1. Relate to your clients

To be a really successful senior portrait photographer, you’ve got to be able to relate to your clients. If your clients don’t feel comfortable around you then their pictures won’t turn out well. Most of us can easily relate to adults, but may have trouble relating to high school students. “Kids theses days!”

I intentionally begin to build a relationship with my prospective clients at their initial contact. I primarily receive e-mail inquiries. I respond with enthusiasm at the prospect of working with them and interest in their desires and opinions, and I do so in language that is familiar to them. Here’s a sample of a reply e-mail I might send:

2. Ask questions

Sending a questionnaire to seniors allows me to gather essential information about the client for my records as well as ask them questions about their hobbies, interests and style.  The pre-session meeting is also very important. In the last year, 100% of clients who met for a pre-session meeting with me ended up booking their senior pictures with me.  Being upfront with your pricing is also critical because you’ll be wasting your time and theirs if you set up an in-person meeting just to find out that you’re outside of their budget.

3. Learn about your client

At the pre-session meeting, I do the same things. I ask the seniors more questions about themselves, their style and their interests.  I ask what their plans are for next year and some of their goals for the future. All of this helps them relax around me and helps me get to know them. I give them a folder with pricing information, my contract/liability release form, an FAQ page and a couple business cards. I take some small samples of products I offer, including my favorite product, the custom-designed session album.  I offer to buy them a coffee or treat while they look over my sample album.

4. Explain how your sessions work

Next, I explain what a typical session is like and ask if they have any questions for me.  I encourage them to consider bringing a friend or parent with them to the session. I suggest locations based on what I’ve learned about them and we look at our calendars and finalize the booking. I encourage them to call, text, or e-mail me if they think of any questions.

5. Social networking with high school seniors

After the pre-session, I “friend request” them on Facebook and “follow” them on Twitter and Instagram. Sometimes I tweet about how excited I am to work with them. Usually the students “retweet” my tweets (free advertising).  If you’re a high school senior photographer, you’ve got to get in the habit of using Twitter.

6. The photo shoot

During the session, I continue to make them feel as comfortable as possible with small talk. Since I already know their hobbies, I’ll ask more about them. For example, if a student is a soccer player, I’ll ask how her games are going, how their team is doing this year, if she plans to play in college, etc. I try to continue the conversation while shooting to help them be as relaxed and as natural as possible. I’ll suggest poses and make jokes and we usually laugh and have a good time.

7. After the session

After the session, I tell them how much I enjoyed working with them and that I can’t wait to show them their pictures. Within a few days I try to post a “teaser” on Facebook and Instagram to get them excited about their pictures. I text them to tell them that I’ve posted a teaser for them and that I hope they like it. They usually respond with enthusiasm and say they love it and that they can’t wait to see more.

8. In person ordering

When they come back for their viewing and ordering session about two weeks later, I set out snacks and drinks. I have music playing (music I know they like, because I know them pretty well now) and sample products set out.

(Let me pause for a second here and say that I know some people don’t have a studio or a home they can open up to their clients for viewing and ordering. But at the very least, I recommend doing in-person ordering at a coffee shop or even at the client’s home. In person ordering will multiply your sales tremendously – but we’ll talk more about that in another post.)

Once they’ve narrowed down their photos and decided on an order, I let them know that I will deliver the prints when they are ready. In the meantime, I try to do a blog post of their session using their favorite pictures and share it on social media sites so that they can show their friends (I say “try” because sometimes I get really behind on blogging).

9. Delivery

When the prints come in, I text or e-mail them to arrange a time for delivery. After delivery, I write a thank-you note and try to mail it within a couple of days along with some kind of gift card. Sometimes I try get a gift card that I know they will like based on their interests, but if I can’t think of anything Starbucks is my default.

10. Relate to your customers to stand out

Relating to clients and giving them a memorable experience is key in order to offer a premium service and to stand out above your competition. The most important thing to remember is that high school students are very social and most of them interact using social media and technology daily. In general, they prefer text messages and e-mails to phone calls.  Get to know each client and be willing to be flexible on how you interact and communicate based on their needs and preferences.

The above information is just an example of things that I do. I encourage you to come up with your own ideas on how to better relate to your clients. If you have any suggestions that I didn’t mention, feel free to talk about those in the comments section!

Up next: Specializing within the Senior Market

All images in this post were edited using MCP Enlighten Presets for Lightroom 4

About the Author: Ann Bennett is the owner of Ann Bennett Photography in Tulsa, OK. She specializes in high school senior pictures and lifestyle family photography. For more information about Ann, visit her website or Facebook page.

The post 10 Tips to Successful Senior Photography: Relating to High School Seniors appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

9 Surefire Tips to Pricing Photography Packages that Sell

Whether you are just starting a photography business or are transitioning from selling digital files to tangible goods, we’ll be teaching you all about “packages.” Learn how to determine what products to include, how to price your packages, how many packages to create, and other details to consider when creating packages. When making the switch from a providing only digital copies of images to a full service studio, the most daunting task is how to construct packages. If you are in this position, you may never have sold prints let alone known how to price them.

1. Keep your Cost of Goods Below 20-25%

The first tip I learned when creating your packages is to make sure you keep your cost of goods below 20-25%.  Cost of goods is what you as the photographer pay for the product. This prevents you from spending too much on the actual product for the client and allows you to pay yourself and reinvest in your business. For example, if I have a package and it includes $30 worth of prints or products, this is my cost, and then the package would have to sell for a minimum of $150. Now you can include your packaging cost and credit card fees in your cost of goods if you wish and then the price of the package would need to go up to keep your cost of goods below 20%.

2. Include Credit Card and Processing Fees in Your Cost of Doing Business

Include credit card fees in your cost of doing business. When determining your cost of goods I like to include the processing fees associated with using credit cards in my cost of goods. The reason I do this is because I do not want to deter clients from spending more money with my studio. Lets say a client is interested in purchasing your top or middle packages and they want to pay by card and then you state that there is a fee on their purchase to use credit cards this may deter them from purchasing a higher package and buy the package with which they can pay cash for at that given moment. In this day and age credit cards are more widely used than cash so make sure you accommodate your clients’ needs and make the buying process run more smoothly by accepting credit cards and calculate the cost in your cost of goods or cost of doing business.

3. Determine How Many Packages to Create

Decide how many packages to create. When constructing my packages I did a lot of research on how many packages to create. I ended up sticking with four packages as I read that clients are then forced to make a choice between a top or bottom package. Either one of the top two or one of the two bottom packages while still giving them a choice. I read that when you give a client four choices your sales will most likely look like this:

Package A 10% buy

Package B 40% buy

Package C 40% buy

Package D 10% buy

Now this may hold true for some and maybe it was the fact that I just included too many items in my packages but I found 4 packages to be super confusing to my clients. My clients spent so much time bouncing between the differences in packages despite me walking them through it and showing them the product in person. They also spent much time trying to figure out which product was in available in one package that wasn’t available in the other as well as comparing prices between the four packages and my a la carte menu. The frustration often set in and they would often just purchase my bottom package. I have since switched from four packages to three. My logic behind this is this; think about any restaurant or coffee shop you go to, how many sizes do they offer and which one do you most often buy? The most common answer is the middle package, as we feel most comfortable and content with purchasing in the middle. We don’t feel like we paid too much or got too little.

4. List your Packages in Descending Order

Ordering of the packages is also extremely important. You want to list your highest priced package first and then list the rest in descending order. The reason for this is because clients have an easier time going down in price than going up in price.

5. Keep Your Bottom Package Simple and Basic

Keep the bottom package simple and basic. I originally had mini accordions, an 11×14 print mounted on styrene, and a few smaller prints in my bottom package. I since have switched the package to only contain simple prints sized at 8×10 or smaller. I found that clients love those mini accordions and with it holding several images and having an 11×14 they were content with the bottom package. The more basic your bottom package the more appealing the others will seem.

6. Have Pull Through Items

Have pull through items.  Pull through items are items available in one package that are not available in another to make the higher package more appealing and to draw clients to want to purchase that package. Pull through items are things like albums, digital files, prints mounted on styrene, canvases, or any item you know clients love and want. Another reason I pulled the mini accordions out of my bottom package is to use it as a pull through item and have more incentive for clients to purchase my middle package. My pull through items for my bottom package to my middle package is the thin wrap, mini accordions, dvd slideshow, and the 5 digital negatives. It is not necessary to have this many pull through items one or two should do just fine. If you have four photography packages rather than three one or two pull through items should be sufficient and help prevent confusion between the differences in packages.

7. Keep the Choices Minimal

Just because your printing company offers a product does not mean you have to carry it. Choose a few items that you would like to carry in addition to prints and offer those to your clients. Too many choices can confuse and frustrate clients. You do not need to offer every finish and size in prints choose your favorites and offer those to clients.  You also want to only offer items that you know you can upsell enough to keep your cost of goods below 20-25%. For example, I love the different shaped frames offered by Organic Bloom and other companies but I do not offer them to my clients because I do not yet feel I have the right clientele to sell these to or that I would be able to sell them at a high enough mark up to make money off of them. Especially if you are just switching from being a shoot and burner to a full service studio you want to give yourself and opportunity to get familiar with your products so keep it simple.

8. If It’s In Your Photography Packages, Make Sure It’s In the A La Carte Menu

Whatever is in your packages should be in your a la carte menu too. The reason you want to have your items in your packages listed in the a la carte menu is so clients can compare the prices in you’re a la carte menu to your packages so they can know they are getting a better deal when purchasing your packages. Your a la carte pricing should also be relatively higher than the pricing in your packages so your clients are not compelled to order single items off of the a la carte menu because they shouldn’t be cheaper. It is also good to have the value of the package listed next to the price. For example, say my bottom package is $600 I then want to have the price of what it would cost to get everything in the package from the a la carte menu listed next to it. This saves the time of clients trying to add up what it would cost to get a single item a la carte compared to the package pricing.

Ex: Package D $600 ($850 value) the value is the price of the items at a la carte prices

9. List Prices by x99 Instead of x00

Instead of listing your prices at the even numbers such as $600 or $650 list is as $599. Mentally we are more attracted to the $599 price than the $600. Although it is only a dollar difference the price seems a lot lower because it begins with that five rather than the six.

Packages Before Changes

Packages After Changes

This post was written by Taren Terrill. Taren is a mother, full-time student, military wife, and photographer. She specializes in newborn portraiture and has been successful in running her studio while traveling the world. She has been trained by leading newborn photographers in the industry and currently provides photography tips to fellow photographers through guest blogging and q&a’s on her site. She has loved photography since she was a little girl but didn’t decide to pursue her dream until after her son was born. He inspired her to be everything she has ever wanted to be. Check out her work  here or connect with her on Facebook here.

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Initially, the problem you’ll run into is that in order to reach them, you have to find them. This will be the most difficult part of breaking into the market, but once you’ve climbed this mountain, it gets much easier.  As long as you create quality images and a memorable experience, your clients will practically take care of marketing for you.

It’s important that you do not expect any income directly from these sessions. I would explain to the student that I was trying to break into the senior market and that I would like to offer them a completely free senior session because I’m trying to get my name out there. Be upfront and honest, they’ll respect that and most students will be more than happy to have free photos taken. All I expected from them was a signed model release so that I could use their pictures for marketing and permission to post and tag them in the photos on Facebook.

Up next: Successful Senior Photography: Relating to Seniors

All images in this post were edited with MCP Four Seasons Summer Solstice actions.

About the Author: Ann Bennett is the owner of Ann Bennett Photography in Tulsa, OK. She specializes in high school senior pictures and lifestyle family photography. For more information about Ann, visit her website www.annbennettphoto.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/annbennettphotography.

 

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Too Many Emails: Un-Productive Photographer

Running a profitable photography business is difficult, to say the least. As nice as it would be to focus all our time on our photos, sadly, it doesn’t work out that way. Marketing your business is almost as important as the pictures themselves, and once you have your marketing plan in place, chances are that e-mails and messages will come flooding in. Answering a large amount of emails can be daunting, and can quickly become frustrating. Especially if only a percentage of people are still interested in booking a session once they receive the information that they are looking for. It is best to focus your time mainly on those who are serious about booking a session with you, but how can the prospective clients be distinguished from those who are simply “shopping around”? The best way to sort them out is with e-mail templates.

The Solution: Email Templates

E-mail templates are a collection of pre-written e-mails, created with a word processor and saved for later use, that can be quickly sent with only minimal attention to each email. It is a good idea to copy and paste each template into a “drafts” or similar folder in your e-mail account, so that they are easily accessible to you, even from a cell phone, tablet or public computer.

It’s simple to make your own e-mail templates, but it might be difficult to know where to start. The best place to start is with a basic questionnaire. I have found that the majority of inquiry e-mails I receive say things like, “Can you please send me more information?” or, “What is your pricing?” Therefore, the very first e-mail I send back is usually my general questionnaire. In it, I thank the person for contacting me, explain how answering these questions will help me give them the best information, and then I ask the things I need to know before I can easily respond. Typically, I ask what type of session the inquiry is for, when the session will need to be, the number of people the session will include, etc. You can customize your questions for whatever type of photography you specialize in.

The next templates you may want to prepare are ones with the information and pricing for each type of session. Because I offer three different types of sessions, I have three different templates saved for this. In these informational templates, I include the name and cost of the session that best fits the client’s needs. It may also be good to include some examples of your work, so that your pictures can leave an impact instead of just a price tag! This is a good time to show a little personality as well; just a touch of your own flair might be all that is needed to set you apart from the competition. Chances are, if the person responds again to this second email, they are serious about using your services and you are likely not wasting your time by corresponding with them further.

The previously mentioned templates are probably the most useful in my own business, but there are many other circumstances in which other templates are great to have available.

Some Great Email Templates To Have

• Template with a basic questionnaire
• Template with information and pricing for each session type
• Template for when the Client is requesting an unavailable date
• Template for when the Client is asking for a type of session you don’t offer
• Template for when the Client is asking for a special price or discount
• Template for when a client’s gallery becomes available for viewing
• Template to thank your clients after the shoot and/or purchase
• Template for a deposit or session reminder
• Template for a reminder that a gallery will be expiring

You can and should make a template e-mail for any information that you find yourself writing over and over again. Although this task may be somewhat time consuming at first, it will save you tons of time in the long run. Hopefully, your new templates will allow you to focus your time spent e-mailing in the right places. What templates do you have for your business?  Leave a comment and let us know.

This article was written by Blythe Harlan, of Blythe Harlan Photography.  She specializes in newborn, child and family photography in El Paso, Texas.  You can also like her on Facebook.

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Photography: The Difference Between a Hobby and a Profession

(and how to become a professional)

What is a professional photographer?

I would define a“professional photographer” as someone who derives income as a photographer. You don’t have to be a full-time photographer to be a professional, but you do have to net money and be set up as a business. You may be a fabulous photographer, but if you’re not earning income doing photography, you have a hobby, not a profession. Of course there’s nothing wrong with being a hobbyist. I want to be clear that the words “hobby” and “profession” have nothing to do with your skill level or the quality of your work. They have everything to do with your finances and legal business status.

If you’re a hobbyist and you are happy with the way things are, that’s great! But if you strive to be a professional and you need help making your hobby a profession, read on!

Before I begin, I want you to have realistic expectations. You cannot become a professional overnight. It took me two years before my business was able to contribute a significant amount of money to my family’s income. Running a successful business is hard work, but it is extremely rewarding. I learned a lot on my journey to becoming a professional and, if you follow my advice, it probably won’t take you as long as it took me.

Once you decide to become a professional photographer…

The first three steps are going to look intimidating. They also tend to be dreadfully dull to artists like us. Rest assured, they are much easier than they look and are very important for running a professional business (hence why they are the first three steps). They involve setting your business up in the eyes of your state and/or country. I’m going to explain the steps I took but I recommend meeting with a local accountant or tax attorney to decide what is best for your business.

1. Register your business with your state
2. Register your business with your state’s tax commission
3. Apply for an EIN with the IRS

1. First I established my business with my state. There are two primary ways to do this: a sole proprietorship or a single-member LLC. Personally, I prefer the protection and credibility you get with a single-member LLC. You can register for your LLC very easily through your secretary of state’s office. In my state, the application fee is $100.

2. Next, I registered my business with my state’s tax commission. When you do this, you’ll receive an account number and, in most states, you will be able to file and pay sales tax electronically. This process is not very difficult and, in my state, the application fee is $20.

3. Finally, you may want to apply for an EIN (employer identification number) with the IRS (or something comparable if outside the US).. Some banks require your registered business to have an EIN in order to open a business checking account. An LLC applies for an EIN by filing Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number on the IRS website. You’ll likely use this number when you pay your quarterly income tax.

Bleh. I’m not going to try to convince you that dealing with government agencies is fun. I couldn’t make it sound fun even if I tried. However, it is necessary to pay both sales tax and income tax if you want to ethically and legally run a business. If you chose to work for another photography business, not start your own, as long as you are a salaried employee, you likely fall under their company.  If you are doing contract assignments, you likely still need steps 1-3.

The last 3 steps are not nearly as painful. They’re not quite as fun as taking pictures, but they’re much better than filling out paperwork and writing checks. They’re also essential for running a profitable business. They are:

4. Create a business plan
5. Price yourself based on that plan
6. Keep accurate books

4. If you want to be successful, you must make a plan and set reasonable goals. To fail to plan is to plan on failing. The most basic business plan includes a mission statement, target market, goals and a strategy. Everyone’s business plan will look a little different. If you’re detail oriented, you can set monthly or even weekly goals along with your goals for the year.

Make sure and include reasonable financial goals. Remember, in order to reach your goal of being a professional photographer, you must be make a living from your photography.  Set a goal for both revenue and net profit. Base your minimum net profit goal on your living expenses or the minimum amount you would like to contribute to your family income. Having these numbers in mind will help keep you on track. Remember to include estimates for taxes and all of your anticipated expenses.

Revisit your business plan every month.

5. Now you must price yourself based on your goals. Once you set your goals and begin to run the numbers, you may realize (as I did) that your pricing is way too low. Set aside some time to carefully restructure your pricing based on your goals.  When I crunched the numbers and discovered how much I needed to charge in order to meet my minimum goals, I panicked. I was worried that no one would pay those prices. But I knew that if I wanted to do this for a living then I was going to have to actually make a living. That’s when I decided that I must be confident in the quality of my work and confident in my prices. I changed them that day and I never looked back. I’m not going to lie – it was scary. I lost most of my clients and had to rebuild my clientele. But over the next several months, as I slowly rebuilt my clientele, I began to realize that my new clients respected me, my work, and my prices – something I was not used to! I was beginning to tap into my target market!

I know this is a scary step – believe me. But I encourage you to do it as soon as possible. Increasing your prices gradually will only draw out the process. It will be more painful that way. It’s best to just rip off the band-aid. Do it once and get it over with. Take it from someone who has been there before.

If you don’t hit your goals in your first year, don’t panic. It may take a few years to build your clientele and your credibility. Don’t give up. If necessary, continue to work another full or part-time job while your photography business grows.

6. And lastly, it is vitally important to keep accurate books. You need to know exactly how much money is coming into your business and how much is going out. In order to do this, you must keep your business finances completely separate from your personal finances by opening a business checking account. Personally, I use QuickBooks Online to manage my business finances. If you’re not ready for financial planning software yet, create and keep track of your finances on a spreadsheet. Meticulously keep track of every dollar that comes in and every dollar that goes out. I guarantee that this will help you be much more thoughtful with your purchases, which will keep you on track for reaching your goals.

About the Author: Ann Bennett is the owner of Ann Bennett Photography in Tulsa, OK. She specializes in high school senior pictures and lifestyle family photography. For more information, visit her website www.annbennettphoto.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/annbennettphotography.

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Why Photography Studios Should Specialize

If you are a professional photographer trying to make a go of it as a full time or even a part time career, the lesson for this post boils down to this:  Find what you do best, focus on it, and eliminate the rest.  You will be happier, your clients will be happier, and you will be more successful.  It’s as simple as that.  You really don’t even need to read on….

Seems simple right?  If it was so simple I wouldn’t feel compelled to continue writing, but the truth is it’s not always that simple even though it’s really critical.  Odds are you have already stumbled on jobs that were on the fringe of your expertise at best and experienced some pain.  I know you have.  We sure did which unfortunately is the best way to truly learn this lesson.  It’s good though – it’s part of growing and learning and you may not know what you are good at and what you like if you aren’t taking risks and trying new things right?  Right.  Meanwhile here’s a few of the lessons we learned to qualify me to write this in the first place….

Learn From Our 3 Mistakes Trying Be “Everything” Photographers

1. We Do Not Photograph Large Events (featuring the missing brother)

So yeah…. a few years ago Ally (my wife – she’s the photographer half of our team) photographed a wedding which the client booked with us at the last minute.  We met with the bride ahead of time to go over things including her list of who we needed to photograph, who was in the wedding party and so on.  Ally did what she thought was a pretty good job, but the bride never mentioned that she had a brother.  The brother was not in the wedding party, Ally had no idea who the brother was, and therefore there were no pictures of the brother.  The client was NOT happy.  Ugh.  Did we learn from the events we did?  Yep – and for various reasons with few exceptions we learned we don’t want to do events.

2. We’ll Pass on Passports

Our studio is not set up for passport photos – we don’t print here, there’s nothing creative about them and you don’t need to go to a real studio to get them done quickly, cheaply and effectively.  We started charging $25 for passport photos which we figured would be a quick and easy $25 for those who want them from us.  That’s an expensive passport photo, but we have to send them to a lab and we aren’t going to do anything for only 10 dollars.  We’ve learned that we really shouldn’t be doing anything for $25 either – especially when the passport gets rejected and you have to reshoot because the Canada passport office thinks the lighting isn’t right (they accepted the wife’s photo but not the husband – shot the same day with the same lighting), or the studio name needs to be printed (not stamped) on the back etc.  Ugh again.  The theory of passport-as-loss-leader hoping they’ll come back for real portraits is not worth experimenting with for us.  Now we just say we don’t do them.

3. Dance Studio Defeat (but this one has a better ending)

We are not equipped for sports leagues and ironically we learned this lesson photographing a dance studio – I say ironically because we are indeed photographing a couple dance studios these days.  I’ll explain.  The first dance studio Ally photographed (before I joined her in the business) was a big studio.  They scheduled pictures the day of the dress rehearsal on location in the hall/lobby outside of the school auditorium – lots of dancers in a short period of time in an open space.  Lots of parents crowding around and very chaotic.  It was a very challenging and trying day and we learned first hand that for a scenario like that you have to have a big staff and a tight assembly line type of process to get it done.  Not the type of job we are interested in nor are we equipped for.  We now photograph one big studio and a couple small ones.  The big one is across the hall from our studio in our mall so the logistics are much more favorable, and the others on location are small enough that we can handle them.  We aren’t set up for high volume business as a general rule and we are fine with that.

So I would be remiss if I didn’t cover 4 lessons to learn (in order) to help you “transition” from generalist to specialist.

When a job goes bad:

1. Don’t run.  When the client calls to point out the problems answer the phone, even if you have caller ID and you get that sinking feeling that you’re about to face the music.  Avoiding the problem makes it worse.  Every time.

2. Be honest.  Take accountability for your mistakes.  Think about what it’s like to be on the other end as a customer and how maddening it is when a company doesn’t accept blame for their mistake – makes you twice as mad right?  The first step to recovering from a problem like this is to apologize and be genuine in your efforts to try to make it right.  You may even be able to turn an angry client into a fan if you stand up and help them after you’ve made a mistake.

3. Learn from it.  Duh right?  But really – make notes and outline the whole scenario so you can refer to them later.  You likely won’t remember everything that happened and why next time.  Identify where things went wrong and what it would take to prevent them.  Is it something you know you can fix?  Does your skill set give you a chance to address it?  If this is a segment of the business you are committed to and what you really need is just more experience then make sure you go through your whole process step by step and get some advice from online forums, professional photography organizations, other local photographers or other small business owners.  Don’t make the same mistake twice.

4. Use your gut next time.  This is important.  This will ultimately guide you in your decision on where to focus your efforts for growing your studio.  If a gig goes badly and the next time you get a call for one your gut tells you to pass, then PASS.  Whether you need the business or not, PASS.  Accept what you do well and what you don’t.  Be the best at what you do well and people will talk about how great you are.  Be less than average or flat out bad and way more people talk about how awful you are.  The worst part is if you are a really good portrait photographer 90% of the time but a bad event photographer only 10% of the time your rep will still be ruined on something you don’t even do much of.

Jack-of-All-Trades

Listen, I get it.  As a struggling photographer building your studio it’s very exciting when someone wants to hire you, and you certainly don’t want to turn away business.  But if what looks like a short term gain results in long term damage it’s no good.   At Frameable Faces we learned early on that we are at our best when we are creating a highly customized and personal experience for our clients with portrait sessions.  That’s what we do best – portraits.  Not events.  Not high volume work.

We see photographers ALL the time who are starting out and they are trying to market themselves as a jack of ALL trades.

Jack-of-all-trades and master of none…  Heck, no one is even going to believe you if you try to tell them you do everything well.  Find your niche and own it.  There is a great event photographer in town who we like a lot and when our clients ask us if we can photograph their wedding with 600 guests we say NO, but go see this other photographer we recommend.  This builds even more trust with our clients because he always does a great job.  More on the topic of networking with other photographers in an upcoming post…  so stay tuned for that, and in the meantime – be a specialist!  Don’t be a generalist!

Doug Cohen is a co-owner of Frameable Faces Photography with his wife Ally in the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield, MI.  Ally is the photographer and Doug handles the sales and marketing  You can also find Doug personally on twitter in addition to the studio at dougcohen10.  He writes for their blog and sings in a rock band called the Detroit Stimulus Package.

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3 Secrets to Keep Clients Coming Back

Did you know it costs you more to find new customers than it does to keep your existing customers?  Not only that, but the customers you have now can be the future to not only repeat sales, but also quality referrals, making you much more and saving you thousands in advertising dollars!  Picture the clients that you’ve had over the last 12 months.  They should be your base to build your business with.  And if you treat them right, the clients will come back over and over and bring their friends and family with them, and these are the best clients you can have!  Loyal clients!

1 – Create Amazing Images.  This should go without being said, but you should always be working on your photography skills.  Masters never arrive!  If you are not taking classes, getting feedback or finding new inspiration all the time, then find a way to make it happen.  Your images can be the best referrer, or on the flip side, they can be the reason people don’t stay with you.

2 – Create an Amazing Experience.  If you want to set yourself apart from your competition and stay ahead, your work with your client should not end with just great images, but include a fabulous experience for your client while they work with you.  An experience so great that it gives them even more reason to become your loyal client year after year.  Offer excellent communication and marketing pieces, surprise them with little thank you gifts or tokens, and include hand written notes.  Find ways to go above and beyond to delight and surprise your clients!

3 – Stay in front of them.  Now this is the key to getting clients to really stick!  By staying in front of your clients throughout the year, it continues to foster the relationship that you have already built, it makes you the best and most convenient photographer around and it strategically places you in front of them the next time they are ready to buy.  How do you stay in front of them?  If they are following your blog, then that is one great way, but have you considered sending out birthday cards or a holiday card from your family?  Even better is a newsletter!  Whether you send one out monthly or quarterly, a newsletter can be a fantastic way to set you apart from the crowd, establish yourself as the expert and keep you right there in front of them the next time your clients (or their friends) are ready for pictures.

Amy Fraughton is the owner of Photo Business Tools and loves helping photographers from all over the world build their customers and increase their sales.  She is devoted to teaching marketing, sales, people skills and organization to help photographers rock their businesses!  Check out her latest product, Newsletter Nanny,  for your own pre-written newsletters and use code:  nanny30 to receive 30% off for a limited time!

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Until the end of time photographers will debate if selling prints versus digital files. Regardless of your viewpoint, I want to show you how you can increase your sales and make more money by selling prints and custom products.

What are custom photography products?

Custom photography products can range from gallery wrapped canvas prints, to proof boxes, to custom framing to custom cards. There are pros vs. cons of offering only digital prints or complete print packages and custom products. Both sides have very valid points. Here are some reasons I offer custom products to my clients, and why you may want to as well.

Full Service and Control

I like control. I have a Type A personality. I know that prints and images from my pro photo lab are going to be of the best quality, perfect in color, sharpness and in size. Clients may not realize that if they upload a digital file and print a 5×7 and someone may lose half their head because the crop ratio is different. Most clients need “help” with laying out wall displays and being creative. For most photographers, it’s second nature. It might take an extra hour of time or I might even go to their home to help. I sleep better knowing that my images are going to be displayed professionally.

It’s also a battle to sway a client from ordering one 8×10 print to hang above a 58 inch fireplace.  The thought of a client taking a digital image and blowing it up to a 24×36 canvas from their local “superstore” makes my stomach hurt! WE know that it just won’t do, but theirs a little bit of education that I feel is necessary with each client. Offering custom products and of course MY time, helps alleviate so many possible “mishaps”.

What Custom Products are Best…

Although I offer just about every custom item there is there are two that I feel are a MUST (besides prints).

1. Frames. I ordered my first seven custom Organic Bloom frame the day their website launched. I had just finished building my in home studio. All seven of those frames were immediately hung in the first room that clients enter when they come to my home for a session. I needed to show clients how to display the frames in their own home.  Having the frames available to touch and feel makes all the difference, and it leads to print sales (gotta fill the frames). My frames stay exactly as they are, year round…BUT every fall (and sometimes in between) I change the images. I know after 4 years that I need to shoot for 2 vertical 16×20 shots, 4-5×7 horizontal images and 1 gigantic 30×40 vertical print. Those numbers stay in the back of my mind when I head out to capture my own children. I work with my clients to constantly change those images as their children grow (equals print sales!) as well. Once we build a custom wall display, we keep those in mind while we shoot (more guaranteed print sales).
   

   
2. Birth Announcements. This should really be my number one! More than half of my business comes from newborn photography. I always knew that I wanted to offer birth announcements (as well holiday cards, even thank you cards) and I had two reasons for it. (1) Control. I like being able to help clients design and layout not just a birth announcement but a keepsake. Creating a card with colors that accent the EXACT soft pink rosette blanket the baby is laying on. Laying out multiple images in different variations without having to stick to a standard template, each client getting a truly custom design. (2) The most important reason I offer Birth Announcements specifically, more so than any other custom product, my signature. Adding my website and/or logo to a birth announcement has been, by far, my biggest means of advertising in my five years of business. I do not advertise ANYWHERE! I am 100% word of mouth. I can not even count the number of times a new mom has sat here in my studio and pulled out a town up, wrinkled birth announcement that she has carried in her purse for the last 8 months so that she wouldn’t forget my web address, or when I hear “My grandmothers, cousins, uncles best friend had this birth announcement hanging on their fridge.” It validates the time and cost of birth announcements for me every time.

The post How To Make More Money By Selling Custom Photography Products appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

There’s two sides, or more, to every story.  The topic of watermarking image gets photographers animated.

Watermarking, in current times, is a term used loosely to describe:

1. Branding of your images in a subtle way, such as across the bottom or even on a solid color bar to one side of an image.
2. Marking a solid logo and/or copyright across your image, disturbing part of the subject.  The watermark may be opaque, partially transparent or even embossed.
3. Digitally labeling your image with a copyright that is not actually visible.

The big question for photographers is “should you watermark your images, and if so how?” In this article I am referring to showing your name, studio name, copyright information or other identifiers on web images.  I am not referring to prints.

The major reasons photographers add a watermark or branding to their images are:

• Establish copyright: This tells others the name of the copyright owner and creator of the image.
• Branding: This shows others who you are and often where they can find you and more of your work.
• Protecting: If placed in certain prominent areas of the photo, it makes removal more difficult, though likely not impossible. This can cut down on sharing, but also can make it harder for clients to take a web image get it printed.  Some printers disregard watermark and will print it anyway. Some customers will take the time to remove one if it is not hard to remove.
• Advertising: Since it’s a fact that photos get shared, and customers will want to post your images to social networking sites and through emails, you might as well get the advertising benefit too.
• Expose thieves: At least if you add your watermark and branding in a hard to remove location, if a customer prints from the web image, it will be obvious to all.

In the digital word we live in, with social sharing sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and others, images do get shared.  When they are shared, if you watermark your photos with your name and/or web address, you are getting credit and exposure. If you do not want the photo floating around, I suppose you could have a message stating that too.  It cannot stop sharing, but could make it more embarrassing for those who do.

Knowing all of the above, why would any smart photographer skip adding their copyright, logo, or name on an image? We asked around and here’s what we learned.

Then why would you dare skip watermarking:

• It is distracting: Watermarks cover up important elements of the photo.  They ruin the essence of the image.
• It is arrogant: In a discussion with Katja Hentschel, a professional photographer in Berlin, Germany, she explained, “I think watermarked pictures are less likely to be shared. I think they send a message of slight arrogance in saying it must under no circumstances ever surface anywhere without its proper reference. I personally am happy to see that my photos are being shared, and while it’s never nice to see them without credit, I’m still glad people like them, feel inspired by them and want to share them with friends and followers.”
• It shows self-confidence of the photographer: Katja expressed that “by not watermarking photos the photographer shows confidence in his work and style. I do recognize the photography of my favorite artists, bloggers, photographers, regardless of a by-standing reference.”
• Allows the photo to shine (photos look better without text all over them): As José Navarro explained in response to our question on Facebook, “you should be thinking about the mood, expectation and request for engagement a great photo provides….not an ugly watermark which takes over 60% of the image.”

Now it’s your turn.  Tell us if you watermark and/or brand your images.  What info do you add to your photo and where do you add it? Do you think it is best to add your “mark” or leave it off? We’d love to read what you think in the comments below.

The post Are You Making Mistakes Regarding Watermarking Your Photos? appeared first on MCP Photography Blog.

How and Why to Have a Workflow

The New Year is often a time of re-structuring. For me it’s also the slow season for my business. Over the years I’ve learned to use those slow times to create the structure I need for when things get crazy. That said I wanted to write a little bit about what a workflow is, why you should have a written one, and two steps to help you tweak your workflow to make it as efficient as possible.

What is a workflow?

A workflow is simply a set of steps arranged in an order. That can apply to doing laundry, preparing dinner or post processing photos from a shoot. Your workflow for laundry is probably pretty simple and doesn’t involve too many steps. But when it comes to post-processing a wedding (or any type of shoot) there are dozens of steps from uploading, backing up, culling, editing,  social media distribution to client delivery.

Some people do not have any kind of workflow and do things different every time. Most have some kind of flow but just need to make it easier and quicker. The few ultra-productive ones have a workflow they have thought out, tweaked for maximum efficiency and written down. I can guarantee that the better your workflow is the happier that you, your family, and your clients will be.

I teach a class on post-processing workflows for wedding photographers at The Define School. Many students have told me their processing time has gone from 40+ hours per wedding down to less than eight hours per wedding simply from learning the steps and tricks to a good written workflow! There isn’t enough space in this post to go over the whole class, but I do have room to write two key steps to shaving time off when post-processing.

1. Know your end goals and write them down.

Having your end goals in mind and in writing is a huge help in eliminating unnecessary steps. Your end goal might simply be to pick out a few of your favorite photos for Facebook, or it might be a more complex list of directories and formats for distributing a wedding to your clients. You might only want proofs as your end result or you might only want favorites. Regardless of what it is, think through everything you will ever need to use the photos for, decide what formats they need to be in for those uses and make a WRITTEN list of what it will look like to have all the photos processed and ready to archive.

When I first started shooting weddings, I would finish editing and then export all my photos into a number of different folders and formats. After that I would go into each and every folder and re-arrange and rename all the photos. I would also export them differently and name the folders differently every time. It created a nightmare in my archives. Knowing your end goals helps prevent you from wasting time in unnecessary ways like I did in the early stages of my business.

With the way I do things now there is peace and tranquility in my archives.

Taking a little time up front to WRITE out my end goals saved me literally hundreds of hours over the course of a year. Not only did I save time by doubling up on processes like arranging the photos, but I also avoided all the trouble of having to fix things later or try to figure out which steps I missed.

2. Write your workflow down.

I can’t tell you how many times I have come up with a new great system and then forgotten the whole thing in one of those gaps between shoots. I know writing things down isn’t the most fun, but in addition to not forgetting the steps there are a couple other advantages.

First, you don’t miss any steps or do them in the wrong order. Just like the example above, if I didn’t arrange the photos early on in the process it took me three times longer to do it later. Writing the steps down allows you to think through and tweak things to be as efficient as possible. If your workflow, or software, or business changes, just change the steps.

The second advantage of having a written workflow is it lets you skip a step. If you don’t know what the next step is that means the next step is figuring out what the next step is. If you have to figure out the where to start every time you sit down to work, you are adding one step you don’t need. It’s a huge waste of time. We all know life happens and sometimes you get pulled out of your groove. When it does, have a workflow that let’s you jump right back in with no confusion.

Third, having a written workflow increases moral. I know how long each step in my workflow takes me. Some take thirty minutes, others take three hours. But knowing how long each step is makes the process seem less overwhelming. When you sit down to a big massive project with an undefined ending it’s easy to get discouraged and procrastinate. But, if you know the first step always takes you around ninety minutes, it’s easy to start and tell yourself I just need to do step one right now and then I can take a break. Once you’re done with step one, step two is easy to jump into. Pretty soon you are all done!

That’s all there is to it. I think you will find that just the act of writing down your goals and the steps to get there will help you discover a myriad of ways to do things faster and better! You will be many steps closer to complete control of your business and your free time!

Lukas VanDyke and his wife Suzy are wedding photographers and teachers based out of Los Angeles, CA. Lukas teaches a 4-week class at The Define School called Post-Shoot Workflow. Registration for his February class opens January 21st. More info can be found here.

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