Friday, June 18, 2010

Congratulations, Kelli & Mike!



I am blessed by the people I serve. It’s been true since the day I began Natural Elements Photography in 2003 and remains so today. Last month I photographed Kelli & Mike’s wedding in my hometown of Fayetteville, WV and loved every minute of it!


From the thoughtful handmade touches, such as the “welcome cross” a family member had made to place on the lawn, to the gorgeous flowers and arrangements adorning the church, to the warm smiles and giddy anticipation by the wedding party-- this is something wonderful to be a part of.




I especially enjoyed the touching ceremony and music, including the sweet sounds of a harp; it was a very elegant service. The humorous antics of the ring-bearer did nothing to detract from the atmosphere, in fact, I believe the smiles and polite laughter he garnered only enhanced the joyous occasion.


Thank you, Kelli & Mike, for inviting Natural Elements Photography to document this momentous day; you are a special couple and I wish you God’s blessings throughout your life together.





Thursday, June 10, 2010

PhotoBiz


The following review is for my fellow photographers...




Because I think good customer service is a rare commodity these days, when I DO encounter an above-average experience, I make sure to tell the manager or business owner about it; they usually seem surprised, yet full of gratitude.


Last fall I found myself in need of a new image hosting company in order to show my session previews and provide an opportunity for my clients to purchase images online. I researched various companies for weeks, spoke with other photographers and navigated many photography sites in my quest for a solution. My criteria was really pretty simple: easy navigation, compatible with Mac and all for a reasonable rate. Thankfully, I eventually stumbled across PhotoBiz and knew I had found exactly what I was looking for.


Not only did PhotoBiz meet my needs, they have far exceeded my expectations! I was unaccustomed to friendly customer support in this area and was surprised to receive a phone call from PhotoBiz after I signed up online to ask if I needed any help with the initial set-up. I was also provided an email with my very own contact person (who speaks English as a first language!) in case I needed help. I didn’t.


In truth, the program is SO user friendly, I cannot make one suggestion in this area to better it. For every page, such as setting up galleries, events, pricing schedules, coupons, products, shipping, etc., there is a video tutorial to walk you through. I love that! The videos are short, concise and very helpful.


The only area that required a bit of brain work was setting up my merchant account, which required an application process through a third company. Even though this process took several days, it was worth it. These folks, also, were friendly and helpful. And, surprisingly, the two times I had to phone in to have my questions answered, I spoke to the same lady. No waiting, no automated phone directory to stumble through - just a helpful, knowledgeable voice on the other end.


PhotoBiz is a member of PPA, WPPI and also the BBB which tells me they care about giving me, as a professional photographer, the best, most reliable service they can. The icing on the cake? ...they are a relatively small business growing up right next door in North Carolina which means we're in the same time zone and, well, that pleasant southern hospitality seems to be an ingrained characteristic of PhotoBiz.


Five Stars.