About Us | Services | Rebates & Fundraising | Special Programs | FAQ's
About Us
Celebrating 30 Years in Business
We are a locally owned and operated company celebrating 30 years in business! Our commitment to excellence and quality has made us successful over the years. When you are looking for sport photographers, support local business and let us show you why we are so successful!
Community Support
We are heavily involved in the our community and support it through many programs. We sponsor events for St. John Medical Center, St. John Foundation and The Women's Pavilion among others. We provide Sports and Academic Scholarships for Local High School Scholarship Foundations. We donate, support and provide our services and products in any way we can to Community Home Health and Hospice, United Way, Salvation Army, Humane Society, CASA, and SWWA YMCA as well as several other local foundations that help make our community prosper. All of our employees are active in donating their time to our community to make Cowlitz County a better place to live.
Our Mission
The principle goal of MSI is to serve our clients. By providing quality service, we insure that each organization receives the finest quality photographic products. The result is the life-long treasure of professional portraiture.
MSI has established a new standard of excellence in youth sports, school portraiture and corporate events. By combining professional photographers, state-of-the-art equipment & technology, excellent organizational skills and the finest support services in the market, MSI readily offers a complete range of photographic products and services to various organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The actions and attitudes of MSI reflect the overall responsibility we feel toward every client. Our commitment and enthusiasm as professionals is reflected in your final product - memorable portraits.
Services
Rebates and Fund-Raising
Leagues and clubs face increasingly high operating costs. That's why we offer your league unique fund-raisers that generate profits, year after year! MSI can work with your organization to help sponsor fund-raising through our package structure and/or different fundraising strategies, services or products. Ask for more details on a tailored Fundraising Program.
Complimentary Services to the League
MSI provides Leagues with complimentary services such as:
- Rebates
- 5x7 Team Photos for Your Coaches
- Upgraded Products on Platinum Paper
- CD of All Teams Photographed OR Personalized Poster
Please let us know if there are any other complimentary services your league requires!
Sponsor Plaques
Many leagues dip deep into their treasury for sponsor recognition. Ask us how your sponsors can each receive a FREE sponsor plaque. We have completely unique plaques with your league sport and logo as one of the main features. This gives you a personal touch to thank those sponsors that help support your league throughout the year.
Financially Guaranteed On-Time Delivery
MSI financially guarantees all products to be delivered within 20 business days. (Average turn-around time during our 2008 season was 15 business days). We have a financial guarantee toward On-Time Delivery. If your league needs products sooner, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate.
Mail-to-Home Program
After the production of the products, quality control, and packaging, we can drop ship directly to the coach or parents. This insures that the team and parents receive their images at an expedited rate and the League does not have the stress of passing them out. Make delivery easy for the League, Coaches, and parents. Available on request!
Coordinator Packet
We know how difficult it can be to coordinate Picture Day - getting all the players, coaches and parents in the right place at the right time! Simply provide us with your plan for Picture Day and we'll help with schedules, Picture Day Information packet's (that include emails or handouts for coaches & parents) and attend board meetings to explain details.
Use of Technology for Personalized Products
We began using a two-step process for data entry (loading personalized information for printing on products). We incorporate digital reading and rendering of the player's name and then crosscheck the results and packages by a representative. This insures that our advanced production system has the lowest rate of error and re-make requests, which means less hassle for everyone
On-Line Pre-Ordering & Pre-Payment
No need to worry about forgotten or misplaced envelopes or payments on picture day! We offer online pre-ordering and pre-pay for all of our sports images. Pre-ordering and pre-paying gives parents the luxury of ordering ahead of Picture Day, paying online as well as viewing the products available on Picture Day. Leagues will love the versatility of this service and parents will love the convenience of this service!
On-Line Re-Ordering
Parents can now place their own reorders online, at their convenience, with our secure online store! Parents can place their re-orders online, using their credit card. We will fulfill the order and send the products directly to the parents. This makes the process of re-ordering fast and simple with our online store.
Customer Service
Customer service is key at MSI. Our company maintains regular office hours (with a local and toll free number) to assist parents and coaches with re-orders, questions, product information, etc. In addition to our office representatives, we also provide online assistance. Parents may email questions, or can visit the provided website that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for re-orders and questions. On your photo day a customer service coordinator is available to assist parents with envelopes, answer questions, and direct players and coaches to the appropriate shooting area. MSI guarantees 100% satisfaction on all products or full refund.
Skilled Portrait Photographers
All photographers for MSI are dedicated, full-time employees that are nationally recognized in photography. They are trained in all fields of photography. MSI does NOT hire free-lance or part-time photographers to fulfill any jobs.
Custom Graphics
MSI provides exclusive personalized products per league and can incorporate your league's logo, colors, or even your slogan into all graphics. Our graphics department designs ALL of our graphics, giving you a professional piece of custom memorabilia. This insures the highest quality in sports graphics that follow current trends and a different look year after year.
Metallic Paper
MSI was the first company to offer a full line of products printed on premium Kodak metallic paper. Parents and coaches have given nothing but rave reviews about this custom product which our company provides this at no additional cost. This premium portrait paper will give you the highest image quality compared to anything on the market.
Special Programs
Free Memory Mate for Players in Need
We believe that no player should go without a photo package if they can't afford one. MSI provides the leagues with certificates for free Memory Mates available to players that are in need.
Multi-Year Photography Agreement
MSI offers the exclusive Multi-Year Program to leagues only on a select basis. This program enables us to provide special products, services and protected pricing guarantees for a three-year period. During this three-year period, your league can receive:
- Unique products at extremely discounted prices.
- League profits through a simple, yet highly effective fund-raising program.
- Guaranteed, protected pricing on photo packages and products for three years.
- Peace of mind and time savings knowing that photographic services are secured, year after year.
- Increased parent and child participation.
New League Signing Bonus
When you let us give your League a presentation about our services and products and become a client and receive a special Signing Bonus payable immediately upon signing your contract.
Youth Star Scholarship Program
MSI's Youth Star Scholarship Program is our proudest moment! We partner with your organization in providing a scholarship at the high school level to a graduating senior who has participated in your association. They don't even have to be a high school athlete!
Scholarship applicants simply write a 300-word essay describing how playing and being associated in your organization has benefited them as a student and citizen.
Our staff and a representative from your association would read the essays and choose a winner. We would then schedule a presentation ceremony at the high school, invite the local media to attend, and place a copy of the winning essay in each child's photo package.
It's a fantastic way to promote the positive impact participating in youth sports have on children. Let's both do our part in celebrating these achievements and setting an example for tomorrow's leaders.
FAQS
- Turn around time is essential. Once pictures have been taken, how soon are they available to the participants?
MSI financially guarantees all products to be delivered within 20 business days of the photo shoot. Average turn-around time during our 2010 season was 12 business days. MSI does provide a financial guarantee toward On-Time Delivery. - How are the pictures distributed to the customer?
MSI provides any delivery system your organization may require. Our standard procedure is to have each team bundled together and sorted by order photographed. We have a master list that will locate where each bundled team is. We can deliver to the league for coach distribution (most popular), coaches can pick them up at our studio, or we can drop ship them to the coaches OR directly to the coach OR consumer. - Time is limited on picture day and it is essential that the schedule be adhered to. How many teams can you photograph per hour?
Depending on your leagues time constraints, location & parking conditions, MSI can photograph up to 24 teams per hour. Standard procedure for most leagues, because of location & parking conditions, is to have MSI photograph up to 12 teams per hour. MSI is CONSISTANTLY on time. - Are sports that are played outdoors photographed outdoors? What type of backdrop is used for indoor pictures?
Generally, all sports that are played outdoors are photographed outdoors. We have a specially designed mobile studio that helps us control weather factors, but has a removable back so that we are still able to capture the aesthetics of the outdoor environment. We also have a portable tent to cover teams that are being photographed outdoors on a rainy day. MSI has several backdrops for each different sport photographed indoors. This insures that they get a different style of portrait every year, instead of the same year after year. - How do you handle re-shoots?
MSI handles this however the league/organization requires. - Are your photographers sensitive to people with special needs? (i.e. Special Olympic team pictures?)
Our entire staff is sensitive to people with special needs. Not only have we photographed several challenger leagues, we also work with several Life Skills classes with our schools. - Do you offer a product guarantee? Please explain?
We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If someone is unhappy in any way, we try to resolve the problem so that they are completely satisfied with their product and/or offer a full refund, no questions asked. All of our products are also backed by Kodak guarantee for life. - What is your definition of customer service?
We believe customer satisfaction is the most important factor in building a successful business and creating happy clients. Our staff goes above and beyond for the special requests and needs of our many clients (individual and organizational). Customer service is defined at MSI as not only a friendly attitude, but also the patience and understanding needed when dealing with a product that is so personal and important to our clientele. In the rare instance that a situation does arise, we do everything in our power to correct the situation to satisfy each client. MSI also maintains regular office hours and provides web support to help parents who have questions or re-orders. - Does your business maintain regular office hours with a local telephone number to facilitate customer questions and concerns?
Yes, we maintain regular office hours. We have an 800 number so that anyone, even if they are not local, can reach us easily. We also have an email address as well as a website that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so busier parents can email questions. - Do you offer a rebate to the league based on the number of pictures sold? Are you willing to offer free team pictures to coaches?
Yes. Your organization does have an option to increase pricing to receive a rebate depending on your needs. The pricing schedule enclosed reflects a free team picture for each coach/manager photographed, as well as a CD that holds each teams photographed for the league's use and all products print on upgraded premium Kodak Platinum Paper.
Testimonials
I have been in charge of the sport photos for Seattle Junior Hockey Association for the last 9 years. I have used MSI for the past 8 of those 9 years and would use NO ONE else. The quality is incomparable and the delivery is fast and on time! I have enjoyed getting to know Don and his staff. Their dedication to the details and their professionalism make each shoot run like a well-oiled gear. - Diana Flett, Seattle Junior Hockey
I have had the pleasure of working with MSI photos and the Ballard Youth Soccer League for the last two years, however our league has a history of nine years with MSI. Working with MSI has been an easy and pleasurable process. They are not only professional, but also very personable. We have had a quality product delivered to us on time every year, and with no complaints from parents not getting what they thought they had ordered. I whole-heartedly recommend MSI for your photographic needs. Don and Cassandra are a pleasure. - Shelly Rosen, Ballard Youth Soccer
MSI has been a great group of professionals to work with over the past seven years. We have been very happy with the quality of pictures, as well as their customer service. One year the club did try another photographer, but it was a nightmare. To this day we still receive bids from other photographers, but we don't feel the need to go anywhere, and look forward to working with them for many years to come. - Brandy S. Whitaker, Sno-King Youth Club
References available upon request.