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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-12-2016, 08:20 PM
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Ultimately you will want to invest in a bigger light. As you have already discovered the recycle times on hot shoe flashes is painfully slow and the color is not consistent across the power range. I hate setting up lights and traveling with a bunch of gear, but if you can control the light, you make you life so much easier. The quality of work goes up and the time it take in post goes way down. If you are doing any kind of volume a decent 2-3 light kit is worth the money. The cost is coming way down for basic light kits.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-08-2016, 07:36 PM
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No. You want to create a private gallery for each family. Send them the link. so they can see the other photo options. Let them send the link to other family members like grandparents. Give them the option to buy. That is where you will double your money. You want to sell prints. You want them to order prints through your website (online). There is cost involved in an ecommerce site like this, but there are advantage. Those parents are going to give you and e-mail address and you can stay in contact with them.
I offer a "year one" deal to parents. I start with maternity pictures and I offer them a package for pictures every 3 months for the first year. At the end of the first year I given them a printed and bound album from maternity all the way to the first birthday. I usually sell 2 additional copies to the grandparents. They pay for the booking fees upfront and them buy prints from each of the sessions. The 1st book is included in the initial fee. It is typically 5-6 sessions that get booked. Some people continue year 2 & 3. I have only been doing it 3 years so I don't know how long they will keep booking this. Its definitely good filler work and a way to build a client base.
The book is important. I have gotten lot of referrals from expecting mothers who saw a book I did for a previous client. Think of it as a way to get your current customers to show your portfolio to all of their friends for you. New moms are going to show the book to a lot of people if the work is good.
Don't worry about having the same amount for every child. Parents will only see the prints for their child.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-08-2016, 08:12 AM
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What I'm suggesting it that you set expectations for 3 posed images. This is probably what has been provided in the past. The candid photographs are above and beyond. These are more work and a lot harder to produce consistently. They should pay a premium. As long as you set expectations on what people are getting (3 posed shots) for the basic setting fee, you are not miss leading anyone. The extra candid images are just that. Extra.
I don't know about Australia, but here you wouldn't need the rights to put the images in a secure gallery (not public). It should be a website that supports e-commerce and printing. Give the link to the parents. They will be the only ones who have access unless they send that link to other people (and they will). Tell them the pictures will be taken down in 90 days. You are not selling these images to them and the people they send the link to. You are not displaying them for the public or putting them Facebook. But always get commercial rights to your work.
Little flashes really don't cut it. As you know the recycle times are very frustrating and you will miss a lot of good shots. Color temperature is also inconsistent across the power range. But bigger lights are expensive. Smaller flashes or good for posed shots where you control everything, but they are limiting if you want to do a lot of candid shots.
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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
11-07-2016, 08:49 PM
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I would keep your sitting fee low for right now. The first few times you do this it will be a learning experience. I would recommend getting a website that allow for parents to buy prints online. If 3 shots is the expectation, then provide 3 shots that you chose and a link to your website. You want to give everyone the same basic 3 shots and keep the premium work on your website for purchase. Parents will send that link to grandparents who may also by a print or two. If there are some special shots, you will sell more. People who have the budget will buy and people who don't have the budget won't. You don't have to worry about it. The low sitting fee will get people in front of the camera until you build a reputation and a name for yourself.
Try and use an indoor play area for your shoot. Outdoor playgrounds introduce a lot of challenges with weather and harsh lighting. You need consistency with lighting. IF you set it up right you can give people quality that they will pay for. You really need as assistant for shooting a lot of kids.
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