like any job, certain days are better than others right?  well today is an amazing-awesome day!!!!  we just got an email telling us that this month’s wppi newsletter is on the web and guess what?  lifeimages was featured as this month’s member of the month!  wooooo hooo!  to you photographers out there, you will know what a cool honor this is.  to our brides or general public, this may not seem like much but in our world it is soooooo great.  some of our best friends and photographers we totally respect and admire have been wppi members of the month so thank you again to the wonderful wppi (wedding and portrait photographers international) for recognizing us in this way.

to see the actual article with photos click here or the text is below:

lifeimages
A Picture of Success

By Linda L. May

Alex and Tiffany Albojer started lifeimages in their home in Oakville (a suburb of Toronto), Ontario, Canada in 2004. That first year, they shot one wedding, but that number jumped to 17 the second year and has only grown from there. Three years later, the business grew too fast to continue from home and they had to move to a storefront location. And they did it all through word-of-mouth advertising and referrals.

These two dynamic personalities strongly believe in each other and support each other’s talents and abilities, plus they share the common goals of operating a successful studio and raising their two children together. Through the lessons of eight years of living and working together, they keep their relationship positive and fun through open communication and compromising for the greater good of them both—along with creative imagery, savvy marketing and excellent customer service for the business side of their life together.

Weddings are lifeimages’ largest source of income. However, portraits are steadily catching up with the nuptials, both in numbers booked and also in revenues generated. Besides about 25 high-end weddings annually, they also shoot a large number of maternity sessions, family groups, infants, children, special events and parties. They also book a few destination weddings annually and have already traveled to Switzerland, Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. Lately, they have introduced high school graduation portraits into their product mix, which are viewed quite differently in Canada than in the United States.

“When we say ‘senior portraits,’ people here think of the elderly because we don’t call our high school students ‘seniors.’ So, we introduced high school graduation pictures and are aggressively promoting them this year. First, it’s all about educating the public so they know why they should take special graduation portraits instead of merely cap-and-gown shots, which are the norm here. We just launched a new section on the Web site solely dedicated to ‘Grad Photos,’ and it’s slowly, but steadily, producing positive results,” Tiffany explains.

Informal Beginnings

Neither Alex nor Tiffany are formally trained as photographers, although through the years, they have attended numerous workshops, seminars and classes to improve their skills. One particularly beneficial workshop presented by Mike Colón, advised them to “think about where you want to be in five years, then do business now like you are already there.” The couple followed Mike’s advice and say their business has gone further and grown much faster than they ever thought possible before.

Alex studied classical animation (with a pencil, not a computer) at Sheridan College in Oakville and he incorporates animated motion into his still photography, so his education has helped in that area. Tiffany studied travel and tourism, along with bookkeeping, in college and wanted to own a travel agency one day. However, in their second year of marriage, all that changed when they quit their day jobs and traveled around the world for eight months shooting their adventures. Alex and Tiffany were having so much fun documenting their worldwide adventure that they decided to do photography full time. So, upon returning to Canada, they threw caution to the wind, followed their passion and lifeimages was born. Through these past five years, their seemingly rash decision has paid off big, both financially and personally.

Studio

Lifeimages is located by Lake Ontario, in the heart of Oakville’s old, picturesque, downtown section, giving it a special historic charm. Oakville is a well established tourist destination, with a very high income ratio, which is one reason Alex and Tiffany chose it for their business. Lifeimages is all about quality, not quantity. Clients stepping through the front door of lifeimages are greeted with a warm smile and a cappuccino. Soft music and scented candles create a calm, relaxing atmosphere.

Before moving into the 1000 square-foot space, it was given a complete renovation to personalize it. Tiffany gave it a soft, “girlie” touch with pale blues and browns, lush plants and soft lighting. Alex added some extra zing by displaying huge 30 x 40-inch canvas prints on the white walls of the reception/gallery area with dramatic track lighting. One beautiful, 12-foot-long print wows people as they settle in on the blue couch for consultations and presentations. About 17,000 cars pass by the front of their building daily, so they have a 52-inch plasma TV that runs a constant slide show, which really stands out at night. The studio also has a shooting area, kitchenette, offices and a room for storage and postproduction.

Alex and Tiffany have three full-time employees to help keep the business running smoothly. Jackie Lenko is the studio manager and does a bit of everything, from daily administrative duties to album design. Brigitte Elise is the associate photographer, who shoots portraits, but lately she’s also getting into the weddings. Gallian Bake, Tiffany’s sister, plays an important role in making this husband/wife team work by watching the two children. Alex and Tiffany say they couldn’t get along without their loyal, competent team.

Alex and Tiffany usually shoot the weddings and events, like anniversary and birthday parties, together. Alex handles the main photography load, while Tiffany plays the role of the second shooter. They strive to be unique in their approach, using different angles and unusual perspectives, such as shooting very low camera angles looking upward or visa versa. They happily go that extra mile to produce creative, one-of-a-kind images. Since most of the competition in Oakville still shoot in a more formal, traditional style, their fresh, candid approach really sets their studio apart from the rest.

Equipment
Currently, these Canadian imagemakers use Nikon D3 cameras exclusively with a variety of focal length lenses, including the 17–55mm f/2.8 zoom, 70–200mm f/2.8 zoom, and the 60mm f/2.8 Macro, just to mention a few. Alex’s favorite lens is the 70—200mm for weddings and Tiffany prefers the 50mm fixed for portraits.

When it comes to lighting, they prefer natural or available light. However, when extra illumination is needed, they use Nikon SB 900 flash units off-camera and Elinchrom 600RX and 400 studio strobes for more formal setups and studio work. “Seriously, we are minimalists! Carrying extra tripods, reflectors and gear just slows us down,” Tiffany says.

Marketing

Lifeimages was built on word-of-mouth and referrals, and it is still their best form of advertising and brings in the bulk of their new clients. The Web site and blog also generates lots of interest and new clients. In the past, they tried print ads in magazines and say it proved to be too costly for the small amount of return they received. They also have a great working relationship with other vendors in the wedding industry such as florists, wedding planners and coordinators and caterers. They refer each other and have promo materials and prints displayed in some locations. These relationships also generate numerous weddings annually.

Workshops
Aside from the regular studio duties, Tiffany also teaches photography workshops for women and has found it to be not only personally rewarding but also generates new business. “Two years ago, I held my first workshop for women, with only six ladies in attendance. At first, I was just excited to share my knowledge, but I soon discovered a real love for teaching. The feedback was so positive that I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s mostly moms who come and that is where I am in my life right now. I’m a mom first and a photographer/businesswoman second, so I can relate to these women. We also chat about how to maintain a balance between work and family. I know firsthand what it feels like to capture cute photographs of your children. We have a connection! Now, it’s become more than just about photography, it’s documenting life with kids!” Tiffany explains, smiling.

WPPI Membership
In 2006, Alex and Tiffany joined WPPI and attended their first Las Vegas convention that same year. In 2008, Alex took home three awards for his outstanding images, including a first place in the Group category of the 8 x 10 competition for his photograph titled “Group of Seven,” which shows his effective use of animation in his work and a second place in the Wedding Detail category in the same competition, for the image titled “Specs.”

“WPPI makes photographers feel acknowledged as artists. Seeing the sheer number of attendees in Vegas confirms that our industry is important and proves that photographers have a very important job by helping people document their special memories in life. The amazing level of artistry displayed at the WPPI Convention for thousands to enjoy is quite humbling. We have learned a plethora of knowledge from being a part of this beneficial organization. We highly recommend that photographers join WPPI and attend the annual conventions in Vegas,” Tiffany says.

Philosophy
“To us, a moment or emotion caught in camera is beautiful! We want people to look at our images in years to come and still be overwhelmed with emotion. We feel that our job is bigger than just snapping pretty pictures. We feel incredibly honored every time we are invited into someone’s home to photograph a wedding or portrait. What other job are you welcomed into people’s personal spaces like a bedroom or nursery? Often we are the first to see a bride in her gown or the first people, besides the parents, to hold a newborn. How special is that? Capturing these special events create trustworthiness between us and our clients… and we never take that trust lightly!” Tiffany explains.

Future Plans
This energetic couple has many plans for the future, including continuing to build up their high school graduation portrait business and continuing to improve their overall operation. Alex is also starting a photography workshop especially for the guys, to balance out Tiffany’s workshop for women. Increasing the number of destination weddings is also part of their future plans.

This coming September, Alex and Tiffany will be hosting a four-day wedding workshop at their Oakville studio titled “t n’ a, a wedding photography workshop.” Suitable for all levels of professional wedding experience, this exciting workshop will show how to incorporate associate photographers into your business and create a team environment. Along with beautiful engagement and bridal shoots, this dynamic couple will share all. For more information or to register online go to www.lifeimagesblog.ca/workshops/t-n-a-wedding-workshop.

Readers may contact Alex and Tiffany Albojer at lifeimages in Canada via email at info@lifeimages.ca or view their Web site and blog at www.lifeimages.ca.