Saving time and supporting small businesses
Brand: Azap Studio
Vertical: Photo Studio
HQ: Paris
Founded: 2018
Pixelz helped with:
Quicker Turn-Around Time
Easy Retouching Workflow
Manage Retouching Specifications
I don’t know what I would do if Pixelz didn’t exist. I don’t know where the business would be now because it’s very easy.Romain Viano
Owner
About
Based in Paris and founded in 2018, Azap Studio has revolutionized photography for small businesses as it is the first self-service photo and video studio equipped with StyleShoots technology. Their two services allow creatives to be in charge of their photography and videography, whether they want to be hands-on themselves or gain support from Roman and his expertise.
Azap seeks to help small businesses get the best quality images in an affordable yet professional manner. As part of their offering, Azap’s clients can bring their own products, and once they have been taught to use the available equipment, they are welcome to undertake their own shoots - following this, a retouching service is offered. Additionally, some brands will send Azap their collections, allowing them to be stylized, photographed, and retouched to create a professional experience.
This was something that was missing for the local creatives; as Romain explained, “In Paris there is a really vibrant community of fashion creators, but it’s not their job to take pictures. They don’t know how to do it and they don’t want to do it. But when they call me, they can get images very easily. The day after it’s retouched, then they put them online. It’s really fast and really convenient.”
"The day after it’s retouched, then they put them online. It’s really fast and really convenient."
He added that “a lot of small brands that use our services were using their living rooms or their own friends or kids as models - but the output suffered because of this, it wasn’t good enough for what they wanted to do. By coming to us, they know that they can expect good quality images without having to pay for expensive equipment; instead, they can rent one of our machines for one or two hours.”
Only The Very Best Support
As the studio grew in popularity, it was time to ensure that the very best people were involved - and that included making some decisions about who to work with - due to his level of experience, Romain knew that he needed to work with a team that understood what he was looking for.
The search initially wasn’t easy, though, “I realized very quickly I would need a retoucher, and retouchers in France are very expensive and their turnaround times too slow. I contacted a Studio using Profoto machines in New York to ask him, and he told me that he was using Pixelz. So, I started using Pixelz too!”
He explained that using Profoto machines came with specific issues in terms of retouching, “You cannot pin the clothes, because it is a glass panel, which has some styling issues as you can’t make things as symmetrical as you’d like, but I have a technique where I use foam as a way to pin the clothes, then the pictures are sent to Pixels to remove the pins.”
“I’ve also made my own set of specifications with Pixelz that I use with all my clients, and they’re very happy with that.”
"The UI and the dashboard are very good, you can upload the pictures, manage your specifications."
Getting Back Essential Time
One of the most important parts of the collaboration between Azap and Pixelz is that it gives time back to the studio. Romain needed to be able to trust the team he was working with and have a good point of contact when needed due to the fact he manages the whole process. Everything coming in and out of the studio has to have his approval.
In addition to the Pixelz team, Azap benefitted from the technology available including the integration with Profoto and Pixelz. “You can both export directly to Pixelz and on your drive so you never miss the original files in case they’re needed. It just works - what else to say. It’s a great example of how different technologies and services can work together to improve the workflow seamlessly. ” The amount of time saved by working together has changed Roman’s business, particularly as he works by himself, only working with a set of freelance stylists.
“With a lot of retouching services, you need to ask for a redo, wait for it to come back, you’re losing a lot of time. The way I can reject pictures in Pixelz is really cool.”
Growing With Pixelz
As a client of ours, Romain also makes use of new features when available. “I’ve noticed a huge improvement with the ghost mannequin settings, I think it’s really easy to create specifications, and I’m yet to find out how far I can go with retouching.” While he is happy with his current shoots, Romain is excited to see how much further his business can benefit from working with Pixelz and the team to make his final images even better.
“What I liked is that I could start with very basic settings, and after being in touch with the team at Pixelz we’ve been improving month on month, and I’m happy with what I have. I think for me, it’s good because the platform is evolving as I am.”
"I don’t know what I would do if Pixelz didn’t exist. I don’t know where the business would be now because it’s very easy."
Azap X Pixelz
“I don’t know what I would do if Pixelz didn’t exist. I don’t know where the business would be now because it’s very easy. I can send the images at the end of the day and have the output the morning after...so it’s magic, really.”