Cindy Cofer
WOW-ing Her Customers with Creativity and Variety
Just
like so many women in professional photography today, Cindy Cofer had
no intention to be in the business. She was a stay at home mom,
raising four kids in Williamstown, Kentucky, a one stoplight town with
3,500 people. As the kids grew older, Cindy began taking more and
more pictures of them, first with a cheap camera and then with a Nikon
N90S. In 2001, she began taking photographs for friends and that
is when she discovered how much she really loved taking quality
photographs and that she was really good at it. This is when she
began to seriously work to improve her methods. Within two years,
she had purchased a home in town to be her dedicated studio
location. The home had served for years as a doctor’s office and
residence and was, therefore, a location well known to the community.
Cindy was first introduced to the Scene Machine at the 2001 WPPI trade
show. Cindy now uses her Scene Machine for more than 80% of her
work.
In her own words
Having
the Scene Machine in my studio was a huge investment for me at that
time, but I knew it was going to be some of the best money I spent for
my new studio. I knew right away that my clients would love
having unlimited background variety. It helped to make my
photography really different, and that this would quickly increase my
sales. That is exactly what happened!
I love
the total control and creativity I get with the Scene Machine. It
saves me time and money and has allowed me to offer so much more and
sell more and to have satisfied repeat clients. My clients come
back again and again, because they know I can always do something
really different each time. I will never be stuck with just a
brown or blue canvas or muslin. My photography is always
changing. My customers know that they will receive photographs
above and beyond what they can get anywhere else. I always keep
trying to come up with something fresh, new, and different.
I customize my backgrounds for my customers to complement their
personality. Giving them the looks they want is something they
absolutely love. I sell more large prints because the
portraits include wonderful complementary backgrounds, and I provide
them with so much variety to choose from. I'm never at a loss for
coming up with something that works perfectly for their portraits.
When I schedule a senior session, I may actually use as many as 10 to
20 different backgrounds, depending on the client and the clothing they
bring. I want to make sure they are absolutely wowed with the results. For non-senior sessions, I will typically
use three to six different backgrounds, making sure that I change as
much as I can with each exposure.”
There seems to be
a simple rule. The more backgrounds that I offer, the more
variety I create, the more my average sales go up. The more I
offer, the more likely the client is going to want to purchase multiple
images. Something must be clicking because I have customers who
come to me in little Williamstown from
Cincinnati
,
Lexington
, and
Louisville
. They come the extra miles because they want what I am able to produce and they can’t get it elsewhere.
While the Scene Machine is a really important tool for me, I must say
that my posing, lighting, and professionalism with my clients is also
critical. I work hard to make my sessions fun and exciting.
In today’s market, people want quality and variety, and they are
willing to pay for it.
It's so easy for me to be positive when I share what I do and how
successful the Scene Machine has made me in my business. I love sharing
with others. I invite other photographers to come to my studio for a
hand-on demonstration. When you love a product, you will always
share.
If I can do it, so can you!
Cindy has been a featured photographer in the book, BACKGROUND POWER! She won first place in the 2005 Virtual Backgrounds print competition. She also shares a section the Virtual Backgrounds promotional DVD, Imagine the Possibilities.
A strong believer in the power of Web promotion, her Web site is
continually changing and is packed with action! After viewing her
images, one has to be impressed with her exciting new ideas.
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