Questions for Photographers

[ColleenSwerb]

[Sidenote - I'm kicking myself for canceling my Clickin' Moms yearly membership earlier this year because I wasn't using it, so I'm asking questions here for help.]

So as everyone knows, I got laid off in August. And then I went on vacation for essentially the entire month of September. We make plans, God laughs.
The job opportunities in my field are ridiculously limited. I'd say "don't exist" but that seems too pessimistic. So I'm diving head first into this dream that I had for some day far far in the future and starting my own photography business.

Besides the fact that my head is spinning with all the legal mumbo-jumbo, there's the photography stuff too. I'm designing myself a basic website to get the ball rolling. Nothing fancy, no flash, etc. Just a few pages and a blog to get started. A place to point people to when I advertize in the area.

My biggest question is how do you handle client proofing/galleries?? Do you have that hosted separately, or is it a part of your existing domain/web-hosting? If it's hosted separately, is that why many photogs offer the galleries for only a certain number of days and then charge a fee for additional hosting days?
What kind of gallery do you use? One of the web-hosting places I found offers gallery2, coppermine, and ZenPhoto. I planned on googling more information about each of them, but I might as well ask here too.

I know I have more questions, but the gallery thing is really sticking in the front of my head for some reason so I wanted to get that one there.

Thank you in advance for any answers/tips/help ladies!
~Col

[Shawna]

I've tried out several proofing galleries in the last year - Instaproofs, Zenfolio, ShootProof, PhotoReflect, and probably a few others. I really didn't want anything that charged a monthly/yearly fee or took a percentage of each order placed since I like to place my own lab orders. I'm currently using Proof Buddy's (http://www.proofbuddy.com/) lite (free) version and it works perfectly for me. It's installed right onto my site and is super easy to use. As far as hosting goes, I have my hosting and my 3 domains with BlueHost and they are great.

[adrianka]

I'll be watching this thread, as I need a gallery as well - not for photos, but for the creative stuff I do (it's easier to point people to one place if they want to know what you can do). My website is totally out-of-date and a gallery would be great, but I kind of have no idea where to start.

Good luck with your plans Col, they sound very good. :-)

[ColleenSwerb]

Thanks Shawna! I was just wandering around your photog website actually, lol.

[MandaT]

Proofing...hoping to change this by the new year.

I currently use a site to host, I leave galleries open for 60 days and password protect them all. I don't like using it. If the client orders through the site instead of directly through me, depending on when they put in the order, can take up to 3-4 weeks before I get the money deposited.

I really hate having to send clients to 3 different sites for blog/proofs/website. It's on the 'goals' list for the next 6 months.

I started at the beginning of the year doing in person proofing and just sort of fell away from that when things picked up mid-year. If I did in person proofing again I would want to do it on screen, not with prints (maybe??) not having an actual office space makes it hard though.

[MandaT]

Thanks Shawna! I was just wandering around your photog website actually, lol.

I just went there too, what font did you use for your name(logo) on your blog??

[marlathrall]

I use PhotoBiz for my website- it wasn't super expensive to get started ($150?) and then they charge $25 a month. It's super easy to use and looks pretty sweet- www.bigblueskiesphotography.com

I also have a shopping cart that I used to use through PhotoBiz, but I seriously got so tired of ordering pictures. It drove me up the wall. So now I offer a flat rate service and they get 15 pictures on a CD.

I use Smugmug to store my personal pictures online. It's only $25 a year for the basic and is really working wonderfully. I didn't originally go through them because they have their own print lab, but after dealing with the announce of actually ordering prints myself, I wish I would have considered that more. Good luck!

Oh and renew that Clickin' Moms membership. I just spent all afternoon reading threads on there. Lol.

[Milmomma]

My only advice is careful. I dived head first and got overwhelmed. I used Zenfolio for my online galleries and loved it. After our move I will start back up. I had to take a break for medical reasons but still do some shoots here and there. I swear for a while I needed 5 or 6 of me to keep up! It is a blast to capture memories for people. Memories that can last more than one lifetime. :)

[ColleenSwerb]

So Shawna, with that software, I assume you set all the prices for the sizes of prints and such? And then when the customer orders, you get what? An email with a list of everything they want?

Brittney, thank you. I'm diving in, but I'm definitely wary too. I want to do things right, and I'm starting relatively small. I am still collecting unemployment, so I'm not desperate to make this happen overnight or anything. It's just happening at a faster pace than what I had originally envisioned, kwim?

Money is tight Marla, otherwise I would have already done it. It's not "omg how are we going to manage" tight, but it's tight enough that I don't think DH would go for the expense of renewing my membership there. I might float it by him though, he could end up surprising me. :p

Thank you ladies!! This information is awesome, I really really appreciate it.

[nun69]

I am sooo saving this thread :) I sorta started, but started by menas of getting a website, setting it up {even though it is not set up yet}, got my business license and am trying to work on photos to put up on my website...I can't beleive how much behind the scenes work it is!!! Good luck Col!!!!!!!!

ETA: for those of yout hat have a clickin moms account, are you gald you do?

[ColleenSwerb]

I am sooo saving this thread :) I sorta started, but started by menas of getting a website, setting it up {even though it is not set up yet}, got my business license and am trying to work on photos to put up on my website...I can't beleive how much behind the scenes work it is!!! Good luck Col!!!!!!!!

ETA: for those of yout hat have a clickin moms account, are you gald you do?

I knew it would be a ton of behind the scenes work to get started, which is why it was a far far away dream, LOL! Now I'm trying to get things started kind of "out of order", and it's annoying me. Luckily some of the local ladies on the March 2012 board over on the bump have already offered to pay me for my services, sight unseen. I am SO SO grateful to them for that, it's incredible to me. I got lucky that my birth board is crazy supportive. I'm probably going to "advertise" on the Nov and Dec boards next week to try and get some newborn shoots set up to build that portion of my portfolio.
I'm working on getting my business license and figuring all that stuff out too. I have a former coworker who runs a small business on the side helping me out with that too, which has been amazing.

In short, I'm so so so so blessed to be surrounded by amazing people who are willing to help me out with this new venture. I thank god every day for that! It's SCARY, but I know it'll worth it to be able to stay home and raise this baby the way we want to, and to follow my dream in the process.

ETA: Good luck to you too Angie :)

[Shawna]

So Shawna, with that software, I assume you set all the prices for the sizes of prints and such? And then when the customer orders, you get what? An email with a list of everything they want?

Yes I am able to set up different pricelists (like one for regular clients, one for OpLove clients and one for friends/family etc.) and then apply a specific pricelist to each album. You can also assign coupon codes they can apply to their order, like if you offer a discount or print credit with a session or someone buys a gift certificate. Clients can add prints/products to their cart and checkout and either pay directly though Paypal or they also have the option to send a check in the mail. I then get an email with a PDF of their order which includes the image number, image thumbnail, sizes ordered etc. I can also access the order info in my admin area, as well as see when clients have logged into their galleries or placed items in their carts but not checked out. Once I have their order and payment confirmation then I place their order with my lab through their ROES software and then when their order comes in I either deliver it if they are close by or drop it in the mail if they are farther away.

[ColleenSwerb]

That's pretty awesome Shawna. Nice flexibility to it, and you don't have to host it elsewhere. I like it, thanks for sharing!

[marlathrall]

I knew it would be a ton of behind the scenes work to get started, which is why it was a far far away dream, LOL! Now I'm trying to get things started kind of "out of order", and it's annoying me. Luckily some of the local ladies on the March 2012 board over on the bump have already offered to pay me for my services, sight unseen. I am SO SO grateful to them for that, it's incredible to me. I got lucky that my birth board is crazy supportive. I'm probably going to "advertise" on the Nov and Dec boards next week to try and get some newborn shoots set up to build that portion of my portfolio.
I'm working on getting my business license and figuring all that stuff out too. I have a former coworker who runs a small business on the side helping me out with that too, which has been amazing.

In short, I'm so so so so blessed to be surrounded by amazing people who are willing to help me out with this new venture. I thank god every day for that! It's SCARY, but I know it'll worth it to be able to stay home and raise this baby the way we want to, and to follow my dream in the process.

ETA: Good luck to you too Angie :)

I have an idea- you should totally get one of them to let you shoot their birth. That's totally a dream of mine. I think it would be a priceless, beautiful experience... but I have yet to find someone I would feel comfortable asking. Of course, you will probably be nine months preggo when these births are happening, right? Maybe my idea isn't that great. Lol.

[marlathrall]

I am sooo saving this thread :) I sorta started, but started by menas of getting a website, setting it up {even though it is not set up yet}, got my business license and am trying to work on photos to put up on my website...I can't beleive how much behind the scenes work it is!!! Good luck Col!!!!!!!!

ETA: for those of yout hat have a clickin moms account, are you gald you do?

Oh yes. I love it there. Everyone is quite helpful and their is a TON of information. I mean, you could literally be there all day and not read all the new threads. It's insane... but the learning resources are amazing.

[nesser1981]

Well, i do something different. I actually give a cd of web resolution pics, with my logo on them. I allow them to share them as long as my logo is present, and it helps get my name out there.

[nesser1981]

I use photobiz.com too, www.vanessaarmstrongphotography.com

I di the $15 a month plan. I need to update some of my work on my site though.

[nun69]

Well, i do something different. I actually give a cd of web resolution pics, with my logo on them. I allow them to share them as long as my logo is present, and it helps get my name out there.

this is what the photographer did when I got my pictures taken...she only did it if you bought one of her CD image disc packages, but now she will send you a web/FB image for free once you have yoru ppotraits done...you just have to ask her...and I agree it gets your name out there :)

[marlathrall]

I use photobiz.com too, www.vanessaarmstrongphotography.com

I di the $15 a month plan. I need to update some of my work on my site though.

And we use the same template! Your site is beautiful. :)

[ColleenSwerb]

I have an idea- you should totally get one of them to let you shoot their birth. That's totally a dream of mine. I think it would be a priceless, beautiful experience... but I have yet to find someone I would feel comfortable asking. Of course, you will probably be nine months preggo when these births are happening, right? Maybe my idea isn't that great. Lol.

I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I would be at the actual birth, having never done it myself before. I might feel differently next year, lol. I'm going to offer the March ladies my services for newborns, but realistically it probably won't happen because I'll have just given birth myself (and if I have to have a c-section or whatever, my recovery could be much longer and not make it possible). I have a girlfriend due 2 weeks before me and I'm SO sad I won't be able to do her photos (she lives in RI and I def won't be making that trip at 9 months pregnant).

I'm not sure how I want to handle images on disc yet. I'm going to offer it for the portfolio building sessions, but I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it. I do like the idea of offering a cd of only watermarked images though, so that's definitely something for me to consider. I like the way some people have packages set up, so I have a LOT to think about in terms of packages and pricing still.

Vanessa, do you get a lot of sales from prints by offering the web cd?

[nesser1981]

I actually sale more discs w/ print release than prints. The economy is awful here, so I like doing it that way. seniors love it, and i have gotten good orders in the past, i get lots of referrals from people that have seen my stuff on facebook.

QUOTE=ColleenSwerb;884771]I'm not entirely sure how comfortable I would be at the actual birth, having never done it myself before. I might feel differently next year, lol. I'm going to offer the March ladies my services for newborns, but realistically it probably won't happen because I'll have just given birth myself (and if I have to have a c-section or whatever, my recovery could be much longer and not make it possible). I have a girlfriend due 2 weeks before me and I'm SO sad I won't be able to do her photos (she lives in RI and I def won't be making that trip at 9 months pregnant).

I'm not sure how I want to handle images on disc yet. I'm going to offer it for the portfolio building sessions, but I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it. I do like the idea of offering a cd of only watermarked images though, reso that's definitely something for me to consider. I like the way some people have packages set up, so I have a LOT to think about in terms of packages and pricing still.

Vanessa, do you get a lot of sales from prints by offering the web cd?[/QUOTE]

[Shawna]

It's pretty much the same here as far as the economy goes and what people will spend on getting photos done, everyone wants the digitals and not prints so much. Most all of my clients choose one of my digital session options and from the research I've done there are quite a few local photographers that offer similar options.

[nun69]

my photographer {well at least back in Apr 2010} did not offer a disc only image :( She had a minimum $150 print order before you could consider buying a disc...and I ended up paying $425 for a disc with 15 imags, but I am really happy and would pay it again :) But I think people really do prefer a disc with print release.....

[MandaT]

I just redid my session options, the 'biggest' collection is includes pre-purchasing the disc with the session. I only release the discs for prints up to 8x10. Since I redid my pricing to include the disc, it's been a big hit, even my 'mid'range package, which just includes 10 images has gone over very very well.

(The 1st time I sold this, was the first time I offered it, that 1st client, just gave me a print order for $500, that's on top of their $450 session, they have been THE BEST client ever, they were well put together/thought out coordinated, appreciative of my time & effort. Our economy here is pretty much NIL and I didn't think it was possible here to have a $1000 client, not including weddings....)