I've always enjoyed catching up with wedding professionals that I've been a part of the wedding event team with outside of the event space. This was the case when I got the chance to interview Tim Sewell from Phocus Photography.
We talked about how the better you get to know the couple, the better you will be able to create their one-of-a-kind wedding experience. Speaking of the couple, Phocus Photography’s ideal client is a couple who is mad, crazy in love that values the memories they will have from their wedding for years to come. With a style that ranges from high-fashion to intimate, candid shots, Tim & Audrey's focus is how to tell each couple’s story authentically. We also touched on COVID-19's impact as well as questions that allow you, the listener, to get to know Tim a little bit better!
This Highlight Weddings & Events Podcast was edited and produced by DropHouse Voiceover Production Studio and Tony Tee Neto, Voiceover Artist & Audio Producer. For more info on branding elements, editing, and post-production services, visit http://drophouse.com.
The intro and outro used for this episode is Crush by https://audiohub.com License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
I've always enjoyed catching up with wedding professionals that I've been a part of the wedding event team with outside of the event space. This was the case when I got the chance to interview Tim Sewell from Phocus Photography.
We talked about how the better you get to know the couple, the better you will be able to create their one-of-a-kind wedding experience. Speaking of the couple, Phocus Photography’s ideal client is a couple who is mad, crazy in love that values the memories they will have from their wedding for years to come. With a style that ranges from high-fashion to intimate, candid shots, Tim & Audrey's focus is how to tell each couple’s story authentically. We also touched on COVID-19's impact as well as questions that allow you, the listener, to get to know Tim a little bit better!
This Highlight Weddings & Events Podcast was edited and produced by DropHouse Voiceover Production Studio and Tony Tee Neto, Voiceover Artist & Audio Producer. For more info on branding elements, editing, and post-production services, visit http://drophouse.com.
The intro and outro used for this episode is Crush by https://audiohub.com License: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
[Crush - Royalty-Free Music by https://audiohub.com License: CC by (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)]
DJ Josh: This is Episode 4 of Make Your Wedding a Highlight. My name is DJ Josh: from Highlight Weddings and Events. My guest today is Tim Sewell, co- owner of Phocus Photography.
Tony Tee Neto from DropHouse: If you’re getting ready to, or already in the process of planning your wedding, you’ve come to the right place. DJ Josh, owner of Highlights Weddings and Events, interviews other local 30A wedding pros to offer insight about how to make your wedding a highlight.
DJ Josh: Thanks for stopping by and checking out the podcast. I have Tim from Phocus Photography with us. He is a photographer, him and his wife are a photography team that I actually had the pleasure of working a wedding with recently. So I figured I’d have them come on and we could just chat a little bit. How are you doing today, Tim?
Tim: I’m doing good. How about you.
DJ Josh: I’m doing alright. So just ah tell the listeners about you and your wife, how you guys got into weddings. That kind of stuff.
Tim: It’s a long story. And I don’t want to bore with all the details but basically my wife and I have been together since middle school unofficially.
DJ Josh: That’s so cute!
Tim: Yeah. We weren’t dating all throughout middle school but we became best friends until about senior year of high school and then we started dating. By that point we already knew we were going to get married and dating was just kind of like a stepping stone we had to go through to get to marriage.
DJ Josh: Oh, wow.
Tim: So we didn’t waste a lot of time. We got married about 2 years after that and basically seeing our own wedding come to fruition and getting to a be part of the plans and me also having photography as a hobby. That kind of started the spark, if you will, with Phocus Photography. So you know we had no idea. We had no training. We had no college courses on what to do for a business. But we jumped in with high hopes and just really wanting to capture life in its true beauty. And, here we are in our sixth year and over 100 weddings later and loving every second of it.
DJ Josh: Awesome. Awesome. So I realize that different photographers will say “I have this certain style or I focus on this thing” Do you and your wife have similar styles or do you kind of look at the same scene and focus on different parts of it?
Tim: I think it’s a little bit of both, honestly. We have varying styles and a varying eye but we know each other's style and we know each other's, I guess, responsibilities throughout a shoot. So we know what we’re both shooting for so we try to kind of create this entree if you will where it’s not just one thing or another you get kind of these both well rounded perspectives on what we’re shooting. So while they vary they are very complementary to each other.
DJ Josh: Ok. Well I can see how that would come about because you guys have known each other for most of your lives.
Tim: Yeah.
DJ Josh: That allows you all to kind of develop together but in your own unique way.
Tim: Absolutely.
DJ Josh: So, how would you describe your style if a potential client was like “I really like your work!” What are some things that you really focus on when you are photographing?
Tim: So, hopefully, some of my clients whether they’re previous or current or future clients are listening. They’ll probably be able to vouch for this and they’ve probably heard me say this a few times but you know a photographer can easily fall into a specific genre, if you will. You know some people go for the fashion high-end kind of look. And other people go for more raw, candid things. Or maybe it’s easier for them to just stick to standard, old posing. But , you know, for us we always strive and kind of honestly battle within ourselves when we give our client two ends of that perspective.
You know, we’ve got one end of us that we absolutely love going for those high-fashion kind of wow shots because you don’t even really have to know the couple to experience that wow and experience what you’re seeing. Whereas on the other end, you know, we shoot for those raw, candid, unfiltered, unposed moments. And that’s really, we drive for that. We have ways to make those things kind of happen for ourselves. And what I mean by that is, we setup a moment and then we let it happen on its own. And we let the couple just kind of be themselves. So when you look at our portfolio and our social media you’re going to see a lot of varying shots and varying work because one time you’ll see this high-end shot and the next thing you’ll see a tear running down someone’s face.
I always tell my couples it’s not something that we manufacture. It’s just us capturing our couples for who they truly are. Some couples thrive in that high-fashion which the couple that me and you had the pleasure of working with they were definitely one of those couples. They had some really high end shots. But on the other end, some couples are super intimate and just very encapsuled in themselves. So you don’t even honestly know that we’re there when we’re shooting with them. You’ll see that difference between our shots.
It all comes down to showing our couples genuinely for who they are. A lot of our couples they’re not experienced in having photos done. So, e help them find out who they are actually in those photos and get to showcase that for them.
DJ Josh: That’s a really cool posture to have being part of someone’s big day. I think specifically for you it for weddings not to be “Ho Hum” or I’m doing another wedding. It makes you more flexible and keeps you on your toes. And, really allows you to infuse or experience more variety with the different events you’re a part of. Because, each couple is going to have their own distinct style and personality. It’s less about you the photographer creating something and more just being present in the moment. That’s a really cool philosophy to adopt for events.
Tim: Absolutely. You know, we have been asked a lot of times actually at this point in our career of what separates us. I’m sure you know but the wedding industry is very saturated with lots of talented people. And, I’m not talking about globally. I’m not even talking about nationally. I’m talking about in a ten-mile radius from house there’s probably 300 photographers, you know, all in different points of their career.
When I was asked that question of what makes me different, it’s so hard. Because, you know you try to strive and find a way to make your work stand out. And, I had the realization about a year ago and it actually changed a lot about what we were doing with our photography. But the realization was that I can try my best to edit very differently or pose very differently but at the end of the day, someone else has probably already figured out what I’m doing and they’re trying to do it themselves. And so it, honestly, does not come down to the work itself but who we’re shooting.
Every single couple we work with has a different way that they met and they have different struggles getting to their wedding day. And, even after the wedding day there’s different things that approach them in life and us as photographers we get to be a part of that and even more so because we almost try to make it happen to where we’re a part of more than just showing up and shooting. And so from the day that we meet them, I’m always just digging in to and trying to figure out who they are and why they love each other and what they’re doing in their life.
I get to kind of see the couple go from this awkward like “I don’t know what we’re doing. We’re getting married. We love each other but I don’t know what we’re doing” and then at the end of it getting to see their wedding photos and having that relationship with them. You get to really see it come into a full bloom and see them just blossom as a couple. It’s really incredible and very rewarding.
DJ Josh: And it’s more natural. It’s very authentic to the couple. I like to adopt a similar philosophy as the DJ/MC. I want to allow both the ceremony and the reception as a time where the couple can sort of tell their story about who they are and how they’ve come to this point but also allow the guests to be a part of it. It’s almost like their reception is a gift to their guests in a way.
Tim: Yeah.
DJ Josh: Like they get to be a part of the play that they are witnessing, if that makes sense.
Tim: Absolutely.
DJ Josh: So, if you could go to a client factory and create what you would call your ideal client, what would some characteristics of clients that would mesh well with you and your wife?
Tim: Honestly knowing the answer to this question in advance is really beneficial. Just because, and I had no idea you were going to ask that but we curve who we are as photographers and what we’re offering a lot to fit into that role. And so, in order to do that you have to know what role you’re trying to fit into as far as with your ideal client. So, I’m glad I already know the answer to this.
But you know, honestly what it comes down to is, and you’ll see a lot of what I have to say is not even really based upon the work that I’m putting out. But, rather, what the couple is and what they have to offer. So for us our ideal client, or the picture-perfect client if you will, is not a specific look or location they’re shooting in. It really comes down to a couple of things.
The first thing is being mad crazy in love with each other. You’d be surprised at what a difference it makes for us as photographers and even videographers. When this couple has that natural chemistry and they’re just crazy about each other. They have no idea what they’re doing for photo purposes. But at the end of the day when they have that natural chemistry, it makes our job so incredibly easy. Because a lot of times you’ll just set them there and they just lovey-dovey on each other. And you’re just like “Dang, I don’t have to do anything for them!”
But, outside of that, really just couples that know the value behind what we’re doing. And not just us as Phocus but wedding vendors, in general. What we’re providing them and what will come of it later, especially with photos and videos, after the wedding day is gone. What they’re going to be left with. When we have those couples that already know that before it happens and know what they’re paying for is worth every single penny. That’s something that is really, honestly beautiful for us because we get to kind of go into it and know in advance that we’re giving something to them that they value.
You know now on the other end of the spectrum, I’m not going to tell you that every couple we have already comes into it knowing that. So they get to realize that value later on once the photos are already delivered. So on either end of that spectrum, we are gonna get to bestow on them. Yes they’re paying us but they don’t know what the value is going to be until 10 years down the road or 20 years down the road and they have these amazing images and amazing video to look back on. So, the ideal client for us: crazy about each other and knows the value behind what we’re doing.
DJ Josh: That’s funny that you mention “Oh, we didn’t have to do anything,” because my wife and I did a shoot with a photographer and we were just being our normal selves. And she was like “Oh, you guys are great. I don’t have to coach you or anything.” We were just kind of being how we normally are around each other. Kind of goofy. Kind of playful. That’s cool that, going back to when you were talking about just letting the couple be in their moment. It’s the principle where if you’re observing a test, you’re changing the results. You’re just capturing it, you’re not even really giving them direction. You’re just being how they normally would be.
Tim: Yep. And, honestly at the end of the day no one wants to look back on photos and see this one awkward pose and remember standing there for 10 minutes while the photographer got their shot. They want to look back and be able to see, like, the chemistry they had between each other and the moments that were happening as they actually happened rather than them being posed. That way, they correlate the moment and the photo together to create that full kind of experience.
DJ Josh: So, are there any changes you made to your company as far as what you offer in 2020. I talked to Holly Ferris from LaFleur Photography, and she started offering film in addition to digital. Are there any things you’ve done that kind of enhance the client experience for clients?
Tim: Absolutely. There’s a couple of things actually. The first thing is that we are emphasizing even more so than we used to: prints. A big thing for our couples and something I didn’t really know the value behind until recently is being able to give our couples something in a tangible way. You know, our day and age we live in is very digital and very intangible if you will, and so it’s easy to assume that the couples really only want their digital photos and they want it now and they want it on their phones and computers and everything like that.
And we offer all those things and their great but honestly when it comes down to it technology, and my couples are gonna laugh if they hear this because I say it all the time. But, technology has a way of making itself irrelevant often. What I mean by that is just given the example of a floppy disk. It wasn’t that long ago and now you can’t even use one.
For us, while providing online galleries is cutting edge and brand new and very modern we realize that with technology and its tendencies, I can’t guarantee that an online gallery is going to be accessible in 10 or 20 years. And, what we’re doing as photographers and videographers is capturing moments that are meant to last really until the end of your lifetime and even beyond then. To keep your story alive and keep those memories alive. For me to just deliver those things digitally would be a disservice, honestly. Because, I'm not going to be able to guarantee those things will last until your grandkids are around.
One huge thing we offer is called the legacy album and that comes with every single wedding that we offer. Every collection, every client, every budget. It does not matter. I will pay for it out of my own pocket if I have to. And, what it is is a custom printed album. And, we meet with every single client after their wedding and design this with them hand-in-hand. And the day it comes in and I get to deliver it to them is the day that I know I just invested my time, my money, my energy, my passion into something that’s going to last for years to come. And it’s not only that but it’s something that’s going to gain value as life goes on.
At a wedding day, there’s people that will be there that may not make it to your 10 or 20 year anniversary. Having that album and not having to worry about technology and whether or not you can pull up your link anymore. Having that album, you can open it up and tell your kids about your great grandfather that got to walk you down the aisle and things like that. And so, that is a huge thing that we’ve just started putting a lot of emphasis on this year. Even more so than we ever have.
Then, the second out of those two things is actually videography. We just added videography into our collections. And a big reason why, I'm sure anyone who’s planning a wedding knows it’s something that often is getting cut out of the budget almost immediately if you’re trying to keep things under a certain amount of money. Fortunately, people still realize how valuable photos are.
But we came to this realization that for Phocus, it’s always been about providing more value to our clients than what they’re even paying for. And when I realized the power behind getting to see a tear roll down your face in a video or seeing a laugh come from your belly all the way up and out, it’s something that you can’t get in a photo but obviously you need those photos. And so we wanted to provide this full experience rather than just giving just the photos or just the video. And that way, they go hand in hand and they’re able to relive these memories for years to come.
DJ Josh: Oh, yeah. I agree with you about video and photo. It shouldn’t be just photo and if video fits into the budget, then awesome. I really think that Couples are missing out on the unique way that video captures the event and it allows you to tell the story of your wedding differently than just looking at the pictures. Not that pictures are lacking anything but it’s almost like they’re two different ways to time travel to go back to the day that your relationship started as a husband and wife.
Tim: It kind of sounds a little bit cheeky but photographers and videographers really hold the power to bring people back to life even if it’s just for a moment. Obviously, I’m not talking about physically right in front of your face but, you know, I can tell you probably hundreds of times that I’ve seen a photo pop on social media of something from childhood that I didn’t even remember that I swear it was never in my brain still. And I see that photo and then, you all of a sudden flashback to the countless hours you spent playing with whatever that one thing was.
So, on a more serious note. Going back to the point that the people that are going to be at your wedding may or may not be there in 20 years or 30 years. And, you might not physically remember everything that happened on the wedding day because it sure does happen pretty fast.
DJ Josh: Oh, goodness. It does.
Tim: And so, getting to look back and seeing things and getting to bring it back into the front of your brain, so to speak, really brings it back to life. You know, you may not remember dad giving you a kiss on a cheek and him crying and all of a sudden you see this photo and you’re like “Oh my God. My dad really loved me.” You know? So there’s literally hundreds or thousands of moments like that that happen just on a wedding day. And so, getting to kind of hold that power and being able to deliver that is just incredible.
DJ Josh: Yeah, totally. What are some things or a specific thing that clients can do to help you make their experience the best it can be.
Tim: It, honestly, comes down to having more than just a contract and showing up and taking photos between me and the couple. It’s really more about having a relationship. And, I can proudly and happily say that almost all of my couples, if not all of them, are what I would consider to be great friends of ours.
Obviously, we don’t get to see them every single weekend, or anything like that, but through the nine months or twelve months or even two years between them meeting us for the first time and getting to their wedding day, we’re developing a relationship with them. To answer your question, the best thing I think a couple can do to really enhance their experience with us is just really being open and being themselves because, the more genuine they are about themselves, the better we will know how to capture them especially on the wedding day. But you know leading up to it and even things that come afterwards. And just being open to not just hiring us as a service but having us as friends and as an experience.
DJ Josh: I can relate to that being a DJ. There are couples who are just like “Oh, well we need a photographer and we need a DJ and they just want to check the box off. Unfortunately then you’re becoming more of a commodity and you’re not as focused on “Ok. How can I make this part of my wedding the best it can be?” I think with the relationship aspect, as a photographer you become a better story teller of their story. For me as the DJ, I can provide the most accurate soundtrack to not only the couples themselves but also use songs that the rest of their guests are going to think, “Oh, man! That’s totally them!” But it also fits what the overarching vibe that the couple want to create but also really allows the guests to then enjoy themselves as well.
Tim: Absolutely. And I can speak for that. Because you literally had every guest at the wedding we worked together on the dance floor. I looked at the videographer, Micheal, that day. I told him probably seven times I think or more that we’ve never experienced a party like that one before. It was incredible.
DJ Josh: Aw, thanks. I’m just glad that I was able to be a part of it. My goal is two-fold. I want to make the experience as stress-less as possible not only for the couple but also for the event team professionals, even the banquet staff. I will ask them if they had a good time at the end of the night and if it’s obvious they’re being honest and they say “Oh, yeah. I had a great time, the music was good.” Then I know I did as good a job as I could to just create a really fun environment.
So what about weddings excites you?
Tim: Honestly, again, going back. I’ll say a lot of things a lot of times, apparently. Being that we’ve developed that relationship with the couple and, you know, we have that genuine excitement for them at this point because now we know about their love story, how they met, all the trials they faced to get to their wedding day. Let’s face it, it’s not a cake walk for anybody, honestly, planning a wedding. And getting to that day, all that time that’s elapsed creates all this excitement that comes up because we just genuinely care for them and know that this means the world to them and getting to celebrate with them is one of the most exciting things about the actual wedding day itself.
As far as wedding day photography and what we’re getting to do, the exciting part for me is knowing at the end of the day all the moments we got witness and be a part of, those moments are unfortunately gone. We got to see them and now they're gone. But we hold the key that gets to bring them back to life which is a huge honor. Not only an honor but a huge excitement for us. Because again, we’re investing into something that goes beyond what money can buy and what’s tangible and in your hands or intangible, It’s something that’s really great for the heart and something that brings people together, honestly.
DJ Josh: That’s a great answer. I really enjoy the moments that are unique to the wedding and just being able to be a part of love. It’s just a really cool thing.
Now we’re going to turn the discussion toward something toward what is happening at this moment in time. For reference, as of this recording, the governor of Florida issued Stay-at-Home Executive Order yesterday and it will be going into effect midnight tonight. So, I figured we could talk about how your business is adapting to the coronavirus pandemic that is changing what our new normal is for probably the next month, two months, however long this goes on. What are some things that you have? Challenges you’ve had to overcome or ways you are addressing and adapting to the change that is coronavirus.
Tim: Well, whenever it first came about I’m sure like many we were kind of caught off guard and everyone’s freaking out, and, obviously, our couples are losing their minds thinking their weddings are not going to go off without a hitch now. It’s going to be a challenge. And so for us I think it’s almost like, I hate to use this example but there’s really no other way I can think about it. But it’s kind of like us as wedding vendors are almost like parents parental guides at this point because, you know, we’re the professionals and they’re trusting us to make their wedding day go off without a hitch.
And now, this big thing comes along to change the plan. And so, for us as wedding professionals, I think our mindset immediately went into protective mode almost. Our couples are all freaking out and, for us, we wanted to let them know that like, “Look. Everything’s going to be ok. It’s going to get figured out.” And, a lot of amazing teams we get to work with, we’re all talking to each other and figuring it out for the couple. And so really, I think it went straight into guidance mode rather than freaking out. Obviously we stalked up on the canned chicken and stuff. The toilet paper that is apparently an heirloom at this point.
But, really at the end of the day, we care so much about our couples and their weddings. We wanted to instantly give them some sort of peace of mind. Even though this virus has nothing to offer except for uncertainty. We wanted to let them know that we’re going to be there to celebrate with them at some point or another no matter what. And we’re going to make the best of this thing. And obviously, you get a great story to tell when your kids come along, or their kids, and you tell them about a pandemic during your wedding.
DJ: I think the hard thing is how much time, energy, and money goes into getting a wedding to where it is. And I feel the most for couples that, basically, from mid-March til the end of May. Where it’s like. Because initially, it’s like “Oh, it’s not that bad. Da da da da.” And then as time passed. And I remember, this was two Mondays ago, it was like every two or three hours, something new. There would be a new press conference or whatever and you’re like “Oh, well, maybe this is a little more serious than we initially thought.”
And so like you can see, basically, dates starting to evaporate. So you have all that energy focused on the wedding date. And then it’s like, “Oh, this isn’t happening anymore.” So you’re essentially grieving the death of the pinnacle event in your life up to this point.
Tim: I think that’s been a big thing too. We’re at this point. I think our last wedding was the 21st. So just last weekend. And so, for us what we’re doing, steadily coming one weekend at a time. A weekend’s coming by and it was supposed to be someone’s wedding day and now it’s not. So, what we’re doing is we’re reaching out to them and just letting them know “Hey, we’re still here for you. I know today was supposed to be your big day. But, just know the new one is going to be this much greater because you’re going to overcome this and still get to proclaim your love for each other and get to become one."
So, really I think what it comes down to and not just in our industry or just as professionals but just as human beings is just being there for each other. Count your blessings and be grateful for them and where you don’t have those blessings we get to hopefully fill in the gap for someone and pull together and make the best of everything.
DJ Josh: I think the one of the good things that has come out of something that is not very good at all is the amount of free time that we have to be able to spend with for instance myself and my wife. I work from home usually during the week so we’re around each other but since there’s not as much going on. We don’t have as much “noise” anymore, so you can be more with your family, people you care about.
I am the oldest of 8 children, and we’ve, in the past week,9 we’ve texted with each other more than we probably had in the past 3 months just cuz life happens and my schedule is kind of erratic because in addition to doing weddings on the weekend I also DJ at a nightclub Wednesday through Friday, so I’m on Thursday, Friday, and sometimes on Saturday I’m sleeping in until noon and then I have to take care of everything I need to for upcoming events and all that stuff.
So, it’s helped us to increase the amount of margin we have in our lives and see if I wasn’t always constantly busy and filling my plate this is kind of what life would look like. And I think coming out of this, that will be more, it will be more important to our overall flow in the days and how we structure our life moving forward.
Tim: Absolutely. You almost have to check yourself because you feel guilty trying to find the good things that can come of something so terrible. But, I think for people like us finding that positivity is what will get you through to the end. If you don’t focus on all that negativity, you’ll come out stronger. And, not even just in your family. Just friends and humans, in general.
Like I said before, we’re all just pulling together and helping people. I know it’s easy to see the bad things that are happening in the world and people fighting over toilet paper and things like that. But it really is out there that there are people that are pulling together in communities making things special still.
My wife’s birthday just passed and we were able to do a Zoom birthday party online. And just having family members that were able to go out of their comfort zone and get on a computer because most of them didn’t even know what they were doing. But just being able to find that positive and being able to still celebrate her birthday, things like that. It’s just what really brings out the best in humanity I think.
DJ Josh: Yeah, definitely. What are some things that you’ve started to incorporate in your day-to-day. What are things you’ve added into your schedule? Or how has your schedule been impacted with the restriction on travelling and events being postponed and that kind of thing?
Tim: Yeah. We’re kind of being forced to stay in which means I can’t give the excuse anymore of like, “I gotta run here and I gotta run there” so now i’m sure you know, as a business owner, there’s a whole lot more that goes on behind the scenes than just showing up, doing your job, and going home. You have a lot of back end things like taxes and running your website and social media. So all of those things keep on carrying on even if there is a crisis at hand. So we’ve been sort of forced into paying attention to those things that I probably should have done sooner anyway.
And then outside of that, we’re still really striving to keep our client experience at least at the same level if not even better. Things that would normally be taking place in person such as doing those album designs or chatting about their wedding details, and making a timeline. All those things we usually like to get in person, again, and get to see their faces and get to, again, feed into that relationship.
A lot of people could probably just say “Hey. We’re not doing nothing until this gets cleared up.” But we’re refusing and pushing forward and trying to keep that experience up. We’ve moved a lot of things into online video chats and just really being able to still be a part of their wedding journey even if they’re getting this giant interruption here.
DJ Josh: Let’s transition to talking about Tim, the person. How’s that sound?
Tim: Oh. Sounds scary.
DJ Josh: First question, and this is actually one of my favorite questions currently, is what is the best compliment some has ever given you?
Tim: Hmm. That’s a hard question.
DJ Josh: And that can either be photography related or just in general?
Tim: Um. I don’t know. I think t he first thing that keeps coming to my head is maybe not really a verbal compliment. There have been a few, select times there have been a simple act that I’ve done in my client experience or them seeing their photos moves them in just more than “Oh my God. I love it.” It’s actually “Oh. My. Gosh. My mind is blown at how beautiful this is.”
Getting to see that reaction to something I’ve produced, or maybe helped produce, I think that is something that I cherish a lot. Because when you get to tears or you get moved to a full on belly laugh and you can’t stop, those are things that I know are genuine. It’s not forced. It's not something that’s obligatory. It’s genuine reaction and that’s something that’s huge for me. I get to see that every now and then through my job.
And then, outside of that I do have one other thought. I had a bride give me a gift on her wedding day.
DJ Josh: Wow!
Tim: And for me, I am so not about people paying attention to me on the wedding day. I don’t want you to know that I’m there really. For me to get a gift on her wedding day was a little bit awkward at first. The story behind it was that she faced a lot of things from the time she got engaged until her wedding day. And without really going into too much detail, it was not easy for them to get to their wedding day. And so for me, I had to step up the game because she decided to share those personal things with me.
So, I had to step up to the plate and really just enhance her experience as much as I could. For us it’s never just about the photos that we’re doing. I mean, “Hey! My florist forgot such and such. Can you go get it?” I’m all about it cuz it’s enhancing the experience. Long story short, during this period where she was going through some struggles we were there just to send that text to say, “Hey. We’re thinking about you.” Running an errand for her, if she needed it.
On the back of this gorgeous camera painting. She actually wrote a letter to us and just stating how much we meant to her. And that was just huge. It was just so beyond whatever we could have felt worthy of, you know? So that’s a big one for us.
DJ Josh: That’s cool. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Tim: Honestly, since middle school, I wanted to be a photographer. But I never thought it would be possible. But here I am.
DJ Josh: How did you and your wife meet?
Tim: So we went to church together. It was a very literal movie moment. You imagine all of the cheese, the rom-coms. It is literally there live. Because I walked into this big room and it was kind of like dim lighting. It was in middle school. And, they had these gobos, which are the fancy moving lights. They had them moving around. And, all of a sudden, all of them literally stopped on Audrey and like a spotlight came down on her and I was like “Oh my gosh.”
And, I was raised in a very lovey dovey, romantic home. My parents have been married almost 30 years and they’re still honeymooning. So when I met her, I already knew. I was like, “She is going to be my wife.” And all 12 years old of my knowledge.
DJ Josh: So, typically this question would be more appropriate when we are in the normal where we have things going on. So before the coronavirus came to be, what would be your favorite way to spend a saturday where you did not have an event?
Tim: Those exist?
DJ Josh: Aw. Sometimes. Sometimes.
Tim: I’m just kidding. Honestly, I’m obsessed with coffee. I just love coffee. So, I think a Saturday morning that I get to be off, I want to get some coffee and I want to go, like do brainless activities. Things that require zero energy. Maybe walking around stores and window shopping or just going out to the beach and hammocking or whatever. Something like that. But those days are very few and far between.
DJ Josh: Yeah, Rhoda and I had been doing a lot just basically one of our main love languages was quality time just spending time together. So, if we had down time we would just kind of binge watch Netflix. But we recently, we actually just went out and kind of like explored the 30A area. We drove from the west side of 30A all the way to Rosemary Beach and then just kind of walked around like we were spring breakers. We got a coffee from the coffee shop. Have you been to Rosemary Beach before?
Tim: Yeah. We actually just did a shoot out that way.
DJ Josh: Ah, cool. We hung out at the green on the south side of where the Pearl is.
Tim: Ok. Nice!
DJ Josh: Just kind of spent a few hours just spending time with each other. As restrictions for being able to do stuff like that are relaxed that’s something we will do more often. Maybe head out your way into Pensacola.
Tim: Yeah. There’s a lot to see over here.
DJ Josh: You guys have a lot of really cool coffee shops. Is Fosko’s one of them? I think that’s the name.
Tim: Yes!
DJ Josh: That’s actually where we did the photo shoot with the photographer. Rhoda came across, it was either one or a series of coffee shop pictures, and she was like, “Oh, man! We need to have a couples shoot!” So I was like “Alright.” So, we talked to a photographer that we had been talking to but our schedules weren’t able to line up like a year ago. So she (Rhoda) reached out to her again and she (the photographer) was like “Oh, yeah. Totally. Let’s do it!”
Tim: That’s so fun. We love doing stuff like that, too, where we get to find new shooting locations and 30A was definitely a big one for us. Sometimes we will get one of our previous clients lined up to where we go explore with them and they’re our guinea pigs and we get to shoot with them. Stuff like that is a lot of fun.
DJ Josh: My favorite thing about 30A is how diverse the different neighborhoods, I guess you want to call it, are. They’re so close together but they’re so unique. That they just have a different feel to each of them. So I think that’s super cool.
Do you have any final thoughts?
Tim: Final thoughts would be, obviously thanks for having me. I mean this has been a lot of fun. I was really nervous, honestly. It’s a whole new world. I actually enjoyed it a lot. Going out to all the vendors out there and all of our amazing clients, I just wanted to kind of say, “Keep your head up with this whole challenge that’s out there.” But even when the virus is kind of gone, there’s always new challenges that always come up.
So, at the end of the day, something that one of my good friends told me is that you just keep working and keep doing things in your day until you can go to bed saying you’re proud of what you’ve done. So, with this challenge, I think, it’s hard for us to find a normal, or a new normal. And, we’re all trying to figure out our way through it. Just do whatever you need to do until you’re proud of what you’ve done that day. And then go to bed and try again tomorrow.
Josh: Right. That’s a great philosophy to have.
So, final question: where can prospective clients go to find out more information about Phocus Photography?
Tim: I would say the best place is probably our website. Because you can go anywhere from there. And that is phocusonme.com. Obviously with a “ph” in that focus. But you’ll be able to find all our social medias and blog and all that stuff from there. Or they can give me a text or a call. I’d be happy to talk more about them that way.
DJ Josh: Alright, Tim. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. I’m glad it was an enjoyable experience. I look forward to what the future holds.
Tim: Absolutely.
DJ Josh: For all of you listeners, thanks for stopping by and checking out Make It A Highlight. Here’s to making the future a highlight!
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Tony Tee Neto: Thanks for stopping by and checking out the podcast. If you like what you’ve heard, please subscribe and leave a review. It’ll help other couples just like you find it. For more resources, including our helpful blog, check www.highlightweddingsandevents.com. And make your wedding a highlight!