Wall portrait sales for wedding photographers

<p>Hello all, I'm curious about the propensity for sales of wall portraits to your clients.<br>

This would be a print (or gallery wrap, canvas wrap) or any very large format image for your wedding clients walls. I'm referring to images larger than 16x20 to be displayed prominently in the home of the couple/client.<br>

Let me see if I can be precise in what I'm asking<br>

1. Do you sell many/any?<br>

2. Do you find your clients/brides have a distinct taste for one sort over another (i.e. bridal portrait vs. abstract moment, vs candid....like the ones which one our online contest here)<br>

3. Not to be crass, but do you find you must "price them to move" or do they fetch a premium in your market?<br>

Again, this is NOT about maternity/family/babies/seniors, which I have found to be no problem to sell to the client.<br>

It's just that I've found most clients are a bit embarrassed about putting up the big picture in the living room for all to see in which they play a part. I'm hoping to tweak sales of these prints (the large prints, not necessarily the bride in her dress)<br>

<br /> I guess what I see, or think I'm seeing, is that many find it embarassing to hang a huge wall portrait of themselves, while I certainly would agree that a 30x40" picture of myself hanging in my living room, not the studio, would seem a little egotistic, if a great picture in which I was an element, rather than the focus, was present, doing a big picture that had a great story with it seems a bit more realistic.</p>

<p>So, what do you find in your region? (mine is the DC metro region)<br>

Thanks for your thoughts.<br>

Daniel</p>

 

<p>My guess is that there isn't that many here on the forum that do a great deal of reprint sales and even less that sell much larger than 16x20. But what difference does it really make in terms of what others do? This would be much better asked locally at your local/regional professional meetings or within your local network of pro photographers. </p>

<p>I understand, I was just trying to see, as a whole, where the forum may fall on this issue. It's a point of contention with another photographer, not an angry point, but just a difference. I'm just trying to provide as many options for my clients without overwhelming them...to many items on the menu don't you know.</p>

<p>I find the relevance to what others are doing as a bit of a canary in the coal mine. It strikes me as unlikely that 1 or 2 photographers in a region would sell a large print every wedding, whereas the other 99% of the pros in the area don't sell any. </p>

<p>Locally, the photographers in my networks only sell albums and digital reprints when it comes to wedding work, in terms of the other things I mentioned (newborns, families, etc) they ALWAYS sell large prints.</p>

<p>Thanks Dave</p>

 

<p>Though I am just now entering my market here in the mid-west from under another professional photography studio, I find at least an interest in wall portraits. I sell more "art" portraits than traditional portraits- you know, the ones that scream "print me big!" For instance, from my own wedding, I have a 24x30 on its way, but again, it is an art portrait. "Landscape with us in it" is a fair description. I find many couples interested more in an art piece from their wedding day than a traditional 3/4 length portrait. I sell a fair amount of 11x14 and 16x20 more traditional portraits, but I think it comes down to offering the type of image that would look awesome at that size before you can sell it. Some people don't offer the dramatic landscape style portraits, so I couldn't offer advice on other styles, but I think it comes down to what you shoot and how you sell it. If you are intimidated by hanging a 24x30 on your own wall, how you sell it to a client? I often find that they often need a little encouragement in purchasing something so large, so again, I think you have to have the confidence to sell it.</p><div></div>

<p>A very similar question was asked a couple of years ago - I can't find the thread. At the time I recall that we noted a significant drop over the previous 5 (I think) years, from a studio based business which did do the 24 x 20 and 30 x 40 on a "regular basis" for Weddings and also for Family sittings. <br /><br />("Regular" means two out of three weddings bought a large Framed Photograph for the Living Room.)<br /><br />So we are talking a significant drop at EoY 2008, from what was sold in 2003 - in broad terms. <br /><br />I ended my relationship with that studio in June 2009, and there were very, very few 16 x 20 sold in the last half of that year.<br /><br />Maybe because the studio is now under new and different ownership and marketing direction and the packages are now structured with a multiple album slant and not he emphasis on Enlargements - or maybe because the studio is now all digital and the MF film Formals and Studio Bridal Portraiture work has ended, maybe because the new owners are moving "forward" and "responding" to "customers' demands" offering combination packages with digital files to supplement the Print Package. . . <br /><br />Whatever the reason(s) . . . there has not been a print larger than 16 x 20 sold in the last year, perhaps longer.<br /><br />But on the other hand, a Photographer I know of and whose premises I travel past regularly, who is young and “with it” in appearance and modern in his studio design, internet presence and draws the “with it” clientelle has been in business for about six years, has a studio not far from where I live and about 30 km from the studio for which I worked . . .</p>

<p>He makes 40 x 50 canvases and seems to make good at it - Family Sittings,Young Children and also (especially) the Glamour Wedding Portrait . . . He has a studio on a main arterial road and the front is all glass, with four or five huge canvasses which are rotated each three or four weeks. The socioeconomic structure and client base is very similar in the two studios I cited, in Sydney, Australia.<br /><br />I am not sure what that snap shot tells you – you have one established studio which historically used to sell heaps of 24 x 30 as a matter of course and now does not sell any (all within 10 years) and on the other hand you have one new business who (seemingly) makes a killing with huge canvasses – I make this assumption because if the displays are rotated so regularly and do not repeat they have to go somewhere – and I doubt it is to the rubbish bin. <br /><br />WW</p>

<p>I provide at least one 17 X 22 print to every wedding client.</p>

<p>My experience is that people don't want a larger print until they actually see one. Then Mom, and so on, also want one.</p>

<p>The trick is to deliberately set out to create a more artistic image suited to being printed large. Jen's beautiful example above is good one as it transcends a typical wedding image and drifts into the area of landscape art more suitable for the wall.</p>

<p>Another example that seems to work, is artistically photographing the Bridal flowers. People like images of flowers to hang on the wall, and the fact that a display print is of their wedding flowers makes it more personal and endearing.</p>

<p>More abstract crops of getting dressed is a favorite for clients to adorn their dressing area at home.</p>

<p>BTW, display prints on someone's wall can be a great sales tool. Here is one of many quotes concerning display prints I've done for clients that led to additional bookings:</p>

<p><em><strong> " ... </strong></em><em><strong>When I walked into a friend's house soon after my husband and I were engaged, I was fascinated by a beautiful piece of art work on her wall. It took me awhile to realize that it was one of her wedding photographs ... "</strong></em></p>

<p>They booked me the next day.</p>

<p>Thanks All, William, the decline in the big wall portrait sales you describe is what I've seen across the board, though Jen makes a good point about landscape with the client...I've a few places for that.</p>

<p>Marc, I think you hit the nail on the head with the flowers, meaning that for one......flowers, and two, having the big 'ol picture there so they see it isn't as daunting.</p>

<p>I'm going to start switching gears a bit so this element of what I do is emphasized, after all, I'm sure many of us have shortened their life span exposed to the dark room chemistry, all in the desire to create that huge and beautiful print for our wall, or others. It seems a shame to not educate clients that they can be their own artwork, and by extension relive their wedding in a tasteful and special way.........uh, okay....time for some coffee.<br>

Thanks<br>

Daniel</p>

<p>Daniel, my original point is that what others do, especially here on the forum should have little relevance to what is already working for your business model. Some studios can still maximize reprint sales including large wall prints by not posting proofs online or using the smallish proofs that clients take home. Instead they use a projection screen and host a screening party for the b/g, family, friends, etc.... There's also the possiblity that large print sales decline may be due in part to the trend of meetings/sales consultations happening at the local coffee shop instead of in a studio. Personally, I find it a little sad that there is such a rise in "churn & burn" shooting strategies and business models. My fear is that the new mantra of "cheaper, better, and faster" often compromises on the dimension of "better". I suspect that an argument could be made that there are less big prints because of a general decline in quality while many new shooters tend to compensate via quantity.</p>

<p>I agree that Jen makes a good point in explaining that some prints lend themselves to larger prints via the nature of the image. I think Todd Laffler's image that he submitted for the Wedding POW is another natural for the larger print selection.</p>

<p >I normally have one 16x20 or 20x30 print sale from every wedding. While the majority are for albums in the 8x10 and 11x14 range, normally a 16x20 comes up of the family, or simply a shot that the couple loved. It depends upon what market you're going after. If when meeting the couple, they see large prints as samples, then they are more likely to order the same for themselves.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >I think it is more prevelent than some people think....even for photographers in this forum.</p>

<p > </p>

<p > </p>

<p><strong><em>"William, the decline in the big wall portrait sales you describe is what I've seen across the board"</em></strong></p>

<p>Daniel, my closing paragraph was tongue in cheek: <em>"I am not sure what that snap shot tells you – you have one established studio which historically used to sell heaps of 24 x 30 as a matter of course and now does not sell any (all within 10 years) and on the other hand you have one new business who (seemingly) makes a killing with huge canvasses"</em></p>

<p>I <strong><em>was sure</em></strong> what I wanted my comparison to illustrate: and Marc Williams has made all my thoughts, quite succinctly; also I agree with David, the samples from Jen and Todd are examples of what would be created to drive the sale of larger prints. </p>

<p>IMO, If you want to do big wall hanging prints, then you have to drive it, right from the beginning when the prospect walks in the door.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>I like to sell them, though the sales are less these days.</p>

<p>As for the embarrassment factor, I don't see that aspect too much. At least I have not been told it factors into the decision.</p>