january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

CONTACT SHEET
(continued from p. 23)
the time had come, and Leibovitz agreed.
From her studio in Manhattan, her
home in upstate New York, scattered location
shoots, and places between, Leibovitz bares
her emotions to show us that she’s not so
different from any of us who struggle to
balance a career, intimate friendships,
parenthood, and the artist within.
“Through the decades, Annie Leibovitz
has chronicled our cultural history,” says
Full coverage
Bucking the trend, Artisan Events
specializes in selling the whole package
BY JEFF KENT
When Amanda Sudimack got into full-time professional
photography about eight years ago,
hers was a one-woman shop, focusing on highend
weddings in the Chicago area and some
destination work. The business was growing,
and Sudimack felt a sense of accomplishment.
24 • www.ppmag.com
©Amanda Sudimack
Susan Lacy, executive producer of
American Masters. “We go behind the
scenes and on location with an artist who is
as famous as her subjects, where we see
firsthand the incredible passion she brings
to every assignment. And we’re privileged
to see a more personal dimension of Annie
Leibovitz—the sister, the daughter, and the
mother of three.”
For more about the series, check local
listings and visit www.pbs.org.
As her business matured, Sudimack
began to wonder about diversification and
alternate revenue streams.
“I decided I wanted to develop a business
where I didn’t have to be the end-all, be-all
for everything,” she says. “As a wedding
photographer, you are so dependent on the
other elements in the wedding, that if one
thing goes wrong, it can cause real problems
for your business model.”
Sudimack’s first step was hiring some associates,
then adding documentary wedding videos
to her lineup. She brought a designer on board
and added customized album design with magazine-style
layouts to go into elegant coffee table
books. The images inside could be Sudimack’s
wedding captures or ones her clients brought in.
With these new product lines in place, business
began to explode. Sudimack’s operation has
grown into Artisan Events, a full-service outfit
that offers fine art photography, documentary
video, couture albums, event invitations and
design services. This past year, Sudimack opened
a boutique to sell high-end, photographyrelated
products. The one-woman business
has blossomed into a full-time staff of seven,
four freelance video editors and 30 independent
contract photographers.
Sudimack stays focused on the end product.
The albums, produced mostly in-house, feature
unique, personalized design. “Clients come in for
their initial consultations and see our coffeetable
books, and that sells them,” says Sudimack.
Sudimack’s laid-back consultations are
devoid of sales pressure. She always shows
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Congratulations to Steve Wilson, of Steve Wilson
Photography, Paoli, Ind. Wilson won Adobe
Photoshop CS2 software, the leader of the
Photoshop digital imaging line. Wilson won
his Creative Suite, which retails for $650, as
the result of a special drawing
held in conjunction with our
latest Professional Photographer
subscription renewal
campaign.
prospective clients a coffee-table book first.
When the prospect books the studio,
Sudimack consults with her about the various
services and professionals she might also
want for the event. A few weeks after the
event, when clients return to look at photo
proofs, Sudimack instead shows them a
completed album design via computer video
presentation. Surprised and impressed, about
96 percent of her clients buy the album on the
spot, exactly as designed.
“Everyone is trained on the final
outcome—on what we’re trying to accomplish
with the books,” says Sudimack. “All of our
associates are instructed to shoot not only for
the client but also for the coffee-table book.”
The system works. With Artisan Events’
high customer satisfaction, roughly 60
percent of its new business comes from client
referrals. Much of the rest comes from other
wedding vendors who have been impressed
by the studio’s products and professionalism.
For Sudimack, the key is simple: “There
are lots of other talented photographers out
there… if you miss client expectations, you’re
missing the boat,” she says. “I see exceeding
expectations as an investment in our
marketing. We offer our clients different
options without giving them the feeling that
they’re being over-sold. With that approach,
it’s typical for our clients to walk away having
spent twice the initial plan. I see that as
worth the extra effort!”
To learn more about Amanda Sudimack and
Artisan Events, visit www.artisanevents.com.