Needed: Advice on workflow for preschool shoot

[CPortraiture]

Hello! I have been asked to do the photo's for may daughters preschool... exciting, yes. But I have no idea what the best approach is for managing 30 kids pictures and adding the names for each row of the class photo. Who has experience doing school pictures & will you share your best practices with me?

How do you keep track of each childs info? How do you present to the parents? Pre-order, or order form with a proof attached? Pricing?

Anyone who would like to comment, dive right in.

Thanks in advance.

CP

 

[msf]

When you do the individual portraits, you could write down the file numbers on the card that contains their name and information. Thats assuming you shoot digital.

I think back in the film days, the cameras used for this had a special thing on it, so the card went in that and the card number was on the negative, but I could be wrong.

As for the class picture, if you cant id them from the individual picture, you could simply ask their teacher for help. she should know their names, hopefully.

 

[RyanLilly]

I You could have a pre-order form that parents write their kids name an number and size of prints. Make sure to type on the form that the spelling of the child's name on the form will be used for the class photo, so please return the form even if they are not ordering prints. Take that form and write the starting file number on it, and stick it in a box right before you shoot their photos, that way all the names correspond to the file numbers.

For the parents that pre-ordered, package every thing up and put in a re-order form. For parents that did not order any prints, send the class photo and one complimentary 4x6, or a few wallet size of their child and an order form.

Oh, I just remembered for schools photos the form is actually printed on an envelope so parents can write a check and put it inside when pre-ordering.