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08/20/2009 09:29:11 PM · #1 |
Hello,
Well this is moving fast. No sooner than I started talking about wanting to shoot portraits for pay, I get an offer "sort of"..
My daughter goes to a small private school. Each year they have a party/dance for all the girls in "upper school". It is called a Sweet 16 party. The parents make the plans, secure the hall, music, photographer etc. We each share the cost equally.
I have been asked if I'd like to take on the photographer role. My fee would likely be the "cost" that I would have to put up for my share of the dance. (Last year this was about $800 but that may be less this year)
I would have the rights of course to sell the photos at a profit.
This would be the first "big" photography job for me. I would have a professional photographer friend for guidance. He is skilled at equipment and lighting although he is not a portrait photographer.
This job would be held 6 to 7 months from today. This gives me lots of time to gain confidence through practice. However, I would likely have to make a commitment in a month or so.
Do you think this is a safe/smart way to start out?
Can any of you give me tips on what to charge for packages.
Background or Green Screen?
Best Lens.
And I'm sure you'll like this one: How do you keep track of the photos? (For example, John Smith pays and I take his photo, then Jane and her friends pay and I photograph them. What is the best why to keep track of what frame is for what person? LOL)
Thanks for your help,
Kenskid |
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08/21/2009 09:04:01 AM · #2 |
Id assume there will be an order form, have your assistant write down a "frame" number on the order form (and its also helpful to put down something like the dress color or something just as a cross reference), then when you upload, you look at your order forms - the one labeled 1 is the first couple, and so on.
The key to this kind of photography is not to over think it. You will have time constraints and the kids will not wanna spend 20 minutes fiddling around with you while you try and get the perfect picture and take shot after shot. 2 shots each, on to the next.Get there early, buy a light meter, get your gear setup and be ready to go right when the dance starts.
Have the DJ make periodic announcements reminding people to get thier pictures done, and a last call as well.
Standard poses are the girl in front, at an angle, guy behind her with his hands around her waist, on top of her hands, or shoulder to shoulder turned into each other slightly, holding hands.
Be prepared for people to want to do some group shots and shit like that, so have extra order forms. Also be aware that you may get semi-large groups, so make sure your backdrop is wide enough.
This is one of those kind of gigs where overthinking it and trying too hard will lead to lack luster pictures. They are 16 year old girls, not 40 year old photo critics...so while oyu should have good technicals, they more care aobut shit like if they look fat or how thier hair looks. Just set up your lights (depending on the back drop, ive been fine with just boucning into an umbrella slightly to the right of me, with another light splashin the backdrop to kill any shadows), put down a mark where you want them to stand, pose em, shoot em, get em out.
Weve found 3 people working makes this really easy - a shooter, a poser, and a paper pusher to answer questions and deal with the girls.
One thing to consider is delivery...will school still be in session long enough after the dance to have the school hand them out, or will you have to mail them? If you have to mail them, an easy solution is to have the girls self address a large manilla envelope with thier order form taped through it, so then you can just dump the pictures in, throw on postage and mail it out if need be.
Easy gig! Good luck with it.
Message edited by author 2009-08-21 09:08:11. |
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08/21/2009 09:10:05 AM · #3 |
| Oh for backdrops...you can either use something set up there already, or you can make your own real quick...go to a party store and just buy some baloon bouquets and use them to flank the couples...cheap easy props. |
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08/21/2009 09:18:29 AM · #4 |
And more!!!
Don't go nutsy on the post processing. Not worth it. Unless there is something that is visually distracting, don't do any post outside of color correction (since you aren't moving your lights and shooting in the same spot, you should be able to batch color correct)
My familys company has been doing this kind of stuff for 15 years, and very rarely do we sit and postprocess each individual picture (outside of removing some unappealing element of the scenery - trash in a tree, scuffs and footprints on a white seemless, or a large scar/boogers on a kids face)
Keep it simple, keep it quick, and get the images turned around and out to the kids asap.
Also, usually for an event like this you don't charge a "fee" as much as you just make your money from sales.
Another way we have done it (and it means you save a lot of money as in not paying your portion of the dancE) is just "give" a standard package...it makes life much simpler. Figure you are saving $800 by being the photographer anyway, so just say all couples attending the dance receive a standard photo package...like 1 8x10, 2 5x7s, and 4 wallets, or something like that. Then you don't even need order forms, you just do the self addressed envelopes, snap the picture, get them printed, put them in the envelope thats already addressed by the girls, PUT IN A FORM IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO ORDER ADDITIONAL PRINTS, slap on some postage, and youre in the clear (and in the black by only paying $100 for prints and saving $700)
Fun fact: You will have to put up a sample self addressed envelope, because it is mind blowing how many high school age kids don't know how to address an envelope.
Oh man...have I turned into the new Prof Fate? |
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08/21/2009 10:41:20 AM · #5 |
| Thanks man for the great info. I'll likely use all of it. Thanks for the tip on the assistant ! I would have gone alone ! YIKES ! |
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