Could use some DU vibes, please...meeting tomorrow with potential new client (Mexican Restaurant)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

I just printed out contact sheets of food photos from 5 of my restaurant Websites, plus selected interior pages.

I've done a Taqueria before, but this is more of a family restaurant type place...family owned, two locations, owner is definitely interested in seeing my work and having this conversation (he told me so...that's always a good sign).

Here are some of the Taqueria pics I've posted on DU previously:











Meeting is at 1 PM. Any vibes between now and then would be MOST appreciated.

:toast:

[Chan790]

1. Vibes you can have...

but I don't think you need them, your photos are making me drool and I don't even eat most any of that because it's not vegetarian. That's some great work, if the rest of the websites are as good as your shooting skill you're a-okay, in fact you might have missed a calling as a food photographer for gourmet magazines.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. Thanks Chan...

...I try to do my best for every client but there is something about restaurant Websites where I just feel like I'm "in the zone"...

...I've gotten a LOT of great feedback on DU when I've posted the photos, too...things that have helped on future shoots.

These are all "guerilla" shoots, "in the field"...the food comes out of the kitchen and I get about 30 seconds to get my shot, because bringing cold food to the customer means no tip for the waiter / waitress. So I discuss what I want to see in the shot with the owner and chef before they cook it. I have to coach them on things like no stray grease spots, fallen crumbs, etc.

I've pretty much developed my own process, out of necessity.

:toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

12. Here are some (mostly) vegetarian photos from you from my Japanese restaurant client...

You can skip the Tempura Shrimp in this one and enjoy the cold soba noodles...



Sauteed Spinach, one of my favorites in any Japanese restaurant...



The "Salad Roll"...sweet potato & Japanese pumpkin fries, asparagus, cucumber, carrot, red cabbage, lettuce, kaiware sprouts, rolled in rice paper, served with house dressing!

:toast:

ON EDIT...here's one more!



Deep fried tofu on a bed of stir-fried vegetables sauteed in miso sauce.

:toast:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Amerigo Vespucci!

Vibes en route, for as long as you need them!

You need a major break and I hope this will be it.

:toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. Thanks CP...

...I was saying the same thing to Jack earlier today. I've had a recent run of smaller, cheaper sites...I need this one to be back in the ballpark of what I normally charge for this kind of work.

:toast:

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. I just now ate and you've made me hungry with these pictures,

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You bring ALL the good vibes you need in your portfolio.
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That said ----- buenas vibraciones.
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:applause:
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[Amerigo Vespucci]

6. Thanks MFM...

...I am fortunate in the fact that I also bring genuine enthusiasm. I've had more than one client comment on it. I am stoked and ready to show this man some of my best work.

:toast:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Now I'm hungry.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. Thank you, V.O....I always love hearing that, because...

...when I have my first conversation with a restaurant owner, I talk about the work I've done for similar clients, and the importance of the food photos, and I do say "I make them (visitors to the Website) hungry, and they come in and buy a meal."

I feel like that's my job, the only reason they should consider doing business with me, and I have success stories. One Italian restaurant told me that they had customers who drove 120 miles on a Saturday because they saw the Website and wanted to come down for a meal. They made a day out of it!

:-)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. Your photos make me drool. I almost started gnawing on my MacBook.

I think you have a promising future in food photography/menus/websites. Yum.

[trof]

8. I'd eat the pictures. Break a leg.

Hell, break TWO!
Best of DU luck to you.
trof
:-)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. Thanks trof.

The famous DU vibes have been KNOWN to be game-changers!

:toast:

[pacalo]

11. Sending good, good vibes your way, Amerigo!

Those are really good, effective pictures -- I'd love to eat any one of them (the first would be my favorite)!

Crossing my fingers & will be checking in tomorrow evening for your update.

:toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. Thanks pacalo...

...I'd LOVE to do this one. The place really has a warm vibe the minute you walk in the door.

:toast:

On edit: That first photo that you like was my favorite, too...it is the tilapia. I told the owner "We've GOT to get a photo of THAT one." A lot of people think tacos, burritos, etc. when they think of a Mexican restaurant. They're important, they've got to be there, and they've got to be good. But it's the "surprise" items like the tilapia that brings in a wider range of customers.

I always tell my clients "Show me what you're customers are expecting, and let's place special emphasis on the things they are not, the excellent things you offer that make you special."

[pacalo]

14. That's a very good point to make tomorrow. :)

Tilapia is a wonderful, sweet-tasting fish -- one of my favorites. Yummy!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

15. I also make a KILLER "Cedar Plank Tilapia"...

You basically need a two-sided grill.

You heat one side on high and the other on low.

The cedar plank has to soak a few hours so it doesn't burn (although the edges can catch fire a bit so you need a squirt bottle of water at the ready).

You basically brush the tilapia with olive oil and put it on the cedar plank on the low heat side, keep an eye on it, and it picks up the smokiness of the cedar and flakes beautifully with a fork.

I take a lot of photos of food I cook too...here's one of my Cedar Plank Tilapia:



:toast:

[WinkyDink]

16. Missed the vibes, but I want the food! I hope everything went well for you!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

19. No, still time for vibes! It's 1 PM tomorrow! 20 hours from now!

Thanks WinkyDink!

:toast:

[WinkyDink]

35. You got'em, and more----->

http://popartmachine.com/artwork/LOC+1164606/0/%5BLionel-Hampton,-half-length-portrait,-playing-the-vibraphone%5D-NYWTS...-painting-artwork-print.jpg

:-)

[hyphenate]

17. Hey!

The best of luck! Looks great to me!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

20. Thanks hyphenate...

...much appreciated.

:toast:

[applegrove]

21. vibes. You'll do great. Those pics are amazing. I have to go eat something now!!!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

25. Thanks applegrove!

Looks like the pics are doing their job...they're supposed to make people hungry!

:-)

[snagglepuss]

22. Very very tantalizing photos. Vibes coming your way.

:yourock:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. Thanks snagglepus!

:toast:

[emilyg]

23. Vibes!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

27. Thank you emilyg!

:-)

[Tallulah]

24. Good luck !

Your pictures are beautiful.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

28. Thank you Tallulah...

...I appreciate your kind words.

:-)

[OhioChick]

29. Mega vibes headed your way!

:hug:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

31. Thanks a million O.C.!

:-)

[Odin2005]

30. Damn, now I'm hunary!

:hi:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

32. Thanks Odin!

:hi:

[woo me with science]

33. Good luck!

That is fine and appetizing work! :toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

36. Thank you woo me with science!

I appreciate your kind words.

:toast:

[SwissTony]

34. Great photos, mate.

And that's real food, too (not sump oil and other disgusting elements masquerading as food).

All the best with the new client. If the client has any brains, they'll take you on.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

37. Thank you SwissTony...

...it's definitely real food. It amazes me some times that part of my coaching for restaurant clients is to convince them that one very effective way to get people to buy a meal is to show them the meal. I have one client who only wanted a few photos on the Website because they said "less is more." And in the long run, if the customer is writing the check, the customer is always right. But I know the reaction these photos get. And I know restaurant owners who tell me, on a regular basis, because people went to the Website, the photos made them hungry, and they came in for a meal.

:toast:

[SwissTony]

41. As a photographer, you might appreciate this true story

Years ago, I was friendly with a commercial photographer. One of the jobs he got was to photograph a one litre pack of (frozen) ice cream. Of course, this had to be done under lights to get it "just right". And lights (as you know) are hot. So, they'd take the ice cream out of the freezer, put it into shot, take two or three frames and bung it back in the freezer before it melted. It took hours to get the required shots, of course, most of it marked down as unproductive but labour intensive time. But eventually, everyone was happy.

Afterwards, the crew ate the ice cream....

The next day, the ice cream company asked for the ice cream back........

I kid you not.



Let us know how you get on with the client.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

56. That is definitely one of the great stories.

The owner seemed like a nice guy...very down-to-earth, very easy to talk with. I'll have a better feel for things on September 2nd when I go there for the photo shoot, but today was a good meeting.

[one_voice]

38. Lots and lots of...

vibes to ya!!!

Now I'm hungry. :9

[Amerigo Vespucci]

50. Thank you one_voice!

:-)

[Little Star]

39. You've got em! Those pics are beautiful!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

52. Thank you for the kind words Little Star!

:toast:

[HappyMe]

40. Sending you my very best vibes.....

Those pictures make me want to lick the puter screen!



Good luck, oh talented one.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

48. The vibes WORKED, HappyMe...see below!

:toast:

[Tom_Foolery]

42. Good luck!

With your intellect, you don't really need it, though.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

53. Thanks Tom...he said yes, my world is rockin'...

:toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

43. ***** UPDATE ***** HE SAID YES ***** HE IS MY NEW CLIENT ***** THANK YOU EVERYONE!

It was something like a ten minute meeting. I laid everything out, and he said "Yes."

It's going to be a smaller site (he said "I'd just like something simple") but it will be his full menu and photos and it will cover my September rent, and he'll be giving me a check on September 1st.

He also said "Another guy had approached me before and given me a quote, but I didn't like the way he presented himself."

I'm a businessman...I show up in a suit and conduct myself professionally.

Had another nice experience...went a couple of blocks down to Safeway after the meeting. I always try to be very friendly and polite to the checkers. Today I was in a great mood so I was probably extra-friendly. The lady who rang up my groceries was very nice. She asked me if I wanted any help out and I said "No thank you" and then she gave me a kind of shy smile and said "That's a very nice suit. You look very nice today."

So I said "Thank you very MUCH! You have a grate evening," and that was that.

So I am home now, generating a list of doors to knock on during my sales calls tomorrow. Had to take time to thank you all for the famous DU vibes and offer MORE PROOF that they WORK!

:-)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

44. Yay you!!

:woohoo:

Your photos make people want to eat their computers. I'm not surprised you got the job.

And you are quite right - looking professional can make a huge difference.

:woohoo:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

46. Thanks V.O.!

I have one other client who came on board recently, but he is in the middle of updating his menus and has been moving a bit slowly. He owns a "Diner" type place, specializing in breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches and salads...he also has a classic shake machine for real ice cream shakes. Once I get him to commit to a day for a photo shoot, I'll be posting the results here. The thing that created his initial success was the combination of quality ingredients and generous portions...one Yelp reviewer said something like "When he brought me my burger I thought he brought me TWO by MISTAKE."

:rofl:

[trof]

49. WOOHOO!!!

:bounce::bounce::bounce:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

51. Thanks trof...

...color me STOKED. I am SO READY to do a killer site for this place. I look forward to posting the pics here. First photo shoot is scheduled for next Friday night, 9/2.

:toast:

[bluesbassman]

60. Awesome AV!

Congrats and here's to keeping on a roll! :applause: :pals:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

62. Thanks, bro...and I think I've figured out how to do that.

I know how to approach business owners. I'm one myself. I'm honest. "My name is Mike, I've done XYZ, I have helped them, I'd like to see if there is a way I can help you."

I'm fortunate in that I've built a portfolio that speaks to the people who see my work and like it, and as far as those who are looking for something else are concerned, here's to their success. I have a pretty specific approach that doesn't copy anyone else. It works for some people, it doesn't work for others.

So I get up, get in the shower, put on the suit, and make contact.

I do that as a businessman. I speak to these folks as a peer...you're a businessman/woman, I'm a businessman, let's see how I can help you.

I see better days ahead, as long as I stick to what I do best.

:toast:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

61. My dear Amerigo Vespucci!

Oh WOW!

I just knew this would happen!

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am for you!

Besides, I really know what it means!

A certain someone will not be bothering you very much longer, I think...

Congratulations!

:hug:

:toast:

[Amerigo Vespucci]

63. Thanks CP...

...I was talking with Jack earlier today and said "You know, I would have preferred that this paid a little higher, but I have no problem stacking up sites like this because the bottom line is the same."

I have been blessed with "sales skills"...so many business owners don't have them. I've found a dollar amount business owners in Silicon Valley are comfortable spending and have adjusted my work hours to deliver a superior product that gives them full value and gives me a revenue stream.

The big thing about the "exit" you refer to is that I have to just relax and enjoy this ride. If this were the old West, I'd definitely be wearing a white hat. I work hard for my clients, I have worked hard to hone my skills, and I have to tune out anything and everything that is not in alignment with me getting out of bed every day and striving for excellence.

I feel that I am close, Peggy...today was a real game-changer. Not in terms of dollars, but in terms of my attitude. And in the final analysis, that's the axle that the wheels of success are mounted on. I could be the most talented Web Designer / Photographer on the planet, but if my heart and my gut and my head aren't in the right place, none of that would matter.

I was floored by how easy today's meeting was. I was honest. I presented my best work. He said "Let's do it."

It's all the noise and drama of day-to-day life that short-circuits the ease of making money. The degree to which we can refrain from participating in the drama equals the degree to which we can increase our finances, and by doing so, increase our options, and live a life that is truly "free."

:-)

[GreenPartyVoter]

64. Fabulous! *hugs*

[Amerigo Vespucci]

67. Thank you GPV...

...I actually went to a store where a friend of mine works, after this happened, and told her "I'm really glad you're here. I could use a hug," and we had a great hug. I told her about my meeting and we hugged again. They were probably two of the best hugs I've had in decades. There is nothing on the face of the Earth that matches a warm hug from a dear friend.

:toast:

[GreenPartyVoter]

68. You are so right! Your batteries must be all charged up now. :^D (That's

how my Dad got hugs out of the boys, "Oh no, my batteries need charging!" LOL)

[MiddleFingerMom]

45. CONNGRATULATIONS!!! Now... remember the awesome responsibility and don't make it look TOO good!!!

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[Amerigo Vespucci]

47. He really liked the photo of the tilapia...I know that will make pacalo happy as that was her fave.

Part of the challenge will be gently bringing him along in the realm of "what makes you special"...

For instance, he offers a breakfast burrito that includes "cactus with egg, rice, beans, and pico de gallo."

I mean, as a blonde haired, blue eyed Italian Web Designer, I want to know about that burrito!

:-)

[MiddleFingerMom]

58. The "cactus" is nopalitos -- the tender inner pads of the green "leaves"...

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of the prickly pear cactus (pictured below). Often mixed with eggs, they are
unusual and/or unique even here in Tucson in Mexican restaurants (more common
in home cooking).
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MY favorite Mexican restaurant here in Tucson is Guadalajara -- and it's my
favorite because it DOES have unusual items on the menu (an appetizer dip of
mushrooms, spinach, and cream served with warm tortillas).
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[KamaAina]

54. Sounds like a good place for a South Bay meetup!

Oh, yes, New Orleans bloggers ("Other people eat to live; in New Orleans we live to eat") call that genre of photography "food porn". :-)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

55. I have the following:

1). Pizza Parlor

2). Upscale Italian Restaurant

3). Upscale Japanese Restaurant with 2 locations

4). "Diner"-style restaurant (breakfast, burgers, salads, sandwiches)

5). Taqueria (even though the client let the Website lapse this year by not paying her domain registration / web hosting bill, it is still a killer place).

DU has seen photos from each of the Websites above.

In addition, my two new clients are another "Diner"-style place and today's Mexican restaurant.

So yeah...any DUers planning to converge on Silicon Valley won't leave hungry.

If anyone wants to PM me for the exact names of any of these restaurants and a link to the Websites I created, please do so.

:toast:

[rurallib]

57. {{{{{{{{{{ vibing for Amerigo !!!! }}}}}}}}}}}}

[Amerigo Vespucci]

59. Thanks rurallib! The vibes worked!

:toast:

[Throd]

65. Nice tripe shot!

they way the honeycomb descends into the cloudy broth...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

66. Thanks Throd...

...I've looked at that photo a number of times and thought that the tripe was positioned perfectly, just a three-dimensional feel from a one-dimentional photo.

They only make the menudo on weekends. Word gets around. One segment of the customer base is made up of office workers of every nationality who want something better than Taco Bell for lunch. The other is made up of people who know (and want) "Capital A Authentic" Mexican Food.

:toast:

[SwissTony]

69. Congratulations, AV. I knew you'd ace it. nt.