PICTURE FRAMES.COM

:  :  :  CASE STUDY  :   :   :
PictureFrames.com  Influences
Another  Photographer’s  Success

In The Beginning: The Accidental Photographer
The tale of Rob Guynn and his successful career as a professional photographer and instructor came in the form of an unforeseen career change. After 28 years as a graphic artist for a school district, Rob’s career came to a sudden and unexpected end.

Little did he know, fate had simply swung open the door to a career in professional photography. Rob had always been inspired to create, so he started to shoot weddings as a second career… and never looked back.

“I am my own boss and my clients are the greatest people to work with,” says Rob.

He is now an accomplished photographer with an impressive career. “I still shoot weddings, and I photograph the NFL and 49er’s, some U.S. Senators, Congressmen and movie stars.”

Discovering A Gem
At the jagged beginnings, Rob ran into a problem not uncommon to many photographers. To be successful, he needed his artwork framed so it would be even more polished and appealing. “Presentation is everything in this business,” Rob acknowledges. Unfortunately, the cost of professionally framing his work came with a shocking price tag.

Graphik Dimensions Ltd., the parent company of PictureFrames.com, was founded 40 years ago by artists Joan and Stephen Feinsod, who were in the very same situation. Because of this, the needs of artists and photographers have always been at the heart of their business.

“Someone at my office turned me on to a Graphik Dimensions catalog as a source of framing my own artwork. That was 25 years ago… I’ve been in business with the company ever since.”

Enabling Success
The benefits offered at Graphik Dimensions were as clear to Rob then as they are today. Because there is no middleman, Rob pays wholesale prices on frames that can’t be found anywhere else. And, the company is constantly innovating, adding new services for artists and photographers, including a Professional Giclee Editions Printing Service (with first proofs free), archiving, direct shipping, free mat and frame samples, even web design, development and hosting just for professional artists, photographers and purveyors of imagery. The list continues to grow every year.

“I could’ve never turned a profit if I had someone else doing my matting and framing,” Rob explains. During his first shows, Rob used frames from Graphik Dimensions and generated a nice income. “I thought, WOW! This is a great way to make a living! It was motivating and I became successful because of it.”

Exceptional Service
The customer service at Graphik Dimensions pulls it all together. “My hat is off to customer service… I think [it’s] awesome” says Rob, “It seems that in the world today, customer service has been left behind.” He says the company has “been there for me since day one. I know that if I need something, [they’re] always there for me and [they] have beautiful frames – frames you really can’t buy around here.”

The Advantages Of Shopping Online
Eventually, Graphik Dimensions launched PictureFrames.com, its online entity. Rob loves the site’s user-friendliness, enjoying the fact that it’s “laid out well” and “one can find things quickly.”

Using the site’s Personal Frame Shop tool, Rob is able to see his work matted and framed before he makes a final decision. “It is awesome and easy to use. Just send a .jpeg and the rest is history…”

Rob has even experimented with the company’s online Print & Frame service, which is a consumer version of the company’s Professional Giclee Editions. It enables users to upload an image, edit it, select their framing presentation and enjoy the professionally finished results as a work of art that’s ready to hang, or sell, the moment it arrives.

“I liked the quality. It was really clear. The color looked really good. My big thing is skin tones, which is especially important with wedding photography, and they came out great. And, it was very simple… you upload a .jpeg and get the whole thing finished.”

Going Forward
Sharing his knowledge, Rob began teaching adult education courses and workshops. It has become his passion and he finds himself working with about 150 new students every month, handing each and every one of them a Graphik Dimensions catalog, along the way.

“With nowhere to begin, Graphik Dimensions gives my students a good start, giving them everything they need to frame their own work. ‘Go to GD!’ I tell them, ‘cause they’ll take care of you! Mats, frames, wires… it’s all right here.”

Rob shares the importance of presentation, a skill he learned at the very beginning of his career. He says, “I try to take my students from concept through the finished product. With a photograph, all work has to be matted and framed and protected to preserve it properly.”

Rob affirms, “PictureFrames.com supports my business and students as a one-stop-shop.”

To find out more about Rob, visit him online at www.geocities.com/robguynn2003.

For more information about Graphik Dimensions Ltd./PictureFrames.com, stop by the company’s website at www.pictureframes.com.

To explore the possibilities that can make your business life even more abundant, visit www.pictureframes.com/editions, or contact the company’s Artist Liaison, Jane Rhem, by calling 1-877-70-FRAME or e-mailing JRhem@graphikdimensions.com.