The Photo Studio

One thing you will come to realise at TPS is that we have very specific ways of doing things. Often it will seem a little unusual, even confusing and you might be left wondering why.

Why is the front door locked and there are no photos or big sign out front?

The first thing is the front of the building. Just a modest sign. No photographs, no neon lights, no plate glass window showing off a glossy interior. And when you put your hand on the door handle its locked. Clearly, this is not your regular high street shopfront.

The Photo Studio is an exclusive invitation only destination. Our understated exterior speaks louder than a glossy street frontage. Entering our studio is a privilege afforded only to those who know. Just like a cool nightclub. It sets us apart and adds to the allure. It creates mystery and inspires curiosity.

This continues inside. Once through the door, the client finds themselves in a private lounge. Through the frosted glass of the double doors, there is movement and activity. Again, this instils curiosity to know what lies beyond.

It is not until they complete the initial meet & greet process, that they are they finally permitted to enter the inner sanctum. Only then is the studio revealed.

In Brisbane, we go a step further, with the actual studio space totally separated from backstage by the tunnel. Here, we create an even bigger impression. The tunnel is designed to give the sense of a performer coming up front the dressing room out onto the stage to face their audience as the star of the show. A bit of X Factor theatre where the majesty of the massive studio space, with its crew, is finally revealed and the real fun begins.

Why do we insist on keeping people in the front lounge for at least ten minutes before they come through?

There are a couple of reasons. Firstly, we want to give them time to settle down after the stress of getting to the studio. They left home an hour or more ago, travelled through traffic or on public transport hauling their bags with them. They were unsure where they were going, how long it would take, if they would be late, where they would park and if they are at the right place. They are almost always nervous and excited. We want to give them time to settle after the journey.

Then we give them time to take in their surroundings. To become engaged with the environment and consider what it represents. Cool, unique, different, and interesting. It allows time to build their curiosity.

There is an interesting story about Disneyland. If you visit in the middle of the summer holidays on a nice sunny day you can spend up to two hours waiting to get on a 2 min ride. If you go in the middle of winter, in a blizzard on a Tuesday, you will still spend a minimum of eight minutes waiting for a ride. They will deliberately slow down the process to make you wait. Because their psychologists worked out that waiting less than eight minutes reduces the level of excitement. We employ the same principle.

Why do we have a meet & greet tray and why a glass teapot with funny tea?

This is all about first impressions. It says, “This is somewhere special, different, creative and interesting”. It is not your usual water cooler with cheap disposable plastic cups, or a generic white coffee cup.

It doesn’t matter if people don’t drink the tea, it’s there to be seen.

Why do we call our salespeople producers, our tele-marketers bookers and our interns assistants?

Firstly, remember that TPS was founded by a renowned advertising photographer who worked on major international campaigns from studios in Sydney, New York and London. Today, his studios reflect the culture of the studios he worked in and owned during his career. It’s therefore not surprising to realise that TPS is not just any “old” photography business. We are not a family photo business in a shopping mall or your traditional wedding portrait outfit from the suburbs. Our culture and principles are aligned to the fashion and advertising photography studios you would expect to find around the world. The titles we give our crew are a reflection of that culture and in turn differentiate us from our competitors.