First of all I want to thank all my wonderful clients for an awesome 2010! You guys are the reason I love what I do so much.
2010 was a year of many changes:
1. We acquired a new logo that has been a big hit. I absolutely love it and I have seen great things come with it.
2. We made some policy changes and price changes. Some of the policy changes will be changed yet again; we found that some things worked and others hindered us tremendously. The price changes have been good all around so a la carte and product prices will stay the same. Session prices will be changing again.
3. We implemented Collections which have been popular! They are staying. I may tweak them a little more to benefit you guys even more. (I love rewarding my clients!).
4. I was able to get a new computer at the beginning of the year which has helped shorten my editing time. I’m very fortunate to have a brother that is getting a degree in computer information systems so he built this awesome computer at cost.
5. I attended a workshop that has taken me on a new path of photography. I learned so much and am still learning through the things Tara Staton taught us. It was and is the best investment I made all year.
6. I joined PPA which is the Professional Photographers of America. This has also been a great investment. I’m hoping to attend Imaging USA in January, but I haven’t acquired the funds to pay for the hotel stay and gas yet.
7. We moved!! Again!! We are located in Monroe, LA. Cliff is attending ULM to get his Masters so we will be here for at least 2 years. After that, who knows, but the business will come along with us where ever we go. (I’m hoping we stay because I love my second job at Families Helping Families, but I’ll follow my husband to the end of the world if that’s where he wants to go).
8. I was fortunate to have acquired some new and better equipment this year so now I’m shooting with a full frame digital camera. This means larger and better quality images.
9. I implemented the Senior Rep program. This has been fun, but it hasn’t been beneficial yet. If next year has the same results, this program will be eliminated.
10. We brought on a second shooter to help out while Cliff is working full time and going to school. At the beginning of the year, I’ll know if she’ll be staying on or venturing out on her own. So I’ll let you guys know about that when I know. Update: The second shooter has officially stopped working for me and is now running her own business.
11. We’ve gone digital! Well, half way. I’m still working on that. Client contracts and questionnaires are online which has been more convenient and green! I will add more things as the year progresses.
2011 will also be a year of changes:
1. This has been the biggest issue since I implemented it and I don’t like it one bit. And I’ve had mixed reviews on it as well. The 10 day online gallery and bonus photo order credit will be changing. The whole reason I started doing the gallery for 10 days with the bonus of the photo order credit was so that my clients would order sooner, but along with this I received complaints about it not being enough time. To adjust for this, I allowed my clients to pre-order the proof book and to let me know when they were ready for their gallery which totally counteracted the reason I did this. This is my source of income for my family so I need to be paid in a timely manner. Therefore, the bonus photo order credit is being eliminated. The 10 day gallery will be a 14 day gallery and it will be posted when I am done with the photos. I will not allow pre-ordering of proof books. And I will not hold the gallery. Only in special circumstances will I hold the gallery and it will not exceed 2 days. If you have not placed your order within the 14 days, it is a $25 fee to re-upload your images for an additional 14 days.
2. Sessions are changing to benefit everyone. I love Mini-Sessions! Therefore, the price will be lowered to benefit you. Mini-Sessions will be $50 for a 30 minute session at one location, up to 4 people, and 10-15 proofs viewable online for 14 days. If you have more than 4 people, you will be required to purchase the portrait session to allow for more time. Portrait Sessions will be $100 for a 1-1 ½ hour session and at least 25 proofs viewable online for 14 days. If you have more than 5 people, it is $20 per additional person. If you would like additional locations, it is $20 per location after the 1st one. Portrait Sessions include family sessions, children sessions, senior sessions, engagements, and everything in between. (I have eliminated the separate Senior Session to be more beneficial for the parent’s pocket books and my time).
As always, the session fee does not include your images, either digital or printed; these are purchased separately.
3. This is another biggie. I do not show my a la carte prices, product prices, or collection prices on my website for a reason. The photography biz is a competitive industry, and the Northeast Louisiana area is saturated with photographers. To stay competitive I only show my clients my prices, and from now on I will only submit the product guide to clients that have paid for their session and have filled out the new client form and agreement. This is so that I’m not generously giving my price list to a photographer unknowingly or so that the client isn’t trying to get another photographer to match my prices. This being said, I know you’re thinking “but I need to know how much I’m going to spend.” I do give a general idea of how much my products start at and what you will expect to spend. On average, my Mini-Session clients spend $250 and my Portrait Session clients spend $500 after the session fee and purchasing the prints/products they desire. If you don’t think you can afford this, I am not the photographer for you.
4. Please don’t contact me to tell me another photographer’s prices. I do not match prices. The quality of products that I sell far exceeds those photographers’ that are selling their 4x6s for $1.00. They must be purchasing their prints from Wal-Mart which is most definitely NOT high quality! When you purchase a print from me, you are not only paying me for the cost of the print but you are also getting my artistic work (including touch ups). The labs that I order from use high quality paper, inks, and calibrated machines. My monitor is calibrated to match these labs so when you purchase from me, you’re getting the best!
5. I have been too generous this past year on holding dates. I will no longer hold a date for anyone that has not paid the session fee and filled out the new client form and agreement. I’ve been burned and I’ll leave it at that.
6. There is a minimum order requirement of $150 for all sessions. I will not be lenient on this any longer.
That is it for policy changes. If new things crop up, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. These changes are effective immediately and are reflected on the Services & Session Information page and the Products, Collections, & Policies page. Current galleries will not be extended to 14 days. Orders must be placed within the time frame allotted. Thank you again!
by Shannon
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