“Selling the action” – An interview with The Florida Times-Union

By MARK BASCH, The Florida Times-Union

Ariav last August started a company called Glossy Finish, which focuses on taking professional photographs of youth sporting events.

“It’s that instant gratification you don’t get when you use the Internet as your delivery system,” Ariav said.

“We can turn it around in five or 10 minutes.”

The company does also make photos available after the tournament through its Web site (www.glossyfinish.com). In fact, Ariav started the company as a portal for sports photographers to sell their images.

“I said there has to be a better way. Our set-up time [with the trailer ready to go] is literally 30 minutes.”

Glossy Finish can print the photos in a variety of ways at a range of prices. For example, an 8-by-10-inch photo costs $18.

Back behind the lens

Ariav is a former fashion and beauty photographer who was recruited to a21 in 2000 when it was a start-up company looking for acquisition opportunities. The company three years ago acquired Jacksonville-based SuperStock, which provides photos and other images to the creative opportunity.

Ariav resigned from a21 last June with the intent of starting a new business.

“I’m more of the landscape architect than the groundskeeper,” he said. “I wanted to go back to a start-up mode.”

With the one trailer, Glossy Finish right now is somewhat limited in what it can cover. But Ariav thinks he has a unique business model that can be expanded to other cities.

“What we have is a potential franchise,” he said. “If it’s successful, we will start franchising.”

Read the article on Jacksonville.com.