Today, we interview Jackie Shumaker about her business.

Jackie is a very successful industrial photographer.

She uses PhotoDeck to proof and deliver commissioned images to her clients – and even to host their private library.

Sunny Denver, Colorado, USA

Clean bold graphic.

We were early adapters of Seth Resnick’s D65 “workflow not slow movement” (D-65.com). Working in hazardous situations much of the time require fast responsive shooting. We paint with light in the field and create the magic in post. Many of our images are made up of 10-20 frames. Not to be confused with HDR.
We implement a level three backup system. Before work on the live files start, we backup three sets: Live, online backup and off line backup.

Well yes, but let me explain our approach. Each image is broken down into scenes. The individual scenes are styled and light to perfection. In post we assemble the scenes to create the final image. The approach is methodical and designed to allow us to move quickly in controlled environments where the time to craft a perfect image in one frame would not be possible. To reiterate each frame is perfect at capture and assemble in post.

We use mixed lighting. Mostly strobes with a touch of ambient. My lighting style is something you see more in movies. We use color correction gels and creative gels to craft the style of a given scene.

We specialize in images of the industrial world. Google “industrial photographer” and jackieshumaker.com comes up in the top ten, worldwide. Our clients are mostly general contractors and industrial companies who understand the value of clean bold graphic visual communications in their branding.

First camera at three. Announced photography to be my life’s work at thirteen. First paying gig, US Senate campaign, at fifteen. High school newspaper photographer. Won awards. BFA Photojournalism UNC. Won awards. Daily Newspaper staff Photographer. Won awards. Founded commercial studio. Clients win awards. Shift focus to construction market. Clients win more awards. Published world wide. Expand focus to industrial markets. Winning awards is fun seeking clients who want to win awards.

Being at the top of the SEO results is number one, followed by word of mouth and strategically placed ads in trade publications.

Focus on limited returns. Every key word you add dilutes your results. Everything you put out on the web must come back to the results you are seeking. Hitting that perfect combination more often than any other site makes you rise to the top.

Focus on one market – Becoming a specialist.

Hire support vendors too fast. Slow down, research, interview, get referrals and do more research. The correct vendor is an extension of your business and creative vision. Make sure they are the right fit before you commit.

Filled with opportunity. Chaos for one is opportunity for another. The fact that the path is not an easy one appeals to me most.

Master the art of business. Register your copyright from day one.

I embrace the change. We have been shooting Time-Lapse stills for well over 10 years to create the feel of motion. The next line of pro still cameras will have HD video capabilities. We are visual content creators, the evolution will come naturally as our tools evolve.

Moving at the speed of change in the visual creative industries. We work on what I like to call “the bleeding edge of technology”. Our customers want cutting edge visual content that requires the latest and greatest tech equipment and know-how. This comes at a higher than average price. Educating our clients is a big part of the job. They are willing to pay higher fees once they understand the added value we bring to the table.

PhotoDeck is our back-of-the-house client proofing and delivery system. Many of our clients have proprietary image libraries that require password-protected entry along with the ability to log each entry. PhotoDeck allows us to track every person who logs in and when. We have future plans to build out a stock site from the home page in the coming year.

Built into the production cost of every assignment is a charge for 30 days of web hosting. We have always offered long term hosting options, but found the UI of our past service providers killed the opportunity for success. Past services were to difficult for most customers to navigate. Now that we are with PhotoDeck I am hoping to see this change. The whole experience is user friendly, fast, efficient and has an excellent user interface. Thanks PhotoDeck.

Yes. The number one comment we hear is how easy it is to use. They also love that we can comment directly on the images and have a communication trail in the Lightbox.

Simple clean interface with user friendly features.

The ability to upload DNG files.