Today's Guest: Craig Bumgarner of Craig Carrol Photography. in Aimes, Iowa
Today's Host: John Bentley
September 2007
Listen to this Show
Publish this Show on Your Website
Show Sponsor www.morephotos.com
Craig Carrol Photography 
Craig Bumgarner Transcript Page
Craig Bumgarner Expert PageANNOUNCER: This program is sponsored by morephotos.com the online photo sales solution to professional photographers worldwide.
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to the VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Today on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight we have Ames, Iowa, Photographer, Craig Bumgarner of Craig Carroll Photography joining us in the studio today. Welcome to the program today, Craig.
CRAIG: Thanks. Thanks for having me.
JOHN: Well you have a thriving photography business there in the midwest in Iowa. Tell us a little bit about what you're up to.
CRAIG: Well I'll tell you this is our...we're starting actually our 30th year of business in Ames. We primarily do wedding photography, high school seniors, family pictures, children's portraits, and we've also started a new division where we do sports action photography.
JOHN: Let's talk about your studio work, first and foremost. I would imagine that doing families has it's own little obstacles to go over. Certainly some people don't like to be photographed. How do you deal with that kind of an issue?
CRAIG: Well, most of the time when a family comes in the only real problems we have would be when you're dealing with young children. Sometimes when you have a for instance it would have a 3 children under the age of 5 that can be pretty challenging getting all members of the family smiling and cooperating, you know, all at the same time. I would say that's probably my biggest challenge. Sometimes dad doesn't want to be there as well, but usually mom takes care of him and make sure he cooperates.
JOHN: Sure. And what about senior portraits? Are you doing a lot of senior portraits?
CRAIG: Yeah, I think we probably do in the neighborhood of about 250 kids a year. We have probably within a 20 mile radius of Ames, probably 1500 seniors that we mail to and we photograph approximately 250 of those.
JOHN: Now when you do senior portraits are you doing strictly studio or do you sometimes do like location or outdoor shots?
CRAIG: We do both. If fact, probably 95% of all the senior pictures that we photograph we do both some in studio work and outside. Sometimes what we call on location so in other words if they have a special place, if they have an acreage or something and want to be photographed on their home property, we'll even go out there and do that type of thing.
JOHN: Let's talk a little bit about weddings, Craig. Weddings have their own kind of situations and dilemmas to deal with. When you do a wedding, are you the only photographer or are you bringing an assistant? How do you approach that?
CRAIG: Well we have different levels of wedding coverage, and our most expensive package, if you will, we a lot of times will bring a second photographer to give them more coverage we're trying to do sometimes two things at once like getting photographs of the brides getting ready as well as the groom getting ready and that type of thing. It's hard to be both places at the same time. So, sometimes we'll take a female photographer along so she can go into the bridal dressing room and get some of the fun of getting ready shots and that type of thing.
JOHN: So you are the primary photographer. You're son also dabbles in the business too, is that correct?
CRAIG: He does. With the onset of digital photography, he's kind of my computer Photoshop guru. He's the one that actually...I have to tip my hat to him. He's the one who really kind of makes it happen around here anymore. He's extremely versed in Photoshop and today with digital photography you have to be knowledgeable with that program.
JOHN: Certainly. Now this is not all you're doing. You also have gotten into the sports photography. Is this more of like a photo journalism type photography where you're going to events and...
CRAIG: It is and quite frankly the photography business for years has been extremely seasonal, in other words, our busy season probably starts around the first of April doing proms and weddings and that kind of thing and then we don't get into senior pictures until the first part of June, and it stays reasonably busy until the end of October then it gets pretty slow again. So we decided we'd launch this sports photography division of our business because sports go on pretty much 365 days a year and so, you know, especially during the winter months we shoot a lot of basketball, volleyball, wrestling and that type of thing, but we still do a fair amount of it in the summer time too.
JOHN: Now with your two kind of separate businesses you have two different websites, could you share with our audience the two different websites that you have and maybe some contact information so that if somebody wants to get ahold of you they can.
CRAIG: Well the photography website is www.craigcarrollphotography.com and then our sports website is www.ccsportsphotos.com.
JOHN: And what about a phone number where somebody can reach you by?
CRAIG: Ok. It's (800) 742-3831 and that phone number actually covers both businesses.
JOHN: Excellent.
JOHN: We are in the studio today with Ames, Iowa, photographer, Craig Bumgarner of Craig Carroll Photography, and you're listening to VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight. We'll be right back after these important messages.
ANNOUNCER: This VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight is sponsored by morephotos.com, the online photo sales solution to professional photographers worldwide.
VTALK RADIO: VTalk Radio.
ANNOUNCER: Did you ever wonder why the groom is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold? What does the saying something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue mean? Visit www.weddingdetails.com and click on the lore and tradition section. We've got culture and tradition information from around the world. Visit www.weddingdetails.com tonight.
ANNOUNCER: We now return you to VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight with your host, John Bentley.
JOHN: Welcome back to VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight. We are in the studio today with Ames, Iowa, photographer, Craig Bumgarner of Craig Carroll Photography, and you're listening to VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight. Welcome back, Craig.
CRAIG: Thank you.
JOHN: We've been talking about your photography business there in Iowa. Let's talk a little bit more about the sports photography. What are you looking for when you're shooting an activity like that?
CRAIG: The biggest reason we decided to get into this was that parents...we see a lot of parents trying to take pictures, you know, from the sidelines and they'll have maybe a point and shoot camera or even an SLR camera that don't have necessarily a very long lens. So what we're trying to do is get the up close and personal type shots that they can't get. In other words, a good example would be trying to photograph the quarterback under center. We can pretty much zoom in and get the quarterback from the numbers up where mom and dad get pretty much the entire field, and those shots are pretty neat and pretty important to the parents because we can get these neat shots they can't get, and also action shots as far as, you know, slam dunking a basketball, or catching a touchdown pass, or, you know, our cameras are pretty sophisticated, pretty high end so they have an extremely fast shutter speeds. Our lenses are top notch and again we can get things that parents can't get. So it's just kind of in general that's the type of thing that we're trying to do is trying to help the parents out and have them be able to have some memories that they wouldn't be able to take themselves.
JOHN: And of course memories of the wedding photography that you do also is also chocked full of memories. What is different about shooting a wedding now as opposed to maybe 20 years ago?
CRAIG: Well I think that the biggest thing is that brides are looking for a little more of a journalistic approach to wedding as opposed to the static just everything totally posed, smiling, looking at the camera. So we still do a lot of that, but we try to incorporate more of the action as it happens and the bride having a conversation with the maid of honor or the parents or something like that. Trying to catch a little more realism of what's actually happening at that important day.
JOHN: That is a very big day. Now I would imagine that you are doing photography all around the Ames, Iowa, area. What are some of the communities and cities around Ames that you're going and doing business in?
CRAIG: Well we're pretty strong about 20 miles out in any direction from Ames, and that would include Boone, Iowa; Ogden, Story City, Nevada, Ankeny, Huxley. Pretty much anything within 20 miles of any direction we have a pretty strong following.
JOHN: What about wedding facilities or banquet halls in the area that you might use occasionally?
CRAIG: Well they have some very nice ones, in fact, there had been some kind of a shortage of those in the Ames area, but the last couple years some other people have gotten into that game, of course, here there's the Gateway Center, Sheman Auditorium off the top of my head. Hickory Hall, the Iowa State University Memorial Union. There's actually quite a few venues now that people can chose from.
JOHN: What's your most important goal when you go into a photo shoot?
CRAIG: Well, that's an interesting question. It's kind of two parts. I guess I want to obviously make the client happy. Find out exactly what they're expectations are before I go in so I know exactly what I want to do for them. And the other thing is, I want the client to be totally comfortable and have a memorable experience when they're here so when they leave they think, gosh that was fun let's come back and do that again some time.
JOHN: What else do you do that makes Craig Carroll Photography unique and what separates you from the competition?
CRAIG: Well I'll tell you after, you know, it's interesting. When I grew up I was a very, very, very shy individual, but you can't be shy in this business. And I think my strong suit is that I relate well to all kinds of people. And it's very interesting when you're dealing with high school seniors, I mean, you get every kind of personality under the sun walking in the store, and I feel like I can talk to anyone about anything, and that's my goal to make them feel comfortable regardless whether they're into sports or whether they're into academics or music, you know, I can talk to them about what they're into and then make them feel comfortable that they're in our studio.
JOHN: Great. Craig, I appreciate you joining us today. Before I let you go, though, I want you to give your website and contact information again please.
CRAIG: Ok, our website is www.craigcarrollphotography.com. The sports division is www.ccsportsphotos.com. And our (800) number is (800) 742-3831.
JOHN: Thanks for joining us today, Craig, on VTalk Radio's Photography Spotlight.
CRAIG: Thank you very much for asking me.
JOHN: Yes., we've speaking with Ames, Iowa, photographer, Craig Bumgarner of Craig Carroll Photography, and you're listening to VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight. Thanks for tuning in. Have a great day.
ANNOUNCER: You have been listening to the VTalk Radio's Photographer Spotlight; only on www.vtalkradio.com. Radio for the 21st Century.
go to top of the page
