We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Darius Prather. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Darius below.

Darius, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Photography has always been about experimenting with ideas and taking initial thoughts and making them grand visuals. My earlier days, i spent loading up on beginner level equipment, backdrops, entry level DSLR’s and lenses to feel like i had the essentials, but each photographic experience is a lesson in which you take something from it. You honestly must be teachable, not only to others, but to yourself in order to grow, realize you can do wonders with your eye, and constantly improve on that using your creative instincts.

Darius, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Darius Prather and am the owner and creative director of Fotologik. My brand specializes in photography and concept creation, making the visions of clients mere thoughts, palpable onto camera pixels. We solve the problem of “plain eye” imagery, adding depth, dimension and a dynamic storytelling scale to concepts and brand photography. The potential Fotologik client tends to come to us for images that catch the eye with mystery, depth and vigor. I’ve worked alongside celebrities , on set with VH1 and BET shows in the past, and in my earlier days, was known as more of a nightlife photographer, capturing visuals in the Atlanta bar and club scene.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I feel my brand has changed drastically after leaving the nightlife photography scene and going into creative direction of more individualistic photography . As you create a specific imagery, you learn in time that you are defined by what people know you as, and quite quickly at that. Putting a hard stop to one specific type of work and focusing on another can rub some the wrong way, but at the end of the day, i realized that nightlife photography was physically and mentally draining, devoid of passion, and something of a faux thrill that needed to end its course eventually. I was getting older, the money was inconsistent, and I could be using my time and efforts to create a brand that resonated with me best. It took a bit of time, but it helped me be seen as more than the guy with the camera at the bar. I regret nothing though, even the nightlife days.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I’m very big on re-connecting with old clients, not necessarily for business reasons directly, but to keep them connected to the brand either through networking events or sessions, meet ups and promotional projects that I cultivate. This tends to create a feeling of connectivity outside of their first experience booking with me, and often leads to future work, or referrals to other people based off of my photography or overall experience. Some do it with mailing lists and social media posting, but overall, people want to feel invited, involved and connected beyond a monetary exchange, hashtag or metrics. I think the Fotologik brand is known for how well it connects to all willing audiences, and not just those looking to book immediately. Your future client is still, a client at the end of the day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: instagram.com/fotologik.jpg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fotologik
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darius-prather/