Just Lost My Day Job - How's The Photo Market?

[arcusx]

Yep, I too am a victim of the dredded layoff, as of last week. I had a wedding photography business between 1998 and 2001 and have the know-how. How is the market out there? Tough?

How different is the product offering these days. I used to offer prints and enlargements (of course), along with Art Leather albums, plus negatives. What does the 2010 bride demand today?

Of course, the equipment is different. All of the old medium format film cameras are now sold off. Same with the Metz flashes. I figure I can probably get going with what I have (Nikon D200 & flash, associated lenses & tripod). What does the typical location photographer take on location today? I probably need additional storage capacity, both in the form of CF and HDD. What do you take?

- John

[candleman]

sorry to hear that..
i hope you can find something soon.

i'm no Pro, but..

Outdoor Portraits:
Camera body & 24-70 f/2.8
1 stand, sb24 + radiotrigger and 45" softbox umbrella
large 5 in one reflector...seldom used TBH

Indoor/Studio Portaits
3 off camera flashes + umbrellas/softboxes
paper backdrop
appropriate props

Wedding:
D300s+24-70 f/2.8 + SB600 (to be fair i only just got this body)
D80 + 50mm f/1.8 or 18-135mm

1x off camera flash on stand with softbox carried around by an assistant

as for offering of packages,
all the high end Photogs i have seen in NZ sell prints only and no digitals/negatives.
the intermediates give CD with limited rights, and printed products
the Noobs give all photos on CD including copyright.
(thats just my observation and probably isnt totally acurate.. thats just a broad generalisation)

i do "customisable package deals" and hand over selected images on CD plus "web sized" watermarked images on CD, and a 4X6" print of each image.
currently arranging custom made albums as an oprional extra.

most people thesedays are after a CD.... and the general concensus is that having to buy prints after paying an hourly rate is a "ripoff".

but, each to his own as you need to taylor your "offerings" to your target market based on your style.

[lonni]

I can give you a brides perspective.

Its all about the photobook, a big glossy book to show to your friends, the most popular is the ones with printed covers, or printed presentatin boxes, check out asukabook they do the most popular types, great for research and i can vouch for their quality. Leather bound is still popular, but not as much as the printed covers.

We print smaller cheaper books to give to parents and grandmas and the like, its easier than ordering a whole bunch of prints then sorting then out and mailing.

Enlargements are not as popular, they are being replaced by the wall canvas, this is due to the interior decorating trends, frames are out, big bright canvasses are in, especialy in sets of 3, either one image spread over the three or 3 complimentry images.

Engagement shoots are popular, with the photos printed in a cheaper photobook and that is used for the guest book at the wedding. The engagemnt shot is also used fro teh save the date cards and sometimes on the invitation, so the couple will want at least one print quality file, unless you can do the cards for them.

Boudoiur shots are popular, again printed in a photo book that the bride gives the groom on the day.

Trash the dress shots are popular too, usually prints or a canvas is printed.

Most brides expect images on disc to email people etc, i would recommend only supplying low res images.

I can also tell you that you can expect to spent time and money on the packaging. Coloured boxes with coordinating tissue papers and ribbons with a silk flower wrapped in matching paper and tucked into a fabulous paper bag. It is just expected and most people forget to budget it and it can cost abit.

The style has also moved to a more photojournalistic style. A bride espects teh following images: Bride getting ready, groom getting ready, bridal party individual portraits, same for the grooms side, portraits of parents etc, the ceremony, posed shots after, standard first dance and cake etc as well as candids of the reception. Bride also want photos of the details as that is what we miss on the day, being so busy. Everything from table setting, the shoes, jewelery, perfume and our old new and blue.

So an ideal customer would have an engagement shoot, boudoiur shots, the wedding day and trash the dress.with photo books, wall canvasses and prints to go with it.

I would suggest having some basic packages then having a menu of additions, the bride will probably pass the menue on to parenst etc so thay can order what they want as well.

I am in australia but we tend to folow teh US wedding trend fairly closely.

Hope that helps, sorry about your job.

[Jim Bryant]

WIth everyone else from novices to the pros trying to get work, working cheap and not paying attending what their Cost of Doing Business is, it SUCKS!

[arcusx]

Lonni,

Thank you for your response. I find it utterly FACINATING! Some comments & questions:

Originally Posted by lonni

Its all about the photobook, a big glossy book to show to your friends, the most popular is the ones with printed covers

That's pretty much what I thought.

Originally Posted by lonni

Enlargements are not as popular, they are being replaced by the wall canvas, this is due to the interior decorating trends, frames are out, big bright canvasses are in, especialy in sets of 3, either one image spread over the three or 3 complimentry images.

I'd like to see an example of that.

Originally Posted by lonni

Engagement shoots are popular... Boudoiur shots are popular...

Been there. No problem here!

Originally Posted by lonni

Trash the dress shots are popular too...

Now this is new to me. Do you think I can find examples on Flickr or something?

Originally Posted by lonni

I can also tell you that you can expect to spent time and money on the packaging. Coloured boxes with coordinating tissue papers and ribbons with a silk flower wrapped in matching paper and tucked into a fabulous paper bag.

Seriously?!?!?

Originally Posted by lonni

So an ideal customer would have an engagement shoot, boudoiur shots, the wedding day and trash the dress.with photo books, wall canvasses and prints to go with it.

So, is that to say I would plan for four separate "events" to shoot; four different dates?

[Niresangwa]

I think Lonni's discussion was fairly accurate. She forgot to add that they're less willing to pay through the nose for everything however. I don't really see that boudoir is all that popular, but maybe that's just the area I live in. Big city, but still the midwest after all. That's not just me either, I havent heard any others discuss this, nor do I really see it offered or mentioned on other photographer's websites. Not too sure about them all demanding pretty boxes for their products either.

As far as the different products they're after, just look at one of the bigger prosumer labs like MPix, and the products they offer. That will give you an idea of what you can give people outside of just regular framed prints.

Books, I only offer the coffee-table style glossy books, not those dinosaur-esque albums. They're comparably much cheaper, much easier for me to create and therefore versatile and excellent value. I use Blurb.

However, by design I don't really fall into the category of the usual business model (for good or ill) so I may be way off.

[AnimalGurl]

My hat's off to any of you that can handle wedding photography as a business! I work with brides on a regular/daily basis in my retail job just on the registry side of things...and oh my, what a demanding bunch they have become over the last few years. I get that it's their "one big day" (yea right) and all that...but wow, the day I don't have to ever deal with the bridal business again will be a very happy day for me. I can't imagine pulling that nonsense into my beloved hobby. I can only imagine how much they would want for almost no $$$ at all.

[lonni]

Trash the dress is pretty much what is sounds like, the brides usually are in water or on the sand, in mud etc and the shoots resemble high fashion magazine shoots. Google it, and you chould come up with some good shots, there are a few photographers out there that spe******e in this style, if i find them i will post a link but i cant think of any names at the moment.

With regards to the packaging, yes seriously. If i am forking out $5,000 for a product i want to feel like it is worth it. Brides dont understand how much time and effort goes into the day and how much it costs to print albums, let alone the time involved designing them. Brides also look foreward to receiving albums with almost as much anticipation and excitement as their wedding day, so handing over an album is a little bit of a let down and they will definately be dissapointed.

Dont forget most of these couples will be getting pregnant, so if you do it right they will be repeat customers fro pregnancy shots and baby shots etc.

It is hard work getting the good paying customers but i know that photography is one of the big priorities for most brides, i had a friend that just spent $15,000 on a whole package, engagement, boudoir, wedding and trash the dress with assorted albums etc. Work the bride right and she will come back.

You need to make a connection with the bride as ultimately she will choose who she likes, when price and talent are even. Thats how i chose my photographer, we came down to 2, both teh same in talent and price adn i liked this one better cause she took the tiem to chat on teh phone and i felt like i knew her. She was a shitty photographer in the end, one of those amateurs who thought she coud go pro.

As for schedualling you will need to do several different shoots at the appropriate times, the engagement happens first as the photo will probably appear in newspaper anouncements etc and maybe the photobook to act as the guest book. The boudoir is just in time to have it done in a book for the groom, say 6 weeks before the day and the TTD (trash the dress) is usually about a month after the honeymoon.

For the canvasses i cant give you examples as most of the stuff we print is not my work, but i have seen a stunning panorama of the couple on the beach broken up into 3 tall canvasses, it is literally just cut the image into 3.

Check out the knot, a wedding website, it helps to know your customers and what they want.

Wedding Dresses - Wedding Engagement - Wedding Ideas - Wedding Planning - By TheKnot.com

also check out Paperie Boutique Â*•Â* products, packaging and marketing ideas for professional photographers for some examples of packaging and some info on marketing. she has a nice flickr page for inspiration.

HTH

[Jim Bryant]

Great info Lonni!!!!!!!!!!

[lonni]

Thanks!

It helps to know the market, and i help some of my customers with their marketing and business set up as well as their business cards, logos and websites and there has been a flush of photographers setting up this month trying to take advantage of our weddigs season that will start in about a month.

I must admit though out of teh 15 i have helped only 1 has any talent, makes me mad.