The Daily Mentor Minute Blog | Bruce Hudson

Happy Birthday McKenna!
Wednesday, Dec 31, 2008

My baby turned 24 today! What an incredible day we had! McKenna starts teaching Kindergarten on Monday so we all met in her new classroom today before her party. I don't think I could ever be any prouder then I was today as she gave us a tour of her classroom. It's rewarding to see someone so passionate about what they were met to do in life. Congratulations McKenna on realizing your dream! We are all proud of your accomplishment and you know your mom is looking down on you with a BIG smile on her face! Love you, DAD

Create a focus in your marketing!
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008

Hi everyone, Josh here! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Now that the “busy” season in our industry is behind us, it is time to focus on the future. Last night my dad and I broadcasted a live webcast on just that! It was on 21 different ways you can make yourself more efficient and organized in 2009. Thank you to all the attendees and all of the great comments, we truly appreciate it! Tonight I want to discuss briefly how you can take getting organized and apply it to your marketing efforts this coming year. “Having a simple, clearly defined goal can capture the imagination and inspire passion. It can cut through the fog like a beacon in the night.” This is great quote I just read in the book “212 Degrees: The Extra Degree” written by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. I know what your thinking, “Josh, that is a quote about goals, what does that have to do with marketing?” EVERYTHING! Whether you are sending an e-blast, a direct mailer, or even speaking at Rotary Club, your marketing has to have a clear, defined goal. And more importantly, that goal needs to be clear to your prospect or existing client. Simply sending a generic card with some images on it and the same old copy doesn’t inspire action. To me, a generic marketing piece is an unorganized piece. “You have to dream for the people who don’t know how to dream,” said one our top clients Jeff Denkila. Portraiture is not something the family sits around the table and discusses; it is not an immediate need product. Therefore, we as photographers have to give people a reason to want to invest with us. We need to inspire them to want something specific. Be mindful of this every time you send a piece out. And once again, I am not talking about a “Free 8x10” or “1/2 Off a Session” promotion, but a piece that will inspire someone to truly get excited. Last summer we sent a card to some prospective clients living on lakes around the Seattle area promoting our summer portrait safaris. The card was very unique and featured a family on a rock in Cannon Beach, OR. The copy conveyed to our prospective clients how special a Hudson’s portrait really was, and because of it, we were introduced to an amazing client who had no idea that custom designed portraiture was even possible! He was really excited to come in and talk with us. He even brought in the card in and said. “I want these really big all over my house!” When all said and done, this family spent 5 figures with us and there is talk about doing another session in the mountains this winter for some portraits in their cabin. Long story short here, your marketing needs to inspire people. You can do this by having a clear, defined message (or goal) in every piece you send out. Our marketing next year for our spring portrait safaris will do the same thing and feature some great images as well. Thanks everyone, have a great New Years! Josh -PS. I just posted a new image of the week, check it out! It will be featured in an upcoming marketing piece.

Never Stop Learning!
Sunday, Dec 28, 2008

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m an education freak! I can learn from anyone, anything, from anywhere. Although I’m a product of many of my photographic mentors, most of my ideas come from outside the photography world. For Christmas I went to one of my favorite stores, Franklin Covey, to see what they had to offer. I picked up a couple of motivational books for my kids (Josh and McKenna) and I also picked up a quick read for myself. Maybe you have heard or seen it- 212 Degree the extra degree, by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson. Powerful stuff in less than 100 pages and 20 minutes of reading, with some awesome images as well! Here’s what the back cover says, to give you a glimpse; “At 212 degrees water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive.” The last two days I’ve been putting the final touches on my final live WEBinar of the year, 21 SUCCESS STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOU MORE EFFICIENT IN 2009. I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this information with my participants. Many of my regulars are from all over the world now, including Australia, India, The Netherlands, Canada and the good old USA! Education in any business is “where it’s at” to move forward and realize your dreams. I’d love to have you join me tomorrow, Monday the 29th at 7pm central time. You will not be disappointed! Also check out the book 212 The Extra Degree! BH To register for tomorrow go to: www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars

Maintain your relationships and get organized in 2009!
Friday, Dec 26, 2008

I hope everyone had a great Christmas yesterday, I know I sure did! I know I always stress the importance of maintaining relationships with your clients, but it is even more important to stress this concept now! When Sue and I started back in 1982, we did this without even really knowing it. When we purchased the studio business it was mainly photographing team sports. By taking the extra time with each family and saving their information, we were setting the foundation for our future business. I can’t tell you how many clients I still have to this day that first worked with me 26 years ago when I was photographing little leagues. One such client’s family has spent close to or over a quarter of a million dollars with me, and it all started when she was a Kent Knights Cheerleader. Just remember that clients don’t grow on trees, they grow on databases! Always remember to take the time to communicate with your clients on a regular basis. I know this can seem like a daunting task, and trust me, it can be. But the more organized you are the better! Us as artists are not very good at this step, but I have learned a few tricks (thanks to my late wife Sue) that can help you along your way. It’s all about developing a plan of attack and making yourself more efficient. What’s your plan for 2009? How are you going to organize your life and your business in such a way that it WILL make you more money? If you need some concrete, proven ideas, join me this Monday, December 29th at 7pm CST for my LIVE webcast 21 Ways to Make YOU More Efficient in 2009! Read more about it at www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars. Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you tomorrow! B.H.

Merry Christmas!
Thursday, Dec 25, 2008

The smell of prime rib, our favorite eagle flying over the house, and some unexpected Christmas swans swimming in the lake! That is what Christmas Day at the Hudson’s has been like so far! Oh, forgot to mention, it is also a white Christmas as well! I can’t even remember the last time we had a white Christmas in the Northwest! Enjoy the day with your family and be thankful for what you have. From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas! See you tomorrow for my blog about the first few months I was in business and when I learned that photography truly is all about relationships! Bruce (PS. Check out our little Christmas Cats Captain and Morgan!)

Shooting for fun?
Monday, Dec 22, 2008

This morning Josh and I dug ourselves out of the driveway and made our way to the studio. We were both going a little stir crazy after having a couple of snow days at home. For us in the Seattle area to have 8-14 inches of snow is a big deal. On the way to work this morning I had my camera in the car and we decide to stop and capture some interesting images along the way. You can see an image of our first stop called “The Canal” by checking out the Image of the Week. We also stopped by Lake Wilderness Park (where we have our portraits in the leaves promotion) to capture some images of the lake in the snow. It’s fun to be a photographer and create some beautiful images, but it is even more fun to turn those creative talents into a lucrative living! That’s what I try to share with everyone on this site everyday! So what can I do next to make my morning snow shoot a win-win proposition? Basically, how can my fun this morning translate into more money in my bank account? Here is what I will be doing today: (1) Contacting the local papers to let them know I have some amazing images that they can use with my photo credits. The owner/editor of one of them is in a neighboring Rotary club and has asked me to contribute my work anytime! I love FREE marketing! (2) Contacting the City and letting them know that I have some amazing images that they might want to use in the future. Price to be determined later! (3) As I’ve mentioned for the past year we have a fine art product line called Truce. It stands for my wife Terri and me, clever, huh? I found that there is a huge market for this and I just love turning my passion for photography into profit! Some of the images I took this morning will go into a new collection that I can market to my clients. Get out there and sell your beautiful work! Start a collection of your own NOW! (4) And lastly, Josh will be putting one of the images into an e-blast that will go out to our clients today! Talk about instant marketing for portraits in the snow! For me, it’s hard to just shoot for fun. I love the art of photography, but I love it a lot more when I can marry my passion for it with some big profits! Shoot for fun, but don’t forget to get paid! B.H.

Merry Christmas from Hudson’s
Sunday, Dec 21, 2008

We had another relaxing snow day today! As we mentioned in an earlier blog this week, we are kind of snow “wimps” in the Seattle area! Defiantly not used to all this white stuff! My daughter McKenna has been going crazy! She wants to set up her first Kindergarten classroom, and the snow days are not helping the cause! This afternoon, I had the opportunity to create a video we will be emailing to our clients tomorrow. While taking our Santa pictures this year, Josh filmed each of the kids with Santa! The results can be found on YouTube’s website, search Hudson’s Portraits Santa 2008. The song was recorded one of our BruceTunz artists, Darren Motamedy. It is available on www.brucetunz.com. Enjoy the video! Until tomorrow! B.H.

Defining Moments, congrats Josh and Melissa!
Saturday, Dec 20, 2008

Can you recall the defining moments in your life? These are the times when you make a major decision or when fate changes the direction in your life. As photographers, we have the opportunity to witness many of these defining moments and document them for future generations. In some ways, I feel, we are historians capturing a slice of time for our clients. Defining moments come in all shapes and sizes. It might be the birth of your children or proudly watching my daughter McKenna graduating from college last May. Sadly today, December 20th, is the 13th anniversary of when Sue’s cancer was declared terminal. That defining moment in my life changed the direction the kids and I would take forever. As I have said many times, this website is part of my late wife’s legacy. The strategies and systems we still use today were set-up by Sue. On a more upbeat note, a defining moment happen last night as Josh proposed to his girlfriend of 3 years Melissa! From the details I’ve heard throughout the day, it was extremely well executed and completely surprised the bride-to-be! Way to go Josh and congratulations on your newest defining moment! Love you Josh! Dad, McKenna and Terri

Snow Day!
Thursday, Dec 18, 2008

Sometimes everyone needs a snow day, even Las Vegas! Isn’t that crazy, snow in the desert? If I were a photographer around there, my clients would be getting a “Portraits in the Snow” email from me! Anyway, we are big snow wimps here in the Seattle area. For all of you in the Mid-west or areas where you have lots of snow, I am sure you are laughing right now! But come on, we got like 3 inches! I know, we need to suck it up, but if you have ever visited the Seattle area, we have lots of hills. It isn’t the easiest place to drive when the weather turns cold. Plus, no one knows how to drive in it. That one-two combination usually leads to everything shutting down, much like it did today. I think the kid in all of us comes out on a snow day. You feel as if you are getting away with something. Most of us are probably done with all the Christmas orders or are in the process of having them completed. I have to thank my awesome lab H&H Color in Kansas City for that! The temptation to just take a day off and watch TV is pretty tempting on a snow day; I know I almost got caught up in it. But for me, I view these types of days as an opportunity to add some extra working hours to my week. “Are you serious Bruce, add some extra working hours?” Yep! In this business (especially the way the industry has changed and now the economy) it is important to never get complacent. Every day you have to evolve yourself and your business by coming up with new ways to service your existing clients and pull in some new ones! Its days like this, when the phones aren’t ringing, that I really get a ton of stuff done. I guess the point of my short but sweet blog today is never waste an opportunity when it comes to your time. If you have always wanted to do a newsletter, snow days are a perfect time to get it done! You get what I am saying, don’t miss these little opportunities; you’ll be amazed what you can get done! B.H.

Creating a Culture!
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008

Wow, what a busy weekend! As you know, Saturday was our annual Super Santa Saturday here at the studio! I think we had about 35 of our Premiere Portrait Club families attend and it was a full house. It is a lot of work, but a success! We even had snow the night before, what a great way to add to the holiday cheer. We also hosted another event for our Premieres on Sunday; it was our annual Truce Calendar Release Party! Since 2007, every year we put together a calendar of fine art images (Truce) and give it to our Premiere Portrait Club clients, or PPC’s. You have heard me speak about these people before, but they are one of the reasons that my studio is still profitable even during these challenging times. For us, it is all about creating a culture here at Hudson’s. It is amazing to watch all of my “Perfect Clients” interacting with one another. We have even created some lifelong friendships between our clients! A lot of them met each other at one of our special events. Look at some of the most successful businesses in the world, now look at the cult like following they have with their customers. Josh is actually reviewing a book that covers this exact topic for December’s Monthly Mentor Issue. Watch your mailbox for it. Anyway, what was so special about our exclusive calendar release party? Here are a few things: (1) It was for PPC members only! (2) The calendar is only given to PPC members, no one else. In fact, we only market these events and perks to PPC members, our general database doesn’t even know about them. I’ll get into how we marketed this in a second. (3) We partnered with a local restaurant and held it at their venue. (4) We had appetizers and wine for all the attendees. (5) In addition to the calendars, we had on display all 12 of the images around the restaurant on easels with lights. And of course there were price lists for the different sizes and finishes we offer as well. (6) I also partnered with local jazz band and they played throughout the 2 hour event. So how did we market this? Pretty simple really, we sent personal invitations (see above) using send out cards (Send a free card at www.sendoutcards.com/jbhudson), mentioned it a few times in our monthly PPC E-Newsletter, and also dedicated a section to it in our Fall 2008 PPC Newsletter. The turnout was great! And of course anyone who could not make it can swing by the studio and pick up their calendar anytime as well! What is the purpose of all this? It is to stay connected with our best clients! It is also to further our relationship with them and continue to create our exclusive culture. What do you think these clients will talk about with their friends at other Christmas parties this year? They’ll talk about the great party that their photographer threw for them and amazing calendar they received at it! Think of ways you can reconnect with your clients and create your own special culture! Have a great Tuesday everyone! Bruce

Bruce’s Image shows up on ABC and Fox Networks
Monday, Dec 15, 2008

As you might have remembered, night time radio celebrity Delilah is a longtime friend and client of Bruce’s. Her new book has one of his images on the cover, which was shown on ABC and the Fox Network this weekend! She has been in New York this week to promote her book and has made the rounds at ABC’s Good Morning America and actually this morning on Fox’s Fox & Friends. It is pretty cool to see an image Bruce has created flash onto the screen for millions to see! The best part of this story is that he has already been asked to do the cover of her next book, due out early next year! Next time you are in the book store, check out Delilah’s book and better yet, buy it! It’s really good! See you tomorrow! Josh

We’re ALL Ready for Santa!
Friday, Dec 12, 2008

I just put the finishing touches on our Santa set for tomorrow’s annual Super Santa Saturday! This year we are going for a mountain antique theme with some amazing props that one of my clients let us borrow. All of the items are authentic and I think compliment the set very well! I don’t think I have ever mentioned that I do Santa photographs. Well, I do, but only for my Premiere Portrait Club, or PPC, members. This type of event is just one of the benefits for being a Hudson’s PPC member. When we first started this tradition, it wasn’t really meant to make any coin but has now evolved into a nice little money maker! My goal from the beginning was to provide a stress free portrait environment for my top clients. These are the type of people that don’t do the “mall” thing. We have mimosas and pastries for the adults, and cider, cookies, and little candy gift bags for the kids. I am not much of a package guy, but it works well for this event. They start at $80 and go up from there. We choose the best image from the little session and print the package from that. Not only does this create some cash flow and give my clients a reason to come in, it is also a great way to create a special “exclusive” culture here at the studio. “When you are a PPC you are special, and this event is just for you!” Trust me, these clients would never even think of going anywhere else! It will be a busy day tomorrow, we are booked solid with about 30 families from 10am to 3pm, wish me luck! We will put a good word in with Santa for you! B.H.

FREE Marketing That Works!
Tuesday, Dec 09, 2008

Hi everyone, I hope you had a great day! Josh and I took a break from the day to day work this afternoon and put up the Christmas lights at the studio for a few hours. We also bought a tree for the lobby and started getting ready for our Super Santa Saturday this weekend. I’ll elaborate on this later in the week. Tonight I want to talk about something you can do right now to market your business…and it’s FREE! Have a client camera class! “Bruce, are you crazy, your teaching your competition!?” Not in the least! Trust me, some of my clients are serious hobbyists and they leave the class with a greater respect for what I do. Think of it this way, restaurants have cooking classes for their loyal customers, does that keep them from coming into dine? No way! Plus, it is a great way to keep in touch with your clients and GIVE THEM A REASON to come into your studio! Case in point, one of tonight’s attendees is not yet an official client. She has a daughter that goes to a very prestigious private school in Seattle. A few years ago I did their Valentines Day Daddy-Daughter dance. This is something I don’t really do but when I was approached by this school, trust me, it was a no brainer. Everyone at the dance had photos taken and filled out a file with their name, address, phone number, and email. Not only did I make a little money but I added a 100 or so highly qualified prospects to my marketing mix. This woman has been getting our e-blasts for the last 2 years, which is how she heard about our camera class. Tonight she mentioned how beautiful the large wall portraits were and how she has always wanted to do something like that. Bingo! Tomorrow I will be sending here a nice card and some more information. She is also in charge of the schools dance this year and asked me if I wanted to shoot it again. A client camera class is a great way to showcase your talents that doesn’t cost anything. Try it for yourself; we do it every June and December. We also add another incentive to the mix; all attendee’s are required to bring 2 bags of groceries that we donate the next day to the food bank. So it’s a win-win for everyone! Plus, it’s not bad PR either. These camera classes are great for the slow times as well, like the up-coming first quarter. By the way, what do you have in place to ensure cash flow during January, February, and March? Need some proven ideas that keeps business coming in the door? Join me Thursday at 7pm CST for my LIVE webcast on 2009 Promotions: 10 Ways to Generate Business in the First Quarter! I was working on it today; it’s going to be a great show! Hope to see you there. B.H. www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars to register.

Incredible Marketing! Wow!
Monday, Dec 08, 2008

I just received an incredible marketing piece through the mail from Porsche. The black cardboard mailer was shrink-wrapped with the distinctive Porsche logo on the front. In the mailer was a folder that read, “Spies would risk life and limb for them. Bloggers would lie, cheat, and steal for them. The press would kill for them. And you happen to have them in your hands right now!” Very compelling! What was it? It was two 8x10 prints of the new 4 door Porsche Panamera that is about to be released! I love this kind of marketing stuff. It’s fresh, innovative, and interactive. This piece defiantly passed the “standing over the trash can” test! Also contained in the packet were some registration cards for scheduling a test drive at my local dealership. Very cool! The image above is the whole presentation. I always try to do the same thing when I send something to my clients…or prospective clients. We put all the price lists, marketing pieces, and brochures into a nice folder and mail it as a packet. Anything you can do to pass the “trash can” test is a good thing. As one of my mentors Dan Kennedy has said, “America sorts its mail over a trash can!” What are you doing to standout? For some more marketing ideas, join me this Thursday, Dec. 11th for my LIVE webcast on 2009 Promotions: 10 Ways to Generate Business in the Dreaded First Quarter!

How Many 20x24 or Larger Portraits Have You Sold Lately?
Friday, Dec 05, 2008

If your answer is less than half of your sessions, you are missing out on the most profitable and rewarding part of being a professional photographer! Many years ago, around 1985, I studied with a man that literally changed my life. I attended his Wall Portrait Conference in Yakima, WA and learned some of the most valuable information I ever have in the photography business. That man was Ken Whitmire and he is one of my mentors still to this day. I only mention this because today I received a letter from Ken concerning his annual Wall Portrait Conference coming up on April 26th through May 1st. This particular letter really hit home with me. For you Monthly Mentor Members, I had Josh scan it and post in the Member’s Only area of the site. Take a second tonight and read it. For you non-members, I guess you will have to take my word for it. Anyway, the letter reflects on portrait photography as a whole. Ken wrote about how photography was received in the 1930’s during the Great Depression and how some of those thoughts can relate to today’s situation. Ken’s letter also puts into perspective our profession today and how we are not only competing with ourselves, we are competing with our clients as well. Anybody can take an image, Photoshop it, and print an 8x10. But not everybody can capture a family’s lifestyle and print it on a 30x40 canvas portrait! Now more than ever us as photographers need to focus on what is really going to provide us with a substantial living and the respect that our images deserve. Ken has the ability to change your way of thinking. I seriously think all of you reading this should consider spending 6 days with Ken at his conference in 2009. Just before Ken’s conference, Josh and I are planning our annual Studio Marketing and Sales Workshop for March 12-15 in Seattle. I believe in Ken’s teachings so much that if you had to choose between attending mine or going to Ken’s…I would choose Ken’s hats down! His message is that important to me! Take a second to read his letter posted on the Member’s Only site and check out his website at www.wallportrait.com! I will be speaking on one of the days as well and I hope to see all of you there. Have a great weekend! B.H.

In Search of the Silver (Magic) Bullet
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2008

It seems we are all looking for ways to create more business while maintaining the current business we already have. Is there such thing as a magic marketing bullet? I haven’t found one yet. This was also the message I shared with my fellow Seattle photographers last night at our SPPA Christmas Party. It was great getting seeing everyone having a wonderful time together! Being one of the senior members (I hate the way that sounds) many of my buddies in the organization cornered me and asked for my opinion on the current business climate. I have weathered a few recessions during the life of my business, in fact, my late wife Sue and I started in 1982 during a major recession! My response to them was this: (1) You need to work as hard or harder than you have ever worked in your life! (2) You need to follow-up with every lead! Don’t just put it in the inbox and go back to Photo Shop. You also need to be as diligent as possible when closing the sale. (3) Basically, be as pro-active as possible; don’t waste a minute of your day. Even when you are driving home for the night, listen to a marketing book on CD or pop in your Monthly Mentor issue! (4) Start diversifying your product line. For us, this means re-introducing our Truce Fine Art Portraits! When you are in survival mode, sometimes you have to do certain types of photography you are not excited about. (5) Lastly, stay positive! This downturn will not last forever and you will come out stronger when it passes! Hang in there! So that is my little pep talk for today, I hope to see all of you tomorrow for my highly anticipated webinar- Displaying in YOUR Community! This type of marketing can be extremely effective and cost virtually nothing. In fact, sometimes you can even charge FULL PRICE for a display! Don’t think it’s possible, join me tomorrow at 7pm CST and I’ll change your mind! For more information please go to www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars. B.H.

Old Dogs CAN Learn New Tricks!
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008

One thing that has always amazed me is my father’s ability to learn new things. Hi everybody, Josh here. My dad and his wife Terri are at the Seattle Professional Photographer’s Association Christmas party tonight, so I am filling in! It will be a short one though; my dad and I are meeting at the studio around 5am tomorrow morning. Bruce is giving a presentation to a Rotary club about an hour north of the studio and the meeting is at 7am. I know we’re crazy but it is FREE marketing and it does work! Anyway, today my dad and I were experimenting with a new way to market through emails. I don’t want to give too much away because this new trick will be a special surprise waiting in your inbox from us very soon! I was very impressed with my dad’s enthusiasm and his ability to see the big picture. He is not afraid of trying anything new! This is probably one of the main reasons why our studio has done so well over the years. As I continue to grow up with the business I see that there are some direct correlations between attitude and success. My dad is always in a positive mood, even on a slow day. He is also willing to look for new answers. But when he finds the answers to life’s little business questions, he actually takes the necessary steps to put them into practice. Trust me, sometimes it drives me a little crazy because he wants everything done now, but that is what gets us ahead. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! My dad learns new ones everyday! Just kidding dad, you’re not old! That is why I love this website and The Monthly Mentor Program! We are able to share anything and everything with all of you. With that I will leave you hanging in the balance. Watch your inbox next week for our December Studio Success Tip E-Mail and you’ll see the new marketing trick we learned today! Josh Hudson -PS. If you can’t wait until next week, get your “Bruce Fix” as one of our Platinum Members Yoti in California says, this Thursday at 7pm CST. My dad is hosting a webinar on Displaying in YOUR Community. It is probably the most effective FREE marketing you can do! This webinar is packed with a ton of information and real world examples. You don’t want to miss it! Go to www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars to register.

The TOTAL Tree Experience! –Bruce and Josh Hudson
Monday, Dec 01, 2008

Josh and I are trying something new tonight, it’s a dual blog! You’ll see what I mean! One of our long standing family traditions this time of year is the cutting of the family Christmas tree! I am not talking about the “Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation, walking miles through the snow, forgetting the saw, then digging the tree up” experience; I am talking about the “going to a tree farm, choosing then cutting” experience. We are blessed in our area to have a lot of tree farms close to our new home. There is one in particular that we experienced yesterday for the first time called Honey Tree Farms. It was an amazing experience! “Come on Bruce, how AMAZING could it be”, you’re probably asking? Here are some of the elements that made it a memorable experience. (Hint- Try to see the big picture here and relate it back to the photography business) (1) Top quality trees, period! They were all green, full, and had a ton to choose from. (2) Affordably priced for the quality. (3) They had an espresso stand! Not only that, they served fresh hotdogs, chips, and cold soda as well! (4) What better way to capture the spirit of the season than with Christmas music! They had an amazing sound system that was pumping out some jazzy Christmas music. This was pretty impressive considering we were in the middle of a farm! (5) You didn’t have to drag your tree in from the field; they would pick it up for you with a tracker. (6) They would trim the bottom of your tree for you. (7) This was the coolest part, after the tree was trimmed, they would then put it in this machine that would shake all the loose pine needles and water from the tree. Wow! (8) Lastly they would bail it for you at no charge and take it to your car! If you need them too, they would also tie it for you. (9) Everyone was polite, fun, and just plain nice! We just found our favorite new tree farm! That was my experience, now let’s here Josh’s! Take it away son! ----Hi everyone, Josh here! See, my dad told you it would be a dual blog today! The Honey Tree Farm was an amazing experience and I was very impressed. But later that day I met up with my girlfriend Melissa and her family at another tree farm about 10 miles away. Talk about the opposite experience! What a dump! I am not trying to be harsh but compared to the farm I had been at before; this one didn’t hold a candle. It didn’t have the best selection and not every tree was marked with a price. I even walked all the way back from the field to ask one of the employees what a price on an unmarked tree was. He told me that he didn’t have time to walk out there and told me to find another tree. So we did…back at the farm my family had visited earlier that day! The place we started at was overpriced (for the quality) and was not a pleasant experience at all. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives here, but I think us as photographers can learn a lot from this lesson in marketing the experience. I never expected to have a first class experience at a tree farm. How many of our clients expect to have a first class experience at a portrait studio? But when you have that first class experience, you are blown away. I would have been willing to pay double for our tree at Honey Tree Farms because it wasn’t just about a tree, much like going to a professional photographer is not all about the pixels. See what I mean? Anyway, I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving weekend! J.H.