PUBLICATION CENTER

How Travis and Jennie Gugelman built a world-class photography studio out of scratch in small-town Idaho.

You hear a lot of talk about the upcoming generation of photographers, many of whom have never shot film and have operated entirely in the digital realm. There’s a palpable combination of anxiety and anticipation regarding this next generation. Who are they, really? How will they change the face of photography?

Meet the vanguard of that generation in Travis Gugelman. Gugelman is a representative of the digital generation, but also cuts a unique figure among professional photographers. Gugelman and his wife, Jennie, started their business, Gugelman Photography, five years ago in rural Idaho (Rexburg, to be exact) on the proverbial wing and a prayer. But the wing on which they traveled consisted of tireless dedication to their business and their art.

Turning Points

At the time, Travis was 22 and Jennie was 20. Both were pursuing degrees in psychology and accounting, respectively. Ultimately, Travis would fall one semester shy of his psychology degree, but for good reason. It was time to get absolutely serious about pursuing his favorite pastime and turn it into a lucrative career.

The fledgling studio began in the couple’s apartment, then moved to the garage of the first home they purchased. But their goal to run a high-quality, high-dollar studio required studio space and all the accoutrements of the digital age (ironically, this next-generation photographer started shooting medium-format film).

In order to make that crucial next step, the Gugelmans needed capital, which for two twenty-somethings with only a year or so under their belt was near impossible to get through the usual channels. But a local businessman, who knew Travis as a high-school employee and knew something about his work ethic first-hand, supplied the needed cash to get the Gugelmans’ dream going on the fast track.

“We bought the building, gutted it, and called in friends and family to help. With a green bank bag full of cash we went to Home Depot and bought drywall and 2x4s and built the studio. We even laid our own tile. We worked around the clock,” recalls Travis.

Once that hard work was accomplished, the next task was to move to the next level, from being one of the least expensive studios around to one that commanded a premium. So Travis methodically set about to both elevate the artistry and technical aspects of his photography and employ business and customer-service practices that would complement and fortify his photographic art.

“We decided early on that we had to look professional; we weren’t going to be a low-end portrait studio. We were going to go after a high-end clientele. So we started pricing like we were professionals. At the same time, I strove to make sure that we were not only the highest price, but the best quality portrait studio with the best customer service,” says Travis. “Once we raised the dollar amounts on our portraits, a sense of fear entered, and I realized that if I’m going to charge that much, I better be that good.”

And “that good” is just what Travis has become, as even a casual perusal of his portfolio reveals. Travis immersed himself in learning, becoming active in professional photographer associations like PPA and WPPI, consorting with the best photographers in the business, voraciously reading every piece of information about everything from lighting to business management he could get his hands on.

“I read like crazy, and if I’m driving, our car is a mini-university on photography, sales, and business. My little boys will probably be businessmen because they hear so much in the car,” he laughs. “I’ve tried really hard to find out what successful people do in their businesses and implement it here.”

An important revelation happened a few years ago, a revelation Travis lists as one his “top five” best business decisions. Photographer extraordinaire Clark Marten, who runs a rural yet high-end studio in Montana, encouraged Travis to try printing in-house.

With Marten’s encouragement and the help of LexJet account specialist Justin Craft and printing guru Tom Hauenstein, Travis was up and running in no time, and found that the ability to print his own work provided an important point of differentiation and added value that would solidify his standing. “I have never found a company so consistent with their customer service and that’s as good to work with as LexJet is. It was a wonderful experience right from the start. We were getting better quality right from the beginning by just plugging the USB cable from the printer to the computer,” he says.

“We were so disappointed in the lab work because they were inconsistent with our color and the customer service was horrendous. Everything we were trying to build as a company as far as serving our customers was falling short on the print side of the equation. Printing on your own is much easier, but what’s particularly nice for us as a studio is that we can print a 30x40 canvas on Christmas Eve, if we have to,” says Travis. “I’ll shoot a wedding in the morning, run back to my studio, find the best image from the wedding, print it on a 30x40 canvas, frame the print, and it will be on display that night for all the guests to see. We’ve had phenomenal response to that; 90 percent of the time the client ends up buying the print, and even if they don’t, everyone who comes through the reception will see the quality of our product. Having our own printer has allowed us to do quick-turnaround printing that provides a fast payoff.”

The Gugelman Experience

During the ultra-fast evolution of Gugelman Photography, the studio developed a detailed methodology that covered both the portraiture and technical processes. Travis is into the details, and the details are what elevate his photography beyond pictures and into an experience for his customers and the four full-time employees who work there.

At Gugelman Photography, the client is treated to a sensory smorgasbord purposely designed by Travis to enhance the entire portraiture experience. Rather than providing an antiseptic atmosphere one might find at a dentist’s office, the studio engages all five senses…

Smell: It almost smells like Christmas year-round, using plug-ins from Bath and Body Works and potpourri.

Sight: The studio is cleaned daily. Everything is printed on canvas and mounted in high-quality frames. Prints are no smaller than 20x24 and range up to 40x60. The lighting and wall colors are soft.

Sound: Classical music filters through the lobby and gallery. The inner studio, however, can be quite raucous as Travis encourages high-school seniors to bring their own music on their iPods or MP3 players to help set the stage.

Taste: Baskets of candy are scattered about in most of the rooms. Hot chocolate is served in the winter months.

Touch: The couches and chairs are covered in high-end leather. During the ordering process, no simple Bic pen will do; instead, clients fill out their orders with engraved pens.

“We want our clients to feel loved and appreciated, which they are. We really enjoy adding these extra touches, and they’ve made a big difference in our business. We have high-school seniors who will travel seven hours round-trip for a portrait session,” says Travis.

Though Travis is obviously well known in Rexburg, he has also built a following by actively marketing in other areas hours away with mall displays printed on LexJet Instant Dry Satin Canvas and LexJet Water Resistant Satin Cloth that introduce the upcoming senior photo season. This year, Travis took 15 seniors to a ghost town in Montana for a fashion shoot that will be used for his 2009 season displays.

Travis makes sure that his marketing is absolutely consistent, from the mall displays and studio experience to his website. Gugelman Photography’s website is divided into three main sections: Family and Children, Seniors, and Weddings. Each has its own flair that reflects the type of photography clients can expect in these categories.

The Gugelman “look” is striking, indelible, and distinctive, though it morphs depending on the context.

“Your style is whatever your client wants, though everything has a certain look to it. I think a lot it is in the editing. We saturate a little more, they’re crisp, and we print on LexJet canvas as much as we can,” says Travis.

The development of the Gugelman style has led to a number of on-location shoots, most recently for a wedding in Cabo San Lucas.

Oftentimes Gugelman is asked to go on location through the word of mouth generated in his region, supplemented with his outstanding and consistent website presentation.

All of the details Travis built into his art and marketing would be all for naught if this same attention to detail wasn’t employed in the studio’s operation. “The key to running a successful studio is having policies and manuals in place. My employees know exactly what is expected,” says Travis.

Gugelman Photography is flush with manuals that cover every process in detail, from converting RAW files to JPEG to printing and finishing. Travis found that documentation was crucial to train new employees and foster a consistent, high-quality product.

“I read a book called the One Minute Manager, and the most important thing I learned from it is that you need to spend a lot of time training employees on the front end, which ultimately saves a lot of time and ensures quality,” says Travis. “So, they’ll watch me do something step-by-step, and I’ll show them not only how I do it, but why I do it. Then, when I’m not around, they have the step-by-step documentation to refer to. But it’s also important that documentation shows both the how and the why.”

Travis places great value on his employees, and has successfully fostered an atmosphere that encourages growth and creativity, not to mention that it’s just a fun place to work. The crew goes on at least four outings per year, and will get together for special events, such as a Wii night, complete with cash prizes for winners of various Wii tournaments.

“We try to keep everyone motivated and have a fun time with them. We spend more in that area, but our success is dependent upon them,” says Travis.