Portfolio Building Special

[kris10]

Okay, I have this "five year plan" to get my photography business going.* :-\ I have all the ideas on how I "want" it to work but because I'm still fairly new to this area, I don't know a lot of people to get word of mouth advertising.* The idea was to make a brochure/flyer ad to get some business for building my portfolio.* I made this flyer and am thinking I'll start off by sending it to my youngest son's 1st grade class to start getting some business.* I'll have to shoot at the clients locations because I don't have a studio...yet....and it may be a while before I ever do, IF I decide to go this route with "people" photography.* I really don't think I want to do the portrait type stuff forever and prefer to do local event photogrpahy and landscape but I wanted to get ideas from those of you who have been successful at starting your own business and see if this is a good way to go for starting some cash flow.* I, of course, would like ideas on the layout and design of the flyer and the pricing method I've used.* I'm totally new at this "generating business" thing so I have no idea if I'm pricing right or if I am even close to a "professional" looking brochure.* Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.* *

[mikej]

Rather than say "Portfolio Builder", why not say something like "Introductory Special"? Builder sounds like you are new to photography, which even if you are, you don't want to sound like you are. And to me, if someone is trying to build a portfolio, then they should either be free or very very cheap.

Mike

[Mark GIllett]

I think this looks good. I agree with the other poster about the word builder but not that you should be free or cheap. If you are a good photog why should you be free or cheap. Basically you are offering a discount for the use of their family photos in your portfolio. I have done this and it works. I gave a session fee equal to the studio hire and a CD of images or a free session and images at a price. I regretted the free CD as people did the obvious but I got loads of saessions and sold loads of photos. This was a year agao and now I charge normal prices. I also do odd offers every now and then.

Good luck

Mark

[kris10]

Originally Posted by Mark Gillett

I think this looks good.* I agree with the other poster about the word builder but not that you should be free or cheap.* If you are a good photog why should you be free or cheap.* Basically you are offering a discount for the use of their family photos in your portfolio.* I have done this and it works.* I gave a session fee equal to the studio hire and a CD of images or a free session and images at a price.* I regretted the free CD as people did the obvious but I got loads of saessions and sold loads of photos.* This was a year agao and now I charge normal prices.* I also do odd offers every now and then.

Good luck

Mark

Thanks Mark.

I need to find out exactly what the pros are charging and maybe undercut them by about 20 bucks or so I think.* I know the schools charge 40 per package of four sheets.* I figured that if I could come up with a mid range price then I could get more opportunities.* I'm not a "portrait" photographer and don't really want to do that forever but for "bread and butter" type money...that and weddings would be good choices.* I don't have a lot of experience with portrait stuff so I don't feel as though I can charge loads of money yet.* I bought a couple lights (they're called farm lights) with these silver dome like things around them that look to be good for starting out with "rigged" portraiture and I got low wattage bulbs for them.* I plan to start practicing placing of them with my little one's.* Hopefully after a couple of months, I'll feel more comfortable with portraiture.

[Mark GIllett]

Originally Posted by kris10

Thanks Mark.

I need to find out exactly what the pros are charging and maybe undercut them by about 20 bucks or so I think.* I know the schools charge 40 per package of four sheets.* I figured that if I could come up with a mid range price then I could get more opportunities.* I'm not a "portrait" photographer and don't really want to do that forever but for "bread and butter" type money...that and weddings would be good choices.* I don't have a lot of experience with portrait stuff so I don't feel as though I can charge loads of money yet.* I bought a couple lights (they're called farm lights) with these silver dome like things around them that look to be good for starting out with "rigged" portraiture and I got low wattage bulbs for them.* I plan to start practicing placing of them with my little one's.* Hopefully after a couple of months, I'll feel more comfortable with portraiture.

I would charge what you feel you are worth rather than looking at undercutting. I am like you, do the portraits and wedding for B&B but do not wish to do it forever. It can, however, be a lot of fun.

Also look at using a soft box or umbrellas for your lights. This will soften the light greatly.

[kris10]

Also look at using a soft box or umbrellas for your lights.* This will soften the light greatly.

I did buy some white muslin to use to diffuse the light.* I also have a link to build my own softbox that I hope to do very soon.* How do you use "umbrella's" if I'm using a "homeade rigged" setup?* (And I aplogize for any stupidity that comes out in my questions... :-\).* I've seen the light kits you can buy but I'm going with inexpensive right now.* I also know nothing about portrait work so any advice is greatly appreciated.*

[mikej]

Rather than build a softbox, build a light panel out of PVC and white translucent material. The white muslin will probably be too thick to make a good diffussion screen. White nylon, polyesters or the like works real well.

You can build a PVC frame with feet to make it self standing. Light panels are very cheap to make... I built a 2 panel one that is hinged together so it's free standing, the white panel was 6' x 4' and the black panel (to block the light from hitting the camera) was 6'x2'. It cost less than $35 for all the parts, and that was with buying too much with lots of stuff left over.

Mike

[Mark GIllett]

Originally Posted by kris10

I did buy some white muslin to use to diffuse the light.* I also have a link to build my own softbox that I hope to do very soon.* How do you use "umbrella's" if I'm using a "homeade rigged" setup?* (And I aplogize for any stupidity that comes out in my questions... :-\).* I've seen the light kits you can buy but I'm going with inexpensive right now.* I also know nothing about portrait work so any advice is greatly appreciated.*

Go here http://www.theflashcentre.com/ and read their pdf called Guide to Better Lighting. This will give you a great start. Just replace the word "buy" with "make" and that what you need to build somehow.

[dvdowns]

I am more into landscape pictures than people , but if you think about it weddings are usually weekends and you can get a weeks wages doing one wedding [ besides all the preparation before-hand ] , and have the rest of the week for interesting stuff . I would tend to agree that maybe one free/cheap offer will be worth a lot towards advertising . Computer software companies give away free software to get their product out there and offer upgrades at a cost . The first wedding I helped at for a friend I did free and ran a slideshow of the pictures at the reception which went down very well , and gave the caterer free pictures to use in his advertising . The second wedding I only charged $300 so I could gain experience because I don't consider myself a wedding photographer after only one wedding .
The customer was happy and the same caterer asked me to leave him some business cards to hand out because since our last meeting he has been telling people about me . If I had started off charging $800 I would not have got either job with no samples to show and would still be unknown . Fishing with bait is less work than fishing with a lure but you have to sacrifce some of the bait .
Another idea , at a 40th anniversary someone brought a free-standing picture frame for people to stand in for pictures which was a big hit .. . good luck with the career , and wish me luck with mine