Studio + Video = Successful MN Photo Business

I recently met Minnesota photographer Joel Butkowsi and I was excited to hear that he had started to incorporate professional video capture into his photography business. In the summer of 2006 Butkowsi purchased a studio space that made it possible for him to collaborate with and rent to video professionals and a new business model was born. His studio is thriving and below he shares some of the details on how he makes it all work.

How long have you owned your space and how has the decision to maintain a studio effected your business?

I had always wanted my own space. I wanted to stop renting but I could never do it by myself or find a way to make the numbers work. I'm in a small and shrinking market. However, I had been bumping into a video crew at different shoots and off the cuff asked if they would be interested in sharing a space. To my surprise, they send yes. After a couple of meetings with them we figured out how much space they would need and how the numbers could work out. Then, I started building the studio. I added features that would reduce sound and make the space work for video. We put in more power, more insulation for sound, a larger garage door and more storage. I also added amenities for my business such as a full kitchen and 18 foot ceilings. I knew that more shooters were working out of their homes and that there were only 3 rental studios in the state so there was an opportunity to start a rental business. In June of 2006 I broke ground. I was the general contractor along with the help of one of my brothers and I did as much as I could to save money and time. I moved into the space the first week of October 2006. My old space was 2000 square feet and the new space is 5500, with the shooting space at around 3000 square feet. Having a renter my overhead is less per month then when I was renting myself, but keep in mind that I don't live in New York, the square foot price is a lot less here. I'm running two businesses. Because I work alone if I have a rental I can't be shooting, so there can be some timing issues. On average I have a renter 2-3 days a month. That may not seem like much, but at 500-700 a day it does help.

Can you talk a bit about diversifying your business? Are you doing some video capture or offering other services?

One of the reasons things are working out so well is because of the great relationship I have with Quarterton Productions, the production company that rents from me. We feed each other jobs. I regularly work on their projects shooting for clients or incorporating my stills into their video. I have had some clients call and ask if I myself can produce video content. In those cases I will manage the project and hire Quarterton to shoot it. Quarterton has been great answering my questions. They've even taught me Final Cut and other programs. I think a convergence of the two worlds is happening and the more I can learn the better. I feel it's becoming harder to survive on shooting alone and we need to diversify. I run, operate, control, or offer, three different but related services. I shoot, I have the rental studio called Area 19 and I provide a digital assent management service where we organize and distribute our client's digital content. However, I consider myself an advertising, commercial and food shooter first.

How long have you been based in Minnesota and what are the pros and cons of having your photography business there?

I was born and raised in Minnesota. My family and my wife's family live close by. Actually the studio is right next to the house my wife grew up in, so no long holiday drives. I really enjoy the all the things the state has to offer; the lakes, woods, trails. I have been a commercial photographer here for over 20 years. Minneapolis has one of the largest advertising communities in the U.S. so the possibilities of working with top-notch talent are high. The cons are the same as I would expect them to be in most small markets. In Minnesota I guess you can count having to snow blow my driveway on a cold winter day and then coming to the studio and having to blow out the entire parking lot as well. And mowing the grass isn't fun, I have a lot of grass to mow.

Are you marketing yourself nationally and are you producing work for clients beyond the local market?

I think now more then ever it does not mater were you are as long as you do the traveling. Photographers need to think and market nationally or at least regionally. We use Adbase. We target market both with post cards and through email blasts. Locally in Minnesota, we send out postcards 4-5 times a year to three targeted markets. Having a good website is key and working on your Goggle ranking is also very important.

Can you tell us about a recent job you did that was successful and satisfying to work on?

I recently completed a menu for a restaurant chain. This is a great example of the importance of good web design and ranking. The client said he found me through a Google search. He tells me he did a search for 'food photographers, Minnesota' and I was on the first page. Simple as that, he liked my site and called me. It started as couple of plate shots and I ended up producing over 20 styled images. It was my largest job this year and it was a wonderful collaboration of professionals. I said to myself, you have a good client, a creative food stylist and super photo assistant, now just do what you love; create great images.

Comments

[Giulio Sciorio]

Great read! We have a couple of studios in Phoenix that are similar to Joels. I am in a very large studio with five other talented photographers. We all have different styles and work together to help each other grow creatively.

[Jana Kunz]

Wow, Joel's work is amazing. I have worked with him and highly recommend him. Easy to work that and beautiful photography!