----- Original Message -----
From: "Jens"
Subject: Re: Re: Portrait software
Hello William
Over here, it's about the same. A few companies are dominating the
business.
Still I think it's a free market. I can try to get a piece of the cake, if
I want.
I am current trying too start/run a business doing photography for
planning purposes - www.planfoto.dk. I know thee'll be times with very few
or no orders, so I'm looking for supplementary sources of income.
Portraits could be one of them. School portraits doesn't hjave to make you
rich, but if you have enough orders, the salery is quite good. One school
class = 1-2 weeks salery. It's like photographing in an assembly line.
A frind of mine once said: You can make a living from just about anything,
if you organize it well. I guess this goes for school photography too.
I actually know a photographer, who became quite whealty this way.
It certainly can be done. The important thing is consistency. Set our lights
up one way and don't EVER adjust their position.
It's different for grad photos, which I actually like doing. You have a
little more leeway, but still, keep your ratios reasonable.
Yousuf Karsch doesn't sell to grandmothers.
>> PS: Many photographing companies offer such packages for schools
>> etc.
>> The price is often apr. 50 USD for on package wieh a number of
>> portraits and one group portrait.
>>
>> If marketed right this can be a brilliant source of income. If I
>> could fill my order book, I could make one months wages in just
>> one
>> week. One school class is enough for one week salery.
>>
>> This is worth taking into consideration, if you wnat to make a
>> living
>> from photography...:-)
>
> Unfortunately, around where I live (Southeastern US - North
> Carolina)
> there's one company that already has a lock on the business; already
> has
> contracts with most of the school systems.
>
> Another good line is CHURCHES - get the pastor on the hook with a
> really
> LOW PRICE for a group portrait of the congregation then sell all the
>
> individual families portrait packages
>
> They also have the contract for the "Photo Studio" at most WalMart,
> Target
> & J.C. Penny stores.
>
> They don't hire photographers.
>
> They take kids who want to be photographers, give them a quickie
> course -
> Camera here, this light here, that light there, switches just so ...
> this
> is how the background is hung - and pay them $11.00 an hour +
> "reimbursement" for expenses.
>
> The reimbursement = $.35 a mile for the wear & tear and fuel for
> their
> personal vehicle + minimal per diem.
>
> After a while the kids realize that when you add in all the unpaid
> travel
> time they're making less than they could flippin' burgers at
> McDonalds, so
> the company has to hire another batch of new kids.
>
> Still, I'd take $11.00 an hour if they'd hire me for one of the
> nearby
> J.C. Penny or Target studios, but I ain't going out on the road for
> that.
>
> Moot anyway - they don't hire photographers.
Photographers are too hard to train. They always think they have a better
way (which they do), and they tend to be loose cannons in the studio.
William Robb
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