Hey Everyone,

I kept this fairly quiet, but I decided to make a second stab at working in the Green Room for the Westminster Dog Show at the Penn Hotel (located across the street from MSG). Last year, I gave a fairly stark experience of the show. I did not see it necessarily as a failure last year, just not as a real success. :P

However, having done the show last year, it had opened up several doors for us. We have been invited to help raise funds for several shelter groups and recently have been asked to join some boards for pet related causes. In short, I feel that it was a net positive and worth making another stab at. Also, I felt that I did not want to walk out with my tail between my legs!

This year, I went in having much lower expectations and completely re-tooled my packages. I also changed my promo material, including photographs of only pets that had been shot on backdrops and in studio lighting (vs outdoor work). I featured Westminster Dog Show dogs and added new products, such as throw blankets and some studio books.

While I am not crowing, I am satisfied with the results. The results were pretty solid. We were also fortunate that some of last year's owners came to visit - and brought their friends.

(1) We booked 29 different breeds this year - a huge improvement.
(2) We made a small, but meaningful profit (yeah!).
(3) We photographed 3 of the 6 'new breeds' though I was not 100% thrilled with one of the sets (they did a 'walk on' in between sessions and I tried to fit them in. The dogs were revved up and were not able to calm down until the end, and I had to end the session early because a prior appointment came to have their pet photographed).

Over-all, a very positive show and I am glad that I did it. I have been asked if I wish to do next year's show and I have decided with Chanthee that it is more than likely worth doing (90% likely). Of course, show photography is not my bread and butter, and I know I need to continue to retool my packages and product offerings. However, I am pretty happy that I made it out alive the second time and feel a bit better about myself and my performance in the process. :P

I am going to plow through some photos by this weekend and start publishing them as I fulfill orders.

James

Congratulations on the good results this year, I'm looking forward to seeing some of the images when you get a chance to post them.

Congrats James and Chanthee! Sounds like a much better experience than last year.

So glad you gave it another try. In a couple of weeks it may feel like childbirth and you will forget the pain and remember all the good things

Now that you have two under your belt, it is great that you are thinking ahead to next year.

How did the boards turn out that you have been asked to be involved with and has that helped you open more doors to pay work or more people asking for more free stuff? (I really would like to hear more about those organizations)

Also very happy that you are in the black with this show.

I was thinking about you as we watched Groups on TV Monday and Tuesday. Glad you gave it another try. It's a difficult environment and it sounds like you figured out how to make it work for you. Did you get a chance to shoot any Rotties? Three of the Rotties we do the advertising for showed in Westminster this year. We were proud of them. Next year, I'm hoping at least one of our own puppies will be there showing. So, maybe we'll get a chance to see you and Chanthee.

Jim

"How did the boards turn out that you have been asked to be involved with and has that helped you open more doors to pay work or more people asking for more free stuff? (I really would like to hear more about those organizations)"

Hey Peggy,

This is a piece that is in process. This is VERY recent, but we received two invites. One is for a local SPCA. The other is for a vet group. I am still discussing this with them and I am trying to figure out if they work for us. When I finish the conversation, I will definitely share more.

James

Hey Jim,

Thanks. We did shoot one Rottie during the show. They were relatively local (Buffalo) and the first thing I mentioned when they came to sit was you and your publication, hoping that they might be connected. He was beautiful and very sweet.

Honestly, they were not my best Rottie shots ever as the dog had recently been on the 'jog a dog,' and he was very hot when they came to visit. The mouth was open and the tongue was wide. They came down one more time, but I was busy and it just did not happen. Having said that, I did get a couple of nice shots of him - though nothing like you share here. I will share them with my stuff later.

James

James,
our first Rottie girl, Annie (Ch Nordike's Ruffiann V Mobster), was bred near Buffalo so a lot of our line goes back to dogs from that area. Annie was our foundation bitch and everything we've ever bred goes back to her. Just wondering if that dog was owned by Susie Grupp.

Jim

...LOL, check out your PMs...

James

Hey James, I'm also glad to see that you tried this again. Even though your focus is not pet/dog photography, I'd think it would be fun and each year there would be the potential for learning about new and interesting possible leads for additional work.

I was watching on and off also on TV, may have been one of the news shows, that went to the Penn and was filming different areas, and there was a few seconds of a photographer with a ponytail and I wondered if that was you!?!

Diana