The Company or The Artist?

The perception of photography has changed since the first photographic camera was produced in 1816. What started as an innovative artistic form of expression, has transformed into a necessary attention-seeking brand identifier for companies of modern-day. When consumers are considering purchases, they will research and make an informed decision based on reviews and details provided by previous customers, and by how the company’s brand personality fits in with their needs.

When a potential customer opens The Picture People website, they are instantly greeted by a carousel of images embedded into sales ads. All of the photos are either families or children, many of them on a white backdrop. The Picture People is known for a portrait

session 20 minutes long, accompanied by a print-on-demand service model where seasonal themes run deep. When looking through the website’s different pages, many of the photos used throughout focus on children, and showcase the variety of themes offered. Based on the photos, a consumer could assume that The Picture People’s primary focus is family and children’s portraiture.

The brand is successful in communicating their key messages. The Picture People is a company that sees many customers in a day, and when you go to them for your photos, you can expect to be in and out quickly, with your prints in hand. This is very different from what you would expect from a small business, who boasts a boutique-style relationship with their customers. Several times, on most webpages, it is stressed that The Picture People produces same-day images.

Emotions are not well communicated through the visuals, aside from the customer’s manufactured smile.  The website seems very sanitary, and makes one feel as if they are a number, not a person. By looking at the photos on the website, one could assume that the sessions are very regimented and scripted.

There is one section on the home page that says, “Our trained photographers spend time with your family to understand you and preserve your most meaningful moments.” This is the closest thing I can find to any sort of company values. True, they do capture the meaningful moments such as graduation, Mother’s Day, newborn and maternity sessions – but knowing that you are there for 20 minutes, I don’t know how anyone could truly know a family’s quirks and be able to tell their story well. The images showcased in their gallery

pages are interactive, with a slider showing a person posed against a digital backdrop. When the slider moves to the right it shows just the backdrop, and when it moves to the left, the person appears. This contributes to the lack of values. If you’re using a digital backdrop, it is no longer an experience. When children come in for Easter pictures, they expect a bunny and little plastic eggs, not a white backdrop with a chair, where they will be extracted and pasted into a pastel wonderland.     

In 2018, The Picture People closed all studios throughout the country due to the parent company going out of business. According to the article on diyphotography.net, the company closed, leaving employees jobless, pre-paid customers and those with gift cards all in a state of shock. The business had many complaints over the last few years, and the owners tried to salvage what was left when they filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016. The article shares a message that was recorded as a notice from one of the studio’s voicemail: “Due to significant financial challenges, adverse business conditions, and unforeseen circumstances, TTP Operating, Inc., the company, or Picture People, is no longer able to continue its business operations. We are hopeful that it will be able to continue under new ownership soon, …” and went on to say that customers will be contacted IF new ownership emerges.

The company’s abrupt closure speaks volumes about their values, key messages and emotions. If they cared at all about their customers or their employees, they would have provided notice of impending closure. They did not give employees a chance to search for a replacement job, and they did not give customers a chance to pick up images that were printed or fulfill prepaid sessions or gift cards. The images on their website don’t say much about them as a company. They only provide an idea of what to expect in a session. However, all of the complaints on the company’s social media speak volumes about their business practices.

Some of the stores did eventually reopen, with the same business model. Print on demand, 20-minute sessions, customers in and out as quickly as they can get that manufactured smile. Some of the employees were retained through the transition as well. In fact, my old boss is still working at the Green Bay location.

Quoting marshallfoster.com’s article Tips for Connecting with People in Photography to Take Better Photos, “Photography is an art that thrives on human connection. When you connect with your subjects, you not only create a comfortable atmosphere but also capture more authentic and emotive photographs.” Building genuine relationships with a client is the best way to create an authentic, memorable experience. In-and-out business models like that of The Picture People are losing traction quickly, as today’s young adults crave the experience. Consumers are not buying the manufactured smile. They are investing in an artist who is able to highlight a personality, story, and spontaneous genuine emotion. The captured moments are just a souvenir of the memory.