I'd like to start doing senior portraits

[William Petruzzo]

I'd like to start shooting senior portraits. Around here, the senior portraits are handled almost exclusively by a pretty big faceless corporation that does an excellent job of churning out the photographic equivalent of cold gruel. I know that now is the time to be booking seniors for the summer time, so I don't expect to pack my schedule with it. However, I've never really gotten my feet wet in the market and I'd like to start, I thought I could probably grab a handful to get a feel for things. Trouble is, I'm not too sure where to begin.

Anyone have some advice for getting into the seniors market? Where to start, some ideas of how/where to advertise, how to structure/sell the packages?

Any advice would really be appreciated.

 

[Jim Gratiot]

I'd like to start shooting senior portraits. Around here, the senior portraits are handled almost exclusively by a pretty big faceless corporation that does an excellent job of churning out the photographic equivalent of cold gruel. I know that now is the time to be booking seniors for the summer time, so I don't expect to pack my schedule with it. However, I've never really gotten my feet wet in the market and I'd like to start, I thought I could probably grab a handful to get a feel for things. Trouble is, I'm not too sure where to begin.

That's your hook. Your job is to convince the parents of high school seniors (who are the ones actually paying for the pictures) that the pictures they would normally pay for suck... and that your pictures are going to do a much better job of capturing their precious high school senior.

As for advertising... I'd do a comparison type of ad... show a "cold gruel" type of picture next to one of yours... using the same model. This will show that you in fact have the talent to make senior portraits that are unique and fun.

 

[Sarah23]

I do mostly seniors...and would like to specialize in JUST seniors someday.

What has really helped me was to get some senior spokes models working with you. Make sure they are popular, and well liked, and influential with their peers. I do a free session with them, and also give them rep cards to hand out with a couple of their images on them. They also get paid per referal.

Your best thing is going to be word of mouth. Kids want to do what their friends are doing. Make your senior clients your best friends. Keep up with them on Facebook. Tag their images on your profile. If they like you, they will get their friends to come to you. Easy as that.

 

[KmH]

Pretty much everything you need [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Portrait-Photography-Teens-Seniors/dp/1584281626/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240016331&sr=8-1"]in one place[/ame] including how to set up your Senior spokes models Sarah23 referred to. Well worth the $35 and it qualifies for free shipping. :thumbup:

 

[mamun]

I don't expect to pack my schedule with it. However, I've never really gotten my feet wet in the market and I'd like to start, I thought I could probably grab a handful to get a feel for things.