Case Study: Sara Shunk, Digital Creative Group

Organization Profile: Sara Shunk is owner of Digital Creative Group which offers distinctive photography, videography and DJ services. Based north of Detroit, in New Baltimore, Michigan, Digital Creative Group is dedicated to capturing events with affordable elegance and style. The company’s mission is to provide a specialized experience from initial consultation to product delivery.

Summary: During the first year of working with DigiLabs Pro, Digital Creative Group’s business increased by about 30 percent. The photography studio has seen additional sales of DigiLabs’ superior products as well as booked referrals from customers pleased with the web galleries and online proofing services offered through DigiLabs. DigiLabs helps Digital Creative Group provide first-rate products and services that match the significance of the events and portraits it shoots.

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Michigan Photography Studio Sees Increase in Sales, Referrals With DigiLabs Pro Online Proofing Services and Photo Products

Though photography is Sara Shunk’s passion, as a small business owner of Digital Creative Group, she must play the role of marketer, accountant and numerous other professional functions besides finding time to shoot portraits and events, primarily weddings. While juggling these responsibilities, she looks to DigiLabs Pro and its online proofing and fulfillment services to help her save time, boost sales and provide high-quality photo products to her customers.

Since Shunk began working with DigiLabs in 2008, there has been an increase in the photography studio’s business, she said. Digital Creative Group has seen additional sales of DigiLabs’ superior products as well as booked referrals from happy couples pleased with the web galleries and online proofing services offered through DigiLabs.

"It’s really more than just pictures to my clients. We are interpreting their once-in-a-lifetime events to tell their stories visually. Working with DigiLabs I know we can provide first-rate products and services that match the significance of the subjects we are shooting," said Shunk.

DigiLabs’ professional-grade photo products include flush mounted albums, coffee table books and cards, among other creatively designed items. After Digital Creative Group began offering DigiLabs’ Ashbury coffee table book, one of the company’s standard handmade and sewn bound books, as part of all of its wedding photo packages in the 2008 to 2009 season the company saw its sales increase by 30 percent, a margin of tens of thousands of dollars.

"We’re a small business, so that is huge for us," she explained. "For me, it’s the best selling DigiLabs coffee table book. It’s just so well constructed and affordable. Years ago, no one ordered coffee table books because the cost and the process of creating one was excessive. But, now it seems all couples want something tangible that they can show off and bring to family parties."

Most of the couples Shunk works with want photos on a CD and a coffee table book, she said. Although they usually can agree on which shots are the best, the layout of the books often go through numerous revisions before they are finalized. Using DigiLabs, however, Shunk can share a digital copy with brides and grooms, and changes are as easy as the click of a mouse.

"Our clients can view their book online before it’s printed, which saves us all the time and expense of checking over physical books together," said Shunk. "One bride changed her book five times. We are able to do everything through e-mail, and she and her husband don’t have to come into our office to look it over."

DigiLabs’ innovative and straightforward software for Mac and Windows allows professional photographers like Shunk to combine simplified workflow with robust digital photo management, editing, product creation and tools that empower professional photographers to manage and edit an entire shoot. Shunk creates the first drafts of many of her customers’ coffee table books.

"With DigiLabs it is just so easy to navigate between different projects, and the autocorrect feature [Athentech’s Perfectly Clear image enhancement technology] is very handy. I don’t have to spend a whole lot of time on a book," said Shunk.

"I created one of DigiLabs’ new flush mount albums, the Marina, to display my work at a recent wedding tradeshow. Everyone clamored over it and said how impressed they were with the beautiful presentation and durable construction. Even after nearly 500 people had put their fingerprints all over it, I wiped the album with a soft cloth and it looked brand new," said Shunk.

The latest generation of DigiLabs software provides absolute flexibility for photographers, like those at Digital Creative Group, to create online proofing galleries using the personal look and feel of their business and without DigiLabs branding. Shunk has also used DigiLabs to create web galleries for weddings with out of town guests and for military brides with husbands who were deployed soon after the ceremony.

"There are so many applications. We’ve started photographing more high school seniors and kids involved in sports and dance in the past year, and we’ve got several new ideas photo package options in mind. DigiLabs’ online proofing services and top-notch products can’t be beat."

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.