Meet Patricia Burmicky of PhotoUno Photography School and Patricia Burmicky Photography

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Burmicky.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Mostly driven by my passion for teaching and photography, I moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue a career in photography after having worked in the corporate world. I was ready to make the leap. After completing my studies at the International Center of Photography, I realized I wanted to share my passion for photography, so I started to teach privately. Later, business started to grow referral after referral. However, the big change happened after my husband and I realized that we needed to develop our business plan, and that marketing would be key to our business, which is why we complement each other so well: I bring my passion for teaching and photography, in addition to my financial background from my corporate world experience and he brings his marketing knowledge.

Once we started to get our students/clients, we made sure they had the best possible experience, which begins from the moment they register, take classes, and follow up. However, the most important key to our success is that you need to have a plan, a goal. Also, it is important to be aware that more than likely that same plan may have to change along the way in order to meet your ultimate goal. However, through our experiences, we have learned that have to have a starting point.

Also, our school has served as a platform for other photographers who feel passionate about teaching photography. Through our staff hiring, we made sure in our interview process that we hire professionals who align with our core values. This philosophy has been key to our success and for growing our school. This experience has been wonderful because we get to meet amazing and talented people every day; people who inspire and motivate you to continue with the project.

At the same time, I realized that the school was serving as a platform for all of us instructors to further develop our careers as a photographers. Thus, not only do I get to teach what I love, but I also get to meet people who want me to capture their everyday lives.

In summary, by offering a great customer/student experience, by being clear about your own expectations and goals, and by making sure that we are the right fit for our clients, we have come up with the ideal formula to develop customers who are happy with their photographs. Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention that social media has helped my photography business tremendously by having my clients share their experiences and by referring me to new clients.

Has it been a smooth road?
I believe, like anything in life, that it is all about hard work. One thing that has really helped is to feel passionate about what we do. Also, as a business owner, you have to make sure that you know your numbers. Mistakes will be made along the way, and that is fine, but the most important thing is to actually learn from your mistakes.

In addition, throughout this process, you start learning more about people, and then you realize that when someone is not happy, the best plan of action is to listen and to understand their point of view. Sometimes mutual agreements will happen and sometimes they will not. However, this is not because you were wrong or flawed but because everyone is different and perhaps you were not their right fit to begin with.

Because of this reason, we have learned the need for developing an agreement that clearly outlines what is included and what is not included in our services. It is also important to acknowledge that eight years ago, the market was very different, which is why we have to make sure that we are constantly adapting to market needs while staying aligned with your values.

To this date, I have not heard of anyone who owns a business say that this is an easy path. However, from personal experience, I can certainly vouch about the importance of knowing your numbers and surrounding yourself with people who are talented.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am both a photographer and a photography teacher. I’m the founder of PhotoUno Photography School, where we have designed photography courses to help people learn more about their digital cameras, to master them, and do something that they love. We focus on hobbyist photographers. Our courses are easy, flexible, and fun. We also offer more advanced courses for those who wish to deepen their knowledge in photography.

We are known for the quality of our digital photography classes and a well-structured curriculum. All of our instructors are trained to teach the same curriculum and make sure that each student has a consistent experience. Our instructors are also passionate about photography and will do their best to make sure that every student that steps in the classroom has a great time.

As a brand, we take pride about the quality of our classes and instructors. We are easy, flexible, and fun, and we will always make sure you have a great experience. As a photographer, I normally work with families, adults, and kids, that wish to capture a moment in time, from maternity, to newborn sessions, to any family gathering.

What sets me apart is the way in which I make my customers feel at ease in front of the camera. This helps me to capture their most genuine and candid expression. This is only possible after lots of preparation before the session and also throughout the course of the session. I work hard to make sure my clients get the images they want while welcoming their recommendations as a deliberate effort to exceed their expectations.

What do you love about our city and what do you dislike?
What I love about New York City is its dynamism and people. Every day I am mesmerized about how much I learn about different cultures, religions, and backgrounds. I learn about people all the time, and in the end, I feel like we are all a part of the same city. I have also learned that you have to be at peace with yourself as well as knowing yourself. There is a lot of energy in this city, and I do believe that the secret is to learn how take the positive energies and let go of the negative ones. Of course, you let go but you also make sure you learn from these experiences.

One of the things I like least about New York City is that sometimes people seem to be so much into their “work mode” that they seem to forget to acknowledge the most important things, like for example the experiences that truly makes them feel happy. I wish people were more intentional about making time to enjoy life. This is why I am always happy to hear that the best part of our clients’ day is when they come to our classes and/or enjoy time with their friends and family.

Contact Info:

• Address: 222 East 46th street suite 303S, NY, NY 10017
• Website: www.photouno.com and www.patriciaburmicky.com
• Phone: 6463987939
• Email: patricia@photouno.com
• Instagram: PhotoUno; patriciaburmicky
• Facebook: photo uno and Patricia Burmicky Photography

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