Milford Small Business Spotlight: PartyPix321

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

Business: PartyPix321
Owners: Fred Kindle & Shirley Leto
Website: www.facebook.com/partypix321
Address: Milford, CT

How did you come up with the name?

Well, we specialize in event photography, and where I began the company that was the area code in Brevard County FL. However, it also is how I count down when taking a series of shots in our photo booths, so subjects can try to get prop changes in during the time limit of their sitting. They have so much fun trying to “Beat the Clock!”


Why start a business in this town?

I am relocating my business to Milford, CT because Milford is my hometown, and I have come full circle to return and marry my high school sweetheart from many years ago. My faith in the good Lord has returned me to my roots to reacquaint and work with so many old friends and acquaintances. I feel a peace here and the people are great!


Briefly, what business are you in?

I am in the event photography business. This encompasses anything from parties, fundraisers, weddings, special events, and promotions. I am a trained wedding and portrait photographer who loves to work with people and have fun while recording their special memories. I’m also a bit of an entertainer because that’s what it takes sometimes to relax my clients in sometimes very stressful times for them. My photo booth branch of my business has turned out to be really fun for me. I love seeing people get excited when they dress up in silly props and let their hair down. I use a green screen as a backdrop so I can simulate many backdrops that perfectly fit the themes my creative clients come up with. I have many samples in my gallery link here: bit.ly/PP321gallery that show my most recent work.


What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

My most difficult challenge as a business owner is to understand promoting my business and the most successful ways to do so for my niche. Advertising can kill a company if it doesn’t work. You have to know your demographic and think like they think. I notice that probably 95 percent of my clients are Facebookers, so that’s my preferred method to get my name and brand out. Word of mouth is best, but that doesn’t happen overnight. How do you get across the equation of my business and how I’m different than my competition in an ad? It’s almost impossible unless I can get my phone to ring. My task in marketing is to get across my technicals, personality, dedication, product quality, and my desire to exceed all expectations, all in my marketing strategy. It’s not easy, but I’m getting much better at it!


What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?

That’s funny you ask that because it just happened a few weeks ago. I just had photographed a wedding as a normal wedding photography coverage, and there was a shadow over the happiness all that day for the bridal couple, because the bride’s mom wasn’t well enough to be transported from hospice care to see her daughter get married that Saturday. I shot like crazy to capture every detail for the photos to be shown to the bride’s mom, and even videotaped the ceremony to show that to her as well. This is the coolest part. We got to recreate the ceremony the next day with the bride’s mom at the hospice facility and got so many incredibly important shots with mom in them for the bride to cherish forever. Sometimes, my job is such a blessing to help people in these profound ways. That’s why I am a photographer.


How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

I love working fundraisers for causes I am close to; Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, and local causes. Giving back is so important to me because I’ve had people believe in me and support me in my journey. I also like to volunteer in my church as a photographer to record events of importance.

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.