Passionate Photographers Choose AsukaBook
AsukaBook is proud to shine the spotlight on our customers! We love the great images these photographers capture and the high standards they set in the industry.
Tell us about your company or studio.
I've been shooting professionally for 22 years. I live in a very small village (Hensall) in a very rural part of Ontario, Canada, about two hours northwest of Toronto. Due to my location, and my own inclination to have a go at new stuff whenever I can, I get hired to shoot a nice gamut - newborns, families, weddings, sports, events, industrial, agricultural, corporate and architectural. If I have a specialty, it's being able to work comfortably with people of all ages and professions.
Why photography?
Really, I just sort of fell into it. I'd been doing photography as a hobby for a few years when an opportunity came along to be the staff photographer on a small newspaper. After a couple of years of that, I decided to be my own master. I took a few seminars early on, but because of my location, they were often a hassle to get to. Other than that it's all been experimentation mixed with trial and error. And, since 2006, when I finally went 100% digital I spent a lot of time with online tutorials (thank you, Kevin K!). Even after 22 years, I still learn something new every week. The biz evolves constantly and I love it!
Why do you use AsukaBook?
Back in the mists of time, when I decided I should be offering digitally printed books, I spent quite a lot of time researching. Somehow, without ever touching or seeing an actual AsukaBook, I decided to try them first, and with my first order I was sold. I've never tried anyone else, and have no intention to. The quality of the AsukaBook just leaps right out at you. My clients love them too, which doesn't hurt! My personal favorite is still the Book Bound EX with Laminate Gloss pages.
Any selling tips for other photographers?
I'm probably not a good person to come to for selling tips. This may sound odd, but I don't subscribe at all to the practice of trying to get as much money as possible out of one's clients. I am not, and have no desire to be a salesman. I offer what I think is excellent service before, during and after any assignment. That's my selling tip: give people the service you'd like to receive. Remember, especially during a wedding, it's never about you. Say 'Thank you' a lot, and mean it.
What else should people know about you?
I'm married to a violinist, so I get to hear live playing every day. I take my work very seriously, but myself hardly at all. If we won the lottery, my wife and I would be on the next plane to Oaxaca and travel the world from there. I think 'The Wire' is the best TV series ever created. I'm not sure what I enjoy more - the photography itself, or the post-session Photoshopping, when all that Creativity starts flowing. I love Korean BBQ. Toughest subjects I've ever been asked to photograph: weanling pigs. Dumbest moment - putting a telephoto down on my car trunk and, within minutes, forgetting it was there and driving away. My favorite four words: "we love the photos!"
