The Nature, Wildlife and Pet Photography Forum - Fine Art Landscape Photography

Advice please

Posted By: HollyRuthven

Advice please - 03/20/12 04:06 PM

Hi all,

I'm in process of setting up a pet photography business and I am looking at different ways of offering services but require advice.

After the shoot I would assume that you would offer prints for the customer to purchase however would you provide them with the digital images too? For example small images, say 600px with your logo on just for online purposes?

Do you edit the images before the client chooses the prints to purchase or afterwards? I would find it a waste if 30 plus images were taken and fully edited but the customer only purchases a couple of prints.

And finally, does there tend to be a specific type of market that brings in a lot of work.. eg. dog/horse shows, commercial work etc..?

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Feel free to have a look at some of my work: Purrfect Pet Photography Blog http://purrfectpetphotography.blogspot.co.uk/
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: Advice please - 03/20/12 07:07 PM

Originally Posted By: HollyRuthven
Hi all,

I'm in process of setting up a pet photography business and I am looking at different ways of offering services but require advice.

After the shoot I would assume that you would offer prints for the customer to purchase however would you provide them with the digital images too? For example small images, say 600px with your logo on just for online purposes?

I don't offer prints anymore. We use the program, PhotoCart, for order fulfillment and to provide our proof sets.

Do you edit the images before the client chooses the prints to purchase or afterwards? I would find it a waste if 30 plus images were taken and fully edited but the customer only purchases a couple of prints.

I generally give most of the images to the client to review. I only do a very quick editing and make sure it is written all over the planet that there will be changes in color, brightness and composition in the final print.

And finally, does there tend to be a specific type of market that brings in a lot of work.. eg. dog/horse shows, commercial work etc..?

Most of my business (99%) is private work in homes. I think I tend to be a minority in this as most of the folks who do this on the forum, I believe, are involved in the show circuit in some fashion or another.

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

Feel free to have a look at some of my work: Purrfect Pet Photography Blog http://purrfectpetphotography.blogspot.co.uk/
Posted By: Jim Garvie

Re: Advice please - 03/22/12 09:07 PM

Hi Holly,

Quote:
After the shoot I would assume that you would offer prints for the customer to purchase however would you provide them with the digital images too? For example small images, say 600px with your logo on just for online purposes?


Depends on the type of shoot: for formals at Conformation Dog Shows, I usually either print 8X10s and mail them with order forms for additional products -- including files, both hi rez and web rez, or, for large National Specialties, I post them on my website and folks can order the product(s) they want online. For private portrait sessions, I usually like to review the images directly (in person) with the owners and show them samples of the products we offer i.e. canvas prints, metal prints, etc. For Performance Events such as Herding Trials, I only post the images online.

Increasingly, folks aren't interested in prints as much as they are interested in files either for the web or so they can order their own enlargements, canvas prints etc. without having to pay markup. Anybody with a digital camera and online access can find labs that will do much of what our "professional labs" do. So, the key is to make sure we make our session fee and also make enough on the files to make the shoot worthwhile. At least on the portrait side. On the event side, we need to make sure that we make enough sales to cover our cost of sale and overhead. Many of us use the shows to bring us portrait customers where there is much more room for positive gross margin (sometimes called -- inaccurately -- profit :)).

Quote:
Do you edit the images before the client chooses the prints to purchase or afterwards? I would find it a waste if 30 plus images were taken and fully edited but the customer only purchases a couple of prints.


I do minimal edits for performance events; cropping and all the adjustments for Show Formals except adding in the sign; I retouch most proofs for portraits to make sure folks understand what the final version will look like.

Quote:
And finally, does there tend to be a specific type of market that brings in a lot of work.. eg. dog/horse shows, commercial work etc..?


The best market is pet portraits but it also requires the most work to set up. If you are going to bring customers to you, you need a studio. If you are going to go to them, you need a mobile studio setup. In either case, you need to market yourself so that folks will know how to find you. Event photography (dogs, horses) is easier to get into but the margins are slim at best. At least here in the states. Can't speak for what's happening in your part of the world.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask more questions.

Jim
Posted By: Jenny

Re: Advice please - 03/25/12 07:01 PM

Hi Holly,
I guess my first question for you is this your first business? If it is then welcome to the world of marketing.

The next question you need to ask yourself is what is your vision for your business? What you are going to offer and in what form, prints, digital... is all a part of your brand. Do you want clients seeing un-edited work or seeing only the best you can offer? You need to figure out who is your perfect client and then figure out how to attract them. It isn't easy, I've been struggling with this. I know my client but I'm still trying to figure out how to best reach them.

Looking at your blog makes me believe you like the environmental portrait more than the studio look. There are plenty of people in this country that are making a living in pet portraits without going the studio route. (ex. shine pets, cowbelly, dane+dane) Online sales are never as successful as in person, projection sales so you have to consider how that works without an office/studio if you go that route.

If you are going to be a signature brand photographer, not a freelance photographer, then you need to have a clear vision, a plan and most importantly become a marketer.

You're not alone, lots of us are trying to figure this out too. But we each have a different goal so our paths can never be the same, you have to forge your own that best suits your vision. I wish there was a roadmap but it isn't that easy.

I hate to end on that so I'll add that you should just keep at it, asking, shooting, sharing. Find 1 step that will go where you want and take it, then the next step will appear and take that.

Jenny
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