I know it is late,  but Merry Christmas anyway!

Well it has been a busy few weeks to say the least. filling orders, buying food for parties and Oh, yeah buying gifts.  I know I am not the only one doing it, but I still fell behind.  so  I guess I will take this time to wish you all a safe holiday with family and  Happy New year!

www.koppiphotos.com , www.koppiwritephotography.com

Jamie,

It is great to talk to you one on one...finally! 
You have always come off strong and focused. I think people are lucky to get a chance to work with you!  Sorry, before I get ahead of myself.   Please tell the readers who you are, where you work or are located and give me some links so they can find you on the web.

Thanks Patrick!  I have my main photography website at www.koppiphotos.com, from there they can find my boudoir and senior portrait work as well as my blog. 

Thanks!  You are focused!  I can't say it any other way.  I like that A. Adams quote you start off with....  Being in the right place at the right time. You seem to be in the right place now.... I think portraits are the perfect way for people to capture the moment.  Your portrait work just grabs me.  What is your thought process behind a great portrait? And it is just me,  but would you say portraits are your strong suit?  I know you shoot a lot of other styles or subjects.....  Please tell me more about those?

Portraits are my strong suit, but I think because that is what I get the most practice doing.  A great portrait to me shows a subject that is comfortable (even if they hate having their photo taken).  Capturing the subject’s personality is the fun part.  Finding out what makes them relax, smile, and react.  Once you know that, you can work on taking the perfect image.  The best part is knowing the exact moment that you “got it”. 

And like you said, I do a lot of other work.  I classify my boudoir as portraits, just a different type.  Ideally I would shoot 10-15 weddings a year, and that goal number goes down each year as I invest more time in my clients and their relationships.  I love that I am doing wedding photos for my senior clients, and maternity & newborn sessions for my wedding clients.  It is an honor that they come to me to document all of their lives milestones!



After the clients are wow’ed by your images,  what is your secret, what is the icing on the cake that is making them all rave about your work?  Or put another way,  what are you doing differently that is drawing all these clients in?

I have a great friendly business relationship with the majority of my clients.  They don’t think twice before they text, call or send me a facebook message.   I think that is lost a lot with some photographers.  To some it is a job and they leave it at that.  Photography is my passion and that carries over throughout all aspects of my business.  When you come to my studio you are offered a seat on the couch, kick your feet up on the oversized ottoman, feel free to help yourself to snacks and drinks.  You will hear my ipod playing in the background.  It is all very personal, all very ME.  That is what makes me different.  There are a million photographers out there, but I am the only ME.


I think you have nailed it to this point,  you know what you are great at, you are creative, you are your own boss....   What direction do you want to take your business?    

What is your ultimate client like? ... And I know you are a people person. So talking to you is very easy. What type of client makes your work so much easier?

Ideally my business will continue to grow at a steady pace.  I would like to add an associate photographer to my staff next year.  I do a lot of cross marketing and promotion with local businesses and mommy groups and the additional photographer will be helpful in those busy times. 

My ultimate client… Down to earth.  They value custom photography.  They know the difference between a snapshot and a portrait.  They may not know the photographic reasoning, but they know the quality is different and they are willing to spend a little extra money for great portraits. 

I am all over the place both creatively and physically when I shoot.  I sweat, I trip, sometimes I come close to falling in water.  I have to have clients that are ok with that.  I need clients that don’t mind if I get down on my belly to get a shot.  It is even better if they don’t mind getting down there with me because they know I have a vision and they trust my mind’s eye.

   

 I know there are always variables but what is your perfect shoot like? You know, when everything is firing on all cylinders ...... What is that feeling like to you? How does it make your clients feel?  

There are many variables!  Seeing that I am in the south, it gets HOT.  So the perfect shoot would be a day when we are not sweating outside.   I love outdoor portraiture.  There is just something about the lighting, colors and mood that just comes together.  So, a perfect shoot starts with the perfect weather.   Mix in some models, or a couple for an engagement session and I am on it.  Once I in the “zone” there is no stopping me!  Seriously, I could shoot all day and night if my subjects were willing.  I think that my excitement, my joy and vision all come together and the clients get excited.  They just want to see just one sneak peek.  I typically show them ONE shot on the back of the camera.  Usually after they have witnessed me do something tremendously weird (like climb a tree for the right angle).  Once I show them “the” shot that I had to have from that angle and they see that it is awesome, they are revved up and ready.

What are the results? 
Pure joy.  Getting back to the studio and downloading the images is the longest 20 minutes of my life.  I just want to see them in full color 14 inches from my face on my 22” monitor.  I don’t even have to edit them right then… I just want to see them.  However; I am one of those “same day” editors.  I usually get sneak peek up on facebook before the night is over.

What do clients need to do or think about to help make the shoot go smoothly?
I think clients need to have a little faith and/or trust in my vision.  That is what makes it successful.  Having the friendly relationship with my clients helps that more than you can imagine.  We might not have even met in person before the session, but they know me.  I am open and honest and don’t hold much back so they have seen my work, my abilities and trust me. I don’t mind when a client comes to me with a specific vision, but I LOVE when they say I have full creative control.

I know your kids and having a family are important to you.  How do you feel that has helped you in photography?  Other than families being able to relate to you better.  I see more passion in your work.  Is that where it comes from?

I am a child of God and that is first and foremost, then my family is next.  Without that, photography would be pointless.  I believe that having my family and experiencing the joys, milestones and moments through the eyes of a parent, I know how a parent would want that moment recorded through imagery.  That helps.  Every wedding I am taken back to my wedding day.  Every newborn brings me back to my babies.  Every family brings me joy.  High school seniors allow me to be young again and take me back to the days when I first met my husband.  It helps that I relate every session to something in my life.



What is your latest project?


Gosh… which one?  My brain moves in so many directions it could have its own road map.  I will be teaching boudoir photography to my awesome mpixers in April.  I have been working on a marketing kit and boudoir posing guide for my class participants. I give my time to a few charitable organizations and always have projects working with them.

But the MOST exciting project I am working on right now is my high school senior model search.  It will launch in January and is very much inspired by ANTM.  There will be voting, a high fashion shoot, and ending with a fashion show where the winner will be announce by the unveiling of the cover of the a fall 2011 fashion catalog.  Very fashionista!   Can’t wait for it to fully kick off, been working on the “behind the scenes” details the past few weeks.

Jamie, I don’t want you to feel I missed something.  Open forum!  What is on your mind that you want potential clients to know about you that I did not ask?  And since you work with seniors and that age group also,  Please give me your FB page and twitter so people who want some original, hot photography can get in touch with you.
I am always on facebook: www.facebook.com/koppiwrite

Any other ways they can reach you?  Blog? twitter? etc.....

My New blog is: www.koppiwritephotography.com

Find me on twitter: @koppiwrite

Thanks for your time.   “ Koppi write”... That kills me every time I see it...... Awesome!

....... Please say Hi to the family and I hope to see them all if you are ever in Chicago.  Or if I ever get back to Texas for work.

If you live in her area, go talk to her about your photograpy needs.

I have been working with my friend Adam  on redoing the shoot kit video.  We shot last week, right before the storm. Since I felt like we were snowed in on Sunday, I was able to work on the video editing. Let's see how it turns out.

Photographers! Neil van Niekerk is looking for the better workflow tips. A perfect chance to win a ShootKit.
http://ping.fm/wTnVZ