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VTalk Radio Photography Spotlight
Today's Guest: Kim Wise of Cascade West Photography in Kent, Washington
Today's Host: John Bentley

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Cascade West Photography www.wiseimages.com
Kim Wise Transcript Page

JOHN: Welcome to VTalk Radio Photography Spotlight. Today's program is sponsored by Morephotos.com. The online total photo sales solution for professional photographers worldwide. I'm your host, John Bentley.

JOHN: Today we're in the studio with Kim Wise of Cascade West Photography of Kent, Washington. Welcome to the program Kim.

KIM: Thank you very much.

JOHN: Can you tell us a little bit about your business.

KIM: Well thanks for the opportunity. Cascade West Photography specializes in special event photography. The concept that any time a group of people gathers at one spot at one time, we should be there to commemorate it for them.

JOHN: Can you tell me a little bit of the specifics of the shoots you do, the kinds of shoots you do?

KIM: Well we've in the past couple of years we've done corporate events, product kick-offs, family reunions, special interest gatherings, whether it be some of the fringe sporting events for kids - like ice skating or I know they won't want to hear me say that it's a fringe event, but some of the smaller types rather than the big ones. Ice skating, martial arts, dance. We've done a little bit of action in hockey. We've also done corporate fund raisers. What we call the penguin conventions. Where everybody's standing around being very uncomfortable in their formal wear, but we're there to make sure they get a good image to commemorate the evening for them.

JOHN: Great. Now do you do senior portraits, do you do any other kind of photography.

KIM: We do a lot of different types, including setting up a huge background in order to do a 23kw diesel generator set, which was a real challenge to get on a white background. We had to lift that one up with a crane and move it around. Senior photography is a side product with us. Again, we concentrate on the special event. When the corporation wants to celebrate anything or the fundraiser the non-profit ones to provide a big gala for their donors and anybody that they would like to be a donor can be there and we print onsite or post for ordering later or whatever the customer would like. Our goal is to make the customer happy. Make the customer look good in front of their clientel.

JOHN: Now you're located in Kent, Washington. Can you tell me some of the towns in the area you service?

KIM: Kent is a suburb of Seattle. We're just a little bit - about 17 miles south of Seattle. We, of course, service the greater Seattle area not limited to Seattle. Redmond where Microsoft is - we do quite a few jobs up on Microsoft campus. We do work for car dealerships. Some of the .. we're only 2 hours south of Vancouver, British Columbia. We are only 3 hours north of Portland. We cover both of those metro areas as well.

JOHN: What are some of the facilities near you that you like to use, banquet halls, wedding facilities?

KIM: The Salish Lodge. A lot of the names here in the northwest are Native Indian, and Salish is one of them. It's perched right over the top of Snoqualmie Falls. Of course, we've done quite a bit of work at Safeco Field and Quest Field. The Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Light here in Seattle. We enjoy going to all of those.

JOHN: Can you give us your website address and contact information Kim?

KIM: You can contact us either by email at events@wiseimages.com or go to the website which is www.wiseimages.com.

JOHN: We are in the studio speaking to Kim Wise of Cascade West Photography of Kent, Washington. You are listening to VTalk Radio's Photographers' Spotlight. We are going to take a break for these important messages; we'll be right back.

ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio Spotlight is sponsored by morephotos.com. The online photo sales solution for professional photographers worldwide.

VTALK RADIO ... we now return you to VTalk Radio Photographer's Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.

JOHN: Welcome back to VTalk Radio's Photographer's Spotlight. We are in the studio with Kim Wise of Cascade West Photography of Kent, Washington. Welcome back to the program Kim.

KIM: Thank you very much.

JOHN: Hey Kim, can you give us a little background; tell us why you decided to become a photographer?

KIM: Originally I became interested in photography because I felt I had an artistic flair, but there was no way that anybody would want to see my drawing and photography was a way to express that.

JOHN: How long have you been a photographer?

KIM: Well off and on, I've been a photographer since almost since I can remember. I did my first job for pay in 1970. Took a long break to be in business,but we've been back into it full time since 1993 now, so we've been at it a while. We've had a chance to see a lot of different things. I've had various inclinations as a photographer. I can tell you that what you see on CSI is no where near the real thing. It is the real life situation there is a lot messier and a lot slower.

JOHN: I understand you do sports photography. Can you elaborate a little more about that?

KIM: We do. Sports Photography is a lot of fun, although we try to avoid the typical team and individual jobs for the great big groups. We do very well at sports tournaments. Youth tournaments where we can photograph and give people the chance to order on site - to view their images before they ever leave the field. And, depending on how it's set up, we can either ship to them later or we can actually print on site. The other type of sports we have that we do a lot of and works very well for our customers is golf tournaments. Corporations, non-profits who are sponsoring golf tournaments as a fund raiser; we can do the foursome photos and actions at the same time and have the prints done before their awards dinner is gone. Some of the golf courses that we've worked at are the Snoqualamie Ridge Golf Course, the Golf Club at New Castle. We've done a number of different events here in the northwest as far as golf tournaments go.

JOHN: Now, can you tell me do you do standard film as well as digital photography?

KIM: Ahhh. That is still a question in the market place. What does a photographer do? Is he up to date? Does he use the latest digital products or cameras or does he still use that tried and true thing of film? And when it comes right down to it, we are professionals. We use the tools that are needed to make sure the customer gets what they want on time and on budget. The thing to remember for our customers to remember is that the medium and the equipment make great images like pots and pans make a great meal. It's all in how you use it.

JOHN: Can you tell me what is the most important goal you have when you go to shoot an event?

KIM: My most important goal, our most important goal, is to make sure that the customer who hires us looks good in front of their boss, or their friends, or their clientele. That's what's important to us. We're gonna make sure that people have a good time. We stay low key. There is no prima donnas in my photographer's stable.

JOHN: Now do you do a lot of outdoor photography? Do you take your clients outdoors in outdoor settings? Or do you do a lot of inside photography? What is your preference?

KIM: Again, my preference is that the client gets what they want. If we need to go out doors, we'll go out doors. Including with our computers and our printers, we can operate independent of household power. We do some indoors. It all comes down to what the needs of the event are. We'll take care of the client.

JOHN: Kim, do you have any tricks or devices you use to make your clients comfortable in front of the camera?

KIM: Now theres, wouldn't that be a proprietary secret? Actually the biggest trick that I have is I do not take myself seriously. If I need to be a fool in front of the people in order to put them at ease while I'm behind the camera, then I'm a fool. My wife is always telling me that it's a good thing that I'm a photographer because I'd never make a living as a stand-up comic.

JOHN: I hear that myself.

KIM: So, that certainly is gonna help make your customers happy, comfortable. What are some of the things you do, your service provides that sets you apart from other photographers?

KIM: We care about the client. That is the biggest thing that sets us aside. I've mentioned it before. I'll come back to it. We want the client to be successful in their indeavors. Whatever we need to do in order to help them we're going to provide it, we're going to act in a manner that makes sure that that our client is presented in the best light. We're people focused because that is what our business is. We photography people; we photograph places; we photograph events; and that all comes back down to the people who are involved. We're gonna put them at ease and make sure they look good.

JOHN: Well we have to wrap things up today; can you tell us what your website and your contact information is again, Kim.

KIM: Oh glad to! Contact information, of course, you can contact me via phone - toll free - (888) 480-9122 or the website is: www.wiseimages.com or email is: events@wiseimages.com.

JOHN: We've been in the studio with Kim Wise of Cascade West Photography of Kent Washington. Thank you for being with us today, Kim.

KIM: Well, thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to tell our story and share a little bit more with potential clients who we can make look good.

JOHN: You are listening to VTalk Radio's Photographer's Spotlight. Thank you for joining us.

ANNOUNCER: You have been listening to the VTAlk Radio Spotlight; only on vtalkradio.com. Radio for the 21st Century.

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