Santa Phoographer Offer - Um, Help?

[Liz Caldwell]

My aunt just informed me that a friend of hers who has played Santa at the mall for 20+ years (I guess he's the famous one who helicopters in at the beginning of the season, LOL) needs someone to take over the photography side of the business. They used to do Polaroid photos, but I don't think they make regular Polaroid film anymore, so I'm planning on doing it digitally.


Long story short, has anyone done an instant print set-up for a large volume setting like this before? If so, what printer did you end up going with? What can I expect the cost-per-print to be? What pros and cons are there to an instant print setup? I'm totally lost and not even sure if it's a job worth taking, though I can image it will be in the end.... Any help anyone?

[FrankLamont]

Obviously it'll be fast, just using standard flashes and standard position. You'll have to shoot tethered, of course... any fast but reliable photo printer will do. Make sure you have lots of ink etc. though.

[gturner]

maybe there is a print shop at the mall that you can work with.

[Jim Poor]

Shinko dye-sub printers are great for this sort of thing.

I build and operate photo booths as a side job, using my own software and design...what you're attempting is very similar. Best printer for the money is the Sony UPDR150. Very fast (8 seconds for 4x6), very reliable (never had one break), and holds 550 4x6 prints. A used one can be snagged on ebay for as little as $200. Price per print is about 20 cents for a 4x6, 68 cents for a 5x7 (not sure on other sizes). The only disadvantage is the damn thing weighs 40 lbs.

Might check out the Sony Snap Lab as well...used one's run about $800-$1000, but might eliminate the need for a computer in the loop (it has a LCD screen built in).

If using a computer, you don't have to remain tethered via USB. They make wireless SD cards now that instantly upload photos to the PC. If you know a software guy, he could probably write a quick program for you that would automatically print the photo as soon it was taken.

[kirbinster]

Assuming you are shooting and someone else is printing tethered should not be an issue, just use multiple SD or CF cards, have them numbered and just swap out after every kid or every 5 kids or whatever works time wise.

[AnneWynne]

Don't forget that you need a backup camera as well as extra batteries. Also, you need to think about how you are going to handle the moms snapping away from the sidelines.

GL

[CanonRebelz]

I'm of no help to the printer, but as for cost's for prints/sizes, I'd like to suggest one thing (not a whole solution, but it may help).
Pull the numbers of how much they made on those Polaroid's, how much they spent and other things, figure up how much it's going to cost for you to run your whole get-up (printer cost/ink cost/ etc) and that should help you know how much it's going to cost you, thus how much you're going to need to make! Your get-up could cost more than the Polaroids set up costed, but who am I to know. Once you know how much it's going to cost you, now you need to know how your going to suffice for the costs. Look at printing companies and such, find out how much it is for each different size (ie. wallets/5x7/8x10/all those random sizes) and then add to the price (companies like QOOP would charge you 19Cent's for a 3.5x5 or a 4x6, 99Cent's for a 5x7, 2.99 for a 8x10, etc) a little since it's On-The-Go printing and right there, they don't have to wait. (Charging for convenience!!)
Best of luck on this job and have fun!
As Anne Wynne said above

Don't forget that you need a backup camera as well as extra batteries. Also, you need to think about how you are going to handle the moms snapping away from the sidelines.

You definitely need to be able to handle the mom's/dad's who are on the sidelines snapping, and then they DON'T buy a print from you. Yes extra batteries are good as she said too, get a good sturdy tri-pod, maybe backup camera (as she said).

As Kirbinster said

Assuming you are shooting and someone else is printing tethered should not be an issue, just use multiple SD or CF cards, have them numbered and just swap out after every kid or every 5 kids or whatever works time wise.

I agree, you should just have multiple card's, and swap them out. When you have some offtime (slow times when nobody is there, or breaks, etc) whipe the cards of the kids you did hours ago. You don't even need big cards, you'll be taking a few photo's of the kid, not 5000. Get a few 2GB's maybe some 1GB's+ your normal memory card for every day use. You don't really need tethered, or auto prints (why waste the ink, especially if they're not guaranteeing you they are going to buy one) so you don't need to worry about that.

[l.k.madison]

I've been recruited at our church to do Easter Bunny and Santa pictures. Yes, I see the irony in both of those. Granted, a church crowd of about 100 isn't near like what you'd have at a mall the day after Thanksgiving, but here's how I've done it...

Camera on tripod, tethered to computer - remote shutter in hand. I use my $200 studio lights (again, for a church, in a fellowship hall) We upload it to a program (for the life of me I'm forgetting the name of it - Capture something) that pulls it up ready to be edited, it's usually ready to go (assuming the white balance and all that is decent). I'm pretty sure they make one for Canon and one for Nikon. And print using a basic Kodak photo printer (only does 4x6s). We charge $5 for one or $8 for 2. (at just over $.40/ea, we make some money). I have a volunteer (since the money raised goes to the youth, it's usually one of the reliable youth kids) help with printing and gathering money and making sure the picture goes to the right mom. I shoot the picture, the youth gathers the money and my husband's in charge of printing (one year we made "frames" in PS for the pictures, with gingerbread men or christmas plaid - NEVER again)

If you have the manpower/ leftover cameras, you could steal the idea from the company that comes to our mall --- the kids in line are distracted by the workers that let them "mail" their letters to Santa (when they open the mailbox, wind and fake snow comes out because it goes straight there - uber cute) and a camera flashes to catch the look on your face. They also have a naughty/nice meter up with a camera carefully positioned to see the meter while the kid presses the button. (it always says "nice"). We also have the ability to get the pictures on a flash drive (for $45), it's red and only holds 156mb, but it works. There's expensive software out there that reads barcodes, our local yearbook photgrapher uses it to keep kids straight (school/teacher/grade/etc) it would be worth something looking into if you want super convenience.

Something else cute to do would be to talk to Santa about poses other than the kid on his lap. Our Santa has a HUGE copy of "Night Before Christmas' and with the younger kids, he'll pretend to read it then "fall asleep" so it looks like he fell asleep reading them the book -- SO adorable. There's also the idea of the kid standing in the chair next to Santa and bending over a little bit to whisper in his ear...

If you have the patience of a saint (not just with the kids, with the moms) and you're up for spending a bit up front to get equipment and workers, by all means go for it. Keep in mind that it'll be nearly a month of constant screaming, whining, impatient people - then there's the cute adorable kids

But remember, it's ok to make prices WAY higher than you normally would - it's pictures with Santa, moms are going to buy - trust me.

Kudos to ANY person that's Santa for 20 years. That man has some patience.

[wheats]

Hi Liz,

I work in Retail Marketing in Australia, and we work with one of our tenants (Photography store/lab) to provide our Santa Photography.

They have staff who take the pictures, and everything printed in-store, which provides a high quality finish. Generally, it's same-day if it completed in the morning session, or next day from the afternoon.

This may also be something you want to think about, even though it might scare people initially. Plus the Mall will be happy that customers have to visit the centre/mall to pick up the prints! Heck, they might even spend something! It's all about repeat visitation.

However, the above option might not be available to you and immediate print may be your only option. Also, in relation to snap happy parents, just politely advise them the mall owners do not allow photography onsite without permission. The customers won't ask and the management company wouldn't give permission.

Just my 2c working in the industry!