I recently had an opportunity to shoot a few images at Gruhn Guitars, a downtown Nashville staple that was established in 1970. Owner, George Gruhn allowed me to look through the store and shoot what ever I wanted. It was overwhelming how many instruments he had in his inventory so I avoided the temptation of staying all day and focused on the private areas of the building in the different rooms above the showroom.

George has 25 employees, these include sales, staff and repair positions. As George walked me through a tour of the upstairs he shared with me that music was always a love but he went to college to be a Zoologist. His undergraduate studies were in animal behavior at the University of Chicago. He graduated from Duke with a degree in Zoology and did further studies in animal behavior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  His love of animals is evident with the fifteen snakes and the African grey parrot named Boid that reside in his office. At home he has two African serval cat’s, three Felis chaus cats and one plain ole cat I am sure feels a bit normal! When I asked him how he ended up in the guitar industry he said it was a hobby that turned into a lucrative business.

I started my moorning wanting to shoot from a journalistic prospective offering the viewer a vision of George, what goes on behind the scenes and showcasing some of my favorite instruments. Here are a few images from my brief visit…

(above) Fiddle peghead….

(above) Scott Kinsey repairing a 1930′s Martin acoustic.

(above) George Gruhn playing a 1970′s Martin OM-45 guitar.

(above) Greg Voros repairing a L-5 CES Gibson

(above) George with his parrot “Boid” who he has had since 1993 when she was 12 weeks old.

(above) Epiphone 1930 banjo…a very rare item.

(above) George with his bull snake, one of fifteen snakes that are kept safely  in aquariums in his office.

Although I am not much of a musician, I love music and I have a great appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into the creation and repair of vintage and high end instruments. I enjoyed my visit with George and his staff. In the end I can see the relationship of Zoology to the tracking, history and specific details of each item in George’s store! If you would like to stop in and visit George at  Gruhn Guitars (615-256-2033) the store is located in downtown Nashville at 400 Broadway and there is free parking behind the building.

Over the years I often have clients who continue to come back to update their photos. As a photographer this is the most rewarding thing about being in business. These days I realize there are more photographers available than ever in the past and most are willing to do the job cheaper if it means they can get the job. I have spent almost half of my life trying to make a career out of creativity and personally I believe that can’t be defined by a price tag but by a unique vision. I still work very hard to learn new techniques, to see things in different ways and in turn to create a unique image that can stand the test of time. Most importantly I work hard to make my clients feel appreciated by offering them the ability to speak openly about what they do and don’t like which helps me to be sure they are satisfied with the final results. Truthfully, I want them to feel less like a client and more like a friend. I am truly grateful for all of my clients, I am passionate about what I do and can’t imagine doing anything other that being a visual storyteller.

Erich Mahnke, Carlie Mahnke, and Melissa Peirce have come back for photos for several years. I shoot family images and PR images of them each time so it has been fun watching Erich’s daughter grow into a young lady.

I recently shot some images for a new client and now friend George (PORK) McElhinny. When I met him I was a little taken by the fact that he goes by the name PORK! Imagine talking on the phone to someone who goes by the name Pork not knowing what they look like, wondering if he might be a BIG guy and having to pre-visualizing shooting their pr images. To my surprise PORK is a good looking healthy guy, the shoot went great in my small studio and he can really play the guitar! I made him work hard for the right look on camera, there is no faking an intense guitar playing face! Here are a few images from the shoot and click here to see what Pork is all about. He is an awesome performer and you need to catch one of his shows! As you can see by the show announcement below he is playing with Travis Meadows, a great friend and awesome singer-songwriter whom I featured in my last blog post! One final note…PORK lives on Possum Trot Road, and no I am NOT making that part up!

On Friday June 25 I made a visit to Joe Glaser’s instrument repair company to pick up some gear he wanted to donate to my ReTune Nashville project.  Joe’s expertise has been said to be the best around and after visiting his facility he certainly has the volume of work to support the claim.  Loving the ability to turn any experience into a photo opportunity, I took along my camera just in case.  Joe started by taking me through his entire facility pointing out the flood damaged gear he was currently working on by such names as Keb Mo, Vince Gill, John Fogerty and so many others.  I asked if I could take some pictures and he allowed me to do so although some items were off limits to photos. What a great hour of learning about musical instruments and what his business does to fix many of these damaged and broken items.  I love shooting documentary style and would love to go back and cover Joe’s business from an editorial point of view, I enjoyed my visit and I walked away with some great pictures!  Joe graciously donated 8 guitars to ReTune Nashville (read previous post) from prominent artist that were not worth fixing, all of these items were stored at Soundcheck, a facility  that house’s most of  Nashville’s prominent musician’s gear.  I was blown away by what he shared with me and so grateful to have had the opportunity to meet this talented man in person!  Below are some of the photos I shot on Friday…enjoy!

This guitar was estimated to be worth a hundred thousand dollars and Joe believes it can be restored to it’s original look and sound.  He has a special machine that can grind the fret board down eliminating any warping that occurred from water damage, the other repairs are all done by hand.  It is amazing to think of the talent these guys have to bring items like this back after such destruction.

Scott Holyfield works on a vintage guitar (bellow) that was damaged in the May 2010 Nashville flood while in a storage shed at the Soundcheck facility.  The Cumberland River crested over 50 feet and flooded the facility damaging millions of dollars worth of musical gear.

Thank you for visiting and I hope that you enjoyed reading about Joe!  If you need a photographer I can guarantee you will be happy with both the experience and with the outcome so please keep Sheri O’Neal Photography in mind for all of your photo needs .  Give me a call or drop me an email and lets do business!

It has been a while since I have blogged, at least here for my photography site. For a little over a month I have been somewhat preoccupied with a project I started called “ReTune Nashville“. It is a flood relief effort to help raise money for Nashville uninsured musicians through the sale of artwork created from flood damaged musical instruments. For weeks I have been working hard with a team of people to launch ReTune Nashville as a new non-profit. These are several pictures of some of the instruments we have collected for the cause. I will be shooting more as the project picks up momentum including the artist working on their projects.  So far the interest has been great including news stories from Channel 2 and Fox News, stay tuned and be sure to check out ReTune!

I have to say I have never been one to get excited about new technology even if I do feel at times I have my geeky moments.  Being a photographer originated for me because I loved the process of being surprised, of spending time in the dark room and the feeling of mastering the craft.  Then along came digital technology.  I fought the computer revolution back in the day, rather than go out right away and buying one I waited as I do with most all new trends until I had no choice.  Digital photography was no different and it came with a very expensive price tag.  It wasn’t about just buying a camera body it was about completely changing my technique of shooting and that became a huge struggle for me at first.  As with any change the un-comfort passes with time, you accept the consequences and you find a way to be happy.

Several years ago the man I was dating at the time decided I should have an iPhone because he felt it would help streamline my business.  That Christmas I received a newly introduced 2nd generation iPhone and things have never been the same since!  I have over time become very attached to my iPhone.  Although I still have not grasped the texting as others have I love having access to my email and a camera at all times.  It is interesting to observe this new lifestyle we all have created that revolves around mobile media.  Our phones have become an extension of who we are from the applications we purchase to the cases we choose.

There are many photographers who have become spokespeople for the iPhone, Chase Jarvis being the biggest.  I have found myself for the first time excited about buying the new Apple iPhone that is supposed to be released sometime this summer. My primary reason (as goofy as this sounds) is for the camera.  The 2nd generation falls short in that department and I get really frustrated at times with the flat, soft images it takes.  Last weekend I compared side by side the photo quality from my 2nd generation phone with a 3rd generation phone and the results were amazing.  Although the quality will never be as that of my primary gear the accessibility to snap a shot of decent quality when I see something photo worthy is what matters.

Where I stand professionally at this moment is in a wind of change.  Not only with my iPhone interest but with my life as a professional photographer.  Things are different in that world and I realize I must choose to be different as well. I am changing my vision and my marketing area for the kind of work I want to do to continue being a commercial photographer in this day and age.  I won’t lie it is scary and I have no idea what this new market is about, it is as if I have once again entered the education system for a new career direction.  I have heard it said that as photographers we must reinvent ourselves every 5-7 years.  My last reinvent was going digital, now it is changing my marketing focus to coincide with how technology  has changed the industry.  Although I believe the economy has some consequence to this shift I believe as a photographer it has more to do with the technology.

With this change I will continue to snap away with my iPhone and when I purchase the new phone I will have the option to shoot video.  Perhaps these fun toys of creativity will inspire other things in my professional career I have not thought of before.  What ever the case stay tuned, I will be sharing with you all and I am sure it will be an interesting ride.  These new tools have opened me up as a storyteller and I am excited!

PS

Below and the photos above were taken with my 2nd generation iPhone, treaked only a little in photoshop mostly to bump up the contrast and color saturation.

Well…spring is here and I have this uncanny need to share.  I have decided that I will limit my time doing unproductive things, I don’t pay attention to the news very much anymore and just getting outside a few times a week makes me feel better as a human being!  I have surrounded myself with positive minded people who complain very little, are full of energy and seem to be not only happier but more successful.  It is rubbing off on me and that makes me feel better about myself which in turn makes me want to make others feel better through my process of sharing.

No matter what we allow ourselves to believe the fact remains that things are changing in business and in our world.  There seem to be more tragedies’ happening or maybe we just have the ability to know more about them due to mobile media and the internet.  We have to work harder for a dollar than we used to but we have an array of choices around us to potentially make our businesses grow wings. Due to this constant and aggressive change around us we need to be persistent in learning new things and often that may feel uncomfortable.  The biggest lesson I have learned in business AND in life is that thinking is not doing…ACTION is a requirement for any kind of change.  It is something I am working hard on because even with all of my marketing ideas in place I have realized that taking action is the most difficult thing to master.

I have embraced the internet because I see the potential it has to offer a business but it also helps me to feel connected.  Being single in my 40’s with no kids, self employed and working from my home I can sometimes feel very removed and lonely if I allow myself to stay in my bubble.  With the new world of internet marketing and social interaction, I have found a new way of not only making business connections but also making new friends and realize that in this new world taking ACTION is easier.  So many of these things were not available to us in the pre-internet social era and it was much harder to reach large groups of people with similar interest.  That being said I do believe you must interact in person to make those relationships feel real, for them grow and to take them to the higher levels.

I am a creative person living in a business world and at times I realize I fall short with certain business functions.  By choice I do not allow myself to focus on the things that I lack in a negative way, instead I choose to believe I can always be better at anything as long as I believe I can be.  I have noticed as a creative person when I refer to things like business marketing or advertising I feel tense but when I refer to the same things as social networking or social marketing I feel a little more at ease.   I love being social and it feels better to me when trying to build business relationships.  I want to be friends with my clients not just have them as a client.  This doesn’t necessarily mean I want to hang out with them on a regular basis or talk about the personal details of my life. What is does mean is that I care about them as individuals and I am interested in not only the success of their business but also that their son graduated from high school or their daughter had a visit from the tooth fairy.  These things help me feel connected and help to establish a relationship.  Although making money is the primary function of a business, in my business the relationship is just as important as another dollar in my bank account.

As I leave you I realize this post doesn’t really have much depth other than my ranting in a personal fashion about what makes me feel good with my business in the new world of social activity.  I love what I do, I have never felt I fit into the corporate mold yet no matter who I am working for I know I can carry myself in a professional manner.  Taking action with my ideas is key to gaining new clients and building my business.  Social media allows me to put myself out there hoping the relationships I build will come to be because I am a real person who cares.  It is not just about my happiness I love making others happy too!  Wishing you all the best and hoping you all are enjoying the beauty of spring time!

In my business I work hard to keep my clients coming back and their happiness is my number one priority!  I want them comfortable during the process and I want them happy with the outcome.  A happy client tells his friends and associates about your work and you begin to build relationships which is key to a prosperous business.  I make it priority to be sure my clients like the images we are getting while working so that in the end they will have no reason to be unhappy with the final result.  My track record is around 98% when it comes to “happy” but every once in a while there is that one shoot where the client may not be as satisfied as I had hoped.  When that happens it affects me deeply on both a professional and a personal level.  My work is a reflection on me as an individual and as a business owner so if the client is unhappy I do what ever I can within my power to fix the issue.   It feels great when you get praise for a good job but you always remember the unhappy client no mater what the situation.

Joe West of Gasoline Productions Inc. is the ideal happy client and a great example of one that I want to keep.  West is a producer and writer with multiple cuts for artist like Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Jimmy Wayne, Julianne Hough, Emily West, and Danielle Peck (among others).  After sending his artist Sarah Marince to me for a shoot in 2008 he felt confident enough with my work to send Joe Zelek my way earlier this month.  Zelek and I talked over the phone about what he wanted, negotiated a price that fit his budget and his needs on an upcoming music project he is working on with West.  Zelek spends his time between Ohio and Tennessee working on music and wanted something fresh and different shot outside with a lens flare affect.  West has a great piece of land out in Franklin, TN where we met to do the shoot one sunny March afternoon.  What I didn’t expect was the incredible shooting opportunity I had in the old house located on the property that is planned to be torn down soon and Zelek was open to all the additional ideas I had regarding backdrops throughout the house.  Zelek, West and I had a great time shooting that afternoon and I became a new fan of Joe Zelek’s music!  West shot some great behind the scenes images that are included in this post.

As I leave you I have to admit that loving what I do makes me often feel like I am cheating when referring to this career as a business.  I do know however, that it is a business and as long as I keep the client happy, knowing their needs come first, I believe I will continue to do what I love. If you need a photographer I can 98% guarantee you will be happy with both the experience and with the outcome so let me make you a “happy” client!  Give me a call or drop me an email and lets do business!

I love to photograph kids!  When I opened my studio in Florida back in 1996 I was privileged to pick up accounts with book publishers Harcourt-Brace and Scholastic Book Fairs.  Kids became 80% of what I photographed almost every day for many years.  Due to limited budgets and the volume of work, we often used average kids who had no modeling experience and I learned quickly that I would need to master patience and kid communication.  I found that when shooting the smaller kids I would sometimes have to explain in detail on a very elementary level in order for them to understand what I needed them to do. Since moving to Nashville in 2001 I have not had much of an opportunity to photograph kids because the photography market is so different than it was in Orlando.  I miss that opportunity these days and look forward to when I have the chance to test my patience and kids always make me laugh!  I love how beautiful and flawless their skin looks and the glow it radiates in a photograph.  And the eyes…the window to the soul, are big in comparison to their face because the eyes are the size they will be when their body has reached adult hood.  Photographing kids taught me patience and that has carried over to all the other areas of my work!

This is Sophie, she is as many kids are…very talented.  Her biggest love is horses and her father Jim hopes to see her become more involved with them over the next year because he supports her love as good parents often do.  She rides and helps out at a local horse farm when she can, around her school schedule.  Jim wanted some family portraits because he felt his little girl was growing up too fast so we set up a simple backdrop so the focus would be dad and daughter.  I love that Sophie looks mature in how she carries herself yet she is still a child.

As I go remember to email me or give me a call if you have a project you need help with or if you need corporate or personal photos!  I am looking forward to hearing from you and I am looking forward to spring.  The warmer weather brings with it lots of color here in Nashville so lets plan your next shoot outside!  I will be back with new images to share soon!

-Sheri

These days I seem to be getting more and more calls from business executives who want something different when it comes to their photos.  I think there is a trend happening, perhaps it is the younger generation wanting to be themselves rather than conforming or an older generation realizing that you can be smiling in a causal atmosphere yet still look professional.  It seems to me that people want to look more relaxed in the photos that they send out as PR material.  I prefer to have people look happier and relaxed in the photos I take because I think  it makes them more approachable from the customer’s standpoint.  Social media marketing proves that we want to feel connected to those we choose to do business with and a simple smile can make all the difference in the world.  That being said I also think a great photograph is key because it is your image, we live in a visual world and your image is everything!

Brian Carden was no exception to the idea of wanting something different.  He is a Financial Advisor here in Nashville who came to me and said, “I am updating my site, I don’t want to appear conservative, I wear a suit but I don’t want to appear stiff in my pictures and I want something different”.  At the moment he is working with Robert Land, his “Digital Brand Architect” and Robert is working to build Brian’s new brand from the ground up.  I met with Robert first and we talked about the image we wanted to create for Brian…something less business like but very professional and very approachable.  I decided to shoot at Brian’s home because I love creating an image in someone’s own surroundings and environmental portraiture is one of my specialties!  I know that when someone is in their own home they are much more relaxed and it makes my job a lot easier.  My goal is always to try and capture something about that person, their body needs to be relaxed and it needs to show in their body language and in their eyes.  I think we nailed that at Brian’s house and I can’t wait to see how his new site and marketing material comes together!

PR for the small business is changing and so are the needs for photography regarding branding and image.  If you need someone to talk to about your marketing, your brand and your image give me a call.  I am here to help and it doesn’t have to be a painful experience, I promise!   Until next time….