Today I'm taking a break from highlighting Fusebox to talk about our premium printing partner, Kevin Annala, owner of photo printing and framing shop, KA Canvas. I met Kevin at my former networking group, and later tried his services. I was blown away with the quality of the prints he made, compared to some of the other vendors we had been using, and the custom framing he's done for me have been stellar.
I loved his attention to detail, the quality of the materials and inks, and just how personalized his service is. He checked and questioned all the details of our decisions, and understood those without even asking.
If you have been meaning to get something printed, but didn't know where to go, Kevin is your guy.
Read on to learn more about this artist and the work he does.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Kevin Annala, and I am the owner and operator of KA Canvas, which is a premium focused canvas printing, printing, and custom picture framing shop here in Calgary.
Tell us more about your background, related to this business (where did your passion came from).
My passion for printing my work, stemmed from wanting to capture photographs of skiing, hiking, and rock climbing adventures in the mountains. Naturally, these amazing scenes lend themselves perfectly for photography. This led to me becoming a full time photographer specializing in creating and selling large, immersive prints of mountain scapes, which steered me to fully printing and finishing my work, which then shifted to offering these services to others.
Explain when and why you started this business.
As a fine art photographer starting out, my main struggle was cutting through the industry marketing buzzwords, to find truly high quality, and consistent printing, and finishing. Needless to say, I was simply never satisfied with the results, which led to me printing my own work all of those years ago.
As part of my photography business, I would attend trade shows, selling my own framed prints and canvas. The quality of workmanship caught the attention of other artists and photographers, who would then request help in printing and framing their own work.
Seeing the same issues brought up by other photographers and artists, I made the decision to officially start printing and picture framing for others, under a new business in January of 2016. My goal was to create a space that removes the inconsistencies of cheap high volume automation, and pay special attention to each and every single piece, to act as a second set of eyes, to make adjustments and corrections, and to ensure masterful results each and every time.
How rewarding is it for you to be doing what you're doing?
It’s very rewarding, as it keeps the creative part of my brain active. Seeing work from other artists and photographers, or personal moments is really cool. The best part though, hands down, is seeing someone react to having a completed print handed to them, as it just blows away anything you can see on a screen. People are so used to being inundated with images online, in small format, so seeing something printed large for the wall for the first time is absolutely amazing. You really have to experience it first hand.
Who are your main customers? Who are your best customers?
My clients are a mix of aspiring photographers, artists, commercial clients, as well as people wanting to have high quality memories printed for the wall.
What are you struggling with right now?
Continuing through Covid has been a massive challenge and undertaking. I’ve watched more than 8 competitors close in the last 6 months, as well as vendors completely close their distribution in Calgary.
How can people help you at this point in your work?
Definitely by helping expand my client base by letting people know we’re here to help. Hopefully within the next few months I can get back to rehiring and getting at least a few people back to work as a result.
Do you have any special promotions or offers going on right now?
25% off on all online and in shop printing and framing for the month of April by using code studiolumen at checkout.
How can people best reach you?
Either by email or phone. kevin@kacanvas.ca or 403-966-5597 Anyone is welcome to book an in person, in shop appointment through the website at www.kacanvas.ca and I also have a robust e-commerce platform for online ordering. By visiting the shop though, there are more options, and I can work on files 1 on 1. Road side pick up is available, as is no contact delivery.
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