Case Study: Ben & Erin Chrisman, Ben Chrisman Photography

Organization Profile: Ben & Erin Chrisman are the renowned wedding photographers behind Ben Chrisman Photography. In 2007, Ben was named the top wedding photographer in the world by the Wedding Photojournalist Association. In 2008, Ben and Erin were listed as two of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world by American Photo magazine.

Summary: For the past five years, DigiLabs and Ben Chrisman Photography have worked together to deliver easy-to-use galleries that clients can view quickly and share immediately with friends and family. Using DigiLabs Pro Web Galleries has enabled Ben and Erin to maintain their unique branding while also granting them greater exposure on the web as customers increasingly share their photos on sites like Facebook and Twitter. By delivering a simple, yet comprehensive, platform for photo sharing, DigiLabs Pro provides Ben Chrisman Photography with an end-to-end solution for the creation of web galleries that offer professional, reasonably priced, online proofing, as well as a custom storefront that further reinforces the studio’s unique branding and style.

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Renowned Wedding Photographers Use DigiLabs Pro to Increase Exposure

As one of the world’s 10 most recognized wedding photography studios, Ben Chrisman Photography produces extremely high quality work taken in some very far-away places. Studio principals Ben & Erin Chrisman approach their sessions as documentaries, and capture moments not often seen by the naked eye. When it comes time to show clients the results of their labor, the Chrismans trust DigiLabs Pro to properly display, market and secure orders of their work, making this software solution as vital a cog in their business workflow as their cameras.

In demand for weddings on a global basis, Ben and Erin rarely perform shoots near their studio, making their time precious once they return home to process results. Like most wedding photographers, their finished product incorporates wedding parties, families and other guests, all of whom are as anxious as the bride and groom to see themselves captured at a memorable event. Thanks to its simple workflow process, Ben uses DigiLabs Pro to create web galleries for online proofing and deliver results to his clients faster than ever before. "It takes about 10 minutes to upload a complete wedding, which typically contains upwards of 1,000 images," says Chrisman. "Plus, since we can create custom galleries based on what was captured in the photo, guests don’t have to scroll through hundreds of photos that they’re not interested in."

The ease with which customers can access their galleries is critical for sales, says Chrisman. The user interface is intuitive, making it possible for customers to easily select the photos they want and place orders. "If a client feels it’s a difficult website, they’re going to click off of it," says Chrisman. "You don’t want to discourage people from making a purchase." In fact, in the five years since Chrisman began using DigiLabs Pro, he hasn’t gotten a single complaint. Thanks to the built-in ordering features, clients can place their orders anytime, anyplace, and Chrisman can present special-offer discounts to provide extra encouragement to place an order sooner than later. However, should clients wait until the last minute, DigiLabs Pro notifies Ben and Erin when the gallery is about to expire so they can continue marketing to their customers – which provides additional opportunities to reach out and offer discounts should they decide to go forward with a purchase. "We almost always get last-minute print orders that way," says Chrisman.

Of course, for all the ways DigiLabs Pro is involved in the process of showcasing the studio’s work, it’s equally appreciated for all the ways it doesn’t get involved in Chrisman’s day-to-day activities. Chrisman notes that similar services used previously didn’t allow him to control how and when his customers were contacted. DigiLabs offers users complete control over this function and, combined with the incorporation of each photographer’s unique branding into the gallery design, it ensures that the client/studio relationship is never strained - either due to over-contact or fear of dealing with a third party. "DigiLabs fits our business model," says Ben. "We’re not high pressure, and I don’t want anyone else talking for me."

In fact, if anyone is doing the talking for Ben Chrisman Photography, it’s a satisfied client who is sharing new photos with friends and family on social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, a phenomenon made possible due to the online presence the studio maintains with DigiLabs. With more and more customers moving away from large orders of photo prints, Chrisman is seeing a shift towards purchasing digital quality prints that can easily be shared with friends and family. His relationship with DigiLabs has positioned his company to easily market itself online, and have clients share their work across multiple channels. "DigiLabs has been a big help in our web marketing, since it enables customers to do it for us," says Chrisman. "When someone posts our photos to their profile on Facebook or tweets about their experience, there’s the possibility of it leading to another wedding."

DigiLabs keeps Ben Chrisman Photography accessible and top of mind at all times, an advantage not lost on clients. "I recently got an email from a bride who was up really late, combing through her galleries," says Chrisman. "She asked a lot of questions about prints, what to do with them and the different levels of quality. All it took was sending her an email with a slideshow containing all of the proofs."

"The more places our photos exist, the more likely it is they’ll visit our website or contact us. We’re thrilled with having everything online, and in the five years we’e been using DigiLabs Pro to connect with clients, I haven’t had a single complaint."

About DigiLabs Pro
DigiLabs Pro provides professional photographers with a comprehensive, cost-effective and flexible online proofing and fulfillment solution with advanced tools and widely popular product creations. DigiLabs remains invisible in to end customers, showcasing only a professional photographer’s brand. Offerings include e-commerce services such as web galleries, highly customizable flush mount albums, coffee table books, proof magazines, greeting cards, calendars and superior photo printing services. DigiLabs’ iPhone application allows photographers’ clients to access web galleries and to make purchases, anytime and anyplace. Thousands of photo professionals rely on DigiLabs products and services to help make their businesses more profitable and to distinguish themselves in their field. Founded in 2001 and based in Palo Alto, Calif., DigiLabs Pro is a privately held company. More information is available at http://digilabspro.com.