The weekend before Christmas I was privileged to be included in what may well be an industry first, the new product launch for Album Inc’s new Epoca line.  I’m thinking of it as an industry first, because I can’t remember any company launching a new product with the class, quality and unmatched excitement of this one! 

So, here’s your first ingredient: Be unique!  And, what added to making it unique? Album’s Inc picked a window where there was nothing going on in the industry. They had the space all to themselves, as the industry had pretty much shut down prior to the holidays.

The second ingredient: don’t hold back on how big of an idea you have. You can always “trim” it down to size later! There’s a great expression: “If you shoot for the top of the trees you’ll never get off the grown, but if you shoot for the stars you’ll hit the top of the trees!”

Michelle Cardello, president of Albums Inc. wanted to do something different. She wanted to establish an event that was upscale and in line with the attributes of the new products themselves – quality, beauty, unique creativity and appeal.  So, the launch became a cocktail party at the brand-new Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, having just opened three days before.

Next came the guest list and the next ingredient: who’s your target audience? You can never invite everybody you’d like to have present, but this was a great cross-section of industry icons, each known for their expertise and cutting edge presentation style.  Each guest was known for their flair, their creativity and their diversity in working within the different disciplines of photography. Launches go in stages and since this was the initial launch, it was important to get feedback from the icons in the industry first.

Next ingredient: Make your message match the event! The invitation, of which there are just two pages above, was truly unique.  Think about how hard you work during your own local promotions to create the excitement with your target audience.  How do you design something that gets you through the noise? Well, Nicole Cardello, Marketing Manger, pulled it off.  The invitation was inside a ribbon wrapped tin that came in an overnight package.  You couldn’t help but get excited about being a part of the launch!

The invitation itself was in a black sleeve, utilizing the colors black with silver reverse type.  Again, a fundamental basic in packaging design: using the colors black and gold or  black and silver always win virtually every packaging test for perceived elegance, value and class.

Make the event match expectations! But it was the event itself that totally supported this elegant new album line!  Set in a multi-room suite, each room was decorated with a different display of the new product line.  Guests could wander through each “mini-exhibit” to appreciate these incredible albums.

Roberto Valenzuela, Nozomi Takeyabu, Matthew Jordan Smith talk about the exciting new Epoca Albums.

One of the final ingredients, be involved yourself! The Albums Inc. team was all there, senior management, sales and marketing.  Plus, senior management, Andrea Mainetti and Federico Casini from Italy came in for the event, including the designer of the Epoca line, Rita Mainetti.  These are all people who not only believe in the product, but are focused on listening to the market. Epoca has been designed with a dedication to not only the end-consumer, but professional photographers who are looking for new ways to present the finished product, the album, to their clients!

And last but not least…document your event!  Bourne Media Group provided the coverage for the evening and just a few days after the event, the Animoto video below was released.  Everything about the event was “top-shelf” from the quality and look of Epoca, right down to the Animoto software used to produce the final story!

Watching the video is just a click away!  But don’t just watch it – notice how Scott Bourne has told the story and think about how a video on your site could better tell your own story!  Then visit Animoto.com!

Top-shelf: The Epoca Launch

An incredible event…an incredible product line…accessibility for you to learn more at Albums Inc!

To start, for those of you who hate the idea of getting people to pose, you’re missing the point.  Doug’s message isn’t about posing as much as it is about control.  You can get romance and a sparkle out of the toughest “bridezilla” with a little humor and giving her confidence in trustin you to create images she’s going to cherish.

In terms of learning hundreds of poses…you don’t need to learn them exactly, just practice them enough so you know the principles and can create them without spending time thinking through the concepts.  If you know what you’re doing, then it only takes a few minutes to get the images you want. 

I lived through the battles of the 90’s between the photo-journalists and the traditionalists.  In fact, I was the referee in the Bout of ‘91, a WPPI event between Monte Zucker and Denis Reggie and believe me, it was a battle, not just between my two friends, but even the audience took sides.  Today the issue of shooting as a photo-journalist is a moot point – no matter what your style, you still have to capture and create images the client is happy about.  You still have to capture the romance and some times you just might have to create those moments and not wait for them to happen. 

Think about the Uncle Harry’s of the world – they went out and bought the same gear you have.  They think all they need to do is be a photojournalist and they’ll create a new income stream, launching their career as a professional photographer!   But here’s what Uncle Harry doesn’t have:

• Uncle Harry doesn’t know how to pose his subjects.  He doesn’t know how to create flattering images with his bride and groom, let alone do a decent group shot.
• If Uncle Harry gets a shot with narrow depth of field, it most often was an accident.  He’s not paying attention to aperture, shutter speeds or even composition.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t understand light.  I was blown away by Doug’s little Torchlight, adding just enough light on the subject to create the “wow” look every time.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have the training to put the images together and be a storyteller, one of Doug’s key points last night.  He can’t create exciting page layouts or slide shows with the same quality as a professional. When Uncle Harry clicks the shutter, he’s not thinking of how it’s going to fit in a page layout – he’s just excited if he got an image.
• Uncle Harry doesn’t have access to quality albums or the support to present the finished product!  Michelle Cardello, president of Albums Inc. together with Nicole, Marketing Director, were both working the “booth” at last night’s program. First, how often do you see senior management working an evening program like this?Second, Uncle Harry doesn’t know the first thing about albums, professional packaging or presentation products.
• Last but not least, Uncle Harry doesn’t have the Network!  Art and Marci were there last night from Professional Photographers of Ohio.  Their fall convention is this weekend in Columbus and their big spring show is in March in Sandusky.  Membership in any state affiliate is about networking.  It’s about photographers talking to each other and creating a bond, complete with a secret handshake if you need it and Uncle Harry can’t join!  It’s about sharing not only the frustrations of the economy and technology, but new ideas, products and concepts.

I’m constantly accused of being overly optimistic and a photography cheerleader, as if that was a bad thing.  Well, the truth is, nobody could be more proud of what we do as an industry. I couldn’t be more proud to be working with photographers like Doug Gordon, who was as excited about teaching as he was raising money for Akron Children’s Hospital. 

So, to those photographers, especially a couple in the Cleveland area (you know who you are) who keep telling us the market is going to hell and are more content to live the life of a troll rather than a storyteller – it’s time you opened your eyes!  It’s not Uncle Harry that’s screwing up the market it’s the face you see in the mirror every morning!

Internationally recognized wedding photographer, Bambi Cantrell, is conducting a three day intensive workshop in her Benicia Studio from January 31-February 2nd!   She’ll cover many of the aspects it takes to create fabulous wedding images, demonstrated through the use of models and covering lighting and posing concepts to make your work different!    And here’s a major bonus - world renowned wedding photographer, Jim Garner, will finish off the program with an intensive one day program on album design, photoshop tips and techniques guaranteed to set you apart from the rest.

The class will intentionally be kept very small, so space is limited.  To register call Bambi at (925)934-1994)