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3 Tips To Getting More Qualified, Better Paying High School Senior Portrait Sessions

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My daughter brought home her high school year book yesterday. As a photographer, the first thing I did is pick it up and start scanning the senior portraits. I know things are different now, but I’m always amazed – and a little shocked too – at how many truly “bad” photographs are within the pages of this keepsake.

Twenty years ago, you had to use pre-established photographers that had the measurements of the specified image, and would conform to the requirements. When you looked through a yearbook, the seniors’ images were all relatively the same. Which meant you focused on looking at the kids.

Now anything goes. Around one third of the kids use the image taken for their school ID. You can tell by the “infamous” blue background and the lackluster smiles. Then you have another one third with quality high school senior portraits – you can tell they went to a professional, and in some cases I can even tell who the professional is by the props and poses. Then there is the final one third.

  • I saw images with overexposed backgrounds and dark, washed out faces.
  • I saw images that were out of focus.
  • I saw snapshots from family vacations where the senior was so small it was hard to see.
  • I saw some of the craziest poses and angles – I couldn’t believe anyone thought they were good images.

Yep, many of them were truly bad.

In today’s society, people are forgetting what real photography is all about. Real photography is now associated with “new”. The last picture you snapped goes up on Facebook, and that becomes your newest image to share. Chances are it will be “good” – you wouldn’t put up a bad one. But it isn’t great. It isn’t beautiful and it won’t stand the test of time. Look at it a year from now and it will simply be a snapshot marking a moment in time.

Dig Deeper: Filling Your Portrait Studio With High School Seniors
A real photograph is more than that. It not only marks a moment in time, it captures the essence of who the person is. And that’s where a professional comes in.

 

by Sam Attal


Professionals learn a lot of things over the years. [Read more…]

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How To Develop A Great Senior Portrait Package

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Each year over 2 million high school juniors make their way into their senior year, and start the long trek to finishing up high school and starting out life as an adult. Because it’s the last step to enter adulthood, it’s always been a right of passage to commemorate it with a special portrait session – the high school senior portrait.

Competition is fierce within this marketplace these days. Even just a few years ago, many high schools had a closed door policy, and they would interview and select a few photographers to recommend, and require each of their seniors to go to a pre-approved photographer. Schools have opened up now, and allow anyone to go anywhere. Yearbook inclusions are more lax, and you’ll see a variety of sizes, styles and displays within the senior graduating class section.

Just because anything goes doesn’t make that the right approach to senior photography. If you make it an experience, it can still bring you in a substantial amount of income during the few months of shooting time. But you have to know how to package accordingly. Here’s some advice.

Start out with a plan

Many senior photographers grab a client, head out to the park, and spend 30 minutes shooting a few images. They put them on a disk, hand it over to the client, and pocket $50 or so. And that’s the end of the revenue stream. You will never get a reorder if you hand over the files for this price. The client will take them and run, and do whatever they choose with the images. So that should never be an option.

Your first strategy is to set up more than one package, and gently lead a client to the higher package. [Read more…]

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10 Ways To Get Ready For The 2011 Senior Photography Market

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Spring is finally here. As April turns into May, high schools around the country will be holding their graduation ceremonies. Which means today’s juniors will be starting the annual trek towards graduating themselves.

10. If you’re just starting out in the senior market, now is the best time to get started. This spring, many of the local high schools begin by holding a senior fair –an expo that puts juniors on the track to success for their upcoming senior year. This is the best time to make contact with juniors, and begin filling up your summer with senior portrait sessions.
marketing your high school senior photography business
9. Call up your local high schools and ask for the school newspaper staff. Many of the high school newspapers will allow you to purchase ads in the May edition. These papers are often sent home to families, emailed to parents, and make the rounds at school as well. Always put an image of a senior from the current school for recognition (if possible).

8. Work with the school groups. Every high school has a ton of clubs and groups to get involved in. From the spring play, to the marching band, to booster clubs for sporting events, everyone is looking out for more dollars to put towards their activities. Why not sponsor an event? With most schools, a little goes a long way. And with budget cuts at their highest level, most clubs will be happy to work with you and provide you with some exposure.
[Read more…]

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Senior Photographer International – No More

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NOTE: We just received word Senior Photographer International is back up and running. We look forward to posting more on the new event when more is posted. ~Dec 12, 2008

We just received word that Senior Photographer International SPI is no longer in business. timeless photographyAndrew spoke at one of their events a few years back, and we have always heard great things about the training they provide photographers that choose to specialize in senior photography.

So what does that say about our industry if large events are having to close up shop?

Only the strong survive.

Businesses can and do survive every economy, good and bad. Those that survive the bad may end up even stronger and more successful because they understand what it means to market their business, and how to run a profitable business. Keys to surviving tough times:

1. Become more customer service oriented. Because most large, box chain places cut back on help, it becomes harder to find great customer service. Make yours shine, and you’ll stand out from the crowd.

2. Learn new things. If you have more time on your hands, why not learn something new? Take a class with a mentor. Or learn all about social networking. It will strengthen your business in the long run.

3. Market more than ever. When times are tough, most studios start chopping their expenses. But cutting out marketing won’t help you, it will actually destroy your business. Now is the time to give it all you can, and find creative ways of bringing people in.

photo source timeless photography

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Tell Them What They Want To Hear

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Your potential client calls you up and asks how much is an 8×10 for her high school senior.

Or she emails you after looking through your website to find out what’s the smallest package she can order.

So you give a price in a single sentence, and move on your way.

And then you wonder why everyone is so into pricing, and how you’ll ever make it as a professional photographer.

Sound familiar?

I remember starting out my career as a photographer in much this way. When they call and ask how much is an 8×10, you have to respond with a price, right?

Wrong.

Your prospective client isn’t really interested in hearing a price – they are interested in hearing how you respond to the question. If this is the first time they are out looking for senior portrait photographers, they really don’t know what else to ask for. A picture is a picture, right?

At this point it’s your job to sell what you do.

  • Tell them why you’re different.
  • Give them solid information on what to look for in a photographer.
  • Tell them how to judge a professional photographer.
  • Teach them why a senior portrait is so valuable.

Your client doesn’t really want to know how much an 8×10 is (at least the good clients). They really just want great customer service, a friend to rely on, and to feel like they’ve found the best in the business.

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