# Senior Photo shooters - How'd ya do it?



## RMThompson (May 12, 2009)

Hey guys. I am considering branching out into offering Senior Photographs for local highschools. Anyone have any suggestions on how you did it? What packages did you offer? (I prefer giving the customer the rights to the photos to print.)

How much do you charge?


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## Big Mike (May 12, 2009)

Check this out...scroll down for the senior kit
adams baby plan for photography studio profit


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## Imaginis (May 12, 2009)

RMThompson said:


> Hey guys. I am considering branching out into offering Senior Photographs for local highschools. Anyone have any suggestions on how you did it? What packages did you offer? (I prefer giving the customer the rights to the photos to print.)
> 
> How much do you charge?



Offer Wallet Prints as part of a package deal, seniors love those and will still buy other prints.


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## RMThompson (May 13, 2009)

Big Mike said:


> Check this out...scroll down for the senior kit
> adams baby plan for photography studio profit


 
Hmm.

So this guy who makes an average of $1000 dollars per Senior, is now selling his ideas for $300 dollars?

He doesn't seem to be offering anything that amazing either. It seems to be just a price guide, a bunch of senior photos, and some photoshop templates. I doubt any of those things would be hard to find on the internet... am I missing something?


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## Big Mike (May 13, 2009)

RMThompson said:


> Hmm.
> 
> So this guy who makes an average of $1000 dollars per Senior, is now selling his ideas for $300 dollars?
> 
> He doesn't seem to be offering anything that amazing either. It seems to be just a price guide, a bunch of senior photos, and some photoshop templates. I doubt any of those things would be hard to find on the internet... am I missing something?



I don't know exactly what it includes...but the point of it, is that it's a plan...and anyone is more likely to succeed at something if they have a good plan.


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## bdavis (May 13, 2009)

Big Mike said:


> Check this out...scroll down for the senior kit
> adams baby plan for photography studio profit



This sounds like one of those stupid "Get Rich Quick" schemes. This guy is probably not even a professional, plus his website is terrible and not credible if you ask me.

If you want to learn how to shoot seniors, just learn the basics of photography, off camera lighting, etc. Then brush up on the business aspect of it, maybe call around to some studios and see what they charge for seniors. Or, better yet, see if you can shadow one of them, I"m sure they'd love to have an assistant.


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## Big Mike (May 13, 2009)

> This sounds like one of those stupid "Get Rich Quick" schemes. This guy is probably not even a professional, plus his website is terrible and not credible if you ask me.


I know the guy from another forum, he's been a rather success pro photographer for a long time.  Yes, I know the site I linked to looks terrible but whether the 'product' is any good or not, I do believe he is genuinely trying to help other photographers succeed.


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## RMThompson (May 13, 2009)

Big Mike said:


> I know the guy from another forum, he's been a rather success pro photographer for a long time. Yes, I know the site I linked to looks terrible but whether the 'product' is any good or not, I do believe he is genuinely trying to help other photographers succeed.


 
Big Mike, you KNOW I respect most of what you post, so I will assume that this guy is legit.

That being said I am not spending several HUNDRED dollars to see someone elses contracts and poses. 

Thanks for the info though, I'm sure I'll find what I am looking for.



Ryan


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## bdavis (May 13, 2009)

My bad, but if that is indeed the case, he should put a little more effort into his presentation, because it doesn't look very credible and when someone's asking for hundreds of dollars for money on a site that looks like it was slapped together in 5 minutes, something doesn't look right.


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## Big Mike (May 13, 2009)

I'm not spending the money either...but if it does work as advertised, you could make your money back in one or two sittings.  

It's just an example of something that could be used as a plan of attack for getting into (and succeeding at) a particular photography market.  I'm not endorsing it or anything like that...but I do believe the guy is legit.


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## Mike30D (May 13, 2009)

RMThompson said:


> Hey guys. I am considering branching out into offering Senior Photographs for local highschools. Anyone have any suggestions on how you did it? What packages did you offer? (I prefer giving the customer the rights to the photos to print.)
> 
> How much do you charge?



My session fees at the moment are $75 my packages start at $160

I also offer custom designed open house invites (separately and in the bigger packages and they're a big hit) and I've just recently started offering the "storyboards" on canvas.

I can't see letting them print their own, that's like giving money away.... to each his own....


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## Jim Gratiot (May 14, 2009)

Keep in mind when you're marketing Senior Photos that it is usually _the parents_ who actually pay for the session.  You definitely need to appeal to the students ('cause they probably have veto power over said parents), but it is the parents who will ultimately be writing the check.


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## bdavis (May 15, 2009)

Jim Gratiot said:


> Keep in mind when you're marketing Senior Photos that it is usually _the parents_ who actually pay for the session.  You definitely need to appeal to the students ('cause they probably have veto power over said parents), but it is the parents who will ultimately be writing the check.



An excellent point. Also keep that in mind when shooting, the parents are likely to want something traditional where the teen is probably interested in something a bit more flashy or dramatic.


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## RMThompson (May 15, 2009)

Mike30D said:


> My session fees at the moment are $75 my packages start at $160
> 
> I also offer custom designed open house invites (separately and in the bigger packages and they're a big hit) and I've just recently started offering the "storyboards" on canvas.
> 
> I can't see letting them print their own, that's like giving money away.... to each his own....


 
Since I don't have my own printer, what option do I have? I cannot see getting the pictures done locally and then charging 20 cents for a print that cost me 12. I don't know, maybe I'm just being stupid.

Do you order yours off the internet? Ive heard some good things about really great printers, but don't know who to trust.


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## Mike30D (May 15, 2009)

RMThompson said:


> Since I don't have my own printer, what option do I have? I cannot see getting the pictures done locally and then charging 20 cents for a print that cost me 12. I don't know, maybe I'm just being stupid.
> 
> Do you order yours off the internet? Ive heard some good things about really great printers, but don't know who to trust.



All my prints are done by H&H Color Lab and my custom invites/thank you cards/Christmas cards are press-printed by WHCC

I use H&H for their quality, customer service, and they still do foil embossing on wallets, not just the digital overlays that most do.

WHCC's press-printed cards are just awesome. Period. They also throw a Tootsie Pop in the box with every order.

There's a ton of pro labs out there that do great work. A bunch of them usually give you some freebie prints to try them out. Here's a list...

White House Custom Colour
H&H Color Lab
Miller's Professional Imaging - the pro side of MPIX.
Mpix.com Online Digital Imaging Service - Order digital photo prints online from professional imaging lab
http://www.digilabs.biz
Buckeye Color Lab - Index
:COLOR INCORPORATED | d i g i t a l p r o l a b:
Hunt Color Lab, Inc - A professional photo-finishing lab located in north Atlanta.
K&K Color Lab
Burrell Pro Labs :: Where Photography Matters!
Bay Photo Lab, roes, digital prints
Photocraft Imaging Digital Photo Lab
Kalamazoo ColorLab
Welcome to Galaxy Professional Imaging, Inc. 3460 Seneca Street, West Seneca, NY 14224
Meridian Professional Imaging - home
Welcome to Professional Color Service - Metairie, Louisiana
Professional Photo Lab - Full Color
NAP Home Page
Photo Imaging, Photo Design, Graphic Designing, BWC Photo Imaging, E-6, C-41, B&W Processing - Dallas Texas

and there's more than this out there. Most if not all have now gone to uploading your orders over the net which makes ordering very easy.


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## rickysol84 (May 15, 2009)

Sir Thompson, are you also considering outsource photo editing and printing? i have a close friend here in the Philippines who has been in school photography for almost 4 years now. Im sure this could lessen your cost.


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## RMThompson (May 15, 2009)

Mike30D said:


> All my prints are done by H&H Color Lab and my custom invites/thank you cards/Christmas cards are press-printed by WHCC
> 
> I use H&H for their quality, customer service, and they still do foil embossing on wallets, not just the digital overlays that most do.
> 
> ...


 
WOAH. That's EXACTLY what I needed. Thanks!


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## jenn76 (Jun 9, 2009)

Mike30D said:


> ....and I've just recently started offering the "storyboards" on canvas.



Can I ask who you use for the canvas storyboards? Do you design them in a template in photoshop then send them to a lab for printing, or does the lab you use have templates for it? TIA!


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## templatephotoshop (Apr 1, 2010)

"Why are your prices so high?" - Client
"Because I want nice things like you have." - Monte Zucker

Mike,  I love this.  Gonna have to use it!


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