Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Griggs.
Kevin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After finishing art school at Creative Circus, I assisted many photographers in town until taking a full time position with Steve Hogben Photography. Steve was a well established commercial real estate photographer that was covering a large area market all over the southeast. With Steve I was given all of the newest gear and was able to travel to new places often for work; it was quite a great experience fresh out of college.
A couple of years into working for Steve Hogben Photography, Steve hired Kate Culver as an additional assistant. After about ten years of working directly for Steve, Kate and I decided to form Capitol Photography Partners. Since then we have blossomed into new markets and services. We are now a team of four strong with one new hire in 2019 and another just this year.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Things are never smooth and the road is long. Having a good client is great until they dry up. Building up to a few clients is hard work. We have seen clients wax and wane over our seven years in business. Our calendar stays pretty open since assignments happen like lightning. One day all is quiet then, BAM! three projects in three cities due ASAP. Getting booked last minute can affect personal events: anniversaries, birthdays, parties, concerts, vacation… Which can add stress when you are trying to focus. Travel is fun but can also be exhausting.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
We are a company that photographs buildings. Specifically, we audit a property’s assets on a commercial scale. Usually, our client is a broker needing photography to market a building. This building might be an: Apartment, Office building, Resort, Hotel, Warehouse, Shopping center… We arrive on site to document the property inside and out, day and night, on the ground and by air.
2019 highlight: Hyatt Regency Atlanta was listed for the first time since being built in 1967. An Atlanta Icon that has been photographed countless times and now was our responsibility to make it look new and wow the owners. We spent from sunrise to sunset for about four days shooting, shooting on the streets day and night, flying in helicopters day and night, flying drones day and night, gaining access to neighboring roofs, time lapses, multiple cameras at once, lobbies, rooms, exteriors… Just full throttle throwing everything we got at this property. At the end of it all Hyatt sold and we got a pat on the back.
We can flex and stretch to demanding travel and deadline more easily than a solo operation. Being a small business allows us to give personal attention to all our clients. Together we can deliver any assignment anywhere.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The first assignment of 2019 was Ritz South Beach in Miami. , Fly down, hop in the helicopter, after shooting two properties from the air we cruise back super low over the ocean like Miami Vice, get back on site to shoot brand new guest rooms, then hit the airport and fly home… On the flight back I thought, “Wow, this is my job!” setting the tone for our best year to date.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.capitolphotography.com
- Instagram: @capitolphotographyatl
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