Weddings: Galleries and photos-per-hr

Halliday

Seeking some advice from Wedding photographers, and I'm just starting out doing weddings...

In this day of digital I can't see trying to make a profit off the selling of prints. The image file is what is important and many people want that, not necessarily the print. At this pont I have decided to have my biz with providing the client with the file and letting them print at their convience. This may change in the future

1) I feel that I can genterate about 24 quality images/hr. Is this reasonable? The 24 images are the ones that will be fixed and delivered to the client. Should it be more, say 48/hr?

2) Would you setup an online "proof" gallery and let the client pick the photos? I was not planning on doing that. I'd pick, edit, PS and deliver my choices, the client seeing only the final product. I just think the idea of a couple weeding through 35 online pages of images would be daunting. On the other hand, some people may really like the option of seeing and picking the ones they want :dunno Do both? *Sigh*

Any thoughts and input is appreciated.

Shay Stephens

Halliday wrote:

Seeking some advice from Wedding photographers, and I'm just starting out doing weddings...

In this day of digital I can't see trying to make a profit off the selling of prints. The image file is what is important and many people want that, not necessarily the print. At this pont I have decided to have my biz with providing the client with the file and letting them print at their convience. This may change in the future

1) I feel that I can genterate about 24 quality images/hr. Is this reasonable? The 24 images are the ones that will be fixed and delivered to the client. Should it be more, say 48/hr?

2) Would you setup an online "proof" gallery and let the client pick the photos? I was not planning on doing that. I'd pick, edit, PS and deliver my choices, the client seeing only the final product. I just think the idea of a couple weeding through 35 online pages of images would be daunting. On the other hand, some people may really like the option of seeing and picking the ones they want Do both? *Sigh*

Any thoughts and input is appreciated.

I usually produce between 40 and 50 usable an hour. I edit the shots so that they don't have to weed through all the redundant and sub optimal photos. Just give them the best.

quark

I am far from decided on this point but I usually offer packages with both. Typically the more "tech-savy" brides will want the digital originals and less computer-ish people will opt for buying the prints from me (more often the senior photos and such). In the second choice they still have the option to buy the digital files through smugmug, they just need to be pickier about how many they really want.

Make sure you are clear with the customer that only your processed images will be provided. I once had someone ask for the raw files which I was not comfortable giving out. You will also want to be clear about how the files will be provided - it is a huge hassle for me to burn cds after I work so hard to get all the files uploaded anyway so I resist this when possible.

I also try to make it clear to them that ordering wedding picture prints from Walmart is not the best idea in the world and they should probably buy smugmug prints anyway.

I do major pruning from the photos. I usually end up giving them no more than 3 choices for similiar composition/poses (one b&w, one color, that type of thing). I also pick out my favorites of every batch and put them at the front of the gallery. First impressions are important.

urbanaries

This is an interesting debate and one I am still struggling with, as well.

It seems that not only the method of printing has shifted (photographer fulfillment vs. DIY Walmart or local processor), the actual USE of images themselves has changed drastically.

Now, instead of handing a relative a wallet or 5x7 of their child's studio portrait, they just send an email with a 72dpi image, whether it was legally obtained or not. It's fast, easy and everyone gets their fix. Same with weddings, they'll order a few but they really want to get their hands on the files, to put on their myspace, order various items through Shutterfly, and the like.

It seems folks are printing less images these days, period - regardless of who's doing the printing.

Scrapbooking is an interesting exception, although this is a trend that requires the printing of pictures, there's typically very few actual pictures in a book once you sift through the embellishments.

Halliday

Yes I went with this biz model (handing over the files) because it frees me from being beholden to making a profit on the prints. Just charge more up front

All clients will have a smugmug gallery with the option of ordering prints online. I consider it more of a convience than profit. I will also guide them to suggested local online print services.

urbanaries

Halliday wrote:

Yes I went with this biz model (handing over the files) because it frees me from being beholden to making a profit on the prints. Just charge more up front

All clients will have a smugmug gallery with the option of ordering prints online. I consider it more of a convience than profit. I will also guide them to suggested local online print services.

I started out with a pricing model very similar to yours and found myself with lots of clients, working tirelessly to turn around images in order to make nothing on them. Are you turning a profit yet? Is this a full time endeavor for you?

I raised my session fees several times, but there is a limit to how much someone will pay for a session alone. Giving away a free CD has little perceived monetary value, although a great convenience value.

I charge $125 for on location sessions and $150 for CDs. I still think I'm undercharging. Photographers make money two ways: from sitting fees and prints, and once I sell that CD, I'm cutting any and all future gains.

I am part time now but there's no way I can ever afford to go full time until I get these profit margins to the point that I'm not spending 10 hours on a client to make a measly $200.