s. roche Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Any photographers doing this? It sounds time consuming and rather tedious, but based on this article there may be a need for it. Then again, I wonder if anyone would be willing to pay for such a service to make it worthwhile for the photographer. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-perfin29jan29,1,6158058.column What do you pros think? Thought I would toss the idea out there, after finding this article on-line while seeking tips on how to take pics for my own home inventory. LOL! If nothing else, maybe an idea for those seeking ways to earn some money with your camera. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_haykin Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 As a young tyro, I did quite well documenting art, coins, stamps, collector's china, valuable antiques, jewelry, first editions, and the like for insurance purposes, mainly. The nice thing was, they didn't have to be high quality shots, and were usually done in B&W. Today, a true pro would have to charge to much to make it worthwhile unless the items were valued in the thousands, and the average grunt can do it satisfactorily with an inexpensive digital. And you're right, it's time consuming and tedious. If they want catalog quality, that's a different matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s. roche Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 Maybe it would be more cost effective to offer the service for businesses needing insurance documentation. I can only imagine attempting to document an entire dvd or cd collection,...enough to give a pro fits. LOL. Sorry to hear that it's no longer a source of income for you, Art. Sounds like it was lucrative for a time at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_haykin Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Stacy, after nearly 40 years as a pro, I retired in '94. For the first 3 years, I was a generalist, and shot anything I could that made a buck. Then I stumbled into a area of specialization and refused any jobs I didn't care to do. You know you've "arrived" when you can say "No." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s. roche Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 That sounds wonderful, Art! To do something you love, and to find an area of specialization that you enjoy--that's great! I did some digging on the internet and found someone that actually does work in the area I inquired about in my original post. Here's a link to her website, where she's featured articles written about her business. http://www.capturedoncamera.com/news.html It sounds even more time consuming (as we both stated it would be), than I initially considered. Quote from article (last one on page): The cost of her service depends on the amount of time spent in your home, she said. "In an hour, I can take about 50 pictures; including exteriors, room views, individual item close-ups and documents. For every hour I spend in your home I spend 8 to 9 hours creating your inventory." Whew... that's a lot of work. I hope she charges enough to compensate for all that work at home AFTER the initial photography is complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
art_haykin Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 50 SHOTS AN HOUR as described? Yeah, right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friskybongo Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Stacy, My question is why would people invite a stranger (you) into their homes to photograph their valuables? Perhaps it would be better to market your service through your local insurance company or real estate agency. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s. roche Posted March 20, 2006 Author Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Louis--This isn't something that I'm doing. The idea of someone doing it as a business occured to me after reading the article (link in original post). I just put it here for anyone to consider--as I see frequent posts from people seeking ways to earn by taking pictures. You raise a good question, though. Given that people probably would be hesitant to invite a stranger into their home to do this, it would seem to make it challenging for anyone attempting such a business to do so. I appreciate your response! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s. roche Posted March 20, 2006 Author Share Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Louis-- This isn't something that I'm doing. The idea of someone doing it as a business occured to me after reading the article (link in original post). I just put it here for anyone to consider--as I see frequent posts from people seeking ways to earn by taking pictures. I'm pretty new to photography and am still learning, so I'm not in business at this time. I suppose I could give something like this a shot, as it wouldn't require as much skill as other areas of photography, but the specifics of performing such work seems that it would be difficult to price it for the work involved, and still make it profitable. You raise a good question, though. Given that people probably would be hesitant to invite a stranger into their home to do this, it would seem to make it challenging for anyone attempting such a business to do so. I appreciate your response! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azel_beckner Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 <p>The paper Photo Album Inventory book seems to be scarce. Porters had one but they are going out of business. Is there a source for wholesale or retail purchase of Photo Inventory Albums?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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