bevw

<p>I have been shooting some team and individual sports and prom photography at a high school. I would like to know what kind of packaging should I be using to deliver the pictures in. E.g., are other companies enclosing the Prom pictures in paper folders or are faux borders applied via photoshop or templates of some kind? I'm at the stage where I need to focus on professional presentation of the images because I want to raise my rates!<br>

I would appreciate recommendations to companies that do printing of graphics on envelopes, etc.too</p>

<p>Many thanks,<br>

Bev Woodworth</p>

<p>Nathan, thanks for the answer. I did end up using smugmug for this job but will get prepay on T and I for the rest of the jobs coming up. I received some great off-list answers/suggestions that were very helpful. Thanks everybody.</p>

<p>Hi, I am a professional wedding shooter branching out into T and I photography. I have been asked by my kids' high school coaches to shoot some T and I for several teams.</p>

<p>I shot one team on spec in order to generate some demos that I could use to prove my skills to parents and coaches. I've now been asked by the coach to sell those photos to the parents to help the team raise money. Should I set up a gallery where parents can look at the photos and then note the picture number of the photos they want to purchase? I could then provide a form for them to fill out with their name and the photo numbers with a check attached. Next time I've learned that I should collect money upfront before taking pictures.<br>

I plan on attending some conferences to get training in this whole end of the business but this opportunity came up unexpectedly and right now I am scrambling to get up to speed. I'd sure appreciate having the chance to talk by phone for 5 or 10 minutes to someone experienced with this process if possible My email is bwpw@cox.net. Responses on this forum would be great too.<br>

Thank you in advance,<br>

Bev</p>

<p>Sorry, nevermind... I understand now. I just went to your website and learned that you provide the cut out and design service. I thought you were selling the templates.<br>

I'd still be curious what you are finding is the price that these are realistically selling to the customer for if our cost would start at $55 for an 11x14. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone for your helpful answers. Marie, your templates are great-looking.<br>

I have created some custom backgrounds myself that give a poster-style look like yours, for the same reasons as you - the competition isn't doing it (yet). The challenge is charging enough for the time to post-produce such a time intensive custom product. Have you determined what amount photographers can sell their product for with your templates? Are some shot with a green screen set-up or are they just masked?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>David and Nathan, thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights. I appreciate your taking the time to help. David, I think your suggestion to avoid the schools may have saved me alot of time.</p>

<p>I'm researching branching out to photograph high school T and I. Part of my sell to the school is the fundraising aspect of giving a percentage of revenue back to the school sports programs.<br>

I would appreciate advice as to what kinds of photo products sell best.<br>

1)Are magnets, trading cards, etc boring and overdone <br>

2)are templates such as Graphic Authority overused<br>

3) Any new creative approaches/products I should try?</p>

<p>Many thanks in advance..</p>

<p>Wow, everyone, thank you! Steve, your answer is so powerful and true. No matter how many times I think I know the principle of "give first" as a marketing strategy (and a life strategy) it never fails to amaze me how many times I forget, too. Many, many thanks to all.</p>

<p>I am embarking on a big marketing push and have heard back from other photographers doing the same thing that trying to make contacts with wedding coordinators at the wedding venues is now a losing proposition. The feedback is that there are now so many new photographers entering the market that the coordinators are swamped with meeting requests/sample albums. They have their list of tried and true photographers that they feel comfortable referring and do not want to take chances on the zillion untried newcomers. clamoring at their doorstep.<br>

One photographer I talked to who had done a big marketing push and who had had a very successful studio on the East Coast before moving to San Diego told me it was a waste of her time to contact them; as an indication of the attitude, she had left her very expensive Leather Crafstman album at a popular venue for review and when she came back to pick it up a week or so later she found out it had been thrown away without even an email or phone call notification from the coordinator.</p>

<p>Does anyone have recommendations on creative ways to approach these people or is this an old school way to market? Perhaps that method has seen its day and instead I should be tapping wedding vendor contacts, doing internet stuff and staying away from the coordinator method.Other creative ideas for ways to market in this environment would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Thank you in advance.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I've been shooting as a second and had the same thing happen several times. I always say that I am an independent photographer working that day for "Photography Company X". If they would like to contact me would they please contact Photography Company X first to get my contact information. Then I tell Photography Company X that they might be getting a call requesting my services. It's up to them if they want to turn it over to me or work the prospect themselves.</p>

<p>The way I see it is, there is no way that person asking for my card would have known about me if not for my having been working on Photography Company X's job - so that contact is not mine to keep without Company X's permission.</p>

<p>I am a freelance second shooter and I'm looking to start booking for this upcoming wedding season (09). I can provide references from professional photographers I have worked with in San Diego. I am very experienced in the wedding environment, easy going, professional, detail oriented, team player. Thank you.<br>

Bev </p>

 

MODERATOR NOTE: Phone number and website removed. Bev - please make sure your contact info (website - not phone number) is posted on your community page. People can click on your name to go to your page with contact info.

<p>I think it would be really awesome to be able to see a "constructive critique" of the top 10 (in the under 3 years category in particular).<br>

For example the judges could say what contributed to a lower ranking such as "great image but too much post processing" or "ranks in the top 10 but incorrectly cropped plus too much noise to get in the top three", etc. That would help us all learn what to look for and improve upon in our images for next time.</p>

<p>Second wedding, first year shooting. 70-200mm lens at 200mm. F 4.5, shutter 1000. I was curious what was happening behind me as I was shooting family shots after the service, swung around and found this.</p><div></div>

I actually think the original poster's question is a good one. I think about those questions all the time - and I'm

a wedding photographer. Frankly, I believe that amateurs CAN do a decent job at the reception if formal posing is

not desired and if the b and g don't care that their images show the effects of amateur flash. Where pros really

count is in the experience and gear we bring to difficult logistics situations like the dark church and formal

posing skills. Also, brides buy those inordinately expensive gowns to wear once because they want to look like

the magazine images they see -they know that only pros can make them look like that.

 

 

 

I do often wonder why I go to such great lengths to use fill flash and herd people into open shade and arrange

them in stiff poses, etc.. What most matters to many people is that their loved ones "aliveness" is registered

on "film", that the occasion is documented to tell the story. They want to remember that they and their friends

and family had a great party. Sure, rule of thirds, diffused flash, maybe formal poses etc helps tell that story

a bit better but is it really worth $3000 better to the average person not schooled in the arts? I don't think so

and I think the market is telling us that now.

Paolo, your work is so evocative and powerful I think that one path for you to take might be send your portfolio to magazine editors and ad agencies in New York for income to tide you over till your wedding business picks up. I lived in Manhattan for many years and I am confident your style and talents would appeal to high end brides once you can break in to the market there.

 

Nadine is exactly right in all her comments, especially that your Italian-ness could be a great advantage in New York.Another poster's comment about getting into the Italian wedding market is great, too. Try to get referrals from businesses in Little Italy. I have Italian photographer friends even in a non-Italian town like San Diego who are referred constantly through big families for big weddings which in turn lead to corporate shoots because of the loyalty in that community.

 

I hesitate to say this but your brilliant portfolio seems a little dark and "foreboding" to me in comparison to other American wedding portfolios brides might be seeing. I might suggest adding some more photos where brides are smiling and perhaps a few more in color, just to balance what you already have. I personally think you are going to be one of the best wedding photographers in America once you get going. I can't wait to follow your progress.

 

Best of luck to you..