Photographers

[blackiris]

My mind runs 100miles an hour every day and I can really come up with some crazy ideas. Heres one I came up with yesterday-
There is a photographer in our town that is great. I frame a lot of her stuff.
So I got a crazy idea to have her come to the gallery on a couple Sunday's in November to do photo shoots (professional) for anyone interested. Promised back before x-mas. Of coarse stipulations on the picture order, only offer 2 packages ect...... question Should we charge a sitting fee? Should we spilt it? Should I get all of it? My space her pics, people might have it framed her might not. What are your ideas or has anyone ever done this. Not sure if its a good idea or whats fair.Thanks

 

[AnneL]

Have you run the idea past the photographer yet to see what her thoughts are on it? She may have some specific ideas on how she handles promotions such as this.

 

[blackiris]

Yes I have run it by her. She has two different packages she wants to offer
16x20 with extras and 11x14 with extras. She charges a $25 sitting fee. She also has her own mailing list. Maybe have people pick up their photography packages here?

 

[Bill Henry-]

Keep in mind that I tend to be a pessimist, but I can see a few problems.

You’ve got a lot of competition what with the low end, crank-’em-out, traveling photographers which show up in K-Mart, Sears, Wal*Mart periodically.

If this photographer has a studio, she may be reluctant to haul all of her camera equipment, lights and back drops and set up in an unfamiliar place. While she is operating, she may effectively take over your whole shop and essentially squeeze you out from your framing customers.

If she is a high end photographer, why would someone come into your frame shop rather than go to her studio? If she is low end, the thought of having my store taken over by screaming, snot nosed kids makes my skin crawl.

And, to make this work, you’d have to advertise the heck out of this endeavor, and with no guarantee that you’d end up with the framing, this may be a money pit regardless of how you split (or don’t) the sitting fee.

 

[blackiris]

She is one of the most popular photographers in town. She does have a studio space. Mostly this time of year she is doing outside stuff. The whole kids thing freaks me out too-Advertising always the biggest thing-Risky I know-hopefully with our mail lists we will actually attract costumers that will/have paid the high end price. Thanks for the advice...

 

[Bandsaw]

Santa photos are done in our shop every year. The basic charge is 100 dollars and then the customer orders the number and size of pictures they want. The photographer and I build a set each year with antique furniture and fireplace. The photographer brings in an interior decorator friend to help out as the set is carefully detailed. The customers are from our combined customer list and we pick high end. The 2 day session is booked out in a few hours. Santa is an old fellow with a real white beard that likes kids and is very patient. The photographer's wife and daughter run the day doing the sales work. There is a display of photo sizes and a display of framing ideas. All photography is digital - the fire is put in the fireplace later - and the prints are delivered to our shop where we frame and call for the customers to pick up. Most framing is suede mats, filets, and wood frames. I came up with an idea that has been accepted almost universally - a small engraved plaque with the year (2007) 3/8"x3/4" - this is placed on the suede mat, cut around with an exacto knife, the suede piece removed and the plaque glued in - very subtle. A family with 4 kids needing pics for inlaws and outlaws can spend 3000. One family with 2 kids wanted all matching frames for each year as the kids grew up - bought 10 years of frames for each kid. Each year they bring 2 of the frames when they come for Santa and we put the pictures in. It's a fun couple of days and great bonding with the customers.

PS - don't do the low end 9.95 Santa pics - do something different and profitable.

 

[AnneL]

Tieing it into a theme is a good idea. It gives customers some incentive to come in since the pictures are something they can't get in her studio. We have done specials like this with other businesses also where we go on location and do photos at their business.

Another thing you can do is pick a charity you both like and donate all the sitting fees to that charity (have them write the checks out directly to the charity so there is no question as to where the money is going.) I know a number of photographers who partner with other businesses for charity promotions like this and they can be very popular.