March 5, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – Max Cohen of Cohen Studios in Raleigh has become a big fan of Groupon.com, a website that uses “collective buying power” to create all sorts of deals for its users.

After advertising a deeply discounted portrait session on Groupon recently, Cohen booked 72 sessions in one day.

Cohen opened his professional photography studio in downtown Raleigh 2009. Since then, he’s been open to a variety of methods for raising awareness of his services in wedding, portrait, commercial and editorial photography. When a representative for Groupon came calling, he thought he’d give it a try.

“The people at Groupon contacted me about featuring my studio on their homepage. I’d actually never heard of them before, but it seemed like a good idea because, even though the deep discount cuts into profit, I could see how it could bring people in the door. As a new businesses, that’s extremely important. But I would honestly never have guessed that it would have gotten me 72 clients in one day.”

He noted that a number of folks who contacted him via Groupon are pregnant women, “which means I’ll be the first one to give them a professional portrait with their new child. That’s quite a privilege.”

Groupon (www.groupon.com/raleigh-durham/) offers a “deal of the day” in over 30 cities, including the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area. Discounts on everything from photography and spa services to restaurant items and horse trail rides range from 50 percent to 90 percent off of the regular prices.

“By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won’t find anywhere else,” says the website. “If not enough people sign up, then the deal is canceled, and the buyer won’t be charged.

Groupon makes its money by taking a percentage of each Groupon deal they sell.

Cohen said he intends to keep using this online marketing opportunity as he builds his clientele.

“I have talked to the people at Groupon, and we’re definitely going to be doing more features on the studio throughout the year,” he said. “So that means every few months there will be greatly reduced prices on various services that I offer.  I have high hopes for it.”

For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com.

For more information on Groupon, go to www.groupon.com.

About Cohen Studios

A graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Max Cohen of Cohen Studios has been a professional photographer for five years, working in both digital photography and film. At H.I.P., he was exposed to a wide range of technical skills and studied under world-renown photographers as instructors and guest speakers. Describing himself as a “generalist,” he enjoys all types of subjects, from children and high school senior portraits to commercial and editorial assignments. For more information, visit www.cohenstudios.com. Cohen Studios is also available on Facebook and Citysearch.

Photos by Cohen Studios, hair by Jessica Williams, Lather Hair Salon

February 10, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – Photographer Max Cohen of Cohen Studios and Jessica Williams of Lather Hair Salon decided to pool their creative resources recently to build both of their portfolios.

Williams needed to create and document a few color and styling techniques that she doesn’t often get to do in the day-to-day work of a hair salon.

“As much as I love treating, cutting, coloring and styling hair for everyday wear, sometimes it’s fun — and challenging — to stretch the envelope, so to speak, and show the edgier side of my artistry,” said Williams, whose salon was recently named one of Raleigh’s trendiest hair salons by American Salon magazine. Her work is also featured in this month’s Rouge magazine. “Bold color and dramatic cuts are seldom requested by our ‘regular’ clients!”

Williams is also applying to become a training specialist for Wella hair care products and needed photos of her work to accompany the application.

Enter Max Cohen of Cohen Studios in downtown Raleigh.

For several months, Williams has displayed examples of Cohen’s work on a wall in the salon. They’d met during a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser for which they’d both volunteered. It seemed natural to ask him to collaborate.

“And I was more than happy to do it,” said Cohen, who specializes in portraiture and wedding photography. “I was already interested in expanding the fashion portion of my portfolio, so when Jessica approached me about shooting some examples of her edgier work, I immediately saw how it would benefit both of us.”

Williams found three clients who were willing to let her go a bit extreme with their hair. For one model, she added bold reds to her long brown hair then shortened the cut with multiple layering to create a sweeping silhouette around her head. “Very rock-n-roll,” Williams quipped.

For another model, Williams created deep, heavy bangs, or “fringe,” then added warm browns to the model’s original color as well as bold blond chunks to dramatically lighten the top. A hint of curl around the model’s face completes the look.

For the only guy in the group, Williams opened up the facial area and turned a previously shaggy style into a striking geometric look.

The photo sessions took place in the salon, in Cohen’s studio, and near a train track that slices through downtown Raleigh where for natural lighting.

“I wanted to do some studio shots because that would allow me to emphasize the hair without environmental distractions,” Cohen said.

Williams and Cohen intend to continue collaborating as both professionals build their portfolios.

“It was a lot of fun,” Cohen said.

Williams agreed. “Max is really easy to work with, and seeing my work through his gorgeous images is exciting.”

For more information on Lather Hair Salon, visit www.latherhairsalonnc.com

For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com.

Max Cohen © Cohen Studios

January 21, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – Max Cohen of Cohen Studios in Raleigh has volunteered to provide a free photographic portrait of the results of a hair and makeup make-over for the winner of a Raleigh salon contest.

Lather Hair Salon recently announced its “Help Me, Lather! I Need A Make-Over!” Essay Contest. Contestants send the salon a 250-word essay, with photo, on why they or someone they nominate deserves a full, free make-over.

The winner will receive as many services as she wants: cut, color, styling and more, plus full make-up application. When the process is complete, Cohen Studios will capture the results in a free color portrait.

“It’s going to be interesting to see who wins,” Cohen said, “and how transformative the results will be. I’m really excited about documenting the ‘new look’ and that special moment for the winner.”

The contest is open now through February 28^th.

Cohen has collaborated with Lather Hair Salon on other projects and is currently showing examples of his work in the salon, which is located off Glenwood Avenue/Highway 70W, near Carmax. (For more information on Lather Hair Salon and the “Help Me, Lather! I Need A Make-Over!” Essay Contest, go to www.latherhairsalonnc.com.)

Max Cohen has extensive experience with formal studio portrait photography and environmental portraiture in both black and white and color, on film and digitally. His website, www.cohenstudios.com., includes portrait galleries, as well as galleries of family portraits, wedding photography, and urban landscapes.

For more information on Cohen Studios, go to www.cohenstudios.com.

January 13, 2010 (RALEIGH, NC) – With the holidays behind them, future Spring brides are starting to concentrate on their wedding plans. With that in mind, wedding photographer Max Cohen of Cohen Studios in downtown Raleigh has announced a list of special offers for brides who book their wedding photography in January or February.

Brides who purchase the Studio Collection – which includes unlimited hours of coverage for the wedding and reception, 800 to 900 images, and a proofing album with 500 images – will receive an engagement portrait and a bridal portrait for free. These portraits generally cost $695 per session.

Those who sign a contract for any wedding collection on the day of the initial consultation will also receive a 20”x30” stretched canvas print for free, valued at $495. 

Brides who book their wedding photography in January or February will also be able to hire a second photographer for 20 percent off the usual cost of $800.

“Second photographers are great for capturing different events in different locations at once,” Cohen explained. “So if a bride and groom are getting ready in separate locations, everything gets captured and a lot of time is saved. Having two photographers is also great for getting multiple angles of the same event.”

Cohen Studios is located in Raleigh’s trendy Warehouse District at 311 Martin Street. For more information and to see the studio’s Wedding Gallery, go to www.cohenstudios.com.

To make an appointment for a wedding photography consultation, call Max Cohen at 919-413-5180.

About Cohen Studios

A graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Max Cohen of Cohen Studios has been a professional photographer for five years, working in both digital photography and film. At H.I.P., he was exposed to a wide range of technical skills and studied under world-renown photographers as instructors and guest speakers. Describing himself as a “generalist,” he enjoys all types of subjects, from children and high school senior portraits to commercial and editorial assignments. For more information, visit www.cohenstudios.com. Cohen Studios is also available on Facebook and Citysearch.

Among those charities is the Raleigh Rescue Mission. And it was there that Cohen found, with the help of the mission’s director of programs Brooks Ann McKinney, the perfect subjects for his cover shot: a mother and daughter who are about to embark on a much better life as they move into their own apartment.

Shanna, the mother, was feeling completely hopeless when she first came to the mission, McKinney said. Her one-year-old was born shortly thereafter.

Over the past year, Shanna has experienced “tremendous growth,” McKinney noted. “She’s totally different now from when she first came to us. That’s why I felt she and her daughter would be great subjects for this story.”

When McKinney brought Shanna and her little girl to Cohen Studios in downtown Raleigh, Max Cohen was immediately struck by “how calm, sweet and pleasant they were,” he said. “They were perfectly comfortable to just do their thing while I did mine.”

An hour and a half later, Cohen had captured a bevy of images that the Raleigh Downtowner’s editor and publisher Crash Gregg would pour over before selecting the one that appears on this month’s cover.

“We chose a poignant photo that evoked the emotional feeling that we were looking for in hopes that it would help raise awareness for local charities,” he said.

Another Cohen image of Shanna appears on the Downtowner’s inside-cover page with her quote: “The Raleigh Rescue Mission means a lot to me because it helped me get on the right track and gave me a second chance at life.”

Max Cohen spends most of his time creating studio and environmental portraiture as well as wedding photography, yet he also enjoys photojournalism, which is why he began working with the Downtowner in October.

“There’s an immediacy to editorial photography and a level of creative freedom that is really exciting,” he said. “It’s also a lot of fun to think about how the images I capture will enhance and illustrate a story or news item.”

According to the Raleigh Downtowner’s Gregg, Cohen’s image of Shanna and her daughter perfectly illustrates “Nine for the Needy.”

For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com. Cohen Studios is also available on Facebook and Citysearch.

About The Raleigh Downtowner:

The Raleigh Downtowner is a local monthly print magazine dedicated to coverage of downtown Raleigh. The Downtowner’s online publication, www.Raleigh2.com, encompasses downtown and the surrounding area. Both are owned and operated by Crash Gregg with offices at 14 East Hargett Street, Raleigh. For more information visit www.raleighdowntowner.com or call 919-821-9000.

–

The annual event is a fundraiser for Habitat/Wake that takes participants on a tour of homes built by Habitat/Wake volunteers. After the homes tour, the party at Habitat’s ReStore on Raleigh Boulevard kicks off the holiday season.

Max Cohen will photograph each of the homes on the tour and capture the festivities at the ReStore, which sells recycled and usable building materials at discount to raise money for building Habitat homes.

“I’m a huge fan of Habitat’s mission of building affordable homes for people in need,” said Cohen, who opened his photography studio this year. “And Habitat is all about volunteerism, so I figured I should do my part. I’m a lot better with a camera than I am a hammer.”

The after-tour party will include seafood from 42^nd Street Oyster Bar in Raleigh and live music. Tickets are $50 and are available at http://www.habitatwake.org/index.html.

For more information on Habitat/Wake, visit www.habitatwake.org.

For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com.

Annelise Clare Walker © Cohen Studios

October 26, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – Bragging rights. Nothing makes grandparents eyes twinkle more than the opportunity to show off their beautiful (even if just in their eyes!) children and grandchildren.

That’s what Max Cohen of Cohen Studios believes anyway.

“My Bubbie (Yiddish for Grandma) shows off pictures of her kids and grandkids as if she’s showing off a Nobel Prize or Olympic medal,” Cohen laughed. “Then her friends pull out their pictures and a battle ensues over who has the most beautiful progeny.”

With his “Bubbie” and her buddies in mind, Cohen decided to serve up some holiday specials from his new studio in downtown Raleigh that just might solve the annual angst around what to give the grandparents this year.

Chris and Annelise

From November 1 to January 1, 2010, Cohen Studios is offering:

–     Family portrait sessions that include 100 custom holiday greeting cards for free

–     Individual portraits with an extra $50 print credit

–     And 10 percent off any baby session (one year old and younger).

“I mean, how many World’s Best Grandma/Grandpa mugs do you need, right?” he said. “I hate to use the cliché, but a picture really is a gift that keeps on giving. And a professional portrait — well, that really raises the bar on bragging rights!”

He’s quick to point out that Cohen Studios is an equal opportunity grandparent-pleaser.

Cohen Studios, which just celebrated its Grand Opening this month, is located at 311 West Martin Street in Raleigh’s trendy Warehouse District. For more information visit www.cohenstudios.com or call 919-413-5180.

About Cohen Studios

Annelise...

A graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Max Cohen of Cohen Studios has been a professional photographer for five years, working in both digital photography and film. At H.I.P., he was exposed to a wide range of technical skills and studied under world-renown photographers as instructors and guest speakers. Describing himself as a “generalist,” he enjoys all types of subjects, from children and high school senior portraits to commercial and editorial assignments. For more information, visit www.cohenstudios.com. Cohen Studios is also available on Facebook and Citysearch.

Max Cohen of Cohen Studios is best known for his commercial and wedding photography and environmental portraiture. Yet he’s been interested in photo-journalism since he attended the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts.

“There’s an immediacy to editorial photography and a level of creative freedom that is really exciting,” he said. “It’s also a lot of fun to think about how the images I capture will enhance and illustrate a story or news item. It’s also nice to get a credit line!”

Published by Mann Media since 1996, “Our State” is a 75-year-old, statewide, monthly magazine that concentrates on the people and history of North Carolina and suggests places to visit.

“The photographic strength of Our State has made it very competitive among professional photographers to be published here,” says Deanne O’Connor, the magazine’s art director.

“The Raleigh Downtowner” is a monthly publication on newsstands and online, edited and published by Crash Gregg of Raleigh. The “Downtowner” focuses primarily on the center city district, featuring stories on local entertainment, arts and culture, dining, business, events, music, wine, fashion, and Raleigh history.

Recently, Cohen covered the SparkCon celebration of creativity that took place on Fayetteville Street for the “Downtowner.”

“I’m looking forward to many more assignments from the “Downtowner” and to seeing my work in the pages of Our State,” he said. “It’s really nice to get out of the studio from time to time.”

Cohen Studios celebrated its grand opening this month in the 311 W. Martin Street building, which houses a collection of studios and gallery space. For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com.

September 22, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – Cohen Studios, a full-service photography studio in downtown Raleigh, will hold its grand opening Friday, October 2, during the citywide First Friday Art Walk, beginning at 7 p.m.

Owned and operated by photographer Max Cohen, Cohen Studios is located in “311 W. Martin,” a collection of artists’ studios and exhibition space named for its address within downtown Raleigh’s trendy Warehouse District.

“It’s really exciting to be in the same building with so many creative people, and in such a vibrant part of downtown Raleigh,” Cohen said. “I couldn’t ask for a better space.”

Other artists in the building include painter/printmaker Susan Martin, printmaker Julie Niskanen, and painters Carol Joy Shannon and Shaun Richards. Judy Jones, proprietor, is also a printmaker.

Cohen Studios provides a range of photography services, including color and black-and-white portraits; engagement and wedding photography, commercial, corporate and advertising photography; website photography, headshots and portfolios for actors and models, editorial photography, and fine art photography.

The grand opening will include an exhibit of Max Cohen’s work, as well as food, wine, and give-aways. The other artists’ studios will also be open.

For more information on Cohen Studios, visit www.cohenstudios.com.

For more information on 311 West Martin Street galleries and studios, go to 311galleriesnadstudios.org/home.html.

About Cohen Studios

A graduate of Enloe High School in Raleigh and the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Max Cohen of Cohen Studios has been a professional photographer for five years, working in both digital photography and film. At H.I.P., he was exposed to a wide range of technical skills and studied under world-renown photographers as instructors and guest speakers. Describing himself as a “generalist,” he enjoys all types of subjects, from children and high school senior portraits to commercial and editorial assignments. For more information, visit www.cohenstudios.com. Cohen Studios is also available on Facebook.

(1) Stay in close contact with your photographer. Wedding photographers love organization, so if you know of any new developments in your plans, call your photographer, or send an email, immediately.

(2)  Schedule as much time for your photographer as possible. With family formals, bridal party sessions, and couples sessions, shooting can take up to one or two hours, depending on the size of your party.

(3) Make sure your wedding party knows precisely where they need to be and when they need to be there. You’d be surprised by how many wedding schedules get pushed back half an hour because no one can find Uncle Bob.

(4) If your ceremony site is outdoors and at high noon, make sure your altar is shaded. Photographers love this because it keeps those dark shadows off your face, and you’ll love it because you’ll be more comfortable.

(5)  Make sure your photographer gets fed! Remember that they’re on their feet, running around in a suit or heels all day. (Some photographers note this in their contracts.) The last thing you need on your big day is a fatigued and grumpy photographer.

(6)  Talk to your photographer about yourself before the wedding!  One thing a lot of photographers really love to do is to shoot something unique and even a little crazy during an engagement session or bridal portrait. To make sure those unique moment are relevant to who you are, let your photographer get to know you before the big day.

(7) When it comes to photographers, the old axiom is true: You get what you pay for.  The main thing many studios factor into their pricing is how much time and energy they devote to YOU.  If the photographer you’re looking at is charging an abnormally low rate, more than likely they won’t give you the time and flexibility that you want and need.

(8) The most difficult time during a wedding is the family “formals” photo session. The clock is ticking before cocktail hour and Uncle Bob is complaining about his feet.  To make the whole process go faster, have a detailed list of all the family members needed in each shot. Talk to your photographer about this beforehand. That way he or she can create a family shot list and cut the time for this tedious process in half.

(9) The couples session is when you and your photographer really get creative. Try to keep as open a mind as possible and see what ideas your photographer has in mind. Sometimes poses can feel awkward, but they only look awkward if you’re not into it.

(10) You may not think this is important, but it is. Don’t try to fit into a wedding gown that’s too small for you.  Brides HAVE passed out because they tried to make their dress go the extra mile. Stay comfortable, stay hydrated, and stay conscious! (Of course, “those” memories can have their own little charm…)

About Cohen Studios

A graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Max Cohen of Cohen Studios has been a professional wedding photographer for five years, working in both digital photography and film. At H.I.P., he was exposed to a wide range of technical skills and studied under world-renown photographers as instructors and guest speakers. Describing himself as a “generalist,” he enjoys all types of subjects, from children and high school senior portraits to commercial and editorial assignments. For more information, visit www.cohenstudios.com.