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Regeti's Photography:
A Family Approach to Wedding Photography
By Michelle Perkins
Located in the historic district of downtown Warrenton, VA, Regeti's Photography, operated
by Amy and Srinivasa Regeti, offers a brand of personalized service that is as unique and
engaging as their 1810 town. "We believe that getting to know each client individually and
becoming part of their day, rather than a hired vendor, allows us to capture the event
intimately and yet unobtrusively," reads the mission statement on their website. And every
facet of their business is designed to achieve this goal.
While the Regetis' business is relatively new, both Amy and Srinivasa have had a lifelong
interest in photography. Amy's father is a professional photographer, so she grew up assisting
him in the business (but she is quick to note that his style and her own are quite different).
Srinivasa, born and educated as a computer scientist in India, was always interested in
photography as a hobby, but wasn't able to fully pursue it until moving to the United States
in 1998. A critical point for both came in 2004, when the couple came into a bit of money,
enabling equipment purchases that would otherwise have been cost prohibitive. Amy laughs,
"Still, when I saw how much it was costing, I told him, 'Maybe you should think about
doing something with this other than just a hobby.' So he started pursuing weddings."
At first, they couldn't see how they could make wedding photography work for them as a
business; with four children in the family, the time-management issues alone were daunting.
Two years ago, however, they decided to take on the challenge and hit the market full-force,
establishing a business that serves primarily Maryland, Washington D.C., and northern
Virginia. To their surprise, when they started educating themselves about the business,
they found that there were a lot of people just like themselves juggling successful,
couple-operated photography businesses with the demands of family.
Being a couple has, in fact, become one of their selling points. All work at the studio
is performed personally by either Amy or Srinivasa (or both)--from shooting, to processing
orders, to postproduction. It's a personalized approach that clients appreciate; they know
that their wedding will never be contracted out and that every aspect of their photography
will be handled by someone they know and trust. "We started shooting together, and we've
found that it sells itself," says Amy. "We don't split ourselves for two separate weddings,
there are no assistants, it's just completely us."
Being so self-reliant requires a little improvising. As noted above, the couple has a
studio in a commercial space where they conduct sessions and meet with clients. Order
processing, postproduction, and other business-related tasks, however, are completed in
a home office they share. "Having four kids, we feel we need to be at home," notes Amy.
As Srinivasa adds, "Only about 20 to 30 percent of the business is taking pictures. The
rest is marketing and postproduction and all that." This means that the bulk of their
work consists of tasks that are easily shifted out of a traditional office setting.
The couple shoots together and finishes their images jointly, noting that this sometimes
requires a bit of diplomacy. For example, Amy might have a particular idea when shooting
an image, but finds that Srinivasa has done something different than she envisioned in
postproduction (or vice versa). Fortunately, they recognize that achieving success depends
on both of them pulling in the same direction when it comes to their business.
For other business-oriented tasks, Srinivasa notes that they divide up many jobs according
to their individual skills and preferences. Amy, for example, tends to take on more of the
marketing aspects of the business and the client interaction. Srinivasa brings his computer
training to bear on maintaining their website and streamlining their ordering processes.
His skills have helped the couple significantly reduce their overhead, a huge asset to a
young business.
Another factor that is particularly critical to the success of new businesses is an
effective marketing plan, and this is something that the Regetis have approached creatively.
One of their most successful tools is a blog that Amy and Srinivasa update with each new
assignment. "The last thing we say to couples is, 'Don't forget to check the blog!'" says
Amy. By posting the new images immediately (along with a few nice words from Amy about
the wedding), they capitalize on the couple's excitement--in fact, many brides and grooms
log on while waiting at the airport to depart for their honeymoon. More importantly, the
couples not only check the blog themselves, they almost always send out a link to all
of their friends. The result is an instant spike in traffic to the Regetis' site.
From the outset, the Regetis also recognized the role that repeat business could play in
the success of their studio. Unfortunately, they (like many of the photographers they talked
to around the country) found that by the time wedding clients came back for newborn or
family portraits, the studio's prices had often grown to a point that put them beyond the
client's budget. "As a result, the bride thinks, 'I could never afford them now,' and the
repeat business we would have had is lost," says Amy. Therefore, once a client has booked
a wedding with Regeti's Photography, they can come back to the studio up to two times per
year and not have to pay the sitting fee. "They book the session for free," says Srinivasa,
"and they only pay when they select their prints." This program has allowed them to build
up their portrait business, plus the returning clients help to generate additional
word-of-mouth advertising.
By offering these perks, and pairing them with top-notch images, Amy and Srinivasa
Regeti have attained the best of both worlds: establishing a successful business
and maintaining a happy family. To learn more about their work, visit
www.regetisphotography.com,
or check out their latest shoots by visiting their blog at
www.blog.regeti.com.
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