Interviewer:  Today I will be asking Ron about some of the tidbits in his business and different topics that maybe he has run into in his 30 years of photographing.

I: We see all the good things that you do with your exceptional photography, can you describe any of the hard or tough things that are involved in your business?

Ron: Yes, we do have fun in our business. And most of the time it is pleasant, fun and exciting. Whether that be a childs portrait, or a wedding, or a high school seniors portraits. But there’s times we end up photographing things that have happened to people for insurance or court cases. These usually aren’t too pleasant; but we do our best to help out our clients in every type of situation they may have.

And getting to know our clients makes them part of our family. So when a person is sick or injured we feel that with them. And there are clients or clients families that have deaths in them. And that is very hard on us. Especially if they may have a family appointment scheduled and one of them passes away. While many people think it’s just a snapshot, we get requests each year to restore and remake family portraits where that’s the only photograph they have of a certain ancestor. You don’t realize how important that Portrait is to you until someone passes away. So if you haven’t had a family or individual portrait taken in awhile, it might not be a bad thing to have done. The psychological effect can help families in ways we don’t even understand.

I: From a standpoint of giving back to the community; is there anything you do in your business that sets you apart?

Ron: We just finished a benefit portrait promotion for Hospice in Jamestown at the Stutsman Harley-Davidson store. Bikers were able to receive a portrait with a donation to the Hospice in Jamestown. I think they raised over $600 this past weekend. 

We also do 2 Humane Society benefits in Fargo and at our Grand Forks Studio location. They are coming up the end of September and in October. With a donation to the Humane Society, clients are given a choice of many backgrounds and we provide them with a session and a FREE 5×7 for their donation. There are many other products available for them to order, but they are under no obligation to buy; and the Humane Societys Benefit from the donations.

At this point we are looking to connect with a couple other needy groups in the future; but because of our schedule, a couple more is probably all we could fit in.

In addition, my wife and I just came back from donating our time and talents to ‘LifeLight’; a ministry based out of Sioux Falls (see previous Blog post), and I also donate my time and talent to “PULSE”, a campus-based ministry out of Fargo.  It is truly a great feeling to help out in anyway possible to worthwhile groups and organizations.

I: Ron, thank you for your time and explaining some of the ‘little’ things you do to make a ‘big’ difference.

Ron: You’re welcome.

First off, we’d like to thank Stutsman Harley-Davidson for letting us be a part of their Open House and offering portraits with a donation to the Jamestown Hospice. And thanks to the ‘wonderful’ ladies from Hospice that were there to keep things lively.

So here’s a tribute to Stutsman Harley-Davidson with some photos from their Open House and a couple of the portraits we did. We’re looking forward to doing ‘future’ promotions with the great staff and helpers!!

No excuse for missing a post last week….either regular or ‘meeting’ with the Professional. But my wife and I were exhausted.

We were giving back. Both of us volunteered at the ‘LifeLight’ Festival in Sioux Falls over the Labor Day Weekend. I was asked to help photograph for the Lifelight Ministries and my wife helped out in the ‘volunteer and performer’ kitchen. In addition, our youngest son and his wife came to help as well. He covered the ‘Souled Out’ stage which was some of the harder Christian Rock Groups (I got over there for one of my favorite groups, ‘Day of Fire’), but missed some of the other artists I’d of like to seen. And our daughter-in-law also helped in the kitchen.

I know it’s not a lot; but we like to give back. I’m also the head photographer for PULSE, a college and youth Ministry based out of Fargo/Moorhead. And we just finished a benefit photo shoot for Hospice in Jamestown at Stutsman Harley-Davidson this past Saturday. (I’ll post some shots here). And we’ll be doing our Humane Society Santa Paws in both Grand Forks and Fargo in the coming months. Through these efforts, we probably raise over $10,000 for these organizations in a single year. Just one of the ways we like to ‘give back’. If you have any questions on these, give us a call at 1-800-344-7667.

So here’s some of the shots from LifeLight. And thanks to the JUMBOTRON operator from Atlanta who put me on the top of his truck to photograph Sunday nights crowd of app. 125,000 watching and worshipping with Casting Crowns.

If you’re not familiar with some of these names, Google them and check out their songs. Some of these are just the ‘lead’ singers and not the whole groups, and others are the main names (acts).

This weeks interview will be replaced by a tribute to a fellow photographer.

This past weekend my wife and I made a trip to Watertown, South Dakota to buy a few items from an estate sale for a photographer friend that passed away this past spring. Ralph Richter was a long-time photographer who had come to this country from Europe/Russia and learned his craft through apprenticeship. 

His photography career started out with school photography and eventually led to all types of photography. In addition, Ralph was a lifetime learner. Not only did he engage in photography as his vocation, he spent many days per year by himself or with friends going on photo safaris to improve his skills and to learn new techniques. He was always at conventions and seminars and in the front row….with his trusty camera (film based) and a cassette recorder. As we went through his studio on Sunday, we found cabinets and shelves full of binders with photos and notes from each of these educational events that Ralph attended. 

Ralph gave back to the photography profession by serving in all the positions on the South Dakota Professional Photographers Board, as well as being one of the founding members of the Northern Light Professional Photographers Association which at that time included South and North Dakota, along with Minnesota and Wisconsin. Later Wisconsin would drop out and Manitoba would join for a number of years, until recently it’s only North and South Dakota along with Minnesota in the Northern Light Professional Photographers Association.

Ralph also served as a long-time councilor for South Dakota to the Professional Photographers of America and also was a top representative for South Dakota in the American Society of Photographers. Ralph loved to share with other photographers and to enter print competitions. He will be well remembered for his extraordinary prints and the meticulous work he did on his entries each year.

So my column this week is to honor a fellow photographer. Thanks again Ralph!!

This week we will let our interviewer ask Ron some of the common questions from their customers each week.

Interviewer: When someone asks about a family portrait; how does a typical correspondence go?

Ron: Our clients usually ask about how to make a family portrait that has lasting quality. Whether that be indoors or outdoors; we discuss where the portrait will be taken, what type of background we would want to use and then the clothing that would make the portrait TIMELESS. Time of day for the session is discussed and scheduled by factors such as children, outdoor lighting and of course; weather. Being flexible makes the session go much better; but we always say we have a PLAN B.

Interviewer: How about for childrens portraits?

Ron: A lot of the same questions come into play. Time of day and clothing are the top items to be questioned. With children; more flexibility is allowed in the sessions. Spontaneity plays a lot higher than in other portraits. Children can change their expression very quickly; both good and bad. They might also need a few breaks to stay fresh. Portrait sessions can be very taxing on children.

Interviewer: In todays market of ‘digital’ cameras in almost every home and the fast-paced lifstyle; many young families are opting to skip or not take portraits very seriously. What’s your take on that?

Ron: Nothing is new with this. It’s just a different time. Our clients that ‘value’ photography and portraits know that the time spent on a ’special’ portrait is well worth it. Yes, in the short term. But even more valuable as time goes by. These memories can never be reclaimed. We also know that everyone doesn’t value portraits and ‘quality’ the same way. Many are satisfied with just a ‘record’ photograph that either they’ve taken themselves or an inexpensive portrait studio. That’s where our education comes in. We’ve spent years perfecting our posing, our lighting and our use/control of backgrounds to capture each subject in the best light possible. We aim to make everyone look their best in their portraits. And the hardest challenge we face is to take control of a ‘relaxed’ portrait and make it look like it just happened.

Interviewer:  So what type of client are you looking for?

Ron: We are looking for the client who has high values. Who knows how much these portraits are worth. Not only in money; but in family memories and history. And that they also know and like art. Being a photographer is only part of the BIG pictures of being and Artist. That’s first and foremost.