Rucker Place - Birmingham AL Wedding Venue, Google Virtual Tour / October 28, 2014 by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

My latest Google Maps Business View Virtual Tour is of the historic Rucker Place in Birmingham. I simply love places like this. I’ve always been a big fan of old homes and buildings. This past weekend Kelly and I went to Huntsville to do a shoot of a daycare (post coming soon). While there we drove through an amazing historic district of antebellum homes. We were in awe of how well they were kept up and how beautiful they are. We’ve made it a goal to own one of those homes!

Doing a tour and commercial photos of Rucker Place gave me a little taste of what those homes are like. Established in 1900, it’s one of Birmingham’s oldest and most historic wedding and event venues. On the national registry of historic places, Rucker Place is available for luncheons, rehearsal dinners, wedding, parties, corporate events, meetings, etc.

Check out the virtual tour and conventional commercial still images below. You can learn more about Rucker on their website and Google My Business Page.

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Susan Schein Automotive - Pelham AL Google Business Photos Virtual Tour / October 13, 2014 by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

Susan Schein Automotive in Pelham (just outside of Birmingham, Alabama) is a rarity amongst independent pre-owned car dealerships. As a former new car dealership, it’s quite a bit bigger than your average buy here, pay here operation. It’s also quite a bit nicer too. You can tell the moment you walk on the lot that this operation is a cut above its competition.

Unlike most other used car dealers, Susan Schein boasts a full service and parts department. As a NAPA service center they have parts and expertise to work on all makes and models. This allows them to fully inspect and service all of the cars they sell, both before and after the sale. So unlike other pre-owned dealers, they have a vested interest in keeping you happy. They want you to continue to service the car you purchased from them, with them.

For this reason I was quite excited to be able to create a Google 360º tour for them. As an independent and family owned local operation they need all the help they can get in marketing. They don’t have the full resources of a large international corporation sending them business. They must earn all that they accomplish. This is one of the things I love about the Google Maps Business View program. It does so much to level the playing field for the small, independent, and local business.

I’m proud to show off the conventional commercial still photography and 360º virtual tour I created of the dealership. Check them out below and go here to learn more about the dealership!

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Doctor Doug Lewis, DMD - Birmingham, AL - Google Virtual Tour / September 22, 2014 by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

Recently a popular business category for the Google Maps Business View Virtual Tour has been dentists. I recently completed tours for Shelby Pediatric Dentistry and Canales Orthodontics (click the links to view those tours).

We all know that it can be a little scary going to the dentist. You want to make sure that it’s a good practice. That’s why the Google Virtual tour is such a great fit. Potential patients are able to see inside the office and treatment rooms. They are able to get a feel for the environment. Then, once they do come in for an appointment they’re more comfortable. There is a higher level of familiarity, like they’ve been there before.

Last week I was able to create a tour and conventional commercial photography for Dr Doug Lewis in Birmingham near UAB. Dr Lewis and his wife, Nancy, are a great team. They are the nicest people you could ever want to meet and you can tell that the entire staff feels like family. The office itself is near downtown but has its own large parking lot (an amazing thing if you’ve ever been down there. Each treatment chair has it’s own TV so you won’t miss your soaps. Most impressively, they have a special machine that allows you to get permanent crowns right there in the office in one day!

So if you are in need of a dentist, and you are close to downtown, I highly recommend checking out Dr Doug Lewis and his team! Learn more about them on their Google + page and website. Be sure to check out the still photography and virtual tour below!

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Sundown Window Tint & Design - Google 360º Virtual Tour / September 4, 2014 by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

You may be thinking a window tinting business is a place to get your vehicle’s windows tinted. And you would be correct in that assumption. But Sundown Window Tint & Design is not just your average, run-of-the-mill window tinting operation. Nay, Nay. When I arrived at their business to get my car’s windows tinted (by the way, great job there), I was amazed at what all else I learned they could do. If you want your company’s logo tastefully printed on the side of your car, Sunbelt can do that. Or if you want to promote your business by transforming your entire vehicle into a rolling billboard, Sundown is the place to go. If you have a retro VW van that you wish to be recreated into an exact copy of Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine, then Sundown can hook you up. Even if you want to change the entire exterior color of your vehicle - say you’ve got a plain Jane gray SUV, Sundown can transform that bad boy into flaming, atomic orange SUV if you so desire, and I swear it will look as good if not better than if it had arrived from the factory that way. But not only does Sundown offer these amazing creations, custom created by their resident graphic designers, their store is a cheery, brightly colored place to do business with. I was excited to have the opportunity to create their Google Virtual Tour photos so I could showcase to the world just how awesome this place is. So go by and take advantage of their free 30 minute consultation, and tell them I led you there via Google’s virtual tour.

Now, to decide if I want to take my wife up on her suggestion that I should have my blue Honda Fit transformed into the Doctor Who TARDIS. Um, I don’t know. What do YOU think?

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Shelby Pediatric Dentistry, Pelham AL - Google 360º Virtual Tour & Commercial Photography / September 2, 2014 by nikonic1976@yahoo.com

I am kind of weird. When I go into a building or business and see lots of bright, powerful color, I get excited. My wife, Kelly, can tell you that when I see a beautiful space, especially in good light, I get as giddy as a 13 yr old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

As soon as I walked into Shelby Pediatric Dentistry I knew I had to photograph this business. The color scheme is amazing. Bright teal’s and oranges everywhere you look. The lighting fixtures, furniture, architecture, and colors all came together to create are really fun environment. I knew that parents and kids would love the place. So I wanted to create a Google 360º virtual tour to show it off.

As I’ve mentioned in the past however, a pretty building does not necessarily a successful business make. You have to have a good business model, and the right people to provide the best possible customer experience. This is especially true in the highly competitive market of pediatric dentistry. In the greater Birmingham area there is no shortage of highly qualified dentists. Separating yourself from your competition is critical.

Dr Baxter has done that with his facility, by having the Google Maps Business View virtual tour, offering a unique experience, and having great staff. I can also speak to personal experience. My 10yr old son, Wilder, can be a bit of a handful at times. Dr Baxter and his team were amazingly patient and efficient. I was truly impressed with how well they did, and Wilder loved the TV’s on the ceiling!

So if you have kids, and they have teeth, I highly recommend checking out Shelby Pediatric Dentistry in Pelham. You can learn more about them on their website and Google My Business Pages. Be sure to click the thumbnails to view the conventional commercial photography I created and the 360º virtual tour!