About Us
My great passion is to capture the spirit of a person in the largest sense—the charm, the humor, the depth, the vision, the love.
The products and services we offer
Recommendations Received (17)
"Joel’s works are both evocative and grounded in reality. It is clear, Joel is fully engaged in..."
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"Joel’s works are both evocative and grounded in reality. It is clear, Joel is fully engaged in the process of making an image tell a truth. "
"Very talented photographer. It's work is very artistic and beautiful especially his scenic photos"
Products & Services
Big book of geological art photography. Many people don't realize how much more beauty there is on this earth than landscapes. This book explores n...
Portrait, event, wedding, architectural, product photography. Personalized service. Also includes video and drone photography.
Fashion can tell a story with the power of pictures. Joel Simpson Photography offers fashion photography in Union and on location, for use in adver...
Recommendations Given (6)
"Elizabeth does exceptional work. She is an extremely high-consciousness artist with strongly..."
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"Elizabeth does exceptional work. She is an extremely high-consciousness artist with strongly provocative original works."
"Andrei is a brilliant poet and essayist. His wit and insights have enlightened millions of..."
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"Andrei is a brilliant poet and essayist. His wit and insights have enlightened millions of people. I'm proud to call him my friend."
Recent Activity
Also, Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"
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Also, Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"
Dear Abel & Sofi, I've traveled a lot and mostly plan my own trips: Round the world (12 countries), a month in India, Ireland North & South, Ireland—Naples area—Sardinia (last summer), California, the US Southwest and Northwest, the Vancouver area, Newfoundland, Wales, lots of France &...
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Dear Abel & Sofi, I've traveled a lot and mostly plan my own trips: Round the world (12 countries), a month in India, Ireland North & South, Ireland—Naples area—Sardinia (last summer), California, the US Southwest and Northwest, the Vancouver area, Newfoundland, Wales, lots of France & Italy.They're complex and the planning is very laborious, but they work. Plus, I'm a professional photographer and have TONS of photos (joelsimpsonart.com, earthforms.net). Most people don't want to do this work. Let's have a conversation. Call me at 908-686-9539 in Union, NJ. Since so much travel planning can be do-it-yourself, the role of travel agents has changed, but it's still a lot of work to plan good trips.
Also, please visit the website weblogtheworld.com. I write for it. The owner, Renee Blodgett calls it a "transformative travel" website. Look up my name, and you'll find my articles on the Venice Biennale (2017) and a hot-air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey (2014). You'll get plenty of ideas for tours there.
Joel Simpson, jssphoto@verizon.net
908-686-9539
Hi Mike, I would have answered rather negatively a month ago, but I responded to one solicitation for help with my marketing, and I was astonished at the results: within one day of sending in a $175 deposit I was getting an average of two good leads a day—prospective brides who answered the phone...
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Hi Mike, I would have answered rather negatively a month ago, but I responded to one solicitation for help with my marketing, and I was astonished at the results: within one day of sending in a $175 deposit I was getting an average of two good leads a day—prospective brides who answered the phone when I called, who knew who I was, and who wanted to make an appointment with me for a "get-acquainted" mini-photo shoot. After making a very positive phone contact, I have four concrete appointments, during which I will present my best low-pressure, client-driven sales talk, and I expect to book at least two weddings this way, maybe more, and the leads keep coming in. The expert's name is Eric Urso, and his company is Mawnster Marketing, (703) 895-0737. He lives in Northern Virginia, and he only takes one merchant in any given market to work with.
Marketing. It took several years before I understood what worked, among all the costly ideas and plans out there with their many claims. Especially in a business like photography, where the competition is so fierce, where price-shoppers dominate the market, and there's always someone who'll do it...
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Marketing. It took several years before I understood what worked, among all the costly ideas and plans out there with their many claims. Especially in a business like photography, where the competition is so fierce, where price-shoppers dominate the market, and there's always someone who'll do it cheaper. I had to learn to educate prospects on first contact (=sales), to listen to them, shmooze with them, give them a sample in words over the phone, of the kind of things I look for and bring out, and the extra services I provide (the famous "uniqueness" factors) to justify my prices—which weren't all that greater than the others on the lower end.
My biggest problem has always been to get people on the phone. If they call me, then it's no problem. But if I learn of them through a lead service (like Gigmasters), then it's usually hard to reach them, even with elaborate and personal responses. There are so many people out there trying to create their wedding on a budget—with no help from parents; or who are mounting an event and have already spent their limit, or over, on the food and venue. They're squeezed by the time they think about photography, but know that a professional will give them much superior results to all their friends with cell phones. So you lose a lot of them, who'll choose someone else, who may or may not be as good, but they're $100 less.
So I've learned that when using a gig service to generate leads, it's best to offer the most pared down package at the cheapest possible price as your response, then let the client choose add-ons, once you've booked them. In practical terms, it means NEVER including an album in a wedding price (fewer people want them today anyway). I hate the concept of "shoot and burn," which includes the printable image files, but I have to offer it, but I invite them to my studio, where they see amazing albums, which go onto their wish list. Even if they don't buy an album, they're impressed with my level of service, and I often become a friend, so they wouldn't think of hiring anyone else for their next event.
For parents with children, this can be very relevant: you do the Bar Mitzvah or Sweet 16, and they come back to you for the next kid, or a wedding.
And get out there in the community—chamber of commerce meetings, networking mixers, etc. Photograph the networking meetings for free and send the photos to the business owners. They can send you prospects.
There's a lot to this, and I learned a lot from people like Sarah Petty and Charles Lewis. Joy Vertz also has many good marketing ideas, although not all of them work in every market. People around here (N. NJ) tend to be skeptical and sales-resistant, so personality matters in your first contact. If you can make them laugh, all the better.
Fortunately, these complainers are only a small minority of clients, but they're always out there. You should end your relationship as quickly and as politely as possible, e.g. "It seems to me that you would be happier with another service. You can find many alternatives in the Yellow Pages or...
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Fortunately, these complainers are only a small minority of clients, but they're always out there. You should end your relationship as quickly and as politely as possible, e.g. "It seems to me that you would be happier with another service. You can find many alternatives in the Yellow Pages or online."
What these people cost you in time and grief is just not worth it! Respect yourself!
