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Even though we had several blissful hours in the sunshine enjoying DC, I took a break from shooting to take in the nation’s capitol. One image that I did manage to capture: Trent and Sadie in the shade of a curving colonnade.
Perfect image to show linear perspective - just in case any of my former students are reading this. [Jeremy? Shaz?]
The impetus for this project was to document The American Entrepreneur, and gauge how, if at all, the economy was affecting small business. After the first few interviews, we realized that the American Entrepreneur is already way ahead of the rest of the country. Our project was becoming no longer about how small business owners are reacting to the downturn, but about how the innovation, community, and passion of these individuals has created ways for small business to thrive.
Like any small business owner, we learned from these first few interviews and adapted our project a little to better meet the needs of our subjects and followers.
These American Entrepreneurs in our portraits are not just masters of their craft. Yes, of course, each of these American Entrepreneurs has worked hard create the best service and product. But what sets these entrepreneurs apart is their openness to share their expertise and advice with us and with you.
We hope that all of our portraits and interviews of entrepreneurs will inspire you and show us all ways to reach more customers, improve customer service, build community, embrace new technology, and something that is increasingly important; building sustainable business practices and strategies to do more with less.
Meet Time and Heidi Uhl of Retrospect Studios, there is much we can learn from them.
Their wedding and portrait photography business, Retrospect Studios, is thriving. Tim and Heidi are booked through the rest of this year, and Retrospect has increased to the point where they had to outsource their payments system and their main concern for the coming year was learning how to deal with growth. Though the studio is physically located in Artspace City Center in downtown Salt Lake, Retrospect shoots weddings on both coasts. The day we met them, they were busy packing their gear to head off to shoot Bridal Fashion Week in New York.
It became apparent after the first few minutes of speaking with them, that Tim and Heidi have incredible insight on how to make their business thrive. Their images are beautiful, and this is important theme in our subjects; these entrepreneurs are great at what they do.
For Retrospect it’s not just about creating gorgeous images; Tim and Heidi have set themselves apart by accomplishing the following: Tim has made himself a resource to leaders in the photography industry and in his community. Retrospect Studios has initiated a system for collecting money that preserves the creative rapport between artist and client. And both Heidi and Tim acknowledged that part of their success is living in a community that that is affordable, and supportive to artists (art space) which allows them financial security and importantly the time and resources to play.
One of the biggest gems we heard from Heidi was that continued mastery of your craft comes from play with your passion.
Tim and Heidi, thank you for sharing so much about your journey as American Entrepreneurs and your business.
More details on Tim, Heidi and all the American Entrepreneurs we meet will be coming in May. The best ideas and encouragements from these interviews will be condensed to bite size genius moments on Twitter.
The American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft
and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.
Most of Day Two was spent in the car, with occasional stops along the road to stretch and admire the landscape.
The Bonneveille Flats were beautiful; the bluest sky reflected in the crystallized salt at our feet.
Sadie, of course, was only focused on one thing.
Just before heading into Salt Lake City we saw the terrain change dramatically, and the sky above echoed the changes. Not bad for an out the window shot.
An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft
and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.
Yesterday was my birthday. A fact which Trent wrote on the dining room wall - a la Dwight Shrute. This gesture had to be one of my favorite all time birthday cards. We had a big birthday dinner last night - squeezing in an impressive amount of people and two dogs, and it was wonderful. Many of the fantastic people we have met here in San Francisco all came together. I’m so grateful to have such a fantastic group of people, all eating and drinking together.
Thanks to all who were able to come over, and to everyone who send their birthday wishes. It was a lovely evening.
In one of my walkabouts in San Francisco, I found this enormous heart being painted silver on the sidewalk.
Been a bit tardy in posting these images from the trip to Care Free. The conference was terrific; new friends made, new ideas hatched, new inspirations blooming left and right.
The saguaro forest on Black Mountain:
Later in the week my parents joined me, and we enjoyed an afternoon at Taliesin West. I came to a greater appreciation of the living sketches and spaces that FLW and his school created.
Books on the wall of book-shelving in FLW’s bedroom. Not surprising to find Kandinsky here.
Blue Angel sculpture in the sculpture garden.
The restful living room. I love the feel of this space.
Celebrating T’s birthday. Can you guess how old he is this year?
I’ll be heading out to Care Free, Arizona tomorrow morning to attend the Digital Wedding Forum Convention and to check out Imaging USA. My folks are flying in at the end of the week, and we will be having a belated holiday/birthday celebration with them and my in-laws.
As well as the many workshops, lectures and gatherings that will be afoot during the convention, we also have planned a tour of Chase Field (home of the Arizona D’backs) and a day trip to Arcosanti (home of experimental arcologies).
Have a great week!
Yellow flower, and it’s shadows on a yellow wall.
It’s been a long time since I had the working super-late/up super-early routine, and this morning I found myself in that bleary eyed semi-conscious state reminiscent of college; bathed and dressed before the sunrise, on a few hours sleep and ready to journey into the center of all things mac. And so, Trent and I met Brad Miller at the Moscone Center to catch the keynote at MacWorld. If any of you kept up with my tweeting this morning, I did my 140 characters at a time best, to chirp the best and most important tidbits. Nothing extraordinary was unveiled, but I’m interested to see if the new iMovie will be helpful with my new 5D mark II.
I was tickled to see Chris Hardwick, memorable was the snarky disdain for his hosting position in the ever hilarious Shipmates.
Impressively, the keynote ended with a performance by Tony Bennett, pictured below.
I’m happy to see that Apple is leaning toward a more green family of notebooks, but I was waiting for a component to this greener family of notebooks that never came; proactive recycling of current generation of Mac products. Wouldn’t that make me all the more likely to buy a newer computer, instead of holding on to this one for another year?
