free portrait offer

adwb · 01-29-2012, 02:27 PM

so I want some portrait images to put in a portfolio and I offer free portraits in my studio in on line free advert board in the UK called Gumtree.

What I don't understand is I get a few responses saying they would like a shoot, but when I email them back to say give me a date and time they would like they either never respond [ so why did they bother?] or they then have some problem and they will contact later which they never do.

So how the **** do you get a some sitters for portfolio portraits?

It's not my advert I get responses, albeit not many.

It can't be my attitude or manner I get wedding bookings and that's a hard one to sell these days. with so many people buying cameras and offering free or next to nothing wedding photography.

Any bright marketing ideas any one??

vonBaloney · 01-29-2012, 04:34 PM

Do them cheap but not free.

jimH · 01-29-2012, 05:06 PM

People don't trust free. I've been told that if you put an appliance or anything of value on you're curb with a sign on it saying "Free take It" It will sit there for weeks. Just set it there with a price on it and it will be stolen by tomorrow. Go figure.........

johnyates · 01-29-2012, 09:43 PM

Run a contest. The winner gets a portrait. (everyone's a winner)

Don From The Radio · 01-29-2012, 10:00 PM

Say you're charging and tell them that they were such a good model that you're doing it for free once they get there. Or tell them that if they bring a friend, it's free. If a second person is connected, it makes the chance of flaking out less.

People find it way to easy to back out of commitments online. That's all this is. It has nothing to do with you or your method of advertising.

Wheatfield · 01-30-2012, 03:50 PM

Join a website like Model Mayhem and see if you can set up some TFP sessions.

Ratmagiclady · 01-30-2012, 08:01 PM

Or, be honest in person. I promise, people use all kinds of come-ons if you're a 'pretty girl' and there's a ton of scams out there even if you mostly come from *behind* the camera. You've probably got to ask yourself what your own intentions are, there. A lot of people can smell sketchy like a fart in an elevator, at least before too long.

You've got to ask yourself: Is it the photography you're interested in, or something about the particular subjects? If it's about the photography, shoot the subjects you *can* get. It won't serve you ill later.

adwb · 01-31-2012, 03:04 AM

Thanks every one, I am with MM and have done some tfp but I was after couples for the studio wall images/portfolio. I wanted mr average joe, not good looking models, hence the placing of the ad in a public advert location.
However I suspect, as mentioned, the free is the problem and I will try with a offer of some type and see what happens.

01-29-2012, 02:27 PM	#1
adwb Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bristol UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,636	free portrait offer so I want some portrait images to put in a portfolio and I offer free portraits in my studio in on line free advert board in the UK called Gumtree. What I don't understand is I get a few responses saying they would like a shoot, but when I email them back to say give me a date and time they would like they either never respond [ so why did they bother?] or they then have some problem and they will contact later which they never do. So how the **** do you get a some sitters for portfolio portraits? It's not my advert I get responses, albeit not many. It can't be my attitude or manner I get wedding bookings and that's a hard one to sell these days. with so many people buying cameras and offering free or next to nothing wedding photography. Any bright marketing ideas any one??

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
For Sale - Sold: FREE 49mm wide angle hood and FREE Raynox RT5245 F52-M45mm	dgaies	Sold Items	16	09-25-2011 07:41 PM
Photodirector 11 - beta and free offer	Bill_R	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	13	06-29-2011 05:33 PM
Incredible K-X offer	raymeedc	Pentax Price Watch	20	05-02-2011 11:56 AM
K-x bounce back offer...	timstone	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	03-29-2010 02:09 PM
Just found an offer of free 1GB SD cards	Dangermouse	Photographic Technique	9	11-24-2009 10:55 AM

01-29-2012, 04:34 PM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Do them cheap but not free.

01-29-2012, 05:06 PM	#3
jimH Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Central Nebraska - USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,771	People don't trust free. I've been told that if you put an appliance or anything of value on you're curb with a sign on it saying "Free take It" It will sit there for weeks. Just set it there with a price on it and it will be stolen by tomorrow. Go figure.........

01-29-2012, 09:43 PM	#4
johnyates Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Saskatoon, SK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,345	Run a contest. The winner gets a portrait. (everyone's a winner)

01-29-2012, 10:00 PM	#5
Don From The Radio Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Delaware Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 344	Say you're charging and tell them that they were such a good model that you're doing it for free once they get there. Or tell them that if they bring a friend, it's free. If a second person is connected, it makes the chance of flaking out less. People find it way to easy to back out of commitments online. That's all this is. It has nothing to do with you or your method of advertising.

01-30-2012, 03:50 PM	#6
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Join a website like Model Mayhem and see if you can set up some TFP sessions.

01-30-2012, 08:01 PM	#7
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Or, be honest in person. I promise, people use all kinds of come-ons if you're a 'pretty girl' and there's a ton of scams out there even if you mostly come from behind the camera. You've probably got to ask yourself what your own intentions are, there. A lot of people can smell sketchy like a fart in an elevator, at least before too long. You've got to ask yourself: Is it the photography you're interested in, or something about the particular subjects? If it's about the photography, shoot the subjects you can get. It won't serve you ill later.

01-31-2012, 03:04 AM	#8
adwb Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bristol UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,636 Original Poster	Thanks every one, I am with MM and have done some tfp but I was after couples for the studio wall images/portfolio. I wanted mr average joe, not good looking models, hence the placing of the ad in a public advert location. However I suspect, as mentioned, the free is the problem and I will try with a offer of some type and see what happens.