And by the way, if you’ve yet to attend an event at the Arts Center, you are missing out on some seriously fun times with great peeps. I will definitely see you there. Oh, & in case you didn’t know it, when working on design projects I work under my code-name “The Visible Group.” It’s kind of like my nom de plume or pen name. It’s my way of keeping people guessing… ha!

And, since every blog post needs a picture, here’s my little man Knox with his Elvis glasses on.

When we bought our house we loved the extra 160 square feet screened-in back porch just off the kitchen. But as I thought about bringing my office home, I knew this space would be ideal. With blazing hot summers & cold winters, I was going to have to close in the space. I began researching & designing the space, gathering materials, begging my Father-in-law & dad to help, & eventually beginning the renovation. We did all the renovation ourselves & saved a ton of money… you wouldn’t believe the final cost. I will spare some of the details but I designed the space to echo my Ben Finch Photography brand. There are a few things missing… I’m saving to add a couch & coffee table, signage, & a large plasma/LCD TV to show clients their session photos. Here it is so far with it’s wonderful natural light pouring in… drum roll please!!

One of the challenges & benefits of moving to such a small space is that it forces you to simplify. Everything in the office serves a purpose now. The suitcases & trunk both house photo equipment & office supplies. The couch & coffee table will serve as a workstation when I have meetings with my designers & photography associates. And I have areas for temporary & permanent filing… it’s an organizational dream!

Leave me a comment below & let me know what you think. If you have any questions about the benefits/challenges of running a business (or two) from home or feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. Or, if you have any questions for that matter… I’ll be glad to try to answer.

Here are a few pics of the area beforehand as I was measuring for windows. These images remind me of how hard it was to keep the screened-in porch clean… it drove me crazy! Not any more!!

Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from my undergrad Alma Mater, the University of Mobile. It was special to me because it represented so much, namely, the incredible journey the Lord has taken me on these past few years. Just over two years ago, my wife was pregnant with our first child & I decided to resign from my steady & well-paying job (the one I have 9 years of higher education toward) & pursue two businesses I had recently started (w/ no promise of income), Ben Finch Photography & The Visible Group [Marketing & Design]. Was I crazy? Yeah… possibly, but it was & is worth the risk of failing to pursue my dreams. And have I failed? Geeze… countless times since, but it’s been completely worth it. There are mistakes I made in the beginning that you couldn’t pay me enough to do again. But, I cannot explain the amount of fulfillment & joy that comes from pursuing your dreams even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Since, I’ve had dozens of opportunities to share my story & it’s overwhelming how many people dare not to pursue their dreams, rather choosing stability, comfort, etc. I’m hoping I will have the courage to continue taking the ‘road less traveled’… it makes all the difference.

Back to the matter at hand, The Visible Group, was hired by the University of Mobile to design/develop two websites, provide commercial photography for print/web, & develop a new brandmark & identity material for UMobile. The scope of the project was huge but proved to be an incredible experience. I’m so thankful for a school like University of Mobile; it was the perfect place for me to help foster close relationships with fellow students, teachers, & administration. Choosing to attend UMobile has proved one of the best decisions of my life. I’m so proud of our work that I wanted to pass it on & get your feedback. I’d love to hear your thoughts… this was such a fulfilling project as I was able to give back to my Alma Mater.

This is the main University of Mobile website I designed (& developed by our web development partner, Nvisionative) located at www.umobile.edu. You’ll see my photography work throughout much of the site, primarily in the rotating image areas.

And here is the site located at giving.umobile.edu. I designed this site to appeal to a older demographic, specifically alumni & the business community.
This is the stationery for general office use. The recruiting office has it’s own stationery that is a bit edgier for a younger demographic. They both include the University of Mobile’s new brandmark, aka logo.
If you have friends or family who are looking for a great education & would like to head on down to the beautiful Mobile Bay, check out the University of Mobile. Tell them I sent you!

For those of you who are considering hiring me as a photographer, I am so thankful; I would love to have you as a client!

This is simply part of why I love our town.

Since I have my office/studio downtown off the square, it is an ideal opportunity to open the door, display the gallery, & let people in on my latest projects. This year I had more visitors than ever. It seemed like I rarely took a break from conversations & eager visitors were very complimentary of my work; it was a great night.

Here is a view of my studio from the street. I work out of the 2nd oldest building in our town, the “Samuel Cleage” house, which is located on the National Historic Registry. One of my favorite FYI’s is that if you do a Wikipedia search on Athens, TN, my building is on the front page (see for yourself).

I chose to highlight a few of my favorite products: coffee table books, signature leather wedding albums, proof books, & my “Inspire Guide” (more on my Inspire Guide to come in a future post). People loved these items!

Friends have been asking me for almost 2 years as to whether I was going to make these available for purchase… I simply call it Alphabet Photography. I have built an extensive collection of photographs from nature, buildings, gates, signs, & etc. to piece together images that look like alphabet letters. As you can see below on the mantel is the name “Brennan.” This is just an example of how to take advantage of these pics. These are the actual pics & frames that are hanging above my son Brennan’s crib; most of the letters in his name were photographed in other countries. I sell 5x7s for $10/letter for the first 5 letters, then they are$5/letter afterward. And, I have multiple images for every letter & can accommodate for just about any name. If you are interested in purchasing, leave me a comment below or shoot me an email.

The only regret I have from the other night is not getting additional pics from inside the studio & of the images I have on gallery. I guess I will have to that in a later post! Have a great day everyone & thanks to all who stopped by Saturday night & visited. And, thanks to all you who faithfully stop by on your daily digital commute… you mean so much to me!