Member Spotlight - February 2011
Bill Phillips - Coco Studios
www.cocostudios.com
What is your background, education, training, work experience if other than photography?
A little about my background. I graduated magna cum laude in theater from Lawrence University. Then I received an M.F.A. in directing from Carnegie Mellon University. For 7 years I tried to make it in the professional theatre world as a teacher, director, actor. I taught at Case Western University and lived in San Francisco and Los Angeles. When I couldn't pay the bills any more I attended Computer Learning Center and graduated at the top of my assembler class. I worked for 13 years as a programmer/analyst, including 3 years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It gave me a chance to travel all over the world.
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How long have you been a photographer? When and how did you get started? How did you learn photography?
Eventually I returned to one of my first loves, photography. As a kid I was the one on the field trip bus taking pictures of everyone. When I traveled overseas I would present slide shows at photo clubs and retirement centers of a country I visited. Finally a professional photographer asked me to help him at a wedding and I started taking classes at the Photography Schoolhouse on McDowell. I've always thought that my directing background gave me a good visual sense of composition. I bought a photography business 9 years ago and have been doing that ever since. I always thought that I had a good eye for photography, but I have learned most of what I know from AZPPA. Especially when I studied to get my CPP.
What is your specialty? Weddings or do you shot portraits of commercial too?
I started out doing mostly weddings but I have grown into my love of portraiture, from babies and individuals to families.
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What are your goals for your business?
My goals are to keep getting better as a photographer and as a marketer.
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What has been your most successful marketing effort to date?
Some of the best marketing I have done is to give my work away for free! I participate in my church's silent auction each year and that has led to more orders for large canvases. It also gets my name out to the kind of client that I want. I also cultivate those clients by doing slideshows of our church's jubilee and of mission trips to the Navajos. I am getting known as the photographer to recommend for weddings at Valley Presbyterian church.In addition for the last 4 years I have hosted a photography party for Mensans. They
bring a potluck dish to share and then I have a photo session of those who attend. They get to choose an image of their choice. That has led to family sessions and to some large photography orders.
Why did you join the AzPPA? What has been the best thing you have gotten out of being a member? Or what do you look forward to the most out of being a member?
I joined AZPPA largely to learn more. The speakers each month, the PPA special Mondays and the fall festivals have been great. But most important benefit of AZPPA has been forming friendships with some of the members and getting important feedback on my work. You can see one of my slide shows at www.facebook.com/home.php#!/video/video.php?v=1160155489937 |
