Business: Kramer Photographers
Address: 921 N. Washington St., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-355-3546 and www.kramerphotographers.com
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Owner: Andrew Bobb Siedelmann, 53, of Naperville
Years in business: 58
What does your business do? “We mainly do family portraits, commercial corporate photography, weddings and events. We do framing. We specialize in restorations and all kinds of passports. … We won’t let anyone leave until they have a picture they are happy with,” Siedelmann said.
What’s the background? “My stepfather, Joseph Fimiano, opened his photography studio in downtown Naperville in 1965 at 221 S. Washington St. He retired in 1991. When he retired, he turned the business over to Mr. Robert Kramer, (who owned) a high-end studio in the northwest suburbs that he started in 1971. … Part of the deal was Mr. Kramer would take me under his wing and I worked for him almost 30 years. … Before he passed, he put the torch in my hands and we’ll keep going.
“My stepfather got me from point A to point B. Mr. Kramer took me from point B to where I really learned my trade. He was the greatest photographer I’ve known. A great businessman. He’s definitely missed.”
What do you like best? “Working with people. … I like binding families together with photographs. … We just had a family portrait. The husband’s 80th birthday, their 50th anniversary. All the kids are together.”
Do you work with film or digital? “Nowadays, everything is digital but there are still some film things that can be done. … We were a studio that photographed everything and made everything, made the prints. Since we used to make photographs, we know best how to repair and restore them. … We use modern technology, and we also use technology that was used years before. … Just because something is new does not necessarily mean it’s better.”
How do you shoot corporate events? “We have businesses — a medical group, an insurance company — they want head shots of employees. They want a cohesive look so the team looks like a team.”
Do you still have a darkroom? “I do. We have equipment in there that we can utilize if necessary.”
Do weddings get old? “Never. Styles change but human nature does not change. … I love photographing weddings. You have to have a positive attitude because often you are walking into chaos. You have to roll with that. … I’ve photographed weddings where there are 1,200 people and I’ve photographed weddings where it’s just me with the bride and groom.”
Why are photographs special to us? “If you take a photograph, put it in a drawer for 30 years, bring it out, it’s valuable. I lost my father when I was 4 and pictures were a way for me to keep his memory alive. Photographs bind people together over generations, over time.”
What was it like in your stepfather’s studio? “When you’re a kid growing up, you use the studio to hang out, do your homework, run around downtown. Then I started paying attention. I had my epiphany when I was 15, ‘This is kind of cool.’ By the time I was 18, I was working for him.”
Is Naperville good for business? “Absolutely because Naperville has grown so much. There’s a lot of corporate stuff here. Lots of families. Growing families. When we photograph a wedding, sometimes that’s their first contact with us. But this couple will have children, they’ll need portraits. Maybe Dad has a business. Their kids get married. Grandma and Grandpa come to town.”
What sets your studio apart? “We have all the experience, old-school trade knowledge that I know many of my competitors will never have. … The film discipline as opposed to shooting digital. There’s only so many chances on a roll (of film). … We’ve embraced digital technology, but we also bring our old-school knowledge. We’re able to do things no one else can.”
Any favorite stories? “Oh my gosh. You’re dealing with humanity, with people. … After about 1,400 weddings over 30-plus years, truth is stranger than fiction. The tapestry is broad and vibrant. … I thought I had seen it all. I haven’t. … There are several incidents that would blow your mind.”
How about sharing one? “One time, the groom was half an hour late for the wedding. He showed up with two black eyes. They had to put makeup around his eyes because he looked like a racoon. He got into a fight with his brother a night or two before at the bachelor party.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Go the extra mile. Under-promise and over-deliver. That’s what I learned from Mr. Kramer. … Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising.”
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.