Symbiosis in the Workplace
Like many online business owners, I get a LOT of email. Questions about ordering, RSVPs for tastings, fan mail, questions about tecnhiques from fellow cake decorators, and more. Lately I’ve been getting a lot of email on the same two subjects. Given recent lack of inspiration for blog entries, I figured this would be a great topic for a new entry!
The two subjects? The photography on my website, and the clear cake stands I use. Interestingly enough, the two are related! You see, I’m not really a one person operation - my husband helps me a lot with the non-baking stuff. He is the one who takes the professional photos of my work, and he also builds custom stands for me!
My husband is actually a professional photographer - mostly weddings, but getting more into product photography. He is the proprietor behind Happenstance Photography (www.happenstancephoto.com).
I’ve always found it interesting.. just how complimentary our backgrounds and talents are. Here’s the basic rundown, if you’re interested:
He: takes photos of all of my work, builds all of my cake stands, separators, etc. Anytime a cake requires anything lit, moving, rotating, or anything like that - that’s his deal. I just tell him what I need to happen, and he makes it. Very convenient! He also does all of the repairs on my delivery van, and is my “first line” of taste testers.
I: Designed his website & business cards, (Yes, I know I’m way behind on updating his site.. definitely planning to find some time for it soon!), do the graphic design layouts for his albums and photographic guest books, and I ’shoot second’ for his photography. I also act as stylist/ fabric & flowers wrangler for various photography shoots.
I just find it neat how the logistics come together. The timelines of our business activities are actually very complimentary. I do graphic and layout work early in the week, then while I’m baking and decorating, he’s gathering photography stuff. All cakes are completed and ready for delivery by Friday night and get delivered on the Saturday, so I’m free to work photography on the Saturday afternoon. I love working out logistics! LOL.
Even getting down to a more detailed level, it’s cool how well our backgrounds compliment each other. Just with the photography alone.. he’s very technical. Everything about lighting, settings, everything.. he’s great with. So he does all of the formal photography. On the other hand, my background is in fashion.. so I get more of the photojournalism style photos. Where he see technical, I go more for color/fashion/emotion/etc. Makes for a nicely complete package. Plus, he’s just really fun to work with!
Anyway.. I digress. Don’t mean to sound salespersony! Every once in awhile I go back to that newlywed feeling of “WOW. What a great match!”, you know? This time just happened to be while typing, haha. I find it almost weird how well it all fits together, some kind of life puzzle. Oh well, I’m definitely not complaining!
As for the cake stands.. not much to say there. I love them! They’re interchangeable pieces - center rods, bases, separator tubes, and plates. He sells them to the general public now, but we may end up just wholesaleing. Will definitely post more details here as we know them!
I sure chose well, huh?
