county fair, how to attract the hs seniors

GerryDavid

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So I got a booth at a local county fair, and apparently tomorrow is the senior day, they are shipped in by the busload all day during school hours.

what is the best way to get their attention for doing senior pics. lots of booths are doing giveaways.

one idea is to offer a free facebook image, very low res, like 700px on the long side, and maybe do it like a photo booth but outside on location. I dont have a space for a background, but therse a few good spots near by that isnt to much of a walk. but I dont want to do 1000 of these, while it wont take to long to process, i dont want to take to long x 1000 which will be to long. :)
 
I really like the idea of the Facebook picture... most FB pix are crap taken in bad light with a cheap cell phone by a person who can't text the word "photograph."

We were at a company convention a few years ago and a company photographer took a wonderful closeup picture of my wife- she uses that image on FB to this day (as well as several other places). She claims she was having a "good face, good makeup, good hair day" that day.

But that is certainly something HS kids could get interested in. Do you have any assistants that will man the booth with you? If everyone chipped in I'd bet you have a line of people at your booth.

An alternative would be to offer a coupon for something- free 5x7 when they order a package maybe?
 
I dont really want to give anythign away, many people here think it devalues the product. But in some cases I dont mind.

Ill be by myself during the hours that the teens will be here. my wife is helping me after she finishes work. I was just thinking of getting them to put their facebook email on a piece of paper and Ill photograph that and then photograph them together, and tell them to check my facebook after a few days. and ill email them when I can, if I can read the writing.

but im not sure how "legal" that is, posting a minor's pics on facebook with out a release signed by the parents.

a coupon is an idea, but im having a hard time getting the older high school kids attention. they just wakl by the booth not making eye contact. were not suppose to shout louder than to reach someone thats just a couple feet away.

I am offering gift cards, buy a $25 gc and get a coupon for $25 off of $50 or more, not valid on special offers or with other coupons. so no free sitting fee. :)
 
im in a commercial building, not to far infront of me is an old train caboose, not bad for pics but it could be crowded. behind the building and down the hill is an old tractor, its great for pics, but it takes a few minutes to walk there. so im just wondering how wise it would be to leave my booth alone to do those pics.

there is an empty spot ahead of me thats good, got red and white drapes, I could use flashes but id rather not annoy the vendors in this part of the building with the FLASH FLASH. :) plus the bank that has that spot may show up tomorrow, I guess they only come for a couple days out of the week the fair runs.
 
lol, I hear ya.

Take something small and just make it a head shot with minimal background. Free? Every business gives away little freebees once in awhile to entice customers- it's the cost of doing business. It's not like you're shooting someone's wedding for free! I think that's perfectly acceptable.

Have them plunk down their name and email address and email them the photo (since the file will be small, this shouldn't pose a problem). Don't mess with putting them on Facebook because then other people will have access to them.

But, you sound like you're at the fair right now???? It may require a little more planning then just shooting from the hip. Maybe try it next year...
 
yup, been at the fair all week. :) pretty quiet n the mornings, starts to pick up around 5 and steady till 8 or so.

got a raffle going for a free portrait, got over 100 entries so far. I did ask for email addresses but most havent been putting them.

I have been offering portraits at the fair, at real locations, and not cheesy backgrounds, hehe. the tractor being one spot, the caboose at the other, and in the evening by the fariswheel.
 
day 4 of the county fair, its seniors that are 55 and over, not high school. oh well. Guess your a photographer when you hear the word senior and you think of 17/18 year olds. :)
 
LOL, that's GREAT! So what you should be doing is showing them how to get on Facebook so they can get in contact with their grandkids (who never call), who are HS seniors!
 
day 4 of the county fair, its seniors that are 55 and over, not high school. oh well. Guess your a photographer when you hear the word senior and you think of 17/18 year olds. :)


55 and over.....That can't be a senior, can it?:confused:


I was thinking 65 and over...when I reach 65, it will be 75, etc..etc...etc...:thumbup:
 
but im not sure how "legal" that is, posting a minor's pics on facebook with out a release signed by the parents.
What is it you do for a living?

Photographer. : ) But I usually error on the side of caution, if I use the pics for anything or show them online, I like to get a model release signed. I prefer the artistic side of photography than the business side, but I try to make do.

How about you? :)

day 4 of the county fair, its seniors that are 55 and over, not high school. oh well. Guess your a photographer when you hear the word senior and you think of 17/18 year olds. :)


55 and over.....That can't be a senior, can it?:confused:


I was thinking 65 and over...when I reach 65, it will be 75, etc..etc...etc...:thumbup:

I just heard someone say its senior day and today heard or read something about how everyone 55 and older gets in free until 3pm.

LOL, that's GREAT! So what you should be doing is showing them how to get on Facebook so they can get in contact with their grandkids (who never call), who are HS seniors!

Na, takes to much time, most of them dont even understand me that well. Canadian accent in a southern land. : ) Language barrier isnt to bad for those 40 and under. :)
 
LOL you were expecting High School seniors and got the Geriatric Bus?!? Priceless!!

I think its an excellent idea - for future events with actual HS Seniors to do a Facebook Photo give-away. You take pictures tell them to Like your Business's Facebook Page and post them in an Album called "Facebook Portraits" and tag the individual. They can set it to their Profile Pic and keep or remove your tag. This way, you don't have to worry about emailing them or sending them photos etc. For you, you just batch post them after any editing then as they "Like" the page, start tagging them :D

In any case, their tagged picture will show up on all their friends' News Feeds (along with the news that they "Like" your page) and they'll follow the link to your Business's Facebook Page, along the top of which will have an "Info" Tab with your Address, Email, Phone Numbers, even package pricing if you want.

Any way, its an excellent way to get your name out there.
 
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did one free facebook pic yesterday and she fanned my page before I had the chance to upload the picture. today will actually be the school kids, now to figure out a way to get the seniors attention, they dont like to make eye contact and I usually do that to get their attention. :0) im not out going. I should have made a sign "FREE FACEBOOK PICTURES FOR SENIORS" hmm, and probably put high school before the senior word. :D

shoulda brought the left over backing board, got a 16x20 piece laying around. coulda made a sign and do that flippy thing that some people do on the street :D be kinda funny with it being just 16x20. :)
 
oha nd I realized it would be the over 55 crowd before I showed up, I was like "hmmm, wait a second". I was wondering why the guy that does home care was looking forward to the day. hes also a photographer but isnt pushing that really at his booth.
 

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