Today we’d like to introduce you to James Huenink.
Hi James, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started Huenink Photography when I moved to East County from Chicago in 2021. I had been interested in sports photography for many years, focusing mostly on photographing friends and family. When I moved, I didn’t know anyone in the area, but I still wanted to practice my art. So, I just started reaching out to free sports events. I discovered the amazing San Diego BMX community, and started taking photos at weekly races. People wanted to know where they could get the photos, so I started selling them online. The business grew from there. Over the last four years, I have transitioned from using a post-and-sell model to pre-pay, individual coverage. That is, instead of photographing every player and hoping someone buys a single image, parents and athletes hire me to photograph individuals, and they receive a huge stash of photos. After a few years of working at high schools and single youth leagues, I expanded into covering large, tournaments and other events with sports portraits and action photography. We are growing every year and looking to expand our partnerships with tournament organizers to help them build brand loyalty and give their participants memories for years to come.
Alright, 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?
The growth of Huenink Photography has been pretty smooth. Like any business that expands from a solo entrepreneur into a larger team, the biggest challenges come with adding new staff and ensuring that the high quality photography and service that I pride myself on are continued as we expand. Our first major event was a national level figure skating competition that had four sites, multiple photographers, and a lot of complex elements. We had to learn a lot very quickly to make sure that our clients had the best images and service. Hiring new staff and running a large event for the first time was a huge challenge! Fortunately, my team really stepped up to make sure the event went well. Since then, we’ve added software solutions and procedures to make sure these events go smoothly for everyone, and our capacity has grown quite a bit. I look forward to developing more partnerships in the future!
We’ve been impressed with Huenink Photography, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Huenink Photography focuses on youth sports action photography at large events. We are known for giving both our tournament partners and parents and athletes great service and high quality images. I’m especially proud of being able to be a full service photography group that can handle scheduling, photography, and customer interactions without adding organizational burden to our tournament partners. Tournament directors get to focus on running their events, and we take care of the entire photography process. Our system allows the directors to access images from the games to use for social media and advertising as we upload them, so they can promote games and their tournament in real time. Best of all, the parents and athlete love getting images the same day and sharing them on social media.
How do you think about happiness?
My favorite part of running a photography business is seeing parents get high quality images of their children in action. Parents only get a few years with their children, and our greatest blessing is to be a part of capturing memories that will last their whole lives. I love to be able to give mom and dad a fantastic shot of their child hitting the home run, making a great play, or celebrating after a win. Mom and dad get to cheer on the sidelines instead of watching the game through their screens while we capture the memories. What led me to photography, especially sports photography, was that I can be part of telling their story and keeping amazing memories while also being fully present in their kids’ events. What we do isn’t just about images. We get to give them the gift of being present in the moment.
Pricing:
- $70 for individual coverage, usually 80+ photos from a game
- $230 for team coverage, depending on the sport, usually 200+ images from a single game
- $0 for tournament directors
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jeh-photo.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hueninkphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088188406307
Image Credits
All images copyright Huenink Photography
