Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Poe.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
You may be wondering why the name SunDawg? The name SunDawg comes from my love of the beach, ocean, and sun. I had been taking photos since I was a child and dad started me out with a Pentax K1000 camera. I noticed that every vacation or trip I went on, that I was taking a lot of photos and I wanted to share those with others, so I started SunDawg Photography in 2019. At the time I was working a corporate job of 50-80 hours per week and didn’t have the time to focus on SunDawg Photography. In order to get this focus, I left my job of 18.83 years and a combined 24 years in automotive on July 2021 and dedicated all of my time to SunDawg Photography. Now that I’ve had the time to dedicate to it, I’ve gone through ~15,000 pictures I’d amassed over the years as I’ve been taking new ones and put those onto the new website, which I launched earlier this year and also relaunched SunDawg Photography with the new website. I’ve been able to capture scenes and wildlife from Alaska to Florida, and many in Middle Tennessee since making the change. I currently offer prints in canvas, metal, or wood, and I plan to offer prints in various formats in the future. Currently, prints are only available online, however, I plan to start attending craft fairs early next year in various areas of Middle Tennessee and Florida.
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?
There have been challenges and opportunities along the way, and I have learned a lot. I can see improvements as I make changes as I learn more about my equipment, my shooting style, upgrade equipment, and through analytical tools.
Some of the struggles that I have faced are:
1) Having the time to dedicate to SunDawg Photography until July 2021.
2) Learning how to create a website, and then redoing it because the platform I had used did not make it easy to list items for sale or for people to purchase them if they wanted to.
3) Going through the approximately 15,000 photos that I had taken over the last two years in about 2 months to determine which were good enough to show in the website galleries.
4) Driving traffic to the website itself.
5) Constant monitoring of the website to see what is working and what isn’t and making tweaks to it to improve the customers’ experience as they look through the prints I am showing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At SunDawg Photography I specialize in Nature & Wildlife photography, but as I also have a passion for cars and boats, then I do take photos of those also. I am known for sunset photos, flowing water photos, as well as some of the more recent photos of animals going about their daily activities. What sets me apart is the willingness to branch out and shoot different areas and experiment and expand my knowledge as quickly as I can. As I spent 24 years in the auto industry, working a lot of hours in various locations, then the opportunity to grow my photography skills was not as easy as if I’d have been able to focus on it each week, so now I’m learning and growing as fast as I can. SunDawg Photography currently is offering prints in canvas, metal, and wood, however, in looking at the future of the brand, I see a lot of potential to branch out and offer photos in many different media types and to make SunDawg a part of people’s everyday life. If they can walk around their home or office and see various items from SunDawg Photography, then my hope is that print or item will bring happiness and joy to their life and they can sit and stare at it and get lost in that print just as I did as I was taking the shot itself. In the end, SunDawg Photography isn’t just about photography, but about a lifestyle of bring joy to others and living by the mantra of “Be Someone Special and Live a Great Story”.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
As I started the business during COVID, it had me rethink the business plan and focus more on Nature & Wildlife Photography. By doing this, it’s allowed me to hone my skillset quickly, and this should lead to more versatility in what directions I can move SunDawg Photography in the future. Also, it’s helped me to develop a positive mindset and always strive to “Be Someone Special and Live a Great Story”.
Pricing:
- SunDawg ball caps are $24.50
- Gift Cards are available for $25-$200
- Wood Prints start at $57.58 for 12×18
- Canvas Prints start at $81.92 for 12×18
- Metal Prints start at $103.98 for a 12×18
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.sundawgphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundawgphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sundawgphotos
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SundawgPhotos
Image Credits
SunDawg Photography
