Sheri O'neal Photographer

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.

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!

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….

The start of 2010 is upon us…are you ready?  I wanted to talk with you a moment about marketing and your image.   Do you have a website, a business page, a linkedin, facebook or other social media profile?  If so what does your picture look like and what does it say about who you are or what you are selling?  Weather you are selling your services, a business online or in a local market , social media and web presence is at an all time high and it is more important now than ever to connect with your audience in a visual way.  People (myself included) are tired of traditional advertising methods, of being told to buy this or try that and research shows they are more inclined to be interested if they feel personally connected.  Something as simple as a good head shot or corporate/PR image could help you to connect to your audience better than any other method.

These days people want to feel they know you and seeing a smiling face can help you to connect with your audience in a personal way.  Weather you want to look like a rock star or just another friendly face I can help you look your best, give me a call and let me tell you how!  I can shoot the traditional simple background photo or I can make it interesting and give you a creative environmental portrait, it is your choice.  Mention this blog and I will offer you a special package price for individuals or businesses needing five or more people photographed at the same time in the same location. I’ll make it even easier, pack my gear and come to you. Don’t wait the time to get your marketing image started is right now!

Now that I have made you think about your business image I want you to know that my marketing efforts are in full swing!  Many of you know me as the photographer who makes people look beautiful but I have some other specialities you may not be aware of to offer. I am experienced at shooting interior, exterior and product shots and this year I am focused on doing more business to business work that includes these areas of photography.  If you need a new brochure, website or any other marketing package I have some great designers I am partnering with and together we can cut your cost by eliminating some of the overhead you might be paying for when using a larger full production facility.  Lets face it, money is tight right now and cutting corners is more important than ever.  If you are interested in seeing photo samples of these new specialities I have a revised portfolio available (just contact me) or you can see many of them online at my updated Sheri Oneal Photography site.

I now also have a new Sheri Oneal facebook fan page and I plan to do some fun-interactive and informative things very soon…I would love for you to join.  Lastly of course is this new SOP blog where I plan to share ideas, photography how-toos, video and other things regarding my life as a photographer and artist.  If you join my email list for new blog post reminder’s (at the top of this page) I will enter you in a fine art print giveaway that I will announce details about very soon!

Before I leave you I want you to know I am here with you and for you so don’t be a stranger.  Weather you need a photographer, some advice about an upcoming project or just have a general question, don’t hesitate to email me at any time!  Even better lets make it more personal, this is about a business relationship and I would love to meet with you in person over coffee so give me a call!  615.385.5947