Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently
Asked
Questions
1. Ok, so what's with
that name, "Bergerking?" You know what people are going to think of when
they hear it . . .
Yeah, we know. But it actually doesn't
sound like that. The first syllable is pronounced "bear", not
"burr," and the second one rhymes with the first. It comes from part of
Pete's last name, "Wachsberger" and Michelle's entire last name, King.
So, despite knowing that we'd get asked this a lot, we went with it. (Michelle
vetoed "Kingberger") So now, as Pete points out, ad nauseum, there are 3
main differences between our name and that other place's: It's pronounced
differently; it's one word, not two; and it's spelled differently.
Besides, if we were going to rip off a restaurant's name for a
photography studio, we would have called it . . .
SHOOTERS
2.
So, now we know your names, but who are you?
Michelle is originally
from Illinois, but lived for the previous 10 years in Louisiana near New
Orleans. (She moved out about a year before Katrina moved in.) She
is a retired special education teacher, accomplished artist and musician, specializing in hammered
dulcimer and piano, which she teaches. It is her artistic talent being used in Adobe Photoshop
CS™, which enhances many of our images. (Or as Pete puts it, saves his
butt from time to time) Her artistic talent lends itself well to shooting, and
she has become very adept, but
she still lets Pete handle the bulk of that.
Pete is from Minnesota. Oddly
enough, he got his start about 30 years ago in photography by being a radio
announcer. He was working for a small town station in Kentucky, and the
same people who owned the station owned a newspaper. So, he started
carrying a camera for them to events he was covering for radio, discovered that
he was much more talented with a camera than with a microphone, and the balance
shifted. After shooting a couple of weddings for friends, he and his late
wife opened a studio, which prospered for a few years until the local economy
went bust, and they sold out and returned to Minnesota.
3.
How'd you end up in Anderson, SC?
We met on line. Michelle responded to an ad Pete had placed, instant
messaging became phone calls (Michelle had lots of free minutes) and about a
week after that started, Pete drove from Minnesota to Louisiana to meet.
After a couple of visits by Michelle to Minnesota, it was agreed that
Anderson
was a good half-way point. So now we like to say that Pete went south to
where it's warmer, Michelle went north to where it's colder, and we both went to
the same place. And . . . we love this place.
4.
What's the story behind your slogan, "Taking Time to See the Light?"
The word
"photography" means drawing with light. Most people don't stop to realize
that when you "see" something, your eyes are not detecting the subject itself,
but rather the light reflected from it. A photographer (as opposed to
someone who "takes pictures") thinks in those terms. At Bergerking, we are
constantly studying how light in its infinite varieties portrays our world.
We take time to question whether our subject is in its best possible light;
should we wait until the sun has changed position, would backlight with fill be
better; in the studio, should we change the ratio, maybe reposition the main
light . . .we are taking time not only to see the light, but to find the best
light.
5.
Nice, but what does that mean to me?
To our clients, this means
that we don't set arbitrary limits on how many shots we make, or how many proofs
we present. If we come upon something that improves upon what we've been
doing in a session, we keep going. If the client has the patience, we
experiment. Then, we present not only what strikes us as the best, but a
sampling of everything. Just because we are professional photographers,
we do not assume that our vision of the light is always
superior. The light that pleases us the most may be far different from
what pleases you. Which of us is right? . . . We both are. Light,
and the perception of it, is totally subjective . . . there is no right and
wrong involved . . . ok, we also are business-savvy enough to go with the old "customer is
always right" adage.
6.
You seem to do a lot of photographing of special needs folks and their events.
How did that come
about?
Arthrogryposis Multiplex
Congenita, Achondroplasia, and Multiple Pterygium Syndrome. Between the
two of us, all three are included. We therefore have a special affinity
for disabled and/or special needs people. We came to realize that this
actually gave us an advantage that few other photographers have.
We are not only able to participate in good works, but have found that our
common bond opens up to us a market
that is overlooked, often intentionally, by others. Even though they (and
we) may have characteristics far different from what is considered
"beautiful" in the traditional sense, they are still beautiful to, and loved by, their families and
friends (and we hope they count us among their friends). We invite them to our studio, to join us in
Taking Time to See the
Light which they
reflect.
7.
Who is that beautiful young woman on the home page and elsewhere?
You
mean the Official Face of Bergerking? Hey,
if you think she looks beautiful, that's nothing compared to her
personality, charm, intelligence . . . Her name is Taylor Fitch. She is
the reigning Miss Upstate Teen, and will be competing for the state title in
July.
We first
met her, her mother, and grandmother (the sources of her good looks) through the
local Easter Seals. When she was just 14, she was their spokesperson.
Her mother owns a rehab facility, and Taylor became involved with issues
affecting the disabled, especially children, through helping out there.
She was Miss Greater Carolina Teen 2006, and when she competed for Miss South
Carolina Teen, she came to us for assistance in designing her pages for the
Program Book. As part of the competition, each contestant is required to
obtain sponsors for, and design, pages which are published in the Program.
She had no trouble finding sponsors, they were eager to be a part of this.
But, designing page layouts is one of the few things she was not skilled at.
So, when she asked us for assistance, we jumped at the opportunity. Pete
supplied a bit of photo expertise, and Michelle took it
from there,
creating a series of layouts.
So
how'd she do?
. . . She won the pages part of the competition . . . it wasn't even close.
As for the rest of it, she also won a couple of other things related to
Community Service and such, but didn't win the overall title . . . we say, "she
was robbed." But, now she's be back, a bit older and wiser, and don't
be surprised to see her competing for Miss America someday.
8.
What font is your logo in?
It's
called Black Chancery. It's available free at most font sites, but you
don't have to leave our site to get it.
Hey, there are lots
more questions . . .
We'll be back, but for now we're
posting this page as is . . .