor us with the pictures?  Will they sell the images for a charity? And most intriguing for me, who is the photographer???  Anyone have any guesses – besides Dennis Reggie?

My industry colleague, Maya Kalman of Swank Productions, has done some math on the purported three million dollar budget, and she believes it sounds fairly accurate and reasonable.  She says, “While it sounds ridiculously excessive to the everyday person, knowing real costs of what it takes to pull off an event like this….I think they’re actually doing a pretty good job with their budget!”

When you’re spending about $600,000 on tents with air conditioning and flooring, and about $200,000 on lights and generators, you can see how costs would add up quickly.  As Maya said, “This not just any American girl getting married, it’s one of the first daughters!  Security precautions as well as elegance and chic décor all cost money.”

I wish Chelsea and Marc a beautiful life together, and look forward to seeing Hillary and Bill as the proud mother and father of the bride. The Clintons have something they can truly be proud of: they certainly have done a great job as parents, raising a child in the public eye who’s grown to be a poised and self confident woman.  With her family’s support, Chelsea has managed to create her own fairy tale day.  Congratulations to all those involved! And if you need anyone to help you make your wedding albums…..

Many of you have probably read about the latest trends in wedding photography, but even seeing examples of these trends can leave you wondering, “What the heck is THAT?”  As you plan your wedding photography, you may hear a photographer mention some of these options, or you may want to ask about incorporating these trends into your wedding photography.

First, you need to know exactly what these trends are, so you can speak intelligently about them and figure out what is – and isn’t – right for you.  Here’s a brief outline on the latest wedding photography trends, so you can make the right decisions for you and your groom.

Trash the Dress

A Trash the Dress photo shoot isn’t about destroying a stunning, beautiful (and often-times expensive) wedding gown.  It’s about obtaining stunning, beautiful, (and often-times dirty) photos of you in the wedding gown!  Trash the Dress is a trend gaining in popularity that also goes by the name Rock the Frock and Fearless Bride.  The concept consists of a photo shoot taken in an environment where the dress is literally going to get trashed.  Typically taken after the wedding, these photos allow couples to take pictures in water, on sand, in a forest, climbing mountains, or in whatever terrain suits their style and personality.
John Michael Cooper, a Las Vegas wedding photographer, is credited with starting the photography trend in 2001.  He was reportedly bored with taking the same wedding photos and persuaded some of his clients to pose in grungy settings after the wedding.

www.altf.com

I love the idea, and the photos that come out of these shoots are amazing!  For those brides who aren’t willing to part with their actual wedding dress, you can purchase another (cheaper) one for the photos.  Whether you buy it on sale or on eBay, you’re bound to find a dress to sacrifice for your Trash the Dress shoot!

Boudoir Photography

bloomerandblush.com

Boudoir photography is becoming a popular trend among soon-to-be-brides, who often use the resulting photos as a gift to the future husband!  “Boudoir” derives from the French word “to pout or sulk” and refers to a woman’s bedroom or dressing room.  The photos are meant to be classy and tasteful, taking a nod from classic pinup-inspired posters.

Boudoir photos are typically taken with the woman partially clothed, wearing lingerie or strategically placed linens, although she may be nude, but not showing off anything. The photo shoot usually is taken a week or two before the wedding, and many photographers will include a boudoir shoot as part of their wedding photo package.  The bride is encouraged to bring in her own clothing, anything that makes her feel sexy – it could be a corset, or even unbuttoned jeans!  It can take place in the privacy of your home, your bedroom, a hotel room, or the space you choose.  The photos can take many forms – playful, subtle, sultry, demure – almost anything goes as long as the bride is comfortable.

One of my favorite Boudoir Photographers is a woman I met at the Ultimate Engagement in march, Jennifer from Bloomer and Blush Her style is classy and sexy and her work speaks for itself.

Photo Booths and Snap Shot Studios

www.5thavenuedigital.com

Photo booths are fast becoming a fun way for guests to take pictures at a wedding.  Everyone remembers the booths from their childhood and they’re quick to get behind the curtain, pulling in different groups of friends!  The booths are entertaining and allow your guests to be creative, whether you provide props or just allow them to goof off behind the curtain.

Another advantage of the photo booth is that it allows guests to take home a photo as a wedding favor.  The photo booth allows for spontaneity and creativity – try holding a contest for the funniest photo!   They’re fun for everyone to look at and compare.  The booth also provides entertainment during cocktail hour – that lull in time between the wedding and reception, when the wedding party is off taking photos.

There’s a newer, more modern take on the old-fashioned photo booth that does away with the curtain and brings the process out in the open, so everyone can share in the fun.  Our version of the photo booth, called YouBooth, provides full size photos (not just the little strips) within seconds, with a choice of formats, and can even include a message or the date of your wedding.
Another advantage of the YouBooth photo booth is that you’ll receive an online link and DVD of all the photos afterwards – something you can’t get with most other photo booths.  This allows you to incorporate the photo booth photos into your digitally-designed wedding photo album – something else you can’t do with photo strips from the old-fashioned booth.

Now that you’re informed, you can speak with your photographer about these trends and decide together which (if any) you want to include in your wedding photography.  It’s all about tailoring your wedding photography to reflect the personalities of you and your groom, avoiding the cookie-cutter approach and making sure the photos truly your own.

When asked about holiday parties, one planner confirmed that her firm (a large technological services company) would be holding holiday parties in their various offices around the country, and that budgets for them had grown from last year.  Planners in the financial sector echoed this optimistic view.  And while other industry sectors took a more cautious view, the overall mood indicated promise for a more robust economic future.

This upbeat mood is certainly reflected in the photos we captured with our YouBoothphoto booth.  COPE graciously allowed us to showcase the YouBooth photo booth at the event, held in the stunning, panoramic Bridgewaters space with superb food by the Glazier Group chefs.  As usual, people had a blast mugging in front of the YouBooth camera and taking fun pictures with their friends.  Just take a look at the smiling faces below – you’ll start to feel optimistic about the future, too!

But don’t fall into the trap of allowing a less-than-fabulous headshot to linger on your LinkedIn profile!  If your headshot isn’t current, doesn’t look professional nor show you at your best, it’s time to change it.

Don’t make the mistake of settling for an up-against-a-white-wall shot that your friend took yesterday.  It may be current, but won’t look professional. Remember, this is a photo that potentially everyone who comes in contact with you will see.  That’s right…all those eyeballs are on YOU.  A professional, flattering, effective headshot is well worth the small investment.

How do ensure you get an effective, professional headshot?

1.    Find a professional photographer who knows how to properly light your face to look its best.  Lighting is crucial and getting it right requires an expert.

2.    Make sure the photographer has a simple, flattering background.  Sometimes you’ll be locked into using a standard background that’s on your company’s website, but usually these are universally flattering.  As long as it’s simple and not distracting, a professional photographer can ensure the background color won’t make you look washed-out.

3.    If possible, schedule your headshot session for a time when you can arrive a little early, and not feel rushed about leaving.  Being relaxed adds an air of composure to your portrait.

4.    Before the session, drink plenty of water and get a good night’s sleep.  You’d be amazed what a difference this makes: dehydration and fatigue really come across on camera.

5.    Dress in the fashion you feel best represents you and your business. Your photographer should be OK with you bringing some clothing options.  Jewelry (if any) should be limited to non-distracting pieces.  Medium to dark solid colors are best.  Small patterns are OK, but avoid checks and flesh tones.

6.    Your photographer should have a professional, theatrical-quality make-up mirror in his studio.  Use it!   Make sure your tie is straight, your scarf adjusted just so, that cowlick smoothed down.  Take a moment to be sure that you look the way you want to be seen.  The added confidence of that one moment will read in your photos.

Following these basic steps will give you the platform required for today’s competitive marketplace.  It all starts with YOU at your best, and the synergy you’ll find with the right photographer.

To see more examples of executive headshots click here

The wedding for Andrew and Rob, planned and executed by Shawn Rabideau of Shawn Rabideau Events and Designs, was small and elaborate.  Their 75 guests came from around the world to celebrate at The Mandarin Oriental over Memorial Day weekend, with a full slate of activities.

The wedding ceremony itself set the tone, and 5^th Avenue Digital was there to cover it all.  To start, Andrew and Rob exchanged vows on the dance floor of the hotel ballroom.  The couple’s two religions were acknowledged, with the moms lighting a Unity candle to represent the Protestant side and the grooms breaking glasses to represent the Jewish side.

Immediately after the ceremony the couple had their first dance, followed by a dance with their respective mothers.  Then everyone got their groove on to a full dance set with music provided by a DJ from Total Entertainment.

One of the best décor elements was the hotel’s sweeping views of Central Park from the 36^th floor ballroom, which the wedding photographer used to great advantage.  Shawn created a logo and a color palette of platinum, blue and brown especially for the wedding, and augmented the décor with custom linens and lighting design, brown leather chairs (for a masculine touch), and ice sculptures.  Open seating, food stations, and pin-spot lighting on all the tables underscored the lounge club feeling.

The amazing cake, designed by Charm City Cakes, was a hit with everyone, symbolizing all of the places that Andrew and Rob have traveled to around the world. This work of delicious chocolate art was extremely detailed down to the patches on Andrew’s sports coat and an exact replica of the couple’s TUMI Luggage.  Photographing the wedding cake is always an important element, but here even more so!

What really set this wedding apart – and provided exceptional photo opportunities – was the entertainment, featuring performances by the Screaming Queens.  They started with Cabaret, then went on to perform some of Rob’s favorite songs.  Later in the evening “Lady Gaga” made a special appearance, surprising all of the guests.  After the performances, guests continued to dance the night away with their brown and blue boas.

Organized by CCK Global Events, in partnership with the American Pet Products Association, the NYC Pet Show was created to address the needs and interests of city-dwelling pet owners.  With appearances by the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, and other pet-centric celebrities, plus presentations from industry experts on topics such as where to travel with your pet this summer, the show featured products and services to help enhance owner/pet relationships.

Because this was the first year for the NYC Pet Show, CCK Global Events, a full-service event sales, production and marketing company, decided it was important to document the presentations, exhibitors and attendees with event photography.  5th Avenue Digital photographers were on hand both days to capture all the unpredictable antics that animals create – especially pets with their fanatical owners.

For CCK Global, the images clearly demonstrate the popularity of this inaugural consumer event, showing the crowds generated each day, the positive responses to the presentations and celebrity appearances, and the interactions between the exhibitors and the pet owners – and the pets themselves!   When CCK Global markets next year’s event, they’ll have a full complement of over 2000 images to use as promotional tools.  Words tell one part of the story, but photos complete the narrative.

Take a look at the photo highlights and see for yourself!

[View with PicLens]

When they heard about YouBooth, they knew it was perfect for the gala.  The event was held at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, on the third and fourth floors with to-die-for views of the city skyline.  They wanted a YouBooth unit on each floor, to give everyone an opportunity to get in on the photo fun.

5th Avenue Digital worked hand-in-hand with the event team to create a seamless production of picture-taking, photo printing and image projection.  The ball started with cocktails, where guests had the first opportunity to take their own portraits with YouBooth.  Their portraits were printed almost instantly, ejecting from the side of the booth, and branded with the hospital’s logo.

The elegant sit-down dinner was served on another floor, where a second YouBooth was positioned.  After the speakers, award presentations and dinner, the dancing resumed and so did the photos.  These photos were almost instantly projected onto large screens strategically located throughout the space.  Within moments after guests took their own photos, using YouBooth’s floor pedal, the shots were shown larger-than-life on the screens.  To augment the evening’s message, the projected images also were branded with the hospital’s logo.

By now everyone was in on the fun, enjoying seeing friends’ faces smiling down from the screens, and snapping their own portraits that they could take home with them.  5th Avenue Digital’s YouBooth turned out to be the perfect answer to our client’s needs, yielding them a satisfied client, whose message was carried home in the hands of all their happy guests.

As the photographers and videographers for the Bar Mitzvah, 5th Avenue Social collaborated with By Robin, Inc on some details that helped give the party even more of a Hollywood feel.  We love working hand-in-hand with our clients, providing solutions and ideas that enhance their events.  In this case, we were true creative partners.

After walking the red carpet, guests stopped for paparazzi-style Step-and-Repeat photos in front of the themed backdrop.  With flashes popping, they paused to chat with a MC interviewer with the all the nuances and expressions of Ryan Seacrest’s Entertainment Tonight style, while being filmed by the video crew.  All very Hollywood!

The adults received authentic “Exclusive Engagement Movie Premiere Tickets” while the kids attending received a customized “Credential Pass” for the night; these were designed to be escort cards, directing them to specific tables.  Each one of the kid’s tables had custom designed Museum Boxes themed with one of Noah’s favorite movies.  The adult tables were elegant with specimen white flowers creating a very clean sophisticated environment.  The elegant lighting design provided by Backstage Productions, Inc set a beautiful tone for the evening.

There were live musical pieces accompanying the handpicked DJ and MC from Untouchable Events, dance floor giveaways with very funky sunglasses, custom-decorated caps, custom photos for guests with movie themes and a sign-in board that looked like a movie poster (starring Noah, of course!), a lighted dance platform inspired by “Saturday Night Fever,” plus all the traditional Bar Mitzvah elements.

No matter what the theme, it’s always so gratifying to capture our clients as they light up with joy and excitement on this milestone day.  Kudos to all the stars that helped makes this Bar Mitzvah worthy of an Oscar!

It’s not just the keynote speakers and the workshops that make the experience so valuable; it is mostly being a part of the collective energy of 500 smart, successful, honest, hardworking and philanthropic women.   Each woman there has dealt with struggles and successes, and they have such incredible compassion and warmth, I am always astonished at the almost superhuman quality I feel when I return.  Like nothing is impossible!

Here are a few of the pearls I took away from some of the sessions:

PROFESSOR NEELI BENDAPUDI, Ph. D., Professor of Marketing and Director, Initiative for Managing Services Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
•    Whenever you have a problem with a client, try to extend the conversation about it: listen, apologize, solve the problem and then thank them for vocalizing.
•    Try to figure out what your customers really want.  Try to see your product or service through their eyes, and figure out how to make them apostles of your brand.

PROFESSOR REBECCA HENDERSON, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management, Harvard Business School
•    Sometimes we overload our organization with projects and spread out our energy, depleting our effectiveness.
•    Learn to get rid of project #26 – especially if everyone knows it will never get done, but no one wants to say it!
•    To get unstuck, manage to your capacity.
•    Act on it!
•    Pick up the projects that have the most bang for their buck, and that will bring you the greatest revenue.
•    Build trust within your organization.  Ask for the feedback that will allow project #26 to get squashed.

MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, best-selling author and Executive Coach
•    Learn to say “great idea” to your team, rather than commenting and putting your mark on the idea.  You don’t need to prove you’re smarter.
•    The mark of true leadership: help more, judge less.
•    Start at home and ask the question: how can I be a better wife, mother or daughter?  Then say thank you for the feedback without trying to excuse the behavior.  This is the key to effective employee feedback, so once you can do this at home, you can move to the office.
•    We don’t need to know much about people to coach them.

FRANCES HESSELBEIN, President and CEO of the Leader to Leader Institute / formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management, former CEO, the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (1976-1990)
•    Total respect is necessary for true leadership.
•    You must be passionate about the mission.
•    Know why you do what you do.
•    Innovate or die – you’re either part of the past or part of the future.
•    See everything that happens as an opportunity, otherwise you waste energy that you could be using for good.

As you can see, I came away from the conference with lots of solid information to digest and new ideas to discuss with my team.  If you were at the WPO conference, or if you’ve attended a similar conference that inspired you, I’d love to hear your highlights.