Latest / Studio B Sessions / How A Photographer And A Filmmaker Turn Collaboration Into Client Wins
Transcript
- 0:04Vipul Bindra: Welcome back to another episode of Studio B Sessions with me, Bendra, the owner of Bendra Productions here in Orlando, Florida.
- 0:11Vipul Bindra: Uh, and I've got Mario again on the producer table.
- 0:15Vipul Bindra: How are you doing today, Mario?
- 0:17Mario Rangel: All good.
- 0:17Mario Rangel: Thank you guys for coming one more time.
- 0:20Vipul Bindra: And obviously, our guest today, Jason Cannon, a veteran industry uh photographer.
- 0:26Vipul Bindra: You've been doing this for more than 30 years.
- 0:28Vipul Bindra: It's so crazy.
- 0:29Vipul Bindra: And I'm so excited to have you.
- 0:31Vipul Bindra: So thank you for coming.
- 0:32Jason Cannon: You're dating me, man.
- 0:33Jason Cannon: I was like, this is like I'm not a fossil over here, but I feel like it sometimes.
- 0:38Jason Cannon: No, I I still have the same energy.
- 0:40Jason Cannon: I just uh I wear out a little faster nowadays, right?
- 0:43Jason Cannon: And need a little more recovery.
- 0:45Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 0:45Vipul Bindra: No, I totally get it.
- 0:47Vipul Bindra: I love what you do, I love the photos that you take.
- 0:50Vipul Bindra: It's just it's just fun having you here because I've always um uh you know um liked what you're doing and and wanted to find ways for us to partner and collaborate.
- 0:59Vipul Bindra: Plus, you know, video and photo kind of go hand in hand, even though what you do is different.
- 1:04Vipul Bindra: What I do is different, but to clients, photo video is the same thing.
- 1:09Vipul Bindra: Um I had this happen recently, you know, where somebody wanted event videography, but then they're like, no, no, we need the same vendor to do photo and video.
- 1:16Vipul Bindra: And somebody like me, where my company's you know mastered in video, it doesn't make sense uh to also take on photo, but at the same time, I don't want to lose a client, a great video opportunity, and that's where you and I can come in, where it's like, hey Jason, here's a partnership.
- 1:32Vipul Bindra: Like, do you want to do the photo section of this video, right?
- 1:34Vipul Bindra: Or or whatever.
- 1:35Vipul Bindra: And then in just general, being at chamber of ends, being able to, you know, partner together or uh or represent our services, it's just it's just fun.
- 1:44Vipul Bindra: I think photo and video kind of go together.
- 1:46Vipul Bindra: What do you think?
- 1:47Jason Cannon: Oh, absolutely.
- 1:48Jason Cannon: It and we're both uh visual storytellers, you know.
- 1:52Jason Cannon: It's a it's a different medium or format, but uh honestly, we need both to really tell the whole story.
- 1:59Jason Cannon: You know, a photo can be powerful in a in a snapshot type of thing, but then the video comes in and just brings it all.
- 2:09Jason Cannon: It it appeals to all those senses and just brings it all together.
- 2:12Jason Cannon: And that photo's like that photo's like boom, and then the video just ah right?
- 2:18Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 2:18Vipul Bindra: The way I like to describe is like you know, you're freezing the action, you're capturing the moment, what happened in that action, versus I am uh I'm I'm capturing the the the uh action, right?
- 2:28Vipul Bindra: While you're freezing the action, similar but different, and at the same time, you need both to convey the message, right?
- 2:34Vipul Bindra: There's a flow, exactly, yeah.
- 2:36Jason Cannon: There's a real flow to it.
- 2:38Vipul Bindra: So uh so tell me about it.
- 2:39Vipul Bindra: Like, how did you obviously you've been doing this a long time?
- 2:42Vipul Bindra: Uh, I love the name of the company, Canon Fire Photography.
- 2:45Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's so cool.
- 2:46Vipul Bindra: Now, does that mean are you limited to just Canon cameras?
- 2:49Vipul Bindra: Absolutely.
- 2:51Jason Cannon: So this goes all the way back to when I was a kid, and when I was a kid growing up in the 80s, right here, Orlando, I'm a native.
- 2:59Jason Cannon: Uh, my dad was a hobby photographer, and he had this camera called the Canon AE1 program.
- 3:06Jason Cannon: It was the first autofocus um SLR type camera that existed.
- 3:12Jason Cannon: Wow.
- 3:12Jason Cannon: So he had this growing up.
- 3:13Jason Cannon: He's always taking pictures of our family, and then he'd put them up on the wall, and it'd be landscapes, and it'd be pictures of me and my brother at a creek or something, and they were just beautiful.
- 3:21Jason Cannon: So by the time I get to be in middle school, I'm getting my first camera.
- 3:24Jason Cannon: It's an underwater, his film days, not digital stuff, right?
- 3:28Jason Cannon: It's an underwater compact camera, so we could go to the beach and surf and fish and all this.
- 3:34Jason Cannon: And I'm just constantly getting pictures of us in action, me and my friends, and family.
- 3:37Jason Cannon: And uh, you have 36, 24, or 36 exposures in that camera, and that's it.
- 3:43Jason Cannon: And you don't see them, oh, look at this.
- 3:45Jason Cannon: No, you're like shooting it, and then you send them off and you get them back in a week, right?
- 3:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that's crazy.
- 3:50Vipul Bindra: And you know, it's kind of coming back.
- 3:52Vipul Bindra: What's crazy is like it's full circle.
- 3:54Vipul Bindra: Yes, I love digital, I love the ability to review yourself.
- 3:57Vipul Bindra: You're not limited to certain exposures, however, there was an art to it.
- 4:02Vipul Bindra: Yes, because you know, you're limited, you only have this many shots or whatever, right?
- 4:07Vipul Bindra: You have to make everyone count, and that's why I think there's a trend.
- 4:10Vipul Bindra: And I don't know if you notice that it may not work professionally, but at least for art and um uh more um as a hobby, people are uh now buying, you know, film roles, going back to those type of cameras, which is yeah, crazy to think about that we've come a full circle.
- 4:26Vipul Bindra: We went almost where it's like, oh, Kodak is gonna go out of business or whatever because nobody wants film, and then all of a sudden it's like, oh, it's such a neat thing to own a film camera.
- 4:34Jason Cannon: But we're we're in a a total extreme opposite of where it's headed.
- 4:39Jason Cannon: Like you've got this on one side, on the other side is AI.
- 4:42Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 4:42Jason Cannon: Right?
- 4:42Jason Cannon: And it's like, oh, I just text a photographer friend a picture of a bad AI headshot, and those are like taking off right now.
- 4:48Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 4:49Jason Cannon: And and I I zoomed in on it, and there's something in the eyeglasses that totally doesn't exist anywhere in the picture in this AI picture.
- 4:54Jason Cannon: Yeah, it makes it.
- 4:55Jason Cannon: It's like that's the anti-art.
- 4:57Jason Cannon: And AI, well, we'll have use for it.
- 4:59Jason Cannon: We all do, you know, but when you've completely replaced a picture or a video and it's completely AI.
- 5:04Vipul Bindra: Yeah, at that point, it's like, what?
- 5:06Vipul Bindra: There's no artistry at all in it.
- 5:08Jason Cannon: And that's what we really are, is a visual artist, and it's like that just strips it of all of that.
- 5:13Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 5:13Vipul Bindra: You have to find the right angle.
- 5:15Vipul Bindra: Because I feel like what makes a good, for example, headshots, talking about it, is you know, you get the you see the person's side, you pick the angle, you pick the the pose or whatever, or you make them do a few, so you pick the the them at their best moment.
- 5:28Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 5:28Vipul Bindra: How does the AI know?
- 5:29Vipul Bindra: All AI is doing, the ones I've seen, at least the apps, you just take a photo with your phone, right?
- 5:33Vipul Bindra: You give it to it, and then it'll just put you in various settings for a headshot.
- 5:37Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, but it didn't know what angle is best for you, what you know, how your chin should be, you know, whatever what the lighting should be.
- 5:44Vipul Bindra: It's just taking from uh uh you know uh a thing of data that it was trained on, it's not I don't know, specific to you, right?
- 5:52Vipul Bindra: And I feel like I don't I don't think AI could ever replace a human in that.
- 5:56Vipul Bindra: Now, yes, could it help you edit them better?
- 5:58Vipul Bindra: Maybe absolutely, but I don't think it can replace what you do as in like in the moment with the client, making sure you get their best possible, you know, photo.
- 6:10Vipul Bindra: Uh yeah, I don't know how AI could be present there in that moment.
- 6:13Jason Cannon: And backing up again, it's like we talk about where it's at now and where it was, like you're just saying it's kind of these full circle type of things.
- 6:19Jason Cannon: And it's like again, when when you're when you have film, you gotta really focus on getting the lighting right.
- 6:26Jason Cannon: And all every single detail you've got to learn.
- 6:29Jason Cannon: It forces you to learn it the real way.
- 6:31Jason Cannon: There's no shortcuts, there's no Photoshop, there's no any of it, right?
- 6:34Jason Cannon: You're learning it all the right way because we're two things.
- 6:38Jason Cannon: We're professionals and we're artists.
- 6:39Jason Cannon: And before I was a professional, I was an artist who trained myself and had formal training.
- 6:44Jason Cannon: And then I became a professional.
- 6:46Jason Cannon: And I think the shortcuts in now today's world are so much about well, it's AI or I train myself or I go to YouTube or whatever, but it will never replace the second part of that, that professionalism you and I bring.
- 6:57Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 6:57Jason Cannon: I always appreciated that about you.
- 6:59Jason Cannon: Professionalism is the top with Bendra.
- 7:01Vipul Bindra: Yeah, well, thank you.
- 7:02Vipul Bindra: And it's the same with you, because like I said, I've uh every time you know we're hanging out, I'm like, that's what you want.
- 7:07Vipul Bindra: You're not there to just capture like some of the moments, which is the big part.
- 7:11Vipul Bindra: But then it also matters is like, you know, how you present yourself, how how you uh are not in the way, you know, that can be a big thing at a lot of events.
- 7:20Vipul Bindra: Like I've never had an issue where we're we're filming and you're doing photography where either one is in the way of the other, and it's just incredible to work with, like you said, professionals.
- 7:28Vipul Bindra: And that's what happens when you, you know, you understand what the other's role is, and then you collaborate, right?
- 7:34Vipul Bindra: At the end of the uh I've seen some you know, social media things where the like the photographers taking the view of the videographer, or right, or or or the opposite, where the videographer is in front of the key moment, let's say at a wedding or something, and it's like you're ruining each other's work.
- 7:49Vipul Bindra: There's enough room to back away a little bit, you know, and and and everyone gets what they need.
- 7:53Vipul Bindra: Totally.
- 7:54Vipul Bindra: Uh, and and that's where the the the communication part comes in, right?
- 7:57Vipul Bindra: It communicate being able to communicate with everyone and being able to work together.
- 8:01Vipul Bindra: And I think this is why we're again it circles back why a lot of people now prefer to hire video and photo together because they don't want to deal with that.
- 8:09Vipul Bindra: They're like, hey, if you know somebody who's gonna come together, then you know how to work with each other, right?
- 8:14Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because the last thing they want is their their I don't know, their important moment to be missed just because the photographer and videographer couldn't communicate.
- 8:22Jason Cannon: Yeah, I I truly do.
- 8:23Jason Cannon: Um, when when I'm with a younger videographer at a wedding or an event, a younger photographer as well.
- 8:30Jason Cannon: You've probably seen me do this, you know, with with the observer or friends at the observer.
- 8:34Jason Cannon: I love the observer, I love all the staff.
- 8:36Jason Cannon: And um, sometimes they'll have an editor or photographer who changes out, and I always want to come alongside, usually a younger person and just help because we I really call it a dance.
- 8:46Jason Cannon: I mean, it's a dance for us with photography and video art.
- 8:50Jason Cannon: We we need to be aware of each other so that we help each other get the shots that we need.
- 8:55Jason Cannon: I'm even going, oh, come on, wait for video, hold on, wait for photo, hold on.
- 8:59Jason Cannon: So we make sure that we're taking care of it because it's the whole thing.
- 9:02Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 9:03Vipul Bindra: Uh, and coming back to it again, having been born with a name like Jason Cannon, I think it was just in your blood.
- 9:10Vipul Bindra: It had to be.
- 9:10Vipul Bindra: It had to be.
- 9:11Jason Cannon: I've stole so many of their cameras, I got no commission.
- 9:13Jason Cannon: It's like, what's the problem here?
- 9:15Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 9:15Vipul Bindra: I'm like, it'd be so funny if one day, you know, I mean, a canon makes great, especially for photography cameras.
- 9:20Vipul Bindra: But I'm like, imagine one day, like they're they stop making cameras or whatever.
- 9:23Vipul Bindra: It'd be so weird.
- 9:24Vipul Bindra: Like, you know, if you you had to switch brands and come up with like a Fuji or something, be like, what?
- 9:29Jason Cannon: I get the question so much, it's not even funny.
- 9:31Jason Cannon: I'll bet you use can of cameras.
- 9:33Jason Cannon: Yes, totally, but I'm the towel, not the camera.
- 9:35Jason Cannon: I mean my last name, right?
- 9:37Jason Cannon: And that fire in the in the last name, you know, people comment about that, and it's like it really fits my personality because I'm just so high energy and so passionate, and just so, you know, I'm I I'm intense in a good way, right?
- 9:49Jason Cannon: I just I really I love, love, love what I get to do.
- 9:54Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, and and that that that that's the whole point of it, right?
- 9:56Vipul Bindra: When it's your passion, yeah.
- 9:58Vipul Bindra: Uh when you're passionate about it and you love it, then it's no longer work.
- 10:02Vipul Bindra: Yeah, right.
- 10:02Vipul Bindra: And when it's no longer work, you start to enjoy life.
- 10:05Vipul Bindra: You like to enjoy, you know, doing what you're doing.
- 10:08Vipul Bindra: And uh, I don't know, it just makes life, you know, fun.
- 10:10Vipul Bindra: And then also it makes your client kind of see that energy, and they love that energy too, because they they don't want to be around somebody who's sulking or whatever, not having a good time.
- 10:19Vipul Bindra: Because they'll they'll come in our work, you know, they'll reflect in our work because you you know their emotions show.
- 10:26Vipul Bindra: And uh, so so that's amazing.
- 10:28Vipul Bindra: Uh now obviously you've been doing this a long time.
- 10:31Vipul Bindra: Like you said, you you uh thanks to your dad, you know, he fell in love.
- 10:34Vipul Bindra: When did it become like, oh, you're getting paid to do this?
- 10:37Vipul Bindra: Right?
- 10:38Vipul Bindra: Where did that transition happen?
- 10:40Jason Cannon: Well, in college, I went to the University of Florida to go gators.
- 10:42Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 10:43Jason Cannon: So I'm a gator, I'm a third-generation gator.
- 10:46Jason Cannon: So it's like my grandfather was there, and even my brother went.
- 10:50Jason Cannon: I mean, we we're all gators.
- 10:51Jason Cannon: So I start there and I I majored at first in architecture.
- 10:56Jason Cannon: Sorry, not architecture.
- 10:58Jason Cannon: That's what it was, though.
- 10:59Jason Cannon: That's what we call it.
- 11:00Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 11:00Jason Cannon: I started in architecture and and I get there and I see all these all these college kids like camping out in the architecture school in their sleeping bags.
- 11:08Jason Cannon: I'm like, what is going on here?
- 11:09Jason Cannon: They're like, oh, this is this is how it goes.
- 11:11Jason Cannon: You know, we got overnighters, we got deadlines and all this.
- 11:14Jason Cannon: And I'm like, hmm, I don't know about this.
- 11:16Jason Cannon: So I wasn't too sure about it.
- 11:18Jason Cannon: And again, you go back to the passion.
- 11:19Jason Cannon: It's like, was that really stirring me?
- 11:21Jason Cannon: Because in high school I was taking all those pictures.
- 11:22Jason Cannon: I still love taking pictures.
- 11:24Jason Cannon: And I decided to change my major, and I was like, oh, I just love sports.
- 11:28Jason Cannon: I love taking pictures.
- 11:29Jason Cannon: So I'll go work with the alligator.
- 11:31Jason Cannon: Oh, I love journalism.
- 11:33Jason Cannon: Let's go do it.
- 11:34Jason Cannon: And I switched and changed my major to journalism and covered the gators at the different sporting events and media guides and the alligator, the school paper.
- 11:41Jason Cannon: Again, developing your own black and white film.
- 11:44Jason Cannon: I mean, we're doing it all.
- 11:45Jason Cannon: And um, and then did an internship with a magazine here in Winter Park.
- 11:49Jason Cannon: Wow.
- 11:50Jason Cannon: Magazine publisher in Winter Park.
- 11:52Jason Cannon: I literally lived out of college, my first job, right off Park Avenue, World Publications, editor with Sport Fishing Magazine, traveling the world fishing, and uh helping fishing resorts and and just writing and photographing, just enjoying that.
- 12:05Jason Cannon: And um, and again, that was my first pay, but I'd had an unpaid internship.
- 12:10Jason Cannon: So, again, this is a this important message that I that I share with people who are in college is don't ever underestimate the the power of an internship if you can get one in in the field, especially in a company you're interested in.
- 12:26Jason Cannon: So it was an unpaid internship, my last semester of college, and um, and I applied to several other magazines that I really wanted to get and didn't get it.
- 12:34Jason Cannon: And I got this one, and I was like, okay, well, let's give it a shot.
- 12:38Jason Cannon: And I'm pushing papers and they gave me some fun things to do as well.
- 12:42Jason Cannon: And uh then they're like, it's it's over, and they're like, Um, sorry, we don't have a position right now, but we really think the world of you is gonna pop up and they meant it.
- 12:49Jason Cannon: Yeah, it was about budget years and all kinds of things.
- 12:52Jason Cannon: So I moved back in with my parents.
- 12:54Jason Cannon: I'm waiting for that job.
- 12:55Jason Cannon: I moved back in with my parents, I'm mowing yards again, like my like my business, like I had in high school, all that.
- 13:00Jason Cannon: I'm mowing yards, I'm like waiting it out.
- 13:02Jason Cannon: Six months later, get the call, got the job, right?
- 13:04Jason Cannon: Yeah, so my first career job came because I was at the University of Florida, so it was Gators that hired me at alums, and uh because I took that unpaid internship and I I had the big picture and was like and you were patient, you waited, waited for it, and then I did what I had to do.
- 13:22Jason Cannon: That kind of grit that all of us as business owners understand is like, man, if you ever want to own your business own business, you've got to have the grit to go, man, this is gonna be hard and it could take a long time.
- 13:33Jason Cannon: But I'm I'm got my eyes set on this and I really want it.
- 13:36Jason Cannon: And it turned out an eight-year career.
- 13:38Vipul Bindra: Yeah, look at that.
- 13:39Vipul Bindra: And and and that's the key, you know, because uh as business owners, like you said, we do a lot more than just photography and video, and that's why you need a certain level of grit.
- 13:47Vipul Bindra: And and sure, like you said, you went to to uh university, I went to uh I have a degree, but at the end of the day, you can learn so much, so much from an internship.
- 13:59Vipul Bindra: Uh I don't I think what you learn in four years in college, probably in three months, because when you're with somebody like you, let's say somebody's interning with you, I feel like they're gonna they're gonna learn from real-world experiences what to do, what not to do, how to interact with clients, how to budget, how to what to charge, why to charge that, you know, things, things that are usually gate kept.
- 14:19Vipul Bindra: And I I feel like that's essentially what can take years to overcome.
- 14:24Vipul Bindra: Versus an internship, especially with uh somebody talented or a really good company, can just change your game because in three, four months, even uh, you know, you're you come out and you're like, oh, uh you're telling me I can go, you know, do this or that or whatever, versus if you you know didn't do that internship or you went somewhere where there wasn't that much education, then you go, uh what now, right?
- 14:44Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so that's the difference between you going, oh, I gotta go do something else.
- 14:48Vipul Bindra: Because so many people who graduate from full sale don't end up doing what they graduated from.
- 14:52Vipul Bindra: And it's not because they didn't want to, it's because uh they didn't come out with the right um uh skill set, essentially, right?
- 15:01Vipul Bindra: Uh, which is they came out with a skill set of photography video.
- 15:03Vipul Bindra: It's talent.
- 15:04Vipul Bindra: Yeah, right?
- 15:05Jason Cannon: It's not talent.
- 15:06Jason Cannon: They they're talented artists, talented videographers, talented photographers.
- 15:09Jason Cannon: Yeah, that's not the issue.
- 15:11Vipul Bindra: It's yeah, it's how to find clients, then how to keep them, how to make them repeat clients, right?
- 15:16Vipul Bindra: It's that business knowledge that usually I don't think is taught in in school.
- 15:20Vipul Bindra: You can only learn from real-world experience either by meeting other networking with other professionals or, like you said, interning with someone uh who knows what they're doing.
- 15:29Vipul Bindra: Oh, totally.
- 15:29Vipul Bindra: Uh, and I think that's a game changer.
- 15:31Vipul Bindra: Uh, and I hate that word, but you know, it truly is.
- 15:34Vipul Bindra: If you're somebody young, you're starting out, and all you gotta do is just hang around the people who are doing what you want to do.
- 15:41Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 15:41Vipul Bindra: And I feel like you will automatically learn as long as you show initiative.
- 15:45Vipul Bindra: So true.
- 15:46Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 15:46Vipul Bindra: Because I don't care how busy we are on a shoot.
- 15:48Vipul Bindra: If somebody asks me a question, we at least on video side wear you know headsets, I don't care how dumb the question is, uh, I will answer it.
- 15:55Vipul Bindra: Like, I get it.
- 15:56Vipul Bindra: Like, you may not know how to set up stand.
- 15:58Vipul Bindra: You will think, oh, it's very basic.
- 15:59Vipul Bindra: But I'm like, no, it's okay.
- 16:01Vipul Bindra: Press that and hold that knob, right?
- 16:02Vipul Bindra: Like set it up.
- 16:03Vipul Bindra: I don't mind showing anyone anything, uh, because at the end they, you know, I know where I was at one point, right?
- 16:09Vipul Bindra: I didn't know how to do that.
- 16:11Jason Cannon: You and I have talked about this when we've met and talked about, you know, and I've asked you your just how your company is developed, and it's the things you've been saying, this is what you've told me, you know, and it's the same for me.
- 16:22Jason Cannon: If people, if a younger person comes to me and is like, How do I make it in photography?
- 16:27Jason Cannon: And I still have college ahead of me, and I'd be like, Don't go to photography school, yeah, go to business school, exactly, or go learn sales and marketing, right?
- 16:35Vipul Bindra: You can learn photography from you.
- 16:37Vipul Bindra: Uh you got I can teach that.
- 16:38Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's the it's the business.
- 16:40Jason Cannon: And they usually already have the eye and the passion for it, even in high school or whatnot, right?
- 16:44Jason Cannon: Yeah, it's like, and with cell phones, we're all photographers, but the people who even love it more, well, they've been taking pictures with their cell phone.
- 16:50Jason Cannon: So it's never the issue, never.
- 16:52Jason Cannon: It's always, well, you gotta have the business acumen, and I really wish I could do it over, but all that makes me more hungry to go, well, I can't do it over, so let's go, let's learn it, and then let's help people along the way.
- 17:03Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 17:04Vipul Bindra: So, how did you um uh, you know, obviously, uh, how did you get involved with the chamber?
- 17:08Vipul Bindra: That's where we met.
- 17:09Vipul Bindra: So at Restaurant Chamber of Commerce, shout out to Stephen Lewis, who was here on the last season of the uh the of the podcast.
- 17:16Vipul Bindra: So that's the chamber that we met at.
- 17:18Vipul Bindra: How did you get involved?
- 17:20Vipul Bindra: Why did you decide to get involved?
- 17:22Vipul Bindra: And we'll go to the benefit of it after.
- 17:25Jason Cannon: Oh, of course.
- 17:26Jason Cannon: Um, well, I actually moved away from Orlando because I've lived here all of my life, and I'm like, I want to live by the beach just for once, you know?
- 17:37Jason Cannon: And at that time, didn't have you know the wife and kids, and uh, and I was engaged at the time that it came to me, right?
- 17:44Jason Cannon: And so I go to my wife, Kara, and I'm like, I want to move to St.
- 17:47Jason Cannon: Pete.
- 17:47Jason Cannon: She's like, oh, really?
- 17:49Jason Cannon: Yeah, so you didn't move me to St.
- 17:51Jason Cannon: Pete.
- 17:51Jason Cannon: Right.
- 17:52Jason Cannon: So we didn't go that far.
- 17:53Jason Cannon: We went over to St.
- 17:53Jason Cannon: Pete.
- 17:54Jason Cannon: I mean, still got friends, clients, all close, right?
- 17:56Jason Cannon: Um, but opened a cottage studio there and and just loved it.
- 18:00Jason Cannon: Uh, but then we had children, it's like, gotta go back home.
- 18:03Jason Cannon: And then I'm thinking, what side of town have I would I love to live on?
- 18:07Jason Cannon: Because I don't want to go back to the southeast, don't want to go to the east.
- 18:10Jason Cannon: I lived over there, winter park.
- 18:11Jason Cannon: Uh, I've already lived there, so I've heard so much awesome stuff about West Orange.
- 18:15Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 18:15Jason Cannon: And uh then we settled in Winter Garden.
- 18:17Jason Cannon: We went and just drove around and like, oh, it's so beautiful out here, and just feels like a small town feel.
- 18:22Jason Cannon: It feels like community, real community.
- 18:24Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 18:25Jason Cannon: And uh, and then for the chamber, it's like as soon as I moved, I was like, I've gotta find business community.
- 18:30Jason Cannon: And I've been a part of different chambers here and there, you know.
- 18:34Jason Cannon: I don't want to talk down about any of them, you know, but just different ones that just didn't really that weren't really the fit for me, you know.
- 18:43Jason Cannon: But immediately I met with um with Joe Allery, Allery Design.
- 18:48Jason Cannon: I was I was giving him name given his name or passed on that name, and I was like, Joe Allery, okay, I've heard this, but I'm gonna meet with him.
- 18:57Jason Cannon: I met with him for breakfast, and I still, I just still to this day credit him, and he knows it because I'll tell him every time I see him practically.
- 19:05Jason Cannon: I just so thankful that he sat down for breakfast and outlined what this chamber, what the Western Arms Chamber is really about.
- 19:12Jason Cannon: And uh, and when he said, you know, it's about businesses taking care of one another, looking out and learning from one another, and um, and really just helping to build that local business community.
- 19:23Jason Cannon: And uh, and that's a nutshell where the whole business where the whole breakfast was a conversation just like this.
- 19:29Jason Cannon: You know, you could sit down and be like, this is Joe's the real deal.
- 19:33Jason Cannon: Yeah, and it was a that was 2016.
- 19:35Jason Cannon: The next year he's the chair of the board.
- 19:38Jason Cannon: And I know that wasn't just his flash in the pan, it was just good timing for me to become that official chamber photographer in the year that he was chair of the board, so I could be taking his picture every time he's up there speaking, right?
- 19:50Jason Cannon: Uh but then through that year, I learned really quickly.
- 19:54Jason Cannon: I went to Chamber Connections and um, and they were like, you know, if you come to a ribbon cutting and tell.
- 19:59Jason Cannon: Take pictures out of ribbon cutting, that's a good way for you to get know the business.
- 20:02Jason Cannon: So I just started serving, you know?
- 20:05Jason Cannon: It's like same way with you.
- 20:07Jason Cannon: It's like, especially when you're starting out, and I bring this up to younger people too.
- 20:10Jason Cannon: I'm like, you're not gonna make money off everything.
- 20:12Jason Cannon: Yeah, but what you're gonna do is get opportunities.
- 20:14Jason Cannon: And when you take an opportunity, I go to the ribbon cutting market to table.
- 20:19Jason Cannon: It was their ribbon cutting.
- 20:21Jason Cannon: Oh man, what a great restaurant! What a great restaurant and a great group of people.
- 20:26Jason Cannon: And um, and um Chef Ryan and the whole staff's out there, they had a they had a big dead fish, you know, holding it over their head.
- 20:34Jason Cannon: I mean, they just went off.
- 20:35Jason Cannon: It was really fun.
- 20:36Jason Cannon: Once I did that, I I was in because they saw I did the way I could just relate to people, man, my passion, excitement for them.
- 20:44Jason Cannon: I made an eight by ten for them to display in the restaurant with the with the ribbon cutting and the chamber at that time.
- 20:50Jason Cannon: They're like, Well, we don't have any, you know, official photographer responsibilities for you.
- 20:55Jason Cannon: Uh once I started serving, then I really had earned those opportunities.
- 20:59Jason Cannon: And it just kept things.
- 21:01Vipul Bindra: And and that's uh, and again, go listen to the the the finale of the last season.
- 21:06Vipul Bindra: I'm not gonna repeat nice what we talked with Steven about, but that is the gist of the conversation was basically look, um, there's lots of chambers that they've they have different needs, different desires.
- 21:17Vipul Bindra: Go visit some of the chambers in your community, and this is for I'm saying somebody who's not a member or he's younger, and join the one where you feel like you belong, because at the end of the day, you have to give to get back.
- 21:29Vipul Bindra: Yes, it's not a immediate, you know, return like you go, you join, and then all of a sudden business is coming to you.
- 21:35Vipul Bindra: Totally.
- 21:36Vipul Bindra: And I think that's what what what why it worked for you is because you not only got you know joined, you were involved, right?
- 21:43Vipul Bindra: You're like, hey, let me let me show you what I can do, and and it and and in the end you got the reward back, right?
- 21:49Vipul Bindra: Totally, yeah.
- 21:50Jason Cannon: And again, through that first year, it became where a lot of the timing of of many of their events is around our businesses, right?
- 21:58Jason Cannon: It would be a before work or after work.
- 22:01Jason Cannon: That's one of the beauties of it, is that it works around our business a lot of times.
- 22:05Jason Cannon: So I I'll bet I must have done nearly all of the events the first year or two.
- 22:10Jason Cannon: And I got within a year, I got a plaque and an award for for you know just being a new business that's pitching in so much.
- 22:18Jason Cannon: I don't remember, they don't have it anymore that award.
- 22:20Jason Cannon: And then, of course, 2020, I'd only been in for less than four years and I won the small business of the year.
- 22:26Vipul Bindra: I was there when you did that.
- 22:27Vipul Bindra: Congratulations again, right?
- 22:28Vipul Bindra: Thank you.
- 22:28Vipul Bindra: What isn't it the crazy too?
- 22:30Vipul Bindra: Because again, I know what you do is incredible, but we, Vest Orange community, the amount of businesses we have is huge in the cr the caliber of businesses that we have, and then for you to win the small business of the year, that must have felt amazing.
- 22:46Jason Cannon: I mean, it is such an honor.
- 22:48Jason Cannon: And I was so surprised because I was taking the pictures of that, and uh, and then they announced that, and and Stina and Chris, they all knew that like I was gonna be floored, you know.
- 23:00Jason Cannon: So it's like they actually switched the large business, uh, which was SeaWorld and Jim Forster, who I've become so tight with now, you know, and uh they switched us.
- 23:10Jason Cannon: Usually they'll save the big one for last, but they switched because they knew I'd get emotional.
- 23:15Jason Cannon: Yeah, and and that's weird on my heart.
- 23:18Vipul Bindra: By the way, that was my first uh big orange award and I was like, this is incredible because you know that's what I liked, you know, as somebody, because like I said, I was here freelancing, I never got involved in the business community, and then when I left and became a company, right?
- 23:30Vipul Bindra: I did, and then I was like, well, not go, and obviously that was a mistake leaving Orlando, but just like you, you have to leave it.
- 23:35Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you have to leave to come back.
- 23:37Vipul Bindra: So I left for a few years, and I was like, uh, and obviously I joined the business community where I went, which was North Alabama, and I was like, I have to go back to Orlando, and I knew immediately I came back because even though I was only gone for a few years, you know what happens is right, you come back and you're like you feel like a stranger because you know all the connections have been lost or whatever.
- 23:53Vipul Bindra: And I was like, what's the first thing I'm gonna do?
- 23:55Vipul Bindra: I don't I joined the Chamber of Commerce, and it was just incredible to be at that first uh big orange awards uh where I saw you win because you know, as a as a as a video business, we are typically not recognized, right?
- 24:07Vipul Bindra: When we do our good work, people don't notice us.
- 24:09Vipul Bindra: That's the whole point.
- 24:10Vipul Bindra: Because you know, people notice our work, but they don't notice us in general because we're behind the scenes people.
- 24:15Vipul Bindra: Yes.
- 24:15Vipul Bindra: So when you won, I was like, okay, this is the chamber, because they're recognizing you for all the work you put in.
- 24:22Vipul Bindra: And that actually was part of the reason why I was so happy that I joined that chamber and have stayed, you know, member for so many years now, what, five years almost.
- 24:30Vipul Bindra: Uh and and I think that was it.
- 24:32Vipul Bindra: I was like, oh, I it was if it felt good to me, is what I'm saying.
- 24:34Vipul Bindra: I didn't even know you that well back then.
- 24:36Vipul Bindra: And I was like, this is so great that you know you're being recognized um for the work that you're putting in.
- 24:42Jason Cannon: And I love that what felt so special too is that um that any small business, any of us could get recognized of this organization in such a in such an incredible way when we're not looking for that.
- 24:58Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 24:58Jason Cannon: I mean, really, we're just we got this hard to serve, and we're building each other up, and we're really just building this community, and then boom, here comes this, right?
- 25:06Jason Cannon: It's so cool that that's the way it happens.
- 25:09Vipul Bindra: And then you also know that means people are noticing.
- 25:11Vipul Bindra: Again, I'm not all for awards.
- 25:13Vipul Bindra: Uh like I'll get clients, uh, especially agencies, you know, they they like to submit for you know, streaming awards, and uh what's the other one?
- 25:20Vipul Bindra: The the the paid ones, um uh telly awards.
- 25:25Vipul Bindra: So they'll like they'll email me, they're like, we won this telly like awesome, you know.
- 25:30Vipul Bindra: But then I'm like, okay, move on.
- 25:32Vipul Bindra: And any, yeah, and and whatever.
- 25:33Vipul Bindra: Like, there's so many awards.
- 25:35Vipul Bindra: So clients sometimes will, you know, because you have to pay to submit, unlike the best orange ones.
- 25:38Vipul Bindra: That's something this is a genuine award, like these other ones.
- 25:41Vipul Bindra: I'm like, you pay and you know, usually you win.
- 25:43Vipul Bindra: Uh, I don't know.
- 25:44Vipul Bindra: Uh point is I don't get that excited, but then I'm like, but you know, when you're putting in the work, you know, in an award where it's not a pay-to-win thing type of thing, you have to be, you know, nominated, you have to win, and then there is no none of this other stuff involved.
- 26:00Vipul Bindra: I uh, you know, I I don't know.
- 26:01Vipul Bindra: I feel like it's it's not important, I'm sure, to you, but it it was good to get recognized.
- 26:07Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 26:07Vipul Bindra: Because you had put in the work, you deserved it, and it's just so good to I guess see that you were noticed, right?
- 26:13Jason Cannon: Yes, totally.
- 26:14Jason Cannon: And then again, uh after that, it it's not like it gets to my head, it fuels me.
- 26:20Jason Cannon: Yeah, it fuels me to to serve more people and and and the uh the business that won this past year, Kelly's ice cream.
- 26:27Jason Cannon: I sat down with our friend Kevin Lees, you know, and it was last summer, and I sat down with him and I said, You guys are gonna win this year.
- 26:35Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I had a feeling too.
- 26:38Jason Cannon: Yeah, I was like, You guys are gonna win this year.
- 26:40Jason Cannon: And the reason is because I could see what they're doing, they would sponsor and they would pour into lots of events, you know, they were involved.
- 26:48Jason Cannon: And it was just like they were all in, and uh, and that's that's what is the best part is to see uh when when we any of us go all in, and then you know, there's rewards for that.
- 27:01Jason Cannon: Yeah, that's it.
- 27:02Vipul Bindra: And to be real, they make delicious ice cream, it's kind of like cheating a little bit.
- 27:06Jason Cannon: Those flavors are those flavors are definitely there's a reason they're so good, yeah.
- 27:10Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 27:11Vipul Bindra: And when we were filming, talk about the story, we were just discussing this with Kevin.
- 27:14Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so we found we we filmed all the videos, right?
- 27:18Vipul Bindra: This year actually, Mario helped me.
- 27:19Vipul Bindra: So when we were filming Kelly, uh, you know, uh, you know, obviously delicious ice.
- 27:24Vipul Bindra: She's like, You want some?
- 27:24Vipul Bindra: And you know, we were busy because we were going business.
- 27:26Vipul Bindra: So Mario and I were like, Yeah, no, it's all right, thank you.
- 27:30Vipul Bindra: You know, obviously we love to, but no.
- 27:31Vipul Bindra: And then as soon as we got back in the van, we were both looking at each other.
- 27:35Vipul Bindra: Yeah, we never turned down Kelly's ice cream.
- 27:38Vipul Bindra: Did we just do that?
- 27:40Vipul Bindra: That was a huge mistake.
- 27:41Vipul Bindra: Uh so I came home and turning that down that evening.
- 27:44Vipul Bindra: So I took my girls, I was like, okay, we're gonna go.
- 27:46Vipul Bindra: I was like, why did I turn it down for free?
- 27:48Vipul Bindra: So I took my girls to the winter park location here.
- 27:51Vipul Bindra: We got some Kelly's ice cream, amazing ice cream.
- 27:53Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, and then I'll also like that.
- 27:55Vipul Bindra: There they have these, you know, they're connected with Foxdale coffee, so it's a lot easier to access in a lot of locations because they have scoop counters or whatever, right?
- 28:03Vipul Bindra: Uh so anyway, but that that was that was a fun experience, yeah.
- 28:07Vipul Bindra: Where we turned down Kelly's uh ice cream.
- 28:10Jason Cannon: Not turned down you guys.
- 28:12Jason Cannon: I mean, we can eat ice cream while we're recording.
- 28:15Jason Cannon: Come on, Kevin.
- 28:16Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 28:16Jason Cannon: Where are you where we need you, buddy?
- 28:18Vipul Bindra: But that was fun, and I I loved recording them too.
- 28:20Vipul Bindra: I don't know, I don't think they were doing that for camera, but like we uh we were filming and then the scoop was this ginormous scoop.
- 28:26Vipul Bindra: And I was like, if I put this on camera, they're winning, because it's like, uh, what?
- 28:30Vipul Bindra: This is this is what we yeah, like I said, cheating in a little way.
- 28:34Vipul Bindra: In a good way, I'm just saying.
- 28:35Vipul Bindra: They make just good ice cream, so it's very easy for them uh to get recognized.
- 28:40Vipul Bindra: Totally.
- 28:40Jason Cannon: Well, tagging on to what you're saying though, um, you know, about the award and all that, but now back to the chamber and tying in Kelly's and all this is another thing I really love about a good chamber, this chamber, yeah, is collaboration.
- 28:54Jason Cannon: You know, we do it's like I partnered with Kelly's Ice Cream last year for several of their events, and Kevin and I would sit down and we'd come up with an idea like summer ice cream beach session, right?
- 29:04Jason Cannon: And it wasn't huge, but we were trying something new.
- 29:07Jason Cannon: But that led to their bringing back their Santa um photo shoot where they would just have uh photos with Santa, come and get ice cream to each of their stores, and we did about uh maybe three or four stores, and it was just a hit with their customers.
- 29:20Jason Cannon: So it's like I got to collaborate with them for an experience for their customers, and our photography was really powerful because of the fact that it's like the kids with Santa.
- 29:29Vipul Bindra: Yeah, right?
- 29:30Vipul Bindra: And you increase their loyalty for their customers, so you know it's it's like the perfect.
- 29:35Jason Cannon: Well, then I got a customer out of it.
- 29:36Jason Cannon: I got a great customer out of it because they're like, we want to get family pictures.
- 29:39Jason Cannon: We just had a baby, and uh then they call me and they want to do family pictures out of it.
- 29:43Jason Cannon: So those kind of collaborations where it's a win-win-win all the way, and then you're just cheering each other on.
- 29:48Jason Cannon: I mean, they're just continuing to grow like crazy, and I'm I'm still getting there with you all, you know, and it's like it's just we're cheering each other on.
- 29:55Vipul Bindra: Yeah, no, and that's what I love about like chamber and partnering, and that they're very open to it.
- 29:59Vipul Bindra: Like, obviously, uh Steven was clear about you know what it would take for someone to go in, but but the thing is they recognize like immediately, you know, initially I I was just all in uh you know networking and everything.
- 30:11Vipul Bindra: So Julie was going to the events more than I was, uh, but literally within our our second year there, I I wasn't thinking it was a full year yet, second big orange awards.
- 30:20Vipul Bindra: We were already partnering with a chamber.
- 30:22Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and and uh I was like that there's not that many chambers where you can go in, you know, put in the time, put in the effort, but get recognized, but then also become a partner for one of their biggest award shows where you can go in and then kind of like for us two.
- 30:35Vipul Bindra: I don't know how much where is that?
- 30:39Vipul Bindra: Can you silence it, Mario?
- 30:40Vipul Bindra: We're both uh talk about yeah, no, but at the same time.
- 30:43Jason Cannon: I'm like, are we still getting the same spam call?
- 30:46Vipul Bindra: So uh basically coming back to what I was saying, yeah, yeah.
- 30:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so it was great for us as a new, I'll take it.
- 30:52Vipul Bindra: Uh uh that it was really good for us to partner and uh get recognized because uh not only now I don't know if I and I've said this before, don't expect, like I said, there is cost involved, and I wouldn't just go in partnering with the chamber saying, Oh, it'll just make us money right away, right?
- 31:09Vipul Bindra: That's right.
- 31:09Vipul Bindra: That that's not the way we uh you know you should approach it, and I did, and that's what I'm saying.
- 31:13Vipul Bindra: The recognition immediately, sure, we're doing uh you know great work, but we're traveling all over the country, right?
- 31:19Vipul Bindra: It's hard to let your community know, like that hey, there's such a business here that is going all over the country filming these big spots for these corporations, and chambers the best place to not only give back, but to also showcase what we're doing.
- 31:34Vipul Bindra: And that was the the perfect partnership for me where I'm like, hey, we're just back in Orlando, we're trying to get involved, let us just make a video for Big Orange Award.
- 31:42Vipul Bindra: It's great for the chamber, they get to you know use that video to market that year's events, next year's event.
- 31:48Vipul Bindra: But then on also for us, it's like, hey, let's put Binder Productions on the map, right?
- 31:52Vipul Bindra: Yes, totally, and and that was such a great partnership, yeah.
- 31:55Jason Cannon: You're um you're you're finding that sense of of giving and serving the community again and elevating the businesses in West Orange.
- 32:05Jason Cannon: It doesn't have to be every business in there, it doesn't have West Orange, you know, specifically hyperlocal as the primary driver of their business, you know, but it's important.
- 32:15Jason Cannon: You know, it's an important part of our business because of the community of businesses and the people, right?
- 32:21Jason Cannon: And that that gives us a sense of being grounded.
- 32:24Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 32:25Jason Cannon: Where especially for you, you travel so much, but then you come back and you're home, man.
- 32:29Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 32:30Jason Cannon: You walk into the room, we're bear hugging you, and it's like, man, he's home.
- 32:33Jason Cannon: They're back.
- 32:34Vipul Bindra: It feels you know, it goods, and then same thing, like just to go to the chamber to have a sense of community, right?
- 32:39Vipul Bindra: Have a sense of other businesses.
- 32:41Vipul Bindra: It's just good to check in.
- 32:42Vipul Bindra: Hey, how's the business going?
- 32:43Vipul Bindra: How's everything going?
- 32:44Vipul Bindra: And I don't know.
- 32:46Vipul Bindra: For me, it's important, uh, you know, from multiple angles, not only just giving back, you know, working with other businesses, partnering, collaborating, uh, also the legislative agenda that the the chamber can fulfill for us on a business we have.
- 33:01Vipul Bindra: See, the thing is, uh a lot of people, and I and I get it, if you're starting out, you're just thinking about paying the bills, making enough money.
- 33:08Vipul Bindra: But once you do go to the next level, you have to think as a business owner.
- 33:12Vipul Bindra: There's much more that goes on, and the chamber is the perfect partner to um kind of make sure that I'm being looked after as a business owner, that there's laws being passed, legislation being passed, that's making sure that it's still easier for us to do business.
- 33:26Vipul Bindra: And I know that may not be something immediately some young people do that, and that's okay, but it's it's a lot easier to just pay some membership, get involved, um, and you know, make sure that there's an organization that's speaking on behalf of you to make sure our interests are are being put forth among, you know, in front of people that we probably don't have reach to, right?
- 33:47Vipul Bindra: Seriously.
- 33:48Vipul Bindra: So so I I I don't know.
- 33:49Vipul Bindra: I find that overall it's been great.
- 33:51Vipul Bindra: And like I said, plus I get to meet people like you, and where we can find now ways to collaborate and partner with each other, because like we were talking before we started, people expect me to do photo, simple as that.
- 34:02Vipul Bindra: That's just what it is.
- 34:03Vipul Bindra: And here's the business thing of it.
- 34:05Vipul Bindra: I could just say no.
- 34:06Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but that's bad business because at the end of the day, they don't want to do deal with two vendors and they'll go to some other vendor happily, right?
- 34:12Vipul Bindra: No, even if though they want to work with me, it's just easier for a business to do that, so it's a lot better for me to partner with somebody like you and go, hey, yeah, absolutely.
- 34:22Vipul Bindra: Does Bindra do both?
- 34:24Vipul Bindra: Absolutely.
- 34:25Vipul Bindra: And same thing for you.
- 34:26Vipul Bindra: If you're like, hey, Canonfire does uh video, absolutely.
- 34:30Vipul Bindra: I'm happy to put on your polo and go shoot a video for you.
- 34:32Vipul Bindra: Because at the end of the day, what matters is that we gain the trust of our clients, right?
- 34:38Vipul Bindra: We uh provide them the service that they want, and it may not be uh, you know, uh, I don't know, that that we want to do.
- 34:47Vipul Bindra: Like, could I do a headshot?
- 34:48Vipul Bindra: Probably.
- 34:48Vipul Bindra: Could you make a video?
- 34:49Vipul Bindra: Absolutely.
- 34:50Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but it's I had a meeting like this yesterday.
- 34:53Jason Cannon: I was actually at a a virtual meeting um being onboarded with a local um destination management company, and um, and of course, they're like, Beauty drone, do you video?
- 35:04Jason Cannon: Yeah, yes, got you, we got you, you know, and it's like I know who to I know who to call.
- 35:09Jason Cannon: If they're like, hey, we've got this set, we need it taken care of.
- 35:12Jason Cannon: Well, I'm jumping on the phone with you.
- 35:14Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 35:14Jason Cannon: I mean, people ask that, then we we know that we've got it covered.
- 35:18Jason Cannon: We just need to, you know, be aware of it.
- 35:21Vipul Bindra: And a network, and that's where again Chamber can come in, coming back to it, where we know each other, we have networked each other, and I'd rather give it to somebody I know uh that I worked with alongside for many years than just some random stranger.
- 35:33Vipul Bindra: Not that you know you shouldn't, but I'm just saying build your network, have your trustworthy people.
- 35:37Vipul Bindra: And funny enough, literally before you came here, this wasn't even planned.
- 35:40Vipul Bindra: My client was like, Hey, can we do headshots?
- 35:42Vipul Bindra: I'm like, absolutely, we can we can do headshots, so that's what we were talking about.
- 35:46Vipul Bindra: I'm like, why would I say no?
- 35:48Vipul Bindra: Because at the end of the day, if I can help my client get quality service and I can make sure I pass on that funds to you, then some random stranger, why wouldn't I?
- 35:59Vipul Bindra: It's it's total win-win for everyone, you know.
- 36:01Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh so and I think that's where it is.
- 36:04Vipul Bindra: Now I'll I do see a lot of photographers go start with photo, then jump to b video.
- 36:09Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 36:10Vipul Bindra: Have you thought about that?
- 36:11Vipul Bindra: You yourself, I know you obviously do photo.
- 36:13Vipul Bindra: Are you gonna ever do that?
- 36:14Jason Cannon: Part of the conversation I had with them yesterday is uh is talking to them about how it's good to have a team and even saying to them it's like, you know, we have partners and contractors and all this, but it's a trusted team, a network of people that come with canon fire photography, right?
- 36:34Jason Cannon: And uh I said, but I don't do a drone personally, because by then we're having a great conversation, you know.
- 36:40Jason Cannon: This was a great call.
- 36:41Jason Cannon: And um, so I said it's funny people ask me that because I just I'm afraid uh in a practical way that my wife will tell will testify of this that I will probably break that equipment.
- 36:51Jason Cannon: Yeah, I am uh I am way too ADHD and all this, right?
- 36:55Jason Cannon: So I I'm just not I'm not interested in it or passionate about it, first of all.
- 36:59Jason Cannon: Same with video.
- 37:00Jason Cannon: So then and I'm like, tell I told them yesterday, I'm like, it's the same with video for myself.
- 37:05Jason Cannon: I'm like, I am in my sweet spot as a superpower, and then I've got my people and I'm their people.
- 37:12Jason Cannon: Yeah, and we work together where you've got a trusted brand and everyone sticks to their superpower instead of trying to do everything.
- 37:20Jason Cannon: Now I'm not saying no one can do photo and video on their own.
- 37:23Jason Cannon: I'm saying for me though, I feel like uh it's a bit.
- 37:26Vipul Bindra: I mean, it's hard.
- 37:27Vipul Bindra: Video is hard.
- 37:29Vipul Bindra: And it depends on the level of video that you're doing.
- 37:31Vipul Bindra: Yes, could you make a social reel with your mission video?
- 37:34Vipul Bindra: No way.
- 37:35Vipul Bindra: So that's why I'm like, it depends also.
- 37:37Vipul Bindra: Like if if you're you know, like, hey, let me do a quick reel, absolutely you could.
- 37:42Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but yeah, it's a completely different skill set with what you do.
- 37:46Vipul Bindra: You see, that's the amount of equipment in here and the van outside, and that and we're considered a small company.
- 37:51Vipul Bindra: Of course, it's so crazy.
- 37:53Vipul Bindra: I'm like, I don't know any of those.
- 37:54Vipul Bindra: And when people ask the question, yeah, do you do video too?
- 37:57Jason Cannon: I'm like, what what are you asking?
- 37:59Jason Cannon: Like, what is so many types of video?
- 38:02Jason Cannon: Yeah, and and this is for a luxury hotel chain type of thing that and I'm just going, there's no way, no way that you can say, Oh, yeah, sure, just to appease the person, right?
- 38:13Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 38:13Jason Cannon: We just talked a few minutes ago about professionalism, and boy, professionalism is making our subjects feel uh confident and trust us as well as our clients.
- 38:22Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 38:22Jason Cannon: So it's like I want to go in trustworthy to say, oh, uh we can do video, we can do video.
- 38:28Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 38:28Vipul Bindra: We can partner together and then do great video, and that's what it comes down to.
- 38:32Vipul Bindra: And then I'm like, I I'd rather stay in my lane and just have trusted partners.
- 38:36Vipul Bindra: And that was my clients get the best.
- 38:38Vipul Bindra: I think it's also like giving them being being true, you know, a trustworthy partner to them too, because they know if I'm saying yes to something, it's gonna be done right.
- 38:48Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's gonna be done by a professional, it's gonna also be done by somebody who loves what they're doing.
- 38:52Vipul Bindra: To me, that makes it that that little bit better because you know you're gonna give it your hundred.
- 38:57Vipul Bindra: You're not gonna just go there, oh, it's another payday.
- 38:59Vipul Bindra: You know what I mean?
- 39:00Vipul Bindra: Like money's important, but what you're doing and you loving that, I think I don't know, it's important too.
- 39:05Vipul Bindra: Uh so I mean, like I said, I get it.
- 39:07Vipul Bindra: I'm all for photographers doing video and videographers doing photo, but within a limited scope, I don't think a person exists that could do both at a high level.
- 39:16Vipul Bindra: Not at a high level.
- 39:17Jason Cannon: And and that's if we want the luxury market, if we want big, if we want high volume, if we want the luxury market, if we want to work with the best, then working with the best means they're also working with the best.
- 39:28Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 39:29Jason Cannon: Yeah, the best become the best, us two, because of that.
- 39:34Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 39:34Vipul Bindra: And what what I love is um, you know, video, like you said, at least what I do, it can mean anything.
- 39:39Vipul Bindra: So we have a client, you know, where we're doing like a $50,000 video, right?
- 39:43Vipul Bindra: That's a level of client.
- 39:45Vipul Bindra: And then there's a client who's like, a couple thousand dollars is a lot of money.
- 39:48Vipul Bindra: That's the level of client.
- 39:49Vipul Bindra: That does not mean we're not gonna give them both their hundred, but the approach is gonna be different.
- 39:54Vipul Bindra: There's gonna be a team of people here with the slew, you know, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- 39:58Vipul Bindra: Yeah, versus here it's not maybe tens of thousands of equipment, you know, dollars of equipment, not hundreds of thousands.
- 40:05Vipul Bindra: So it's like a it's like a huge difference, even though we're still just making a video, right?
- 40:09Vipul Bindra: And same thing, like you said, if it's something for socials, it may be a few hundred dollars because all you're doing is a little video.
- 40:14Vipul Bindra: So I think the word video can mean so much, but so does photography.
- 40:18Vipul Bindra: You know, it's one thing uh to do a small session, but it's another thing, I don't know, to do an event, right?
- 40:23Vipul Bindra: Totally scale, it varies a lot in photography too.
- 40:27Jason Cannon: And it and even event photography is it's getting to the point where I truly want partnerships, which that doesn't give the partner a discount.
- 40:37Jason Cannon: The partner pays more because of the value that partner gets.
- 40:41Jason Cannon: I become a mouthpiece and I become a promoter of that event, our local events, right?
- 40:47Jason Cannon: And things like this, our community events, you know, whether it's one of the cities, the towns out there, whether it's then I become a true partner of, I'm not just out there taking pictures.
- 40:55Jason Cannon: If I'm out there and I even engage with people, I am helping to put a positive, you know, um spin, but really just a testimonial of the event, the organizers, the all of it.
- 41:08Jason Cannon: I really, I really pour my heart into that aspect.
- 41:11Jason Cannon: I love partnership, collaboration, those kind of things.
- 41:14Jason Cannon: And it's like people, businesses, in my opinion, need to pay more for that because you're getting someone who is not only committed to the the craft, but committed to building that organization up and coming alongside to help.
- 41:29Jason Cannon: All right, how can I help promote?
- 41:30Jason Cannon: How can I help, you know, on any of really this stuff, right?
- 41:34Jason Cannon: Yeah, absolutely.
- 41:35Jason Cannon: And that's a game changer.
- 41:36Jason Cannon: It's not, in other words, I'm not a vendor, I'm a partner.
- 41:39Jason Cannon: And uh, and I use that language a lot because I I justify my prices um by delivering on that aspect.
- 41:47Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and then you're not just thinking from, oh, I gotta this much deliverables and I'm done.
- 41:51Vipul Bindra: You're looking from a cohesive standpoint, right?
- 41:54Vipul Bindra: What you need to do to execute on whatever their desires are, not just, hey, they want 20 photos, here's 20 photos, and I'm done.
- 42:02Vipul Bindra: You know, there's a it's a different approach uh when you're a partner because you're going with their best interest in mind, and I feel like people notice that, and that's when you get the repeat clientele, and that's what you need to succeed as a business.
- 42:14Jason Cannon: And that's good to talk about on here, right?
- 42:16Jason Cannon: Because people, especially people again starting out or people struggling, and it's like, oh, I don't, yeah, how do I really?
- 42:23Jason Cannon: It's like, well, how are you different as a photographer?
- 42:26Jason Cannon: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I could go online, there's a lot of pretty pictures.
- 42:29Jason Cannon: Uh, mine looks like this.
- 42:31Jason Cannon: Oh, that one's better than me, that one's better than me.
- 42:33Jason Cannon: Well, I don't care to be the best in that, because you know, there's a lot of good photographers, yeah.
- 42:40Jason Cannon: But I want to be the best partner, I want to be the best professional, I want to be the best, you know, that comes alongside the person I'm taking a picture of, the person I'm working for, and that whole community or that whole business environment that I'm in.
- 42:52Jason Cannon: And that is a completely different mindset than a lot of photographers take, and videographers do.
- 42:57Vipul Bindra: Golden nugget right there, because I feel like that what you said right there is the key.
- 43:01Vipul Bindra: You want to be the best partner, not the best photographer.
- 43:04Vipul Bindra: Not that you're not a good photographer, right?
- 43:06Vipul Bindra: Right, no, but I'm saying things plenty that are Yeah, there's there are plenty of starving artists out there.
- 43:10Jason Cannon: Am I bidding against them?
- 43:11Jason Cannon: And it's like, eh, same, same.
- 43:14Jason Cannon: Well, what separates them?
- 43:15Jason Cannon: Well, I am the top-rated this or I'm that, and I'm like, okay, but what does that do for them?
- 43:21Jason Cannon: They don't care what we're rated, they don't care what awards I've won, they don't care about any of that.
- 43:27Jason Cannon: What can you do for me?
- 43:28Jason Cannon: Oh, I'll tell you what I can do for you.
- 43:30Jason Cannon: I'm gonna listen to you.
- 43:31Jason Cannon: Yeah, how can I help?
- 43:32Jason Cannon: What is your passion that you want out of this event?
- 43:35Jason Cannon: Big picture.
- 43:36Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, and that that matters, and that's the experience that people are, I think the the they're they'll pay the high, the top dollar for.
- 43:43Vipul Bindra: Because uh, yeah, that's that's exactly where what I recommend, you know, be their partner, help them get to where they want to be.
- 43:51Vipul Bindra: Don't listen, because you know, if you just for example, like if I just started listening to my clients, the videos would be hilarious because clients don't know what they want, especially for video.
- 43:59Vipul Bindra: They're like, hey, I want I want a 10 minute video.
- 44:02Vipul Bindra: I've had this happen so much.
- 44:03Vipul Bindra: I want a 10-minute social media video.
- 44:06Vipul Bindra: And it's like, nobody's gonna sit on social media for 10 minutes.
- 44:09Vipul Bindra: They don't know that, right?
- 44:10Vipul Bindra: So you have to come in as an expert and listen to them, and they're like, hey, by the way, the retention drops after 60, 90 seconds, we gotta cut it down, then we gotta change the format or the platform or whatever, because you know, you're trying to achieve this, but you want to go to this platform, and they don't know, and that's okay.
- 44:25Vipul Bindra: But if you didn't listen, you didn't ask the right questions, you're never gonna get the right solution.
- 44:30Jason Cannon: We need to know what result they want, not what product they want.
- 44:34Jason Cannon: Yeah, you know, it's like they don't know that.
- 44:36Jason Cannon: Like people say, how much, like on the purchase side, how much for a session in digitals or whatever?
- 44:41Jason Cannon: It's like, okay, well, I I get that you want that because you don't really know how to ask, you know, that then it's always how much, how much for this, how much for that.
- 44:49Jason Cannon: And it's like, but in reality, the result is gonna be in the business world, especially when we're coming alongside.
- 44:55Jason Cannon: What is our goal?
- 44:56Jason Cannon: Is to tell a story.
- 44:57Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 44:57Jason Cannon: Well, how can we tell a story if if they're if we're just defining products?
- 45:01Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 45:01Jason Cannon: And we know our products, and they do too.
- 45:03Jason Cannon: That's a bullet list.
- 45:04Jason Cannon: I mean, come on.
- 45:04Jason Cannon: Yeah, but what I don't know is that personal, oh my gosh, this is why you do this.
- 45:09Jason Cannon: This is the why that I asked a client earlier today.
- 45:11Jason Cannon: What is your why?
- 45:12Jason Cannon: I just finished doing all this medical equipment on a wall, and he was so he was almost shaking, so excited every time he's moving some of the pieces.
- 45:20Jason Cannon: And I'm like, he's so passionate.
- 45:21Jason Cannon: I love this.
- 45:22Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 45:22Jason Cannon: And I'm sitting here going, What is all this stuff?
- 45:24Jason Cannon: I have it's a foreign world to me.
- 45:26Jason Cannon: So at the end, I'm like, what's your why?
- 45:29Jason Cannon: And then he tells me it makes it makes everyone in the room safer at a hospital.
- 45:33Jason Cannon: And I'm like, ooh, well, that's a big deal.
- 45:35Jason Cannon: Yeah, that could be a life or death thing and a life or death thing and an ER, right?
- 45:40Jason Cannon: And I'm like, that's a big why.
- 45:42Jason Cannon: And uh, and it it it cut cut cuts costs and just helps take the pressure off of that.
- 45:47Jason Cannon: Well, that's a big why too.
- 45:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, and that's a very important why.
- 45:51Jason Cannon: I mean, between those two things, between those two things.
- 45:54Vipul Bindra: I mean, uh what you're doing, what they're doing is important, but had you not asked, you would have never known, right?
- 45:59Vipul Bindra: It would just look like some pieces of medical equipment, right?
- 46:02Jason Cannon: Yeah, and then you you know again, it's like framing yeah, yeah, framing the story, but it's true.
- 46:09Jason Cannon: You know, if we're capturing this, it's like, well, we know the story.
- 46:12Jason Cannon: I could do a post or I could do a referral or whatever, and I could be like, Oh, this is why you got to go with this business.
- 46:18Jason Cannon: This is one of my clients, and this is why he does this.
- 46:20Jason Cannon: Look at this, isn't this amazing?
- 46:22Jason Cannon: And all these pieces all come together and can be moved, right?
- 46:25Jason Cannon: Yeah, it it helps us be able to really tell other people's story past photo and video, even though the product yeah.
- 46:33Vipul Bindra: So, what what cameras do you use currently?
- 46:35Vipul Bindra: What's your camera of choice?
- 46:36Jason Cannon: I know we know it's canon, but what's the still in the Canon uh DSLR code?
- 46:41Jason Cannon: So um, so and and honestly, it's like so much has gone to to the uh mirrorless, but I would have to replace the whole system.
- 46:51Jason Cannon: Yeah, and it works fine for me.
- 46:53Jason Cannon: I used the the Mark III's, Mark IVs, um and uh and those are fine.
- 46:58Jason Cannon: And uh I just got a used one, you know, uh Christmas time, Black Friday last year, because I still I still think they're fine for me.
- 47:06Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because you're uh you're and I know a lot of photographers are prefer having a mirror, even though mirrorless is where where the the trend is.
- 47:13Vipul Bindra: Uh they still prefer the mirror because of you know uh the way you know you you you see the image.
- 47:18Vipul Bindra: Now is there is there certain like uh lenses that you prefer?
- 47:22Vipul Bindra: What's your favorite like I don't know, portrait lens or whatever?
- 47:25Jason Cannon: For events, the the 24 to 105 uh F4 Canon lens just stays on my camera exclusively for events, unless it is a really tight space and I need the super wide you know 16 to 35 that I pull out just if I absolutely have to be in like really tight space.
- 47:42Jason Cannon: Ooh, we gotta get it right.
- 47:43Jason Cannon: Other than that, that 24 to 105, same with weddings, um, it's just a great event lens.
- 47:48Jason Cannon: And it's and it's not the most expensive.
- 47:50Jason Cannon: Yeah, like you could get that lens, it's very sharp, it's very fast, but under a thousand dollars.
- 47:55Jason Cannon: But it's under a thousand bucks, and again, you can get I I encourage people, the quality of used gear now is plenty good for professionals, like like the the professional series, yeah, right?
- 48:06Vipul Bindra: And uh yeah, because it's still L series glass, and uh also uh what's your what about portraits?
- 48:12Vipul Bindra: So when you do headshots, is there certain four focal list you prefer?
- 48:16Jason Cannon: This I break away from the L series, I used 85 and it's not the 1.2, uh-huh, the big professional one.
- 48:24Jason Cannon: Is it the 1.4?
- 48:25Jason Cannon: Because yes, it's like less than 500 bucks.
- 48:30Vipul Bindra: I love the but not in canon, but yeah, my favorite uh like uh tight list is 85.142.
- 48:36Vipul Bindra: It's in the Sony world.
- 48:37Vipul Bindra: Same thing, they make a 1-2.
- 48:38Vipul Bindra: Uh don't use it, it's only a 1.4.
- 48:41Jason Cannon: If you're not gonna, I tell the young people who are or any of the people in the ego for gear, look, uh-huh.
- 48:46Jason Cannon: And I'm like, really?
- 48:47Jason Cannon: Why do you shoot that at one two?
- 48:50Vipul Bindra: If you do not, you don't need the one two, especially in photo.
- 48:54Jason Cannon: You if yours, if I'm this close to you, a one-two, the tip of your nose is sharp and everything else looks weird.
- 48:58Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 48:59Vipul Bindra: It's different now.
- 49:00Vipul Bindra: In video, we will use one four.
- 49:02Vipul Bindra: I mean, even the cinema lenses we just got.
- 49:04Vipul Bindra: Funny enough, uh, the the all they're one four, and we will actually shoot uh a one-four.
- 49:08Vipul Bindra: Oh, you do know they're one four, huh?
- 49:10Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, so so but but that's video, right?
- 49:13Vipul Bindra: Because we want the depth.
- 49:14Vipul Bindra: It's completely different in photo because you guys can crank up the shutter speed or whatever.
- 49:18Vipul Bindra: We're talking about the 180-degree shutter angle.
- 49:20Vipul Bindra: So, you know, it's not, it's we we can't, you know, I don't know.
- 49:24Vipul Bindra: I we can't change the for me.
- 49:26Vipul Bindra: The way I treat is like it's uh shutter angle cannot be changed, ISO cannot be changed because it's native ISO only.
- 49:32Vipul Bindra: Then you're left with like aperture, it's uh one four.
- 49:34Vipul Bindra: So you're you're left with literally the only thing you can change is ND filter, and that's it, which is which kind of limits you, and and that's what I uh what I tell people like a lot of people think, oh, I can do this, I can do that.
- 49:46Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, yes, you can, but uh as at least to me as a good DP, you already know the look you're going for, the feel that you're going for.
- 49:52Vipul Bindra: So what you're gonna do is you're gonna already figure out this.
- 49:55Vipul Bindra: Like before I leave, I've already figured out the settings I'm gonna shoot at, but that doesn't mean it's gonna work in the location, and that's where you can control two things either lighting or you can control uh ND filter.
- 50:07Vipul Bindra: But I know in photography it doesn't work that way because you can change shutter angle, you can change aperture, you can change a lot of things.
- 50:13Vipul Bindra: So it's I think that freedom uh is what makes it easier.
- 50:20Jason Cannon: Uh a dynamic range is incredible with uh high resolution and these cameras now.
- 50:26Jason Cannon: You know, you got three stops on each side.
- 50:28Jason Cannon: I mean, it and it's not to say to be lazy, it's just to say, you're saved in some situations.
- 50:34Jason Cannon: If you really need to, if you need to utilize that, you can.
- 50:39Vipul Bindra: So, what do you use for editing them to use Lightroom?
- 50:41Vipul Bindra: Lightroom.
- 50:42Vipul Bindra: Have you switched to anything AI?
- 50:43Vipul Bindra: Have you experimented with anything?
- 50:45Jason Cannon: I have experimented with some.
- 50:47Jason Cannon: Um, what's one?
- 50:48Jason Cannon: Shoot proof was one that I tried that I've tried.
- 50:52Jason Cannon: And um, and I even tried to run a wedding through it one time, and I just uh I would get for calling and I would get him back and I'd be like, whoa, they missed a lot.
- 51:01Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 51:02Jason Cannon: And uh so or no, what it was after after shoot, I think was the name of it.
- 51:07Jason Cannon: I'm sorry, I can't get the exact one uh of what it was.
- 51:11Jason Cannon: I think it was after shoot.
- 51:12Jason Cannon: Um so yeah, I tried it and I didn't really love it.
- 51:16Jason Cannon: And there's careful about it, but uh because again, I don't want to throw a certain company under the bus because it may work for somebody else.
- 51:26Jason Cannon: But there there's a definite group of us serious, again, especially more in the high end of photographers.
- 51:33Jason Cannon: That's like that's a laziness with editing if you're just depending on too much AI to just do your work.
- 51:38Jason Cannon: If you're telling a client, you know, I carefully go through all of your images to make sure we have the best ones, and then AI is culling and missing something.
- 51:45Jason Cannon: Yeah, exactly.
- 51:46Jason Cannon: A disservice to your client at minimum and dishonest at best.
- 51:50Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you need to, I think AI has its place, but it's not 100% replacing a human.
- 51:56Vipul Bindra: It's it's it's it's it's there to supplement us.
- 52:00Vipul Bindra: I see the role for it, and we use it.
- 52:02Vipul Bindra: Like I use chat GPD all the time.
- 52:04Vipul Bindra: Uh, but at the same time, I don't think it replaces me.
- 52:07Vipul Bindra: No, if I didn't give it the the feedback, for example, just talking about chat, like if I didn't tell it what I wanted it to say and it just wrote me for a little more professionally, it's one thing.
- 52:17Vipul Bindra: Then for it to just completely come up with something, then it's like, uh, that's not my words, yeah, right?
- 52:21Vipul Bindra: That's not me.
- 52:22Vipul Bindra: Same thing with photography.
- 52:23Vipul Bindra: I'm sure uh, you know, there's a tool that's like, oh, I just want the white balance to be this or that or whatever, and it can, I don't know, auto figure it out, like, you know, with the ad that would make more sense to me.
- 52:35Vipul Bindra: Uh, but then, you know, where it's just like, hey, color this, and then it just does whatever it thinks you should.
- 52:40Vipul Bindra: And then it's like you it doesn't take care of the mood, the personality, the branding, you know, all the other stuff that you think about as um as you, uh the AI doesn't know that information, and unless you somehow feed it that, how does it even know that?
- 52:54Vipul Bindra: It doesn't, it just simply doesn't.
- 52:56Vipul Bindra: It doesn't matter how good it gets.
- 52:57Jason Cannon: The biggest one, though, the best one that we're enjoying as photographers is object removal with generative or without generative.
- 53:05Jason Cannon: And it can be a lightroom or Photoshop.
- 53:07Jason Cannon: I I like the one that's in Lightroom, and that could be like just some background element, and and say you're at an event or something, and there's just some background thing coming out of somebody when you're just like, oh, can we just get this pole out of here or something, right?
- 53:20Jason Cannon: And it's not laziness as a photographer, and it doesn't change the photograph, it just kind of you know, kind of cleans it up just a little bit.
- 53:28Jason Cannon: And I don't feel like, and again, that's not up for awards and things like this, doesn't change the subject, doesn't change their face or any of that.
- 53:35Vipul Bindra: No, I'm and I'm all for it.
- 53:36Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 53:37Jason Cannon: I like that, or extending uh backgrounds and things if I was doing a canvas wrap or something or something.
- 53:42Vipul Bindra: And that's exactly where we do.
- 53:43Vipul Bindra: Using generative fill in uh video.
- 53:45Vipul Bindra: I love that being able to go in Photoshop, taking, like you said, where we wanted to go wider, but we couldn't.
- 53:51Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 53:51Vipul Bindra: So you can go in, fill a frame, then you know, we can mask the subject into that frame.
- 53:56Vipul Bindra: So even though it's a photo, it becomes a video, and then all of a sudden, you know, you you you could go from I don't know, 35 to a 21 millimeter or whatever if you wanted to go wide, uh, and just couldn't because of the location.
- 54:07Vipul Bindra: So that is one of my uh favorite things that uh generative AI can do, and that's where I think AI uh is a really good add-on for us because there's that information didn't exist.
- 54:18Vipul Bindra: Yes.
- 54:18Vipul Bindra: So so so there's no way like we could have done any better.
- 54:21Vipul Bindra: It's it has to be done by AI, and it's pretty good at that.
- 54:25Vipul Bindra: It's you know, you have to play a little bit, right?
- 54:27Vipul Bindra: But it can especially I'm talking about like creating, you know, extending your background or whatever.
- 54:31Vipul Bindra: You if you play with it a little bit, you can get really good results.
- 54:35Jason Cannon: Yeah, and like I just mentioned, taking out a light pole or you know, different people in the background and bright bikinis at a beach or something that you don't want.
- 54:42Jason Cannon: You know, it's just things like that that it's like it just kind of quickly cleans it up, but doesn't alter the subject too much or cause the image to have a fake sunset put in it.
- 54:51Jason Cannon: Nothing like that.
- 54:52Jason Cannon: I mean, just really like you just said, it's like it's a situation.
- 54:56Jason Cannon: A lot of times we're in an event, we're in something that's moving.
- 54:59Jason Cannon: It's not like we're able to just stand there and say, Oh, hold on, everyone, could you please move because that poll's in your head?
- 55:06Jason Cannon: It's like, no, we gotta go, you know.
- 55:08Vipul Bindra: No, but what do you see in the future though?
- 55:10Vipul Bindra: Obviously, it's it's new.
- 55:12Vipul Bindra: This is everything's trying to be AI, but let's let's give it 10 years, 15 years, it actually does get good.
- 55:18Vipul Bindra: Do you what what where or what do you rather see what happened with AI in in less of 10 years?
- 55:25Vipul Bindra: And it's just a thing.
- 55:26Jason Cannon: Being a people photographer, my hope is that it doesn't get to the point where it's just altering uh altering the looks of people.
- 55:35Jason Cannon: I did I don't like that.
- 55:36Jason Cannon: Yeah, I feel like you know it's like we do enough even in the headshots, yes, we do some retouch, right?
- 55:43Jason Cannon: Yeah, um, but we don't want it to get to where people just aren't even looking real people or yeah, we're plugging people in here and there.
- 55:51Jason Cannon: I mean, you could already could replace people with you.
- 55:54Jason Cannon: You could like randomly just put them in.
- 55:56Jason Cannon: And and honestly, I could see it going that way.
- 55:58Jason Cannon: I could see that it really could be where, like, oh, okay, well, was that person really there?
- 56:04Jason Cannon: There's a video of that person or there's a photo of that person, but I don't think they're really there.
- 56:09Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 56:09Jason Cannon: Uh so it could go in a lot of ways that just compromise the integrity of our profession, yeah, right, to the point where people can't tell.
- 56:20Jason Cannon: And then it becomes, well, how do I know I can trust Bindra and that you're not gonna fill in the blank?
- 56:26Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 56:27Vipul Bindra: And also, plus what you're doing, it'd be one thing trust if somebody gave you, I don't know, a photograph to come up with or something, I don't know, as art.
- 56:34Vipul Bindra: That's a different thing to me than what you're doing.
- 56:36Vipul Bindra: And uh, you know, as an event photography, uh, let's say, or corporate photography, you're there to capture the moment that hasn't happened.
- 56:44Vipul Bindra: AI doesn't know this, AI is not there, the events never even happened.
- 56:47Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so I don't know how that replaces you or the event or whatever's happening that day.
- 56:53Vipul Bindra: So uh, yeah, I don't know how it's gonna evolve, but I I I yeah, I completely agree with you.
- 56:59Vipul Bindra: Hopefully, it doesn't change the integrity of it.
- 57:01Vipul Bindra: Like you take a photo, you put in the software, and the person comes out looking great, but it looks nothing like them.
- 57:07Jason Cannon: And that's the talk in our professional photographers, circles and and mentors, you know, up the chain.
- 57:12Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 57:12Jason Cannon: Um, when they're asked that question, the real top, the the lifers of our industry that have done it all right, when they're asked that question, and it's a podcast with them.
- 57:22Jason Cannon: These are the answers I've heard from them, and I'm just like, that does make sense.
- 57:25Jason Cannon: It's about our integrity of our art, and there's fine lines, and those lines are gonna move.
- 57:32Jason Cannon: So as they move, then what we're talking about now in 10 years be like, we're really talking about that.
- 57:37Jason Cannon: It's like, well, generative AI is like ah, right?
- 57:41Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I still remember, like it's and it's so crazy.
- 57:44Vipul Bindra: I'm not that old, but it, you know, again, the nostalgia factor, I see it because I go, oh, GH4, I still remember getting the first 4K camera.
- 57:52Vipul Bindra: I'm going, this is game-changing, you know, blah, blah, blah, going from the cannons to the panel.
- 57:57Vipul Bindra: And now I'm like, I think about it, I was like, I thought that was and now it's like uh we're even talking about filming into filming back.
- 58:03Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 58:04Vipul Bindra: I'm like, my cell phone does better than what I was amazed by just a few years ago, how fast this is moving.
- 58:09Vipul Bindra: You're right.
- 58:10Vipul Bindra: What's probably actually gonna happen in 10 years, we can't even think of right now.
- 58:15Jason Cannon: But here's one thing I am thinking about because we're talking about DSLR for cameras and now the mirrorless, it and how the word I would use is mirrorless, that I that I always hear from people is how intuitive.
- 58:27Jason Cannon: Really, it's like from eye movement to focus and just all the ways in which it's very intuitive.
- 58:33Jason Cannon: Well, like our cell phones, you know, they're they are, they're very intuitive.
- 58:36Jason Cannon: Um, what if that intuition turns into uh AI within the cameras?
- 58:41Jason Cannon: Yeah, then it's it's like I could really see that.
- 58:44Jason Cannon: Like the technology within the cameras is then now you've got these AI settings in your camera.
- 58:49Jason Cannon: We're laughing right now, but in 10 years it'd be like, we were laughing, and oh my gosh, look at this, right?
- 58:54Jason Cannon: That's where I could see it.
- 58:56Jason Cannon: The technology is getting so much in the cameras, yeah.
- 58:58Vipul Bindra: And and I do like to be honest, it it depends, like you said, it it's how it's used.
- 59:04Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I wouldn't like it if I go in there and it just magically, you know, made people like you know, slim or whatever.
- 59:11Vipul Bindra: I don't know.
- 59:12Vipul Bindra: I don't think we'll our beauty filter, but at the same time, I love how Sony's using AI.
- 59:16Vipul Bindra: So some of their newer cameras that have come out, they have a focus chip that's AI.
- 59:20Vipul Bindra: Nice.
- 59:21Vipul Bindra: So AI is figuring out who the person is and who's not, so it can focus on the person.
- 59:26Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, and I've seen the results of the cameras that have AI, like none of these have it, but they're newer because you know, these are the cinema line.
- 59:33Vipul Bindra: But uh some of their new alpha cameras uh have this chip, and the autofocus is incredible because it's it's it's so you can preset the person, all right.
- 59:42Vipul Bindra: I want you to follow um yeah Trump over there, whatever.
- 59:46Vipul Bindra: And I don't think you have to do it.
- 59:47Vipul Bindra: That's the point of AI, right?
- 59:49Vipul Bindra: It just smartly recognizes it.
- 59:50Vipul Bindra: And obviously, if for some reason, let's say didn't get it right, you can tap where you want it to focus.
- 59:55Vipul Bindra: But usually it's so smart enough that it just does it.
- 59:58Vipul Bindra: Like you don't have, you just you focus on.
- 59:59Vipul Bindra: Framing and you know, getting the right angle or whatever, you don't have to worry about that it's going to be in focus or not.
- 1:00:05Vipul Bindra: And that's where I'm like, yes, please give me more cameras with that.
- 1:00:09Vipul Bindra: Because that's a different type of that's just helping us do more of what we're doing.
- 1:00:13Vipul Bindra: That's where I'm I'm happy with them.
- 1:00:15Vipul Bindra: Like, absolutely.
- 1:00:16Vipul Bindra: And I love them.
- 1:00:16Vipul Bindra: My favorite thing where I think it should come to professional cameras.
- 1:00:20Vipul Bindra: Like, I can right now pull my iPhone out, I can point here, no proper lighting, no nothing, probably backlit.
- 1:00:25Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 1:00:26Vipul Bindra: And it will make sure that the shot is focused on me.
- 1:00:29Vipul Bindra: It's also uh uh like you know, I am I'm well lit.
- 1:00:33Vipul Bindra: Now obviously skin tones too.
- 1:00:35Vipul Bindra: Yeah, skin tones.
- 1:00:35Vipul Bindra: So it's it's obviously doing software magic, yeah.
- 1:00:38Vipul Bindra: But the truth is it works versus on these cameras, unless you just get it absolutely right, there's no other way around it.
- 1:00:46Vipul Bindra: That's right.
- 1:00:47Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, if my tiny little iPhone that only costs obviously a lot less than these very, very expensive cameras, then why can't we get such a chip, whatever the Apple chip is, or or maybe it doesn't have to be Apple, whatever Sony chip or Canon chip, uh, why can't our cameras do that?
- 1:01:02Vipul Bindra: Can you imagine if, like you said, it's already high dynamic range, but can you imagine how much more dynamic range we could have?
- 1:01:07Vipul Bindra: Where because that's what iPhone is doing, right?
- 1:01:09Vipul Bindra: It's taking the sky and crunching it, taking the the shadows, crunching it, so you get more in the same thing.
- 1:01:15Vipul Bindra: Why couldn't these big cameras do that?
- 1:01:17Vipul Bindra: They have better sensors.
- 1:01:18Vipul Bindra: If this tiny sensor can do it, short, they can do it with this sensor, but it hasn't come yet.
- 1:01:23Jason Cannon: No, but I was at the beach yesterday doing a photo session, a family session at the beach, and uh, you know, we get past the sunset at right at the end, the light's gone.
- 1:01:32Jason Cannon: Light's gone.
- 1:01:33Jason Cannon: And then they wanted a uh picture, you know, with their phone down at the water.
- 1:01:36Jason Cannon: So I pull it out, I pull out uh their phone and I look at them, whoa, what just happened?
- 1:01:41Jason Cannon: They just got bright and their skin just turned, and then like the sky just turned nice.
- 1:01:45Jason Cannon: My camera straight up without editing doesn't look like that.
- 1:01:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's because that it's software, it's not the hardware because the the sensor's tiny.
- 1:01:53Vipul Bindra: That's what I'm saying.
- 1:01:53Vipul Bindra: If they can do what they're currently doing with the tiny sensors in our phones, imagine the same processing what it could do on this on these large format cameras um or full-frame cameras.
- 1:02:05Vipul Bindra: I think, but but they have to make that.
- 1:02:07Vipul Bindra: I don't know why that hasn't happened.
- 1:02:08Vipul Bindra: Uh it doesn't make sense to me.
- 1:02:10Vipul Bindra: See, if I look at that way, I'm like, why are we like start making cameras and video cameras?
- 1:02:16Vipul Bindra: Dude, you you would be geeking out or all that stuff.
- 1:02:19Vipul Bindra: I'm like, I I don't know how much more money I could give to Apple and I have way too much Apple thing, but you're absolutely right.
- 1:02:25Vipul Bindra: If you were to put what their latest DSP, the whatever signal processing they do on their phones into a legit cinema camera, right?
- 1:02:33Vipul Bindra: I am not even joking.
- 1:02:35Jason Cannon: And I bet it would be way simplified for video and photography, in other words, just not as bulky.
- 1:02:42Jason Cannon: Somehow they would find a way to make it where it's just so such a smooth uh experience to handle.
- 1:02:51Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:02:51Vipul Bindra: No, I am all for uh, like I said, uh I'm all for Apple uh, you know, making a cinema camera or even a photography camera.
- 1:02:59Vipul Bindra: Yeah, but I don't think they're going to because that the iPhone is their camera, unfortunately.
- 1:03:04Vipul Bindra: I think what we need is one of these other companies to come up with such signal processing because I don't know, I get it, they couldn't do it, let's say, at the same time as Apple, but Apple's been doing this for five, ten years now.
- 1:03:15Vipul Bindra: They can they can catch up at this point, especially Sony.
- 1:03:18Vipul Bindra: They already have AI chips in their cameras, it's just not processing the image, it's just doing the focus.
- 1:03:23Vipul Bindra: So I don't know why they couldn't, but I I would love to see that is what I'm saying.
- 1:03:26Vipul Bindra: Next three to five years, I would love to see what technologies in the phones come to bigger sensors.
- 1:03:32Vipul Bindra: Now, whether that means Apple makes a phone with a bigger sensor, that's fine with me, or one of these companies just puts a chip like that, I think that would be incredible.
- 1:03:41Vipul Bindra: Uh yeah.
- 1:03:42Vipul Bindra: You heard it here.
- 1:03:43Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 1:03:44Vipul Bindra: First.
- 1:03:47Jason Cannon: If only we were software developers, yeah.
- 1:03:48Jason Cannon: Exactly.
- 1:03:49Jason Cannon: We could only, yeah.
- 1:03:51Vipul Bindra: I'm sure we're making I'm making it sound very simple.
- 1:03:53Vipul Bindra: I'm sure it's way more complicated.
- 1:03:54Vipul Bindra: Oh, yeah.
- 1:03:55Vipul Bindra: I'm sure somebody at uh Canon or Sony's already thought about it like a million times.
- 1:03:59Vipul Bindra: Um now, what's what type of photography is your favorite?
- 1:04:02Vipul Bindra: Like I know you do like obviously personal portraits, events, corporate headshots.
- 1:04:06Vipul Bindra: Uh, what what do you like to do?
- 1:04:08Vipul Bindra: What's your uh uh at least preferred option?
- 1:04:11Jason Cannon: My very favorite and and has been for years is high school seniors.
- 1:04:16Jason Cannon: I love high school seniors, not cap and gown, formal, the ones that they do for the yearbook.
- 1:04:22Jason Cannon: But it's such a special milestone year when you're a kid and then you're about to graduate high school.
- 1:04:30Jason Cannon: And that photo session is way different.
- 1:04:32Jason Cannon: And we didn't have this back in my day where you had, you know, you could go out and get lifestyle photos, uh, you know, with a professional photographer for senior photos.
- 1:04:40Jason Cannon: It was like you line up, you get your cap and gown, and you get out of there.
- 1:04:44Jason Cannon: Yeah, that was it.
- 1:04:45Jason Cannon: And they look, oh man, we should, I should send you the one from I had the mullet going and it was like terrible.
- 1:04:51Jason Cannon: Oh man.
- 1:04:52Jason Cannon: It's like no one loved them, no one loved that.
- 1:04:55Jason Cannon: But the the um the kids that go with me, um, and uh and Thomas Lightbody's the same way with TK photography, man.
- 1:05:03Jason Cannon: He's he's like my high school senior, you know, mentor of all of it.
- 1:05:07Jason Cannon: He's just like phenomenal.
- 1:05:09Jason Cannon: Uh he's the standard out there in West Orange.
- 1:05:11Jason Cannon: It's just he just really captures it and and it inspires me too, people like him, where I'm just like, man, I just want to go so far overboard for them because a lot of them it is going to be the only photo shoot outside their wedding, probably.
- 1:05:23Jason Cannon: But the wedding isn't just about them.
- 1:05:26Jason Cannon: This would be the only photo shoot they ever have that's about them.
- 1:05:29Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 1:05:30Jason Cannon: So it's very significant because it's their entire team legacy.
- 1:05:33Jason Cannon: And the guys, uh, all right, cool.
- 1:05:36Jason Cannon: Yeah, we're done, whatever.
- 1:05:38Jason Cannon: But their parents are like, Thank you.
- 1:05:39Jason Cannon: I can't get pictures of him.
- 1:05:41Jason Cannon: Yeah, you know, and and most of us guys don't like getting our picture taken, myself included.
- 1:05:45Jason Cannon: Uh, but the girls have so much fun.
- 1:05:47Jason Cannon: So it'll be me and the and the high school senior girl and her mom.
- 1:05:51Jason Cannon: And her mom's having fun.
- 1:05:52Jason Cannon: I put her mom to work, you know, and she assists and it's bonding with her daughter.
- 1:05:56Jason Cannon: And then at the same time, you know, the the high school girl is just having so much fun, feeling like a model for a day.
- 1:06:00Jason Cannon: She's changing outfits two or three times, making me feel like a rock star.
- 1:06:04Jason Cannon: And at that same time, at the end of that, it's a big, big memory, a big part of their senior year.
- 1:06:09Jason Cannon: And I'm proud of the artistry of it because of the personalities that I'm capturing and that legacy that is just um is that we're really able to capture.
- 1:06:18Jason Cannon: It's just that's a passion project.
- 1:06:19Vipul Bindra: No, that actually sounds awesome.
- 1:06:21Vipul Bindra: No, because uh, like you say, it's not like they graduate high school every day.
- 1:06:26Vipul Bindra: And these are some good memories to have because, like you said, you're not only band bonding uh you know their parents into it, you are also giving them pictures that they're gonna for sure look back 10, 20, 30 years from now and uh you know cherish those memories.
- 1:06:40Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because they love them.
- 1:06:42Jason Cannon: That's a that's a big thing I take.
- 1:06:44Jason Cannon: I'll show them in the back of the camera.
- 1:06:45Jason Cannon: Hey, that's a big deal because if the senior doesn't like your picture, then then especially if it's the girl, she's just looking at mom, like uh get me out of this, right?
- 1:06:54Jason Cannon: Unfortunately, I don't get much of that because the second I show that senior, like, oh wow, oh, that's awesome! And then it just fuels a session.
- 1:07:00Jason Cannon: Two seconds of awkwardness over.
- 1:07:02Jason Cannon: And I again I'm in my 50s, but you know, I can't even sit here.
- 1:07:06Jason Cannon: You know, I have so much energy.
- 1:07:07Jason Cannon: I'm very high energy.
- 1:07:08Jason Cannon: I do marathons, you know, I've done Iron Man triathlons.
- 1:07:10Jason Cannon: I'm running with my boy now, my 13-year-old.
- 1:07:12Jason Cannon: And you know, I just I I love things that that have a lot of high energy, and those sessions just go.
- 1:07:18Jason Cannon: We just we're all over the place having a blast.
- 1:07:20Jason Cannon: Downtown Winter Garden, downtown Orlando, all kinds of different places.
- 1:07:23Jason Cannon: Disney, whatever.
- 1:07:24Vipul Bindra: You know, wow, that's that's so awesome.
- 1:07:26Jason Cannon: So you asked the Passion Project.
- 1:07:27Jason Cannon: That's definitely the Passion Project.
- 1:07:29Jason Cannon: But the why is because it's a very big year for that person, and for the rest of your life, if you think about it, when in the world are you ever gonna get a portrait that's just you ever again?
- 1:07:40Vipul Bindra: And most people, like you said, nowadays, younger people, even my age, like we didn't like do photo sessions.
- 1:07:46Vipul Bindra: So it's it's really cool that it's an opportunity for them to, you know, dress up, be a model, like you said, express themselves, get some photos, get some memories.
- 1:07:54Vipul Bindra: Uh yeah, I mean, uh, that sounds pretty awesome.
- 1:07:57Vipul Bindra: Uh what is the most lucrative though?
- 1:08:00Vipul Bindra: So this would be what you like, right?
- 1:08:01Vipul Bindra: But where is the the money at?
- 1:08:03Vipul Bindra: So if somebody's listening, what type of photographer should they do?
- 1:08:06Jason Cannon: I mean, the obvious glamour one is is luxury weddings, you know, and that's that's an average of you know between five and ten thousand for me, and uh and for the really devoted long-term wedding photographers, they could make fifty thousand dollar weddings, you know, especially being near Disney and doing the big Disney weddings.
- 1:08:25Jason Cannon: You know, the I know several photographers that that do really well with that.
- 1:08:30Jason Cannon: Uh, they're totally devoted to it, they've done it for many years, and the standard is very high.
- 1:08:34Jason Cannon: Yeah, so breaking into that is decades, right?
- 1:08:38Jason Cannon: But it's also it's you you gotta really want that, yeah, you know, and it's a whole totally different thing.
- 1:08:44Jason Cannon: So that's the glamorous one.
- 1:08:45Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 1:08:46Jason Cannon: And um, and again, my average between five and ten thousand per wedding for really full, you know, full size, you know, really good wedding.
- 1:08:54Jason Cannon: Um, on the corporate side, um, it's branding, commercial photography with branding.
- 1:09:02Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 1:09:02Jason Cannon: So, in other words, you know, it's like you either get stock photography of your business or you get branded images with licenses, and you get to use those images.
- 1:09:11Jason Cannon: Um, and uh, and those vary wildly just depending on the size of the business.
- 1:09:16Jason Cannon: And I'm still aiming high for bigger corporations of that.
- 1:09:20Jason Cannon: So it's it's branding photography on that, and those can be tens of thousands of dollars for licensing, and that licensing it keeps coming every year.
- 1:09:27Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:09:27Jason Cannon: You know, which is so if you're gonna go corporate, then you need something that's gonna keep coming with licenses or businesses that keep coming for the events every year, right?
- 1:09:36Jason Cannon: And and in the event world, well, you get an hourly rate, usually a 250 to 350 an hour of hourly rate kind of thing.
- 1:09:44Jason Cannon: Uh, and then the only way you you it's really the ceiling, the only way to upscale that is to add in headshots.
- 1:09:54Jason Cannon: So if you're adding in, or it's got awards people, and you're adding in portraits with awards, it's something where there's additional um valuable digital assets that the company can use while they're gathered for for a corporate convention or event.
- 1:10:09Jason Cannon: And that's really where I'm headed now.
- 1:10:11Jason Cannon: That's the direction I'm headed now.
- 1:10:13Jason Cannon: So that's why I was meeting with the destination management company yesterday, talking about that so I could do events and then tie in the headshots and awards.
- 1:10:20Jason Cannon: Again, it's another level of trust with the photographer that goes.
- 1:10:23Jason Cannon: All right, we're gathering the executives.
- 1:10:26Jason Cannon: Um, I here's a perfect example.
- 1:10:28Jason Cannon: Um, Ayapa is the short for the theme park, a global theme park association headquartered here.
- 1:10:34Jason Cannon: Well, their board of directors, board of directors is from around the world, and they gather every November for their convention that's always here, and their headquarters is here.
- 1:10:43Jason Cannon: So they call me every year now.
- 1:10:46Jason Cannon: I've done it two years, so I made it a year too.
- 1:10:49Jason Cannon: They love it.
- 1:10:50Jason Cannon: Yeah, this time I went to their headquarters, and as as all of them came in, one's from Italy, one's from Germany, one's from South America, some of them don't even speak English.
- 1:11:01Jason Cannon: But their staff would help me gather them.
- 1:11:03Jason Cannon: We preset, I went before the day to really scout everything.
- 1:11:07Jason Cannon: We preset them up and we did a whole board of directors photo and then a new headshot of each one right there, and it all had to be done within that lunch hour.
- 1:11:18Vipul Bindra: That's crazy.
- 1:11:18Jason Cannon: And um, and we, of course, we knocked it out, and um, and I'm proud of that, and that's a perfect example though.
- 1:11:24Jason Cannon: Of this is how if you want to go into corporate, it's not as glamorous, that sounds whatever.
- 1:11:29Jason Cannon: Weddings, glamorous, whatever.
- 1:11:31Jason Cannon: The real bread and butter is there's a convention, there's 5,000 people, and you're gonna do say 500 or 800 headshots.
- 1:11:40Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:11:40Vipul Bindra: That could and that's a production.
- 1:11:42Jason Cannon: Yeah, we would have multiple stations set up in our our photographer area.
- 1:11:48Jason Cannon: I I use my contracted partners, and everybody set up your station and make it consistent, and uh, and then each each person's headshot has a cost to it.
- 1:11:58Jason Cannon: Yeah, but the business gets an incredible value because we're bundling all this, everybody's getting it done, and it's such a hassle to get headshots, and then you're tying it into the event.
- 1:12:08Vipul Bindra: That's incredible.
- 1:12:09Vipul Bindra: And no, and that like you said, that could be lucrative too on the business side of things because every headshot has a cost, and you times that by a huge number of people at a huge event, and that can that can be a significant amount of money, big time, and that can also you know fuel uh those smaller passion projects.
- 1:12:25Vipul Bindra: Like you said, you you can go now do a few more graduations where it's not the big money, yeah, but it's something you enjoy, right?
- 1:12:31Vipul Bindra: Yes, and so yeah, no, I love that uh that aspect of it, and and that's why I've been amazed by that's usually what we have to partner for, is either event photography or headshots.
- 1:12:40Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like how many companies just need headshots?
- 1:12:43Vipul Bindra: You know, uh it's it's you would be amazed, right?
- 1:12:46Vipul Bindra: You would think, oh, everyone has a headshot.
- 1:12:48Jason Cannon: No, you go to websites or you go to LinkedIns, and it's just like terrible.
- 1:12:52Jason Cannon: And and like I was telling you, it's like I see this AI one, and it was a person that's been reaching out to me but didn't follow through.
- 1:12:58Jason Cannon: And for not because they're a bad person, whatever, it's just life gets you.
- 1:13:02Jason Cannon: I always say this because again, we're listening, right?
- 1:13:05Jason Cannon: I'm like, why don't you get a headshot?
- 1:13:06Jason Cannon: The most common objection, it's such a hassle, it's just such a hassle.
- 1:13:11Jason Cannon: So the problem that I want to solve, and I'm still on a mission to solve it, right?
- 1:13:16Jason Cannon: Is the the problem that you solve is how do you make it not a hassle?
- 1:13:20Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 1:13:20Jason Cannon: Well, if they're already gathered, they're all together, yeah, go set up and then make it seamless.
- 1:13:25Jason Cannon: Let them pick their picture on the spot before they walk away, approve of it.
- 1:13:29Jason Cannon: So we'll set up live tethering so that they have their image tethered, and then they walk over from the camera to their image and go, uh, I don't like that.
- 1:13:37Jason Cannon: All right, back over here, sir, ma'am.
- 1:13:39Jason Cannon: Let's take care of you.
- 1:13:40Jason Cannon: Then they go back, oh, I approve.
- 1:13:42Jason Cannon: Okay, boom, emailed to you.
- 1:13:43Jason Cannon: You're done.
- 1:13:44Vipul Bindra: Done.
- 1:13:44Jason Cannon: Yeah, that's a little bit of retouch and they're done.
- 1:13:46Jason Cannon: Couldn't be and they're so happy because they're like, I've been, I've been needing to do this forever.
- 1:13:51Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and you made it seamless, you made it easy, they were already gonna be there anyway.
- 1:13:55Vipul Bindra: Yep, yeah.
- 1:13:56Vipul Bindra: No, I love that.
- 1:13:56Vipul Bindra: So, how do you go about so talking about uh, you know, for for other photographers, if they wanted to get into this business, how do they do they go get these clients?
- 1:14:05Vipul Bindra: That'd be the toughest thing, yeah, for businesses.
- 1:14:08Vipul Bindra: Let's say they want to get event this into event photography, they want to do these headshots.
- 1:14:12Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, how would they go about even getting into this business?
- 1:14:16Jason Cannon: Yeah, and uh remember, so corporate is different than portraits and weddings, where a lot of that is relationships and personal referrals and things like this, but then we switch to the corporate world, and a lot of it is making sure that we are in business community, right?
- 1:14:35Jason Cannon: It's still about relationships, it really is.
- 1:14:38Jason Cannon: But there's another side of it, and that is um, and we're actually um myself and my team have been going through this course on uh SEO for this particular specific type of photography and how well it works because especially here, we've got a lot of people coming in from around the world really um for conventions and conferences.
- 1:15:00Jason Cannon: Well, they don't know relationally the photographers, so they're Googling, we need a headshot photographer in Orlando.
- 1:15:06Jason Cannon: So I just finished a course and I'm gonna keep I'm gonna go through it again of just how to boost our SEO to get in that top two or three.
- 1:15:15Jason Cannon: And there are easy ways, it takes time.
- 1:15:18Vipul Bindra: You said it earlier, nothing's no SEO is one of the most hardest things, it changes all the time, right?
- 1:15:24Jason Cannon: So there's things we can control, yeah.
- 1:15:26Jason Cannon: And um, with the way we're writing blogs, with the way that we're you know coding the photography when we put it in there and and all that.
- 1:15:33Jason Cannon: Um, but our next goal is to really utilize SEO.
- 1:15:37Jason Cannon: And I've got a photographer friend that that 90, I think almost 90% of her business.
- 1:15:43Jason Cannon: Well, it's actually the one that did the course, 90% of her business is headshots, and the vast majority comes from SEO.
- 1:15:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that's great.
- 1:15:50Jason Cannon: So she must have good really good SEO, really good SEO, and it wasn't instant, right?
- 1:15:55Jason Cannon: It takes there's a six-month delay, right?
- 1:15:57Jason Cannon: Or a four-month delay, and then it starts to click in.
- 1:16:00Jason Cannon: Uh, but again, on the business side, on the corporate side, well, we're in a it depends on your market.
- 1:16:05Jason Cannon: But if you're talking about Central Florida, yeah, how can you maximize destination?
- 1:16:09Jason Cannon: You know, and companies that travel to here, yeah, because this is a huge thing.
- 1:16:14Jason Cannon: They don't know anybody, yeah.
- 1:16:15Jason Cannon: So, like I said, it's destination management companies.
- 1:16:17Jason Cannon: That's why I'm reaching out to them.
- 1:16:18Jason Cannon: Uh, it's SEO, and then on the ground, it's people who are are running businesses and well connected to just keep networking.
- 1:16:28Vipul Bindra: Yeah, yeah.
- 1:16:28Vipul Bindra: That's actually very smart.
- 1:16:30Vipul Bindra: You know, you want to tap into the industries that you want to be because they're already coming here.
- 1:16:34Vipul Bindra: We have an advantage of being in a location that's kind of like the tourism capital of the country, it's not the world.
- 1:16:40Vipul Bindra: People want to come here and they already do.
- 1:16:43Vipul Bindra: Conventions come here, conferences come here.
- 1:16:45Vipul Bindra: Literally, my friend uh from Canada, the only time I see him is when his company does a conference here.
- 1:16:51Vipul Bindra: So I get to see him because his company literally flies him to Orlando to attend a conference.
- 1:16:56Vipul Bindra: And good for us, free, you know, free time to see your friend.
- 1:16:58Vipul Bindra: So this happens a lot where you know people come here and we are right here.
- 1:17:03Vipul Bindra: So if you can get into the mix or connect with the people, you know, or the decision makers or whoever and make their life easier, they can have a trusted partner.
- 1:17:11Vipul Bindra: And good for you is where, like you said, it can be a volume game.
- 1:17:14Vipul Bindra: Not only are you giving them quality stuff, you can maximize the number because the amount of the headshots or photos that you can do at the same time.
- 1:17:23Vipul Bindra: So it it's available.
- 1:17:25Jason Cannon: Like I said with the Ayapa, with the tourism or um theme park association, uh, is that they it's every year.
- 1:17:32Jason Cannon: So they do some people do a convention in a different place each year, but a lot of people, it's Orlando.
- 1:17:39Jason Cannon: Yeah, and especially if it's a winter event then or a northern state, then you're coming to Florida in the winter.
- 1:17:45Jason Cannon: So you keep it in Orlando.
- 1:17:46Jason Cannon: Yeah.
- 1:17:47Jason Cannon: So, in other words, for business standpoint, it's it's repeat business when you earn that kind of trust.
- 1:17:51Jason Cannon: And and believe me, it's like when I'm doing theirs, I'm paying close attention when I'm scouting, when I'm shooting, and then the after.
- 1:17:58Jason Cannon: If they ever give me an ass, then I'm like, absolutely.
- 1:18:01Jason Cannon: Yeah, you know, I'm taking real good care of the specific things that those people need.
- 1:18:06Jason Cannon: Um, because that kind of care is building such a trust that there's no bidding or quotes from all this.
- 1:18:11Jason Cannon: They're like, yeah, this is our partner.
- 1:18:12Jason Cannon: All right, uh, here's the date of the next one.
- 1:18:14Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:18:15Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you don't have to go back through the whole proposal process.
- 1:18:18Vipul Bindra: They'd already know what it costs you, and even if it's a premium, they're willing to pay for premium, which I also think your rates are very reasonable for the quality of work that you do, yeah, which is also, I think, very important.
- 1:18:28Vipul Bindra: Like it also depends on who the client is.
- 1:18:30Vipul Bindra: Like some people tell me, it's funny, my interactions are two opposites.
- 1:18:34Vipul Bindra: So for some people, uh like you know, people who have no idea what video is, uh, usually they're like the I'm the premium option, right?
- 1:18:41Vipul Bindra: They're like, wow, you know, this is what I I want to be like.
- 1:18:44Vipul Bindra: I want to have my company's video made by Bindra.
- 1:18:46Vipul Bindra: And then when I'm working with Fortune 50 companies, I'm the budget pick, right?
- 1:18:50Vipul Bindra: They picked me because they could get all of this for a lot less than you know, another company from let's say New York or whatever, uh, because our costs are lower because you know we're in Orlando.
- 1:18:59Vipul Bindra: So it's so funny, it's just the reference point changes.
- 1:19:02Vipul Bindra: Nothing I do changes, it's who's looking at it, you know.
- 1:19:05Vipul Bindra: So for a big company, oh, like nice budget option.
- 1:19:08Vipul Bindra: There, there's you know, these guys are you know very, very uh, what do you call uh effective with the funds or whatever.
- 1:19:13Vipul Bindra: They'll they'll they can you know work for less or or do more for the less.
- 1:19:17Vipul Bindra: And then it's the opposite.
- 1:19:18Vipul Bindra: It's obvious this is like that much for a video?
- 1:19:21Vipul Bindra: Oh wow.
- 1:19:22Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:19:22Vipul Bindra: And right, and then you have to show value.
- 1:19:24Vipul Bindra: I've never had uh uh the best thing I like working with small businesses, why I like it, even though you know, like you said, the budgets may be lower, is the experience.
- 1:19:32Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because uh with big companies, they already know what they're expecting, right?
- 1:19:36Vipul Bindra: When they're hiring a proper production, but with small companies, even my smallest production that I do, which is a basic video, uh, is so much more than any other typical videographer.
- 1:19:46Vipul Bindra: Because you know, they approach it from a videography standpoint.
- 1:19:48Vipul Bindra: I approach it from filmmaking standpoint.
- 1:19:50Vipul Bindra: So when we show up, the the the impression you get is kind of like Kelly.
- 1:19:54Vipul Bindra: Uh, talk about that.
- 1:19:54Vipul Bindra: Coming back to it, like we when we filmed her, so she had told me, like, you know, we were trying to fit all these people.
- 1:19:59Vipul Bindra: In the schedule, right?
- 1:20:00Vipul Bindra: I had to do 18 video.
- 1:20:02Vipul Bindra: She was like, Yeah, I'm filming something, but I can be there this time or whatever.
- 1:20:05Vipul Bindra: And I was like, That's awesome.
- 1:20:06Vipul Bindra: So she was already filming something, right?
- 1:20:08Vipul Bindra: Whatever that was.
- 1:20:09Vipul Bindra: I don't know.
- 1:20:10Vipul Bindra: But when we showed up, and I was like, Yeah, we'll do our slightest shut up setup so because we want to make it fast.
- 1:20:14Vipul Bindra: It's like, well, me and Mario, we could try and get this done in 30 minutes.
- 1:20:17Vipul Bindra: It's not like I have a huge crew, too.
- 1:20:19Vipul Bindra: It's just the two of us on that one.
- 1:20:20Vipul Bindra: And funny enough, when we were done setting, she was like, I didn't think it was going to be this huge of a production.
- 1:20:25Vipul Bindra: And for us, it's like, oh, this is like the tiniest production we can do.
- 1:20:30Vipul Bindra: And Mario's like, ah, I got my ice cream.
- 1:20:32Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 1:20:33Vipul Bindra: And it's so funny.
- 1:20:35Vipul Bindra: So the way they look at it, it's like, oh, this is a major production.
- 1:20:39Vipul Bindra: And for us, it's like a so you know, it's like the perspective.
- 1:20:41Vipul Bindra: And I'm sure if if they hired a local another local videographer to them, that that is a major production.
- 1:20:48Vipul Bindra: You know, if you're bringing up, like you said, a mirrorless camera or whatever, and and then they're just doing both, and that's most that they can do, or whatever.
- 1:20:56Vipul Bindra: But it was just funny to me because I'm like, no, this is the fastest, quickest way I can actually shoot where you look good.
- 1:21:02Vipul Bindra: And you were there, were you the you were there at the Big Orange Awards this year, right?
- 1:21:05Vipul Bindra: You saw the videos.
- 1:21:06Vipul Bindra: What'd you think about them?
- 1:21:07Jason Cannon: Oh no, I wasn't at Big Orange.
- 1:21:08Jason Cannon: We had uh the Winter Garden Music Festival, the exact same day because they moved Saturday.
- 1:21:14Vipul Bindra: Yeah, which is I didn't see the videos.
- 1:21:16Vipul Bindra: How did that happen?
- 1:21:17Vipul Bindra: Yeah, which I I was impressed by that too, huh?
- 1:21:19Vipul Bindra: Were they yours?
- 1:21:20Vipul Bindra: Yeah, all well, the all the 18 videos we did this year, the Big Orange Awards.
- 1:21:24Vipul Bindra: Completely missed that played for you know, each other.
- 1:21:28Jason Cannon: But she moved it to Saturday, Amy did uh prior because you know she wants to serve all the members, of course, and a lot of the members had said it's hard to get other on Friday, so I validate.
- 1:21:38Vipul Bindra: I I I get yeah, what she tried to do, but but yeah, we partnered with them.
- 1:21:42Vipul Bindra: We basically made uh not only the recap video that we do this year.
- 1:21:45Vipul Bindra: We actually actually made 18 videos, one for each nominee, basically.
- 1:21:48Vipul Bindra: Oh gosh, so and which is good for them.
- 1:21:50Vipul Bindra: They get a free 69 second essentially commercial for free on Chamber's behalf, and you know, good for us, it's just our partnership with the Chamber.
- 1:21:58Vipul Bindra: So it was a uh you know, bigger partnership this year, I think probably the biggest that I've ever done.
- 1:22:02Vipul Bindra: Um and and it was yeah, it was a lot of work that we put in, you know.
- 1:22:07Vipul Bindra: Do you remember that project, Mario?
- 1:22:11Mario Rangel: Yeah, of course.
- 1:22:12Mario Rangel: We had like uh a lot of people coming here, a lot of nominees right here we interview interviewing then, and then also we went to the uh some businesses.
- 1:22:22Mario Rangel: Yeah, it was great.
- 1:22:23Vipul Bindra: It's really cool, it's right there.
- 1:22:24Vipul Bindra: We pulled down the seamless, we made it orange, so with the way we did it, we did it uh 12 here, so all the regulars, and then the small and large businesses, we went to their location.
- 1:22:34Vipul Bindra: So six, we went on location, 12 in studio.
- 1:22:37Vipul Bindra: So it's really cool.
- 1:22:38Vipul Bindra: We bring that seamless, we lit it orange, the you know, the nice restaurant chamber colors with the green plants.
- 1:22:44Vipul Bindra: So there's green and orange.
- 1:22:45Vipul Bindra: It they came out really good.
- 1:22:46Vipul Bindra: And then, like you said, we went to uh then um the uh the the six members uh and it that was incredible too, having to like figure out the scheduling, and this is all last minute, you know how it works, and it was just a lot of fun, and then it's so great then you know to see uh their brand you know represented at such a such a big scale because these awards are huge, and then also they have you know all sorts of businesses present there, uh, which is what you know, Stephen and Amy had to say that they loved the videos, but that also uh you know, everyone essentially got a free just by being nominated, so even if they didn't win, they technically got to tell people who they are, what they do, which you don't normally go into.
- 1:23:26Jason Cannon: But have their story and their brand, just personal brand, just yeah, which wasn't there in the last few years.
- 1:23:31Vipul Bindra: So it was like elevating not only the the award show in them itself, but it technically gave each business an opportunity to speak about who they are, and so that was really fun.
- 1:23:41Vipul Bindra: Uh, I'm glad we got to do that partnership.
- 1:23:42Vipul Bindra: Obviously, it's kind of costly for us to do it, right?
- 1:23:45Vipul Bindra: But happy to, you know, again, restaurant chamber.
- 1:23:47Vipul Bindra: I'm I'm biased, but I I like them, so I was like, I was totally down to do it because uh, you know, that's my one chance.
- 1:23:54Vipul Bindra: That's all we do, you know.
- 1:23:55Vipul Bindra: We don't do any marketing, we don't do outreach.
- 1:23:58Vipul Bindra: At this stage, you know, I've been doing this long enough that you know I have luckily enough people that are in my network that just call me so that the the calendar stays booked, quite literally, you know, uh booked after the podcast before the podcast.
- 1:24:11Vipul Bindra: So it I'm running on fumes, literally no sleep.
- 1:24:14Vipul Bindra: Uh, but that's just life.
- 1:24:16Vipul Bindra: Uh so I'm lucky uh in that way.
- 1:24:18Vipul Bindra: So I I'm just happy to partner with chambers.
- 1:24:20Vipul Bindra: That's the only way of outreach I would say I do um is through the chambers that I'm part of.
- 1:24:26Vipul Bindra: And I think uh I don't know, I find it worthwhile, even whether I get directly clients, but also indirectly clients, because it may not be a chamber member immediately goes, Oh, Bindra, you know, like that, but they go, Oh, I know this person needs video, or this person needs video, right?
- 1:24:40Vipul Bindra: They can connect you because their network goes further, right?
- 1:24:44Vipul Bindra: It's like a spider web, it just goes and goes and goes, uh, and you never know where your next lead is coming from.
- 1:24:50Vipul Bindra: But I think again, people look out for you, like you give back, the community gives back to you.
- 1:24:54Vipul Bindra: Yeah.
- 1:24:55Jason Cannon: Don't you find that that is a great way because we're both, you know, um you talk about this as far as pricing relating to value, not um apples to apples against other photographers and videographers for the product.
- 1:25:10Jason Cannon: Remember, I said that earlier, right?
- 1:25:12Jason Cannon: It's like, look, they're similar products.
- 1:25:14Jason Cannon: If you throw me in this little bidding war for the small business, and it's they need uh eight headshots for this service business down the street, and then oh, we got another photographer.
- 1:25:24Jason Cannon: Well, I'm not gonna get that job.
- 1:25:25Jason Cannon: Yeah, and if that's all the all the platform you give me to share about why I'm different is uh I'm the your point person, but I'm not the decision maker, I'm not gonna get that job.
- 1:25:34Jason Cannon: Yeah, because my bid is gonna be based on a lot of these things that are are not the actual just product.
- 1:25:43Jason Cannon: Yeah, it's like really not, and they're gonna have to find a new bid every single year that's the lowest, and it's gonna be a different person every year.
- 1:25:52Vipul Bindra: And you never know what quality you're gonna get.
- 1:25:53Jason Cannon: And it's gonna be inconsistent, yeah.
- 1:25:55Vipul Bindra: Because you you may get lucky, but usually the lowest people, who knows how long they're gonna stick around.
- 1:25:59Vipul Bindra: It's one thing you get lucky, somebody's just starting the career and they just want to do a lower, and you're sure you can get them next year, but then they're not gonna be the lowest, right?
- 1:26:07Vipul Bindra: Or usually, if you do pick, like you said, the lowest every year, then you're just getting the lowest of the lows.
- 1:26:12Vipul Bindra: And and like I said, that's why I don't compete in price.
- 1:26:14Vipul Bindra: No, because to me, there's no reference point.
- 1:26:16Vipul Bindra: Like, like I said, if I'm talking to a big name brand, then I'm probably on the on the lower price point, right?
- 1:26:22Vipul Bindra: And then I'm talking to smaller brand, I'm probably on the very high price point.
- 1:26:25Vipul Bindra: So it's like I can't do that, I can just charge what my services cost.
- 1:26:28Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:26:28Vipul Bindra: What I try to do is very simple.
- 1:26:30Vipul Bindra: I literally listen, like you said.
- 1:26:32Vipul Bindra: We just listen.
- 1:26:33Vipul Bindra: We started here window.
- 1:26:35Vipul Bindra: And once I figure out what they need, then I can tell them what the range is gonna be.
- 1:26:41Vipul Bindra: Because what they the biggest thing for me that I don't think at least on the small side is lack of knowledge, is what I do.
- 1:26:47Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:26:48Vipul Bindra: They think I'm just a videographer and I grab a camera and I'm like, no, I'm your producer, I'm your producer partner.
- 1:26:53Vipul Bindra: It's like you had a video department in your company, that's who I replace.
- 1:26:57Vipul Bindra: So you tell me what you need, and I'm your producer guy, and I go, okay, I can do this, or we need to do this, and then I go, okay, what's the budget?
- 1:27:05Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:27:06Vipul Bindra: And uh and I or I can give them a range because most businesses have no idea.
- 1:27:09Jason Cannon: Or they say, I don't really have a budget, and I'm like, Yes, you do.
- 1:27:12Vipul Bindra: Yes, you do.
- 1:27:12Jason Cannon: You don't know what it is.
- 1:27:14Vipul Bindra: But if I tell you my quote, you know what it is.
- 1:27:16Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:27:16Vipul Bindra: Then they'll say, Oh, yeah, it is.
- 1:27:17Jason Cannon: So right, it's like, oh, well, you have a budget then.
- 1:27:20Jason Cannon: Say what it is.
- 1:27:21Vipul Bindra: And then I have to like explain to them how it works, right?
- 1:27:23Vipul Bindra: I'm like, no, I can do it for let's say, I don't know, I'm I'm just making up a project, but let's say five to twenty K and they're like, How's that range possible?
- 1:27:30Vipul Bindra: I'm like, very simple.
- 1:27:31Vipul Bindra: Number of people, number much time of equipment, the time of editing hours.
- 1:27:36Vipul Bindra: That's right.
- 1:27:36Vipul Bindra: I can change that.
- 1:27:37Vipul Bindra: I'm the producer, right?
- 1:27:38Vipul Bindra: So if you tell me, hey, we our budget is only five grand, I'm like, okay, how can we do this?
- 1:27:42Vipul Bindra: We can do one shoot day, I can give 15 hours to the editor, I can bring three people on the set or something like that, right?
- 1:27:48Vipul Bindra: I I can work out the max value for my client because I'm working for them, right?
- 1:27:53Vipul Bindra: And then if they say, oh no, we can we can spring for 15k or whatever, right?
- 1:27:56Vipul Bindra: Then I'm like, okay, now I can add multiple shoe days, we can go to multiple locations, we can get multiple shots, but the end result is still a video, and that education element is always a challenge to me because I I kind of hate uh like having to tell them, like, no, I'm your partner, I'm not just a videographer.
- 1:28:13Vipul Bindra: You want a videographer, you can find them at all price points from free to million bucks.
- 1:28:18Vipul Bindra: But I am not the the videographer, I am your partner, and my job is to make the most of your money, that's right, right?
- 1:28:24Vipul Bindra: So I need to know the budget, and if you don't know the budget, that's fine.
- 1:28:27Vipul Bindra: I can give you a range, then you gotta and then you know it's different.
- 1:28:31Vipul Bindra: It's not like if you I said five to twenty, you were gave me eight, then you're gonna get the 20k video, right?
- 1:28:38Vipul Bindra: Where what you give me, I guarantee I'm gonna put it all back into the video, but I can only put back what you give me.
- 1:28:45Vipul Bindra: So anyway, that that education element is is such a challenge, but it it's fun because what I love about small businesses, then they get the rewards and you get to hear that.
- 1:28:54Vipul Bindra: Versus big companies, you know, they get the video, they're like, oh, awesome, and then they move on, right?
- 1:28:58Jason Cannon: And they usually have had that, so it's like it's not their first rodeo with it.
- 1:29:02Jason Cannon: So they're like, yep, that fits.
- 1:29:03Jason Cannon: That's what we're used to.
- 1:29:04Jason Cannon: A lot of bigger businesses I'll ask, yeah, uh, what are you used to?
- 1:29:08Jason Cannon: What are you used to paying?
- 1:29:09Jason Cannon: What are you used to getting?
- 1:29:10Jason Cannon: What is your experience like?
- 1:29:12Jason Cannon: If I can get that much time to ask three or four questions, those are like the three or four questions.
- 1:29:16Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:29:16Vipul Bindra: And then also uh for us, at least, it's asking a reference video.
- 1:29:19Jason Cannon: I'm just like, Yeah, can I see what you've had?
- 1:29:22Vipul Bindra: Yeah, or what you want to have, because then I can give you a price point because I had this recently with a with a client of mine where they showed me a video and I was like, Well, this is incredible.
- 1:29:31Vipul Bindra: They were like, We want to do something like this.
- 1:29:32Vipul Bindra: I was like, Well, this video is incredible, but this is a seven-figure video.
- 1:29:36Vipul Bindra: Yeah, we can't do that.
- 1:29:38Vipul Bindra: I mean, I I know you well enough.
- 1:29:40Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:29:40Vipul Bindra: Uh like, can I do that?
- 1:29:41Vipul Bindra: Yes, absolutely.
- 1:29:42Vipul Bindra: I've done $500,000, $600,000 projects.
- 1:29:45Vipul Bindra: I can handle the project, but you you know, not in the nicest way possible.
- 1:29:49Vipul Bindra: This isn't your marketing budget.
- 1:29:51Vipul Bindra: We could because we could, if you had that kind of budget, I could make you 10 other videos that will give you the better revenue return.
- 1:29:57Vipul Bindra: So I'd explain like here's here's what we can do.
- 1:30:00Vipul Bindra: Let's not spend a million dollars making this.
- 1:30:02Vipul Bindra: How about we spend 15k and we can get about 90% to 95% there?
- 1:30:07Vipul Bindra: Obviously, we that that last five percent is where the big jump comes in, right?
- 1:30:10Vipul Bindra: You gotta get name brand, name actors, and expensive sets, right?
- 1:30:15Vipul Bindra: It's not the video itself is different.
- 1:30:17Vipul Bindra: So I'm like, why don't we make the same video but we do it in 15k range?
- 1:30:21Vipul Bindra: Now you're 90-95% there without that huge threshold that we have to combine.
- 1:30:27Jason Cannon: You can always modify it.
- 1:30:28Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:30:29Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, but now here's some extra ideas.
- 1:30:31Vipul Bindra: Here's what we can do if you really want to go to the next level.
- 1:30:35Vipul Bindra: These three, four videos will make you stand out compared to your competition more than one video.
- 1:30:40Vipul Bindra: Then I know for the as soon as I tell you what this costs, you're gonna just be like, nope.
- 1:30:43Vipul Bindra: Because you know, like small businesses can't afford a million dollar video.
- 1:30:46Vipul Bindra: That's right.
- 1:30:47Vipul Bindra: And but but they they can but the reference, if I had never asked for a reference video, I would have never known.
- 1:30:51Vipul Bindra: Yeah, because sometimes you have to also set their expectations.
- 1:30:54Vipul Bindra: So they look at the video, they're like, I want that.
- 1:30:55Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's like, yeah, but you have to look, there's a name, name actor in there.
- 1:30:59Vipul Bindra: You you don't want to know what they charge to be in this, you know.
- 1:31:02Vipul Bindra: And music, yeah.
- 1:31:03Vipul Bindra: Yeah, music.
- 1:31:04Jason Cannon: Oh, that's not royalty-free music.
- 1:31:05Jason Cannon: You want Taylor Swift in here, then I'll just add hundreds right there for that.
- 1:31:09Vipul Bindra: And then also then you can't use the video forever.
- 1:31:12Vipul Bindra: I like to make my business clients at least videos that they have they can use, you know, for years to come.
- 1:31:16Vipul Bindra: Of course.
- 1:31:17Vipul Bindra: If you get Taylor Swift song, you're not getting it forever, you're getting a year license, maybe two year license.
- 1:31:23Vipul Bindra: Uh and and it's it's a challenge that uh, you know, that that you have like I am the the guy who is to kind of educate small businesses.
- 1:31:31Vipul Bindra: Uh, but I I love the the response that I get though.
- 1:31:34Vipul Bindra: The uh essentially the um once they see the video, that's what I love because uh my business has been entirely based on repeat business.
- 1:31:43Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, I don't know how people could keep getting new businesses every month.
- 1:31:47Vipul Bindra: I'm talking tens and twenty and thirty businesses.
- 1:31:50Vipul Bindra: I I don't think it's sustainable.
- 1:31:52Vipul Bindra: I entirely rely on doing such a good job to come back, yeah.
- 1:31:56Vipul Bindra: You are a partner, yeah.
- 1:31:57Vipul Bindra: And and it's okay.
- 1:31:58Vipul Bindra: Some businesses are where you do a few videos and that's all they need, then I use them as more referral partners.
- 1:32:03Vipul Bindra: They can then find me other people that you know that they know who who uh who need video and then they can recommend me because they loved what we did for them.
- 1:32:11Vipul Bindra: I'm not trying to just go everyday barn bridges and find new clients, and then to find more new clients.
- 1:32:16Vipul Bindra: That just seems unsustainable to me.
- 1:32:19Jason Cannon: Yeah, oh of course.
- 1:32:20Jason Cannon: That's why we again the advantage of of collaboration to the point of being a partner to re- you just said it a few minutes ago.
- 1:32:27Jason Cannon: It's like we really gotta learn what they need and listen and learn what they need, because if we do, then it becomes the when they work with us in the future, you know what I want.
- 1:32:38Vipul Bindra: Right.
- 1:32:39Jason Cannon: And it's like I don't even have to I don't have to go searching around for other people, I don't even have to have a long conversation with you because I'm really busy and uh you know I love you, but you know what I want, right?
- 1:32:48Jason Cannon: Right.
- 1:32:49Jason Cannon: It's like we get that where it's like just this explicit trust that goes with the implicit trust, and it's just like, oh, this is we've worked hard for that, and that's what we love because year in and year out, or a new uh hire comes, and they need headshots of that, and they're like, I got one new person.
- 1:33:03Jason Cannon: Can you come out?
- 1:33:03Jason Cannon: Well, of course, you know, of course, yeah, and they'll pay us good for it.
- 1:33:07Jason Cannon: I mean, in the same way, they get special pricing, special everything.
- 1:33:10Vipul Bindra: Exactly.
- 1:33:10Vipul Bindra: And then uh, no, talk about that new client that we had, Mario, that we went and filmed recently, and it was our you know, it's uh it's uncommon, but it happens.
- 1:33:18Vipul Bindra: I do get new clients, obviously, and and it was so fun to go shoot.
- 1:33:22Vipul Bindra: But what was interesting to me is before we were even done shooting, the client was already talking about the next shoot.
- 1:33:27Vipul Bindra: You know, that's what I'm talking about, right?
- 1:33:29Vipul Bindra: Um, yeah, so so it was so cool that we before you know, it's one thing to wrap up and clients impress.
- 1:33:35Vipul Bindra: Before we were like done through like five script or whatever, the clients like, next time we gotta do this, this, this, and you know, and I'm like, that's that's amazing, you know, that's what you want.
- 1:33:43Vipul Bindra: We're already like envisioning how to keep taking it to the next level, exactly, and that means they they see the value, and that's what I like giving my clients.
- 1:33:52Vipul Bindra: I'm like, and it's really a challenge, but also the challenge I like with new clients because yeah, we're still figuring each other out, right?
- 1:33:58Vipul Bindra: But it's so cool.
- 1:33:59Vipul Bindra: And I was like, I was looking at Marian, I was like, see, this is what I'm talking about.
- 1:34:02Vipul Bindra: We do good for them, they already see the value that they haven't even seen the videos.
- 1:34:06Vipul Bindra: We're still shooting right now, and he's already talking about the next shoot and the shoot after, and we gotta do this and the next one, you know.
- 1:34:13Vipul Bindra: And then that's the feeling, at least for me, is more rewarding.
- 1:34:16Vipul Bindra: I do love doing big projects, I love working with big companies, but it's not that feeling.
- 1:34:21Vipul Bindra: You don't get that feeling.
- 1:34:22Vipul Bindra: But when we work with a small business who you help, it just I don't know, it just it makes it worth what what we do, right?
- 1:34:29Jason Cannon: Uh you said it earlier, you were helping like a lot of times the smaller businesses don't know what they want.
- 1:34:35Jason Cannon: They don't know what it well, they do, but they don't know they can't get it into their head of exactly how it should look and and how to tell that story visually.
- 1:34:43Jason Cannon: And it's like then when we do, then it's like, oh, that's exactly what I was thinking.
- 1:34:48Jason Cannon: This is this is better than I then it's like, yeah, we really were able to capture the just the heart of what they wanted to express in the world.
- 1:34:56Vipul Bindra: That's why it takes partnership, right?
- 1:34:57Vipul Bindra: It takes that listen uh to get to the bottom of what they want, right?
- 1:35:01Vipul Bindra: It takes a lot of work up front.
- 1:35:03Jason Cannon: Like you're saying, it's like we want to see samples, we want to wanna hear from them if they can explain it right, uh site visit if required.
- 1:35:11Jason Cannon: I mean, there's a lot of work up front with the very first time.
- 1:35:14Jason Cannon: That's why when it happens again, yeah, it's like, well, all right, I I I kind of know what's coming.
- 1:35:18Jason Cannon: Yeah, uh, but that new client, very small business for us and what we do, a lot of times it requires a lot more work.
- 1:35:26Jason Cannon: And they're thinking, oh, this is pretty easy.
- 1:35:28Jason Cannon: I only need a couple of pictures.
- 1:35:29Jason Cannon: Like when I hear, oh, only need a couple of pictures, you're like, uh, we're gonna have to really talk about this.
- 1:35:36Vipul Bindra: Yeah, or or I've had that happen where they're like, you're only gonna be on site for two hours, and it's like, uh, you're forgetting the day that it takes to charge and pack all this up, then the day time it takes to dump all this footage, the time it takes to you know, edit through, parse through all that footage, you know, build find music.
- 1:35:54Vipul Bindra: Just finding music can take hours.
- 1:35:56Vipul Bindra: Like, you gotta talk to Julie about that.
- 1:35:58Vipul Bindra: Like, thank goodness I don't do that.
- 1:36:00Vipul Bindra: But sometimes, you know, because to me, at least in video, a music sets the tone of a video.
- 1:36:04Vipul Bindra: Oh, right, and and and the if it's various events, somewhere we're going for a serious tone or funny or energetic, but finding the right music, it sometimes takes hours, and clients are not seeing that.
- 1:36:15Vipul Bindra: Oh, it's just two hours.
- 1:36:16Vipul Bindra: Because reason number two, I don't want to do video.
- 1:36:18Jason Cannon: Yeah, I mean, between picking the music, the editing, that there's so many layers that create a production of this tour.
- 1:36:27Jason Cannon: And that's why I'm videos.
- 1:36:28Vipul Bindra: The only way I can do what I do at the level I do is because I surround myself with great people.
- 1:36:33Vipul Bindra: Yeah, like could I edit?
- 1:36:34Vipul Bindra: Yes, could I shoot?
- 1:36:35Vipul Bindra: But then it wouldn't be the best edit, it wouldn't be the best shoot, it wouldn't be the best anything.
- 1:36:38Vipul Bindra: And by surrounding myself with people like Mario.
- 1:36:40Vipul Bindra: You got a great team, which you can do.
- 1:36:42Vipul Bindra: And it's it's basically what it does is it helps me get the vision right, get sure that everything is gonna be perfect when we show up to shoot.
- 1:36:50Vipul Bindra: The shoot's gonna go great, and then the edit's gonna go great.
- 1:36:53Vipul Bindra: You know, that when the client gets a product, they go, Oh wow, yeah, that's what we were looking for.
- 1:36:57Vipul Bindra: Or this is better than what we're looking for.
- 1:36:59Vipul Bindra: Like one of the best things we did last year was we worked for this company, and the CEO, and I'm talking a billion-dollar company.
- 1:37:06Vipul Bindra: Uh, he was like, Hey, this is the best video I've ever seen of my company.
- 1:37:10Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, that's what we were going for.
- 1:37:12Vipul Bindra: You know, internally, you just to me that's worth more than any award.
- 1:37:16Vipul Bindra: I go, Well, thank you.
- 1:37:17Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, awesome.
- 1:37:19Vipul Bindra: You know, like this is what we were going for.
- 1:37:20Vipul Bindra: So I'm glad you see it.
- 1:37:21Vipul Bindra: That's why you do what you do.
- 1:37:22Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and then they're happy, we're happy, everyone wins, you know, at the end.
- 1:37:26Vipul Bindra: Yeah, uh, a lot of people, you know, got paid from that, who was part of that project, so I was able to help my network.
- 1:37:31Vipul Bindra: So I think I overall everyone won, and then the company was happy about it, right?
- 1:37:35Vipul Bindra: Yeah, I think that's what it's all about.
- 1:37:37Vipul Bindra: It's just about making and uh making a product that um that the client loves and that you love yourself.
- 1:37:44Vipul Bindra: Yeah, totally, totally agree with that.
- 1:37:47Vipul Bindra: All right, so let's switch gears, let's talk about uh you know a little personal life.
- 1:37:52Vipul Bindra: So I know a few years ago you you you've been full-time, so you went out of the full time.
- 1:37:57Vipul Bindra: Tell me more about that.
- 1:37:58Vipul Bindra: Like what happened and how'd you come back?
- 1:38:01Jason Cannon: I'll back up, I'll back up all the way to 200 nine.
- 1:38:05Jason Cannon: And when I moved to St.
- 1:38:07Jason Cannon: Pete, I I moved to St.
- 1:38:08Jason Cannon: Pete and I'm opening a studio in a completely new market.
- 1:38:12Jason Cannon: I know a few people that were that were key people that became part of my team from the beginning.
- 1:38:17Jason Cannon: Um, so that's the biggest reason, is like you just said, having the right team helped me.
- 1:38:21Jason Cannon: Um, but I'm opening a retail studio, portrait studio, uh, right at the beginning of that great recession.
- 1:38:28Jason Cannon: So it's like I open it and then everything just but what happened with that time in the business is the business took off.
- 1:38:35Jason Cannon: And over that time, I was booming.
- 1:38:37Jason Cannon: And within uh two and a half years of being there, I was top 10% of portrait photographers in the nation as far as revenues and everything.
- 1:38:43Jason Cannon: So I was really doing great.
- 1:38:44Jason Cannon: So contrast that for a minute.
- 1:38:46Jason Cannon: So again, there was just doing really good for all these years and then moved back, and and things are going pretty well, and then COVID hits.
- 1:38:55Jason Cannon: And if you're into weddings and events and COVID hits, it's all shut down, yeah.
- 1:39:00Jason Cannon: It's all gone, right?
- 1:39:01Jason Cannon: And uh, and it really hit me hard.
- 1:39:04Jason Cannon: It gutted my business, and I got two kids, one of them's a special needs kid.
- 1:39:08Jason Cannon: I mean, that was just a lot, and my my wife's a speech therapist, and she was doing speech therapy and uh all that face-to-face stopped, and it was school-based, and then school shut down.
- 1:39:18Jason Cannon: So it was a combination of all the things COVID that all of us, when we hear that word, in some way, all of us have some PTSD, right?
- 1:39:25Jason Cannon: Uh, in some way.
- 1:39:26Jason Cannon: So it shut down my business, and um, and to the point where I'm like, I gotta, I gotta get other work.
- 1:39:32Jason Cannon: And um, I had already before COVID really admired the organization called Healthy West Orange, which is a local nonprofit in West Orange County, and they really are just uh having a mission to make that community the healthiest in the nation.
- 1:39:44Jason Cannon: I've got to be able to do that.
- 1:39:45Vipul Bindra: We have filmed there, by the way, me and Mario.
- 1:39:47Vipul Bindra: Great place.
- 1:39:48Jason Cannon: It's a great organization, right?
- 1:39:49Jason Cannon: And um, so even before COVID, I had approached them about in some level working with them and uh, or for them even, you know, I had worked with them, but even working for them and uh then COVID.
- 1:39:59Jason Cannon: And then I I just fast tracked that the best I could.
- 1:40:02Jason Cannon: And it happened to be they were building the new building.
- 1:40:04Jason Cannon: And so uh they hired me three or four months after that.
- 1:40:08Jason Cannon: But before they hired me, we hit rock bottom.
- 1:40:11Jason Cannon: Our lease for the house got, you know, um, well, we had to move out.
- 1:40:15Jason Cannon: The lease was up in May of 2020.
- 1:40:17Jason Cannon: Shut down in April.
- 1:40:18Jason Cannon: May we had to move out.
- 1:40:20Vipul Bindra: Wow.
- 1:40:20Vipul Bindra: During COVID, I can't imagine.
- 1:40:22Jason Cannon: So I we just hit up Airbnbs because we couldn't get another lease anywhere else.
- 1:40:25Jason Cannon: It was just there was nothing in Winter Garden.
- 1:40:28Jason Cannon: And um, so we hit up Airbnbs and then we ran we ran out of Airbnbs and had to get the kids back, and we were essentially homeless until West Orange Chamber stepped in and Scott Balloo with Matthew's Hope put us in.
- 1:40:41Jason Cannon: We were in homeless housing for Matthew's Hope for two months until um uh Healthy West Orange hired me and could get on our feet, get another rental house.
- 1:40:49Jason Cannon: So we think, okay, we're starting on the road back.
- 1:40:52Jason Cannon: Uh fast forward one year to September 2021, my wife turns mustard yellow.
- 1:40:58Jason Cannon: And we're like, what is going on?
- 1:41:00Jason Cannon: And then she's like, I gotta call her mom who's a nurse, comes over, you gotta get her to the ER.
- 1:41:03Jason Cannon: Goes to the ER, ends up her uh liver shutting down, and again, nutshell, uh, liver shuts down.
- 1:41:10Jason Cannon: She's in the hospital for 10 days.
- 1:41:12Jason Cannon: My kids got COVID the exact same time, so I had to stay home quarantined with them with COVID while she's in the hospital, can't even see her.
- 1:41:19Jason Cannon: And then the doctor comes on after two or three days and says, uh, I don't want to bring this up, but uh, we're thinking we have to get her tested because she might have cancer.
- 1:41:29Jason Cannon: I'm like, what just happened?
- 1:41:31Jason Cannon: I'm like, she goes in and within just a few days, you know, her liver's shutting down, and we're thinking, Oh, uh, who knows?
- 1:41:37Jason Cannon: It's not hopefully not too bad.
- 1:41:39Jason Cannon: To now you're gonna have to go, you know, extended stay.
- 1:41:44Jason Cannon: And uh, and then she goes and gets um and and gets uh tested and gets diagnosed with this this deadly lymphoma and is given less than a year to live, is basically it.
- 1:41:56Jason Cannon: Wow.
- 1:41:57Jason Cannon: So uh we got that, and that was within a month.
- 1:42:00Jason Cannon: So we're just devastated by all this between the COVID year and this the next year, and then um again, nutshell.
- 1:42:08Jason Cannon: It's it's an unbelievable story, really is that it was a misdiagnosis.
- 1:42:11Jason Cannon: Yeah, and again, I'm not gonna out the hospital because it's like doctors are they're human, it happens, right?
- 1:42:17Jason Cannon: Uh, and that um she went to Moffat Cancer Center, and then they're like, it's not this, it's it's a leukemia.
- 1:42:23Jason Cannon: Okay, so this has got a leukemia.
- 1:42:25Jason Cannon: So again, then another month goes by, back in there, and we go back to Moffat, and it's like, there's no evidence of cancer in your body.
- 1:42:32Jason Cannon: The cancer's gone.
- 1:42:34Vipul Bindra: Wow.
- 1:42:34Vipul Bindra: That's what a roller coaster, right?
- 1:42:36Vipul Bindra: I mean, first time you told me the story, I was just like, I can't imagine being in your wife and your shoes because obviously it's good.
- 1:42:44Vipul Bindra: The outcome at the end is great.
- 1:42:46Jason Cannon: We can talk about it now, yeah, and I won't cry like crazy, right?
- 1:42:49Vipul Bindra: But I can't imagine being in that situation where COVID caused, like, like you said, you're doing incredibly well.
- 1:42:55Vipul Bindra: It's a very successful photographer, and all of a sudden, all events are gone, all conferences are gone, everything's basically done, schools are even remote.
- 1:43:03Vipul Bindra: Uh so so it's so, and you you know, you thank thank you to Matthew's hope that you at least were able to find some help for the couple of months, but then that happens.
- 1:43:12Vipul Bindra: Obviously, Healthy West Orange was able to get you uh a job that was a good stability and a good organization, and uh and uh then but then to be hit with this news, I mean, I can't even imagine.
- 1:43:24Vipul Bindra: And then obviously the roller coaster they went through for months where they're like, Oh, you've one year, and you're like, What?
- 1:43:32Jason Cannon: So crazy.
- 1:43:33Jason Cannon: And then that it was a wrong diagnosis, and then she gets this new diagnosis, she's settling into that, and then gets offboarded, and then the next month, which you know personally, this story, she's pregnant, so we end up having this bonus baby, right?
- 1:43:47Jason Cannon: And uh, so it's like she goes, Yeah, you get COVID, you got cancer, and then you got the baby, and meanwhile, again, thank thank God for healthy West Orange, just kind of keeping me in that stability and enjoying, just pouring in with them, being on that team.
- 1:44:00Jason Cannon: And uh, but then I worked an another year where I would have gone back, but then the baby, you know, the cancer in the baby.
- 1:44:07Jason Cannon: Uh so worked another year, healthy West Orange, just staying in that, and then I was like, I can't anymore just resist, you know, staying away from my passion anymore.
- 1:44:16Jason Cannon: Yeah, and uh then came back.
- 1:44:17Jason Cannon: But it that's the blip.
- 1:44:19Jason Cannon: I mean, in any business we go, hopefully we don't have another COVID situation.
- 1:44:22Jason Cannon: But over the course of decades, especially, we're gonna have dips in our businesses.
- 1:44:26Jason Cannon: Yeah, we we can navigate through it or we can exit and come back.
- 1:44:30Jason Cannon: It just depends on everybody's situation.
- 1:44:32Vipul Bindra: Yeah, the point is you can't.
- 1:44:33Vipul Bindra: There's no way you could have predicted that.
- 1:44:34Vipul Bindra: You know, nobody could have.
- 1:44:36Vipul Bindra: And I mean, to be real, what helped me was live streaming because it's not like we were going out and filled in the street.
- 1:44:40Vipul Bindra: There you go, yeah.
- 1:44:41Vipul Bindra: You had to pivot, and we were able to pivot uh into live streaming, and that helped a lot during that time.
- 1:44:46Vipul Bindra: But you're right, yeah, it was a crazy time.
- 1:44:48Vipul Bindra: But my my whole thing is like the like you said, the roller coaster that you went through to get back, and now you're doing obviously.
- 1:44:55Vipul Bindra: Uh I remember having that talk with you uh when you were gonna jump right back, and I was like so happy, a that things were back to normal for you.
- 1:45:03Vipul Bindra: But but you know, like I said, at least you had you know you have a baby, you know, things were things are awesome now.
- 1:45:08Vipul Bindra: Uh you back, you know, to obviously doing photography and you've been successful the last few years that you've been doing this, but I just can't imagine that little period.
- 1:45:16Vipul Bindra: But again, to put a positive spin on it, it's just one of those blips, but yeah, it's still real life stuff, yeah.
- 1:45:24Jason Cannon: And uh, and it's like I'd look back and I'm like, did all that really happen?
- 1:45:28Jason Cannon: And I know again, all of us have our COVID memories, right?
- 1:45:31Jason Cannon: Of wait, did that was it really live streaming?
- 1:45:33Jason Cannon: It's like you see ourselves back kind of normal, but even how we've all just reinvented ourselves.
- 1:45:38Jason Cannon: It's like, how would I do this over?
- 1:45:40Jason Cannon: You know, how how would you do yours over if you could do it again, right?
- 1:45:43Jason Cannon: Are you doing things different than before COVID to kind of keep that from happening to impact your business as much?
- 1:45:50Jason Cannon: Because I know going more corporate now.
- 1:45:52Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, it's uh I mean I got lucky, so I have one of those weird stories where uh, you know, and I've told this story before on the podcast, but January of that year, you know, again, when your passion, like it remember, it went from Bendra Productions was born out of it being bigger than me.
- 1:46:06Vipul Bindra: So it's no like I'm no longer a freelancer, right?
- 1:46:09Vipul Bindra: So I go, so we did really good in 2019.
- 1:46:11Vipul Bindra: So I was like, what are we gonna do this year, right?
- 1:46:13Vipul Bindra: 2020 starts to January.
- 1:46:14Vipul Bindra: I go, I'm gonna get into live streaming.
- 1:46:16Vipul Bindra: And she's like, What?
- 1:46:17Vipul Bindra: This random thing.
- 1:46:18Vipul Bindra: So I, you know, buy and obviously there's no mentor, there's no one to teach me.
- 1:46:21Vipul Bindra: I'm in the middle of Alabama, so I basically just bought all this live streaming here, and I just started practicing and uh any free time I had, and guess what happens?
- 1:46:30Vipul Bindra: You know, April, the the country shut down.
- 1:46:33Vipul Bindra: So it kind of like saved me essentially that uh the pre-model.
- 1:46:35Vipul Bindra: It's a good thing you thought about that, yeah.
- 1:46:37Vipul Bindra: So while you know, and obviously there was no equipment available, everything was sold out, you know, because everyone needed it.
- 1:46:43Vipul Bindra: Point is that helped a lot because I was like, A, not only do I have the equipment, I know how to operate it, I know how to execute this thing.
- 1:46:49Vipul Bindra: So that helped a lot being able to, you know, uh do projects um even enduring that environment.
- 1:46:55Vipul Bindra: But like you said, that was two things.
- 1:46:57Vipul Bindra: A somehow getting lucky with the timing of that, but also B, having low overhead.
- 1:47:02Vipul Bindra: I always made sure that the people that I worked with were 1099s, uh, that you know, we obviously we have some recurring expenses, but they were project-based, right?
- 1:47:11Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that's why I say like my my pro my expenses are very easy.
- 1:47:14Vipul Bindra: Project comes in, this is what's going here, this is what's going here, this is what's going here, makes it very easy.
- 1:47:19Vipul Bindra: I'm like, okay, 80% expenses, 20% come in home.
- 1:47:22Vipul Bindra: Life is very easier to I'm saying make it make expenses happen versus uh I can't imagine if I had like that many people on W-2s, yeah, letting them go, you know, the whole yeah, the the whole thing, yeah, that would have been uh crazy.
- 1:47:36Vipul Bindra: But yeah, that was really nice that we were able to write that out.
- 1:47:40Vipul Bindra: Um, and uh obviously here we are, but the lessons learned.
- 1:47:43Vipul Bindra: I and then that's why like a lot of people ask me, they're like, why don't you go W-2s or whatever, even now?
- 1:47:48Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, that's why.
- 1:47:49Vipul Bindra: Because I learned my lesson already in COVID that what I did was correct.
- 1:47:53Vipul Bindra: Why would I change that?
- 1:47:54Vipul Bindra: And it and and funny enough, everyone I knew who was doing successful in video with W-2s, guess what they don't have now?
- 1:48:01Vipul Bindra: W-2s.
- 1:48:01Vipul Bindra: Because during COVID, they had to let them go, and then they realized not that we don't give enough work, right?
- 1:48:06Vipul Bindra: It's just it's a lot easier to keep them as 1099 because then it makes sure they can also still freelance, get projects, but you know, I it makes it easy for me without having all that huge overhead, right?
- 1:48:18Vipul Bindra: Because if projects for some reason will stop coming, yes, it would be devastating, but it wouldn't be the end of the world because it's not like I have this huge payroll that I have to keep giving, if that makes any sense.
- 1:48:28Jason Cannon: Oh, yeah.
- 1:48:29Jason Cannon: I mean, uh what a nightmare.
- 1:48:31Jason Cannon: I feel so much for the business, the small businesses that had just three or four employees, and you know, it's like you feel so responsible.
- 1:48:40Jason Cannon: Yeah, so it's like just everybody.
- 1:48:43Vipul Bindra: We couldn't do it, especially the first.
- 1:48:44Vipul Bindra: I think it eased up obviously once we all realized because initially nobody knows what this is, right?
- 1:48:48Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so it was like just stay in the after a few months, yeah.
- 1:48:51Vipul Bindra: It's like, what do we do?
- 1:48:52Vipul Bindra: Like, where do we go?
- 1:48:53Vipul Bindra: And then I at least I was like, Well, we're essential business, so we're gonna go at least do our work, you know.
- 1:48:58Vipul Bindra: But like, I can't imagine if you weren't considered essential workers, so if you had to just stay at home and do nothing, I'm like, I I I can imagine, I'm saying the the the trauma uh or or whatever people went through.
- 1:49:12Vipul Bindra: But uh, like I said, at least we made it past, and seems like things have just been on the up and up for you now, right?
- 1:49:18Vipul Bindra: How how long have it been that you've been back doing this full time now?
- 1:49:22Jason Cannon: Uh this will be let's see, so that's 2000 August 2023.
- 1:49:26Jason Cannon: So now I'm about to two years.
- 1:49:28Vipul Bindra: Two years, wow, and uh see the progress you've made, right?
- 1:49:30Vipul Bindra: You're and there's still you're doing incredibly well, yeah.
- 1:49:32Jason Cannon: There there's there's like all right, well, so there's still this, right?
- 1:49:36Jason Cannon: Yeah, but it's becoming oh, there's way more of this, and then fewer dips.
- 1:49:41Vipul Bindra: But that happens in all businesses.
- 1:49:42Vipul Bindra: I mean, this happened to me this year.
- 1:49:44Vipul Bindra: What's crazy is last year I had an incredible year, the best year ever.
- 1:49:47Vipul Bindra: And then and and January's supposed to be slow for us, right?
- 1:49:50Vipul Bindra: And we were writing January's was crazy, biggest ever.
- 1:49:53Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 1:49:54Vipul Bindra: So at the end of January, I'm like, what's happening?
- 1:49:56Vipul Bindra: We're so busy, and then come February, dead for me at least.
- 1:50:00Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and I'm like, this is not normal for me.
- 1:50:02Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, uh, what happened?
- 1:50:04Vipul Bindra: And I and I think it may have been a combination of just the economy uncertainty, tariffs, or whatever.
- 1:50:09Vipul Bindra: So February and March were really bad dead.
- 1:50:11Vipul Bindra: And and again, I don't want to say it was fully dead, but there was no big projects, right?
- 1:50:15Vipul Bindra: That's normal.
- 1:50:16Vipul Bindra: And I was like, what's happening?
- 1:50:18Vipul Bindra: So for a couple months, like you said, there was that dip where I'm like uncertainty.
- 1:50:21Vipul Bindra: I was like, Did I do it?
- 1:50:22Vipul Bindra: And then I asked, you know, that's when you call your your network, your relationship, like so.
- 1:50:26Vipul Bindra: Checking my buddies are like, yeah, it's been slow too.
- 1:50:28Vipul Bindra: And I'm like, okay, it makes sense.
- 1:50:29Vipul Bindra: It's so just it's happening, yeah.
- 1:50:31Vipul Bindra: And then and then April 1st hit back to it just being the crazy.
- 1:50:35Vipul Bindra: And I was like, okay, this is weird, but you know, there's nothing you can do, right?
- 1:50:40Vipul Bindra: Uh but what I liked is was that in that slow period, I was able to go help small businesses, local businesses, you know, stuff that I would normally have to either pass on or or not personally be present, where I was able to go and take those projects, and it's so so it wasn't bad, but it was it was a worrying time for a minute.
- 1:50:57Vipul Bindra: I'm like, this is not normal.
- 1:50:58Vipul Bindra: I'm not used to this since COVID, right?
- 1:51:00Vipul Bindra: And then and then it was just like I think it was just the tariffs, the economy, people were just uncertain, all of a sudden, you know, stop spending.
- 1:51:07Vipul Bindra: But then back in April, I haven't had, like you said, time since then, and it's been crazy.
- 1:51:11Vipul Bindra: So uh as a business, we have to be resilient because blips will come, you know.
- 1:51:16Vipul Bindra: It is always gonna be like this, and you just have to be prepared for when that happens.
- 1:51:21Vipul Bindra: I think those are the businesses that make it, right?
- 1:51:23Vipul Bindra: Yeah, that can pass that whatever slump that is, and then you know, because we all know economy always, at least that's history.
- 1:51:30Vipul Bindra: It uh, you know, it goes down that stuff, yeah.
- 1:51:34Vipul Bindra: So all you can do is just be prepared and uh run your business smartly, especially until you know it's a small business.
- 1:51:40Vipul Bindra: Um, you know, uh, and that's all really you and I can do.
- 1:51:44Vipul Bindra: So true.
- 1:51:44Vipul Bindra: I don't know what else we could do essentially to prepare.
- 1:51:47Jason Cannon: Yeah, but if it gets slow, like this month has been slow for me.
- 1:51:50Jason Cannon: And and uh so I've been taking care of those uh those really great clients, like my my 10-year-old daughter and I, and also bonding with my kids for summer at the same time.
- 1:51:58Jason Cannon: So my daughter and I get up early and we bake some cookies, and I'm like, Oh, just take some cookies to my best clients, like the bank branches and things where I'm like, we're dropping off cookies, and I'm like, my daughter and I bake these for your whole team, and you just see their faces light up.
- 1:52:12Jason Cannon: I'm like, in busy season, I would never have time to just do that nice little special touch, you know.
- 1:52:16Vipul Bindra: But I think that special touch is what's amazing, right?
- 1:52:19Vipul Bindra: Now they're gonna remember whenever they need the next cookie.
- 1:52:21Jason Cannon: But he brought us fresh cookies, yeah.
- 1:52:22Jason Cannon: You cannot and it was a hard one of the bank branches, you know, is a West Orns chamber partner, you know, and and they were having a bad day.
- 1:52:29Jason Cannon: And she comes up to me and she's like, uh before I even gave in, she's like, Oh, we're down three people.
- 1:52:33Jason Cannon: And I was like, I have cookies, yeah.
- 1:52:36Jason Cannon: Should have seen it, it was so perfect.
- 1:52:38Jason Cannon: I was I I felt so good walking out of there because I'm like, I just helped them have a it was kind of a rough day, and I just helped make that it's just cookies, yeah.
- 1:52:46Vipul Bindra: It's simple things.
- 1:52:47Vipul Bindra: Sometimes, you know, I'll send like a thank you card.
- 1:52:49Vipul Bindra: It's nothing major, it doesn't have to be crazy, it's just simple things like that, and then and and believe it or not, one crazy thing, talk about again COVID for a second again.
- 1:52:58Vipul Bindra: I still remember uh you know, Julie's the editor literally going, like, okay, so it's slow time, right?
- 1:53:04Vipul Bindra: So we have some time from editing because live streaming doesn't require editing.
- 1:53:07Vipul Bindra: I literally told her normally, you know, there's cost to it, but I was like, you know what?
- 1:53:10Vipul Bindra: We're going through.
- 1:53:11Vipul Bindra: So our clients going through, pull up their footage and see if we can make a short little snippet video they can post or whatever.
- 1:53:17Vipul Bindra: So we did that for a lot of our clients.
- 1:53:19Vipul Bindra: We were able to just pull some footage, make a little snippet, and give them, like, hey, we know you're going through a tough time.
- 1:53:24Vipul Bindra: Here's a little extra to post on your social or whatever.
- 1:53:27Vipul Bindra: And I and I think it's just that little thing, right?
- 1:53:30Vipul Bindra: Uh, where if we have the time, we have the uh the the capacity to do that, and COVID was definitely that.
- 1:53:36Vipul Bindra: Do that a little extra.
- 1:53:38Vipul Bindra: Um, you know, and and I think that's just like you said, that's what builds promoters, that's builds loyal uh clients, that builds people who you know who just love you.
- 1:53:47Vipul Bindra: And you, you know, it's a real relationship, it's not just give and take, there's more to it.
- 1:53:52Jason Cannon: Yeah, and it it it shows you care about them.
- 1:53:54Jason Cannon: You're not just wanting their money from being a client, right?
- 1:53:57Jason Cannon: And and I think that that goes a long way because for us, it also tells ourselves that same thing.
- 1:54:03Jason Cannon: Like, I really do care about this person or business and want them to feel special.
- 1:54:09Vipul Bindra: Yeah, and and coming to that, the the one last thing I want to say about this is yes, uh the the other side I do want people to be aware because some people take this a little too much.
- 1:54:17Vipul Bindra: You are still a business at the end of it, like as in uh I'm gonna do anything and everything to help my client.
- 1:54:23Vipul Bindra: But if they if I can't, then I think being honest and up front is also more than just taking it on.
- 1:54:29Vipul Bindra: Because I've heard stories from my friends where they go, but I love them.
- 1:54:33Vipul Bindra: And then you take on a project, let's say under budget or whatever.
- 1:54:36Vipul Bindra: And then what ends up happening is that even though you think you're doing the nice thing, you actually sell because now you hate yourself and you're there, you're miserable, that means they feel it.
- 1:54:44Vipul Bindra: It's just it's just not a good thing.
- 1:54:46Vipul Bindra: Uh, a simple just hey, uh, this this is not the right budget right now, or this is not the right fit, let's do it later when you have more budget, or you know, here's a friend I can click into here, whatever, at this budget right now, and then we can do the bigger stuff later.
- 1:54:59Vipul Bindra: Something like that.
- 1:55:00Vipul Bindra: I feel like that's a better fit and a better approach than just saying flat out yes.
- 1:55:04Vipul Bindra: So again, listen, take care of your clients, but also don't say yes if your heart's not in it.
- 1:55:10Vipul Bindra: That's such a good word.
- 1:55:12Vipul Bindra: It's gonna just also not be a good thing.
- 1:55:14Vipul Bindra: Because I uh because you know, it's okay to say no.
- 1:55:17Vipul Bindra: Uh, because you know, we are a business at the end of the day, we have bills to pay, you've got family to take care of.
- 1:55:22Vipul Bindra: And clients understand that.
- 1:55:24Vipul Bindra: Uh, you know, so so it's okay to say no.
- 1:55:26Vipul Bindra: Uh, but I think outside of that, um, it's been an incredible conversation.
- 1:55:30Vipul Bindra: I look at the time, can't believe it's almost two hours.
- 1:55:33Vipul Bindra: I know this goes by so fast.
- 1:55:35Vipul Bindra: You know, people when they when they think about it, they're like, two hours?
- 1:55:38Vipul Bindra: I'm like, yeah, and then when they're done, they're like, oh, it was fast because uh, you know, I can't I've listened to Joe Rogan podcast for three hours with some people.
- 1:55:45Vipul Bindra: Oh, yeah, yeah.
- 1:55:46Vipul Bindra: So I think it's just all about who the listener is, right?
- 1:55:49Vipul Bindra: If they have no interest in photography, videography, it's probably boring.
- 1:55:53Vipul Bindra: But if but if it is, then I think this is an incredible conversation.
- 1:55:56Jason Cannon: So what you're in the car a lot, yeah, and it's like I'm always listening to podcasts too, just like this.
- 1:56:00Jason Cannon: And this is exactly what so many different photography podcasts do, and just could listen over and over.
- 1:56:06Vipul Bindra: And I love giving people real-world advice because uh some old school people I find like want to gatekeep, and I feel like that's just a bad strategy in business.
- 1:56:14Vipul Bindra: Uh, because gatekeeping leads to nothing.
- 1:56:16Vipul Bindra: But you uh you know, so I feel like uh being up front, giving people some reference points of price points and type clients and what events you can do or stuff like that is just so much more realistic.
- 1:56:27Vipul Bindra: Where they're like, okay, this is realistic, this isn't some you know idea that you have in your head.
- 1:56:32Vipul Bindra: Okay, this is what I can go, I can charge that, I can ask.
- 1:56:34Vipul Bindra: I think I don't know, it's just helpful when you're new.
- 1:56:36Jason Cannon: It's real, it's real stories of how we do business.
- 1:56:40Vipul Bindra: Yeah, exactly.
- 1:56:41Jason Cannon: That's what I've enjoyed about this conversation.
- 1:56:43Jason Cannon: So hopefully people get a lot of benefit from it.
- 1:56:45Vipul Bindra: I same too, and if not, at least entertainment, right?
- 1:56:48Vipul Bindra: There's plenty of that.
- 1:56:49Vipul Bindra: Yeah, so thank you, Jason, for coming.
- 1:56:52Vipul Bindra: Before we go, anything else you want to add?
- 1:56:53Vipul Bindra: You want to tell people where to go find you?
- 1:56:55Vipul Bindra: Uh go ahead and tell us that.
- 1:56:57Jason Cannon: Well, uh, my website is uh canonfirephoto.com and um Facebook's Canonfire Photo, Insta Canonfire Photo, but uh and LinkedIn same Canonfire Photo.
- 1:57:09Jason Cannon: That's where to find us on social.
- 1:57:11Jason Cannon: And um is that Canonfire Photo?
- 1:57:13Jason Cannon: Canonfire Photo, and that's a two-in-c-n-n oh-in, not the canon fire.
- 1:57:17Jason Cannon: Yeah, and uh that's his actual name.
- 1:57:21Vipul Bindra: I was just joking.
- 1:57:22Vipul Bindra: He's you're actually Canon, you're JC.
- 1:57:26Jason Cannon: My last name is Canon.
- 1:57:27Jason Cannon: Yeah, two ends, though, right?
- 1:57:28Jason Cannon: Two ends, right?
- 1:57:29Jason Cannon: But yeah, that's that's where to find us.
- 1:57:31Jason Cannon: And uh, you know, we're we're always uh posting blog content as well, you know.
- 1:57:35Jason Cannon: And I also um I also am really thinking about making a uh Facebook group.
- 1:57:41Jason Cannon: Um that I have one right now that is really more um it's uh it's not structured the way that I really want it.
- 1:57:49Jason Cannon: So stay tuned on our website because I'll probably blog about it when I create this Facebook group to do kind of something like this, but more in a Facebook group where it's really open of discussion with the photographer and put myself available with QA's and things.
- 1:58:04Jason Cannon: So that's coming soon, and we've talked about this a little bit.
- 1:58:07Vipul Bindra: Awesome.
- 1:58:07Vipul Bindra: That sounds like an incredible idea.
- 1:58:09Vipul Bindra: Yeah, it's totally free.
- 1:58:10Vipul Bindra: Yeah, you know, just totally and the same thing.
- 1:58:12Vipul Bindra: This is this is quite literally unedited, unfiltered conversations that I wanted because I didn't want a polished look into something.
- 1:58:19Vipul Bindra: This is quite literally two industry professionals having a conversation.
- 1:58:23Vipul Bindra: That's what I like listening to, because like you said, it's real, not no, I have no agenda, you don't sell no courses, right?
- 1:58:30Vipul Bindra: We're just doing this because we love what we do and we actually do this for a living.
- 1:58:34Vipul Bindra: So this is awesome.
- 1:58:35Vipul Bindra: It's it's been a pleasure.
- 1:58:37Vipul Bindra: Thank you again, Jason, for coming.
- 1:58:38Vipul Bindra: Until next time.