Today we’d like to introduce you to Randy Nickel.
Randy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From the first time I pencil sketched the detail of my grandfather’s eyes, I was hooked on the art of capturing the beauty of people. I grew up addicted to the gratification of making the perfect image of someone. We were poor when I was young, so all I could do was grab a pencil and spend hours perfecting my skills on whatever paper happened to be available. Eventually with the help of my Uncle, I realized that those hours could be reduced to seconds with a camera. That’s when I began the journey to become the photographer I am today. I feel compelled to stop here to thank my Uncle and apologize to the film labs where I sent my first images. They both did a great job and were so patient while I was learning the basics.
I remember my first real camera so vividly. It was a fully manual 35 mm Konica with one 35 mm lens. It wasn’t much to brag about, but luckily the camera industry caught on to my woes and introduced digital cameras just in time. My first digital camera was a Nikon D60, then a D80, etc. It seemed as if every version I acquired brought me closer and closer to my obsession with perfection. Again, another apology should go out to my poor family. They are about as documented as a family can be. I really love taking photos of those I love, so they were constantly being posed. We have tens of thousands of pictures of pets, my daughter, family, flowers, and the occasional motorcycle.
After several free senior portrait sessions, a prom, and two weddings, it became apparent that I was in the unique position to do something that I loved for a living. Wow! Imagine being paid for something that you have loved doing all of your life. And, the more I loved doing it, the more I shot and the better I got. I rarely go anywhere without a camera anymore. Today my wife and I own Brownstone Photography of League City, Texas. We formed the company in 2014 on the principle of providing a stress-free photography service for wedding couples. Our goal is to know the couple so well by their wedding day that we are more like friends than just their photographers. Our wedding photographer, 26 years ago, showed up and introduced himself the day of the ceremony. We had never met before and couldn’t get comfortable with him sharing the most special day of our lives.
We are determined to provide a very different service. We have photographed all sorts of weddings and know what can go wrong before it happens. We help the couple to have a stress-free day by guiding them like a wedding coordinator would. I often hear from our couples later how much easier the day was with Brownstone in their corner. The thanks we receive adds to the joy of our business. Yep, that’s right my wife is now also addicted.
We love the art of photographing those in love. What’s not to like about it when we are invited to participate in the most special day of a couple’s lives. I consider it to be such an honor. In a way, their story becomes a part of our lives as we a help them celebrate the day. It’s just about the best job ever. Well, actually, I take that back. The best job ever would be to have my own television fishing show, but that’s another story for another time. LOL
The art of photography is constantly evolving and we love the challenge of staying on the leading edge. As the technology improves, the bar is raised higher. We have procured what we believe to be the very best equipment to capture the perfect images of the couple’s day. We are constantly upgrading cameras and lighting. Sure, we could have popped into the local big box store and picked up a camera, but we didn’t. We are at all times looking for new ways and technology to improve what we deliver to our clients.
In short, we are constantly focused on the quality of our photography, love, art, the couple’s day, and everything in between. We consider it a joy to be a part of the celebration and can’t wait until the next wedding to capture another set of perfect moments.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
You know what they say…” If it were easy, anybody would do it.” We’ve had our struggles and have overcome most of them. The biggest struggle we have encountered is marketing. It’s tough. This is the struggle of getting the word out about the honesty and quality of our services without breaking the bank. We could blitz the world with our presence, but that would cost a fortune. Some photographers pay loads of money to make their prospective clients aware of their products and services. They pay thousands of dollars each year placing ads on various websites, but the cost of those ads always gets passed on to the client. We run ads but to a much lesser extent. We have a much simpler approach. If it doesn’t improve our services, we see that as a way of reducing costs. The most powerful marketing strategy is word of mouth. One happy client tells 2 and those 2 each tell 2 more. And we’re all happy campers.
Another struggle is competing against those that practice bait and switch marketing tactics. Some of our competitors prey on couples by offering them just enough of an album or other products to get them on board. They are masters of marketing the minimum. Later when their customers want a better product, they gouge them with higher priced options to upgrade from the substandard. The couple is then stuck with the choice to either pay for an upgrade or accept the lower quality products. It’s a terrible situation when it should be the most wonderful time of their lives. So, we figured we would do just the opposite. We try to imagine what we would want as a client and deliver that as a minimum. We love when couples ask for our help so we can guide them away from unethical practices of some of the other companies. It is our way of fighting back against those competitors that practice these tactics. The worst offenders are the nationwide photography companies. Selling a 20-page album should be illegal. No couple wants just 20 pages in their album.
Our marketing model is much simpler. We provide top of the market photography quality at middle of the market pricing. Every customer so far has been very happy with our services. They tell their friends and that is our marketing. Our past clients are our market team.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Brownstone Photography – what should we know?
We formed our business on the basis of being personable. But, we have taken on the goal of doing it all, doing it better, and doing it faster. Our couples have provided wonderful feedback. Their reviews allowed us to receive the Wedding Wire Couples Choice Award each year since starting the company and we have also been identified as one of the top 25 wedding photographers in the Houston area by Expertise.com. Our specialty is artistic photography with a personal touch. We use only the highest quality equipment and personnel and constantly strive for perfection in our interaction with our clients and the products we deliver.
Our standard is to provide all day wedding service, when others charge by the hour. Who wants to negotiate for more photography time during their wedding day? It’s déclassé for such a wonderful day. Of course, we are also happy to provide custom pricing when clients need us for a very short time. It’s all about doing what the customer wants. Rather than making the customers wedding fit into our model of a perfect day, we make our service fit the client’s model of a perfect day. It hasn’t failed us yet.
For every wedding, we take the time to meet with the couple several times to have dinner and plan. We have very likely taken their engagement or bridal pictures or both. So, when the big day comes, it is a friend taking their photos.
Some of the bigger photography companies have dozens of photographers and any one of them might be assigned to the couple. The photos they show in their nationwide ads may have been taken by a photographer in another state. Every photograph we have taken and show in our portfolio is an example of the work we deliver to every one of our clients. So, you know you are going to get quality when you hire Brownstone Photography.
We come to each wedding with a plan for every minute of the day. This ultimately relieves stress from the couple so they relax into the day. We are with the couple from the beginning of the day when they are getting ready until they leave for their honeymoon. We often offer to go with them, but they never accept. Wonder why?
Every image is retouch and we always deliver all of the photographs within a week. It’s a promise that we have never failed to deliver on. We provide all images on a personal website designed just for the couple. They can use the site to share the photos of their day with the family and friends, or they can download the images. Prints and other products are available from the website at rock bottom pricing. We don’t add an enormous profit on our prints, like many others do. We think of it as a perk of being a Brownstone Photography client to have prints at reasonable prices from professional labs.
We feel we have a pretty good recipe for a happy client, but we are always testing ourselves by constantly asking for honest feedback. It’s great to see former clients come back to have photos done of their children. One beautiful little girl (Molly) has been in my lens every year since she was two. It is awesome to be able to watch her grow. There have been family groups, graduations, new born, and holiday photos all a result of a successful wedding shoot.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My uncle has played a huge role in my life. When I was young my father wasn’t much of a role model. Luckily, my uncle picked-up on this lack of guidance in my life and took me under his wing. He had me running 3.5 miles a day when I was 11 years old. We went for a 7 mile one day. That’s the first time I remember blacking out.
He is 100% devoted to being a great photographer and led me to do the same. We still enjoy sharing photos and experiences.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2109 Augusta Dr
League City, TX 77573 - Website: www.bstonephoto.com
- Phone: 281-744-1820
- Email: contact@bstonephoto.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bstonephototx
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BrownstonePhoto/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/bstonephototx/
Image Credit:
Randy Nickel
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