Mason Foster is a commercial portrait photographer based in San Francisco. While he has an impressive list of clients including Google, Facebook and Apple, a good portion of his business comes from photographing corporate events under the brand Two Dudes Photo. A long-time user of DNP printers, Foster speaks with DNP about the evolution of his brand and the need for reliable gear in his line of business.

DNP: Can you describe how your business has evolved over the years?
Mason Foster: We’ve gone from a small photo booth business to a mid-size commercial photography business producing professional studio work on location all over the country, and even internationally. While we still provide photo booth services, our bread and butter these days is doing professional business portraits at trade shows. We also do our fair share of stock photography, product photography, event coverage and videography.

At the core of our business model is quality. Rather than attacking the market by offering high volume at a low price, we’ve sold the idea that “you get what you pay for.”

DNP: The photo booth business has become much more competitive over the past few years. What helps you stay ahead of the competition?
MF: Yes, the photo booth business has become quite crowded, however, most businesses are using the same equipment, are offering the same new features each year and are constantly chasing after a new gimmick to differentiate themselves. We’ve differentiated ourselves by specifically avoiding automated solutions. Our business doesn’t offer any gimmicks such as digital props or green screens. Our approach has always been to deliver magazine-quality images and VIP experiences. We ignore the passing fad features and are rooted in something that never goes out of style. This strategy has allowed us to sell at a price point almost eight times above our competition’s.

DNP: What model of printers is your business currently using?
MF: We use the DS620’s. Everyone on the team appreciates the speed, and lightweight compared to older models. While that’s our main model, we sometimes use the DS820A too—it never fails to impress.

DNP: What do you look for in a printer?
MF: Reliability. When we started out, we had other printers, but I sent them back almost immediately because they weren’t built very well. We had all sorts of problems with the drivers and it had a catastrophic jam the first time we ever used it.

Meanwhile, our DNP printers have quietly continued to churn out prints with hardly any issues. They’ve lasted through hundreds of events over the years. Since we’re selling a high-priced, high-quality experience, there’s no room for error. Our fleet of DNP printers allows us to focus on photography without worrying about printing.

Learn more about DNP printers at dnpphoto.com