Any senior photographers out there from big cities

[alain_martinez]

Hello All,

 

I have a big dilemma regarding senior photography that I'm trying to figure out

if it's a demographic issue or a culture thing. In Miami, where I live, all the

seniors of all schools in the county, and as far as I know all the adjacent

cities as well get their senior portraits done with FoxMart. Their pictures

while technically good, in my own opinion and without disrespecting any one,

have no art in them whatsoever. So I wonder what are the chances of getting a

senior away from surfing at the beach, or hanging out at his friends house on

the beach, or hitting that next hot spot, or playing football at the beach, to

come and take some unique pictures. I can't fathom over 1 million students

taking the same picture as their fellow students. So I wonder, do they just

don't give a crap because there's so much more to do, or is it a culture thing

down here in the south of the US. People from LA, NY, what's your experience

there. I hear the Larry Peters and Vickie Taufer's of the senior photography

world making millions but I can't compare Miami to those cities.

 

I don't want to make this post too long to read so I'll end it with the main

question.

 

Big city photographers, do seniors in your city give a crap?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[elnoralouisa]

It is very possible that the schools don't give them a choice where they have to go for their yearbook pic. We have a few schools in Milwaukee, WI that are forced to go a VERY expensive photography studio. They hate it, the parents hate it, it's been written up in the newspaper, and nothing they can do about it.

What some do is go there for their yearbook pic, and then go to a regular photographer for their outdoor or more imaginative pictures.

BTW, do you have Seniors on your website for others to look at? I can't get your website to work? I did a few senior girls this year because I didn't get started until late, but they love nothing more than showing off their pics on a website to their friends.

So, I would find a few seniors or parents of seniors, and find out what the story is.

[alain_martinez]

And thanks for your the response and for catching the glitch on the site. I redid the non-commercial site completely and forgot to update how to get to it from the Alain Martinez side...

 

The lifestyle photography side is called Expert Appeal, and the site is http://www.expertappeal.com/

 

I don't have any seniors there, but there's plenty of other work there.

 

Thanks again.

[mark_woods3]

Wow this is an interesting question? Debbie is right that many areas have contracts on the seniors and if they want to be in the yearbook that's where they have to go. I am in a small town, in fact, only about 40 minutes from Vickie Taufer so I don't have this same kind of problem. However it is important to understand that the "senior" marketing is slightly depressed everywhere and it is not an over night super success. It can take several years to build up a reputation and client base. There are lots of ideas out there about down playing the studio that give them the same old shots and up playing your creativity and flexibility. At first you'll want anybody who will darken your door but eventually you get to the point of wanting fewer seniors who spend more money. Find a style, find a few senior representatives for yourself and shoot samples for them for free. The best sales person for you is another senior showing your images around.

[david_m]

I don't know about Florida. I live in Phoenix which is a BIG city. My daughter was given 2 photograhpers that she MUST use to have her senior photos taken. If she does not use them, they wont put her photos in the yearbook. I had hoped to take the photos myself as I am a photographer - but I cannot. I guess the school has a legal agreement with the photographers granting them exclusive rights to yearbook photos. Is it legal? Who knows?

[alain_martinez]

Well the good thing is that down here, if they just want to take the pic for the year book only, then it doesn't cost them anything (I'm not 100% sure), but if they want extra prints or a different setting, that's what costs extra. Indeed there are many ideas out there for seniors and I will start putting them in use soon. I don't do Senior photography now but it sounds like an interesting market to tap into.

 

My original question however was geared mostly to gage the level of interest from the seniors themselves. If I were to rate the interest level from 1 to 10 of the seniors here I would say it's a 5. But I don't know if that is a direct result of the ethnic melting pot that we live in, or a direct result of there being so much to do here that seniors don't give a crap about taking pictures. I'm interested in knowing about the NY market. NY is also a big city, and definitely a melting pot as well, so I wonder how this market behaves there.

 

Did you know that in China there's a tradition to take a picture with your elder when you turn 100 days old? Try bringing a tradition like that to your state and see how it works.

 

That's my point/question.

[sam_ellis]

As a yearbook advisor, let me add my insight. Most photography studios, we use Lifetouch, give a huge commission to the school. Sure, the argument is that having the same photographer gives a consistent look, but it's all about the money. That, and making sure everyone gets their portrait taken. We get quite a few seniors who just don't get them done.

 

To answer your original question about interest, you'll find that boys generally don't care AT ALL. Girls will have way more interest. Target places they hang out- surf shops, salons, etc. Make it a personal connection. Advertise shots of teens with surfboards, in their cars, on the beach, whatever it is that makes them cool.

 

MOMS are the ones who want these done the most though, and they're the ones who are willing to pay for quality.