NEED HELP FOR PROM THIS WEEKEND!

[oceanmoments]

So I'm photographing my first Prom this weekend. I have some questions that I'm hoping some people can help me out with. I'm not charging for going and doing the photos because then you get into the whole insurance debacle and I didn't want to deal with that as this is my first time. I had considered it but it's a small school and they told me in the past typically parents just take the photos, so I knew they weren't looking for anything major.
So for my questions: They're asking me if I'm going to do packages of photos for the students. I'm really not sure! Any ideas on how best for me to do this? I was just thinking of printing through Shutterfly, but if I do, what should I charge the students? I was also thinking I could just put them on a CD - which I would also include the other photos I'm going to take throughout the night - dancing, coronation, etc. Would this be better?
Any thoughts, suggestions, ANYTHING is appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[wyogirl]

Wow... OK, its good that you mentioned that parents usually do this or I would tell you to walk away.

DO NOT--I repeat--DO NOT print from Shutterfly! They have horrible color rendition and they aren't cheap. You can set up an account and print from ProDPI for a lot less than printing from Shutterfly.

You will have to look at what it will cost to print vs what you hope to make. I definitely recommend having order forms with packages. Parents and students expect this.

Now--- how are you going to light this gig??

 

[tirediron]

I suspect that in your circumstance, the CD option is the better one, HOWEVER: ensure that you are familiar with release statues for your state, as well as any privacy laws that the schoolboard may have (I doubt that will be an issue, but forwarned is forearmed). Trying to track orders and all the rest of it is challenging, and this way you can have a fixed price for everyone, and given that probably 99% of the itended use of the files is for facebook...

 

[KmH]

And I have bad news for you.

Just because you are not charging does not absolve you (or the prom venue) from the need of liability insurance, unless you can afford to be self-insured.

 

[oceanmoments]

Amanda: I do have a light that I can use externally, but honestly I wasn't too concerned about the lighting. The woman I spoke with at the school said parents have never worried about any special lighting in the past. Hopefully this will ring true for me as well.
I'll definitely look into the ProDPI. Good to know

Tirediron: the tracking orders portion is what I'm most worried about. any good suggestions for that?

Keith: I actually work in insurance and already did all the research on this. Because I'm not getting paid for actually taking the photos, it falls under my personal liability. Phew!

 

[Light Guru]

Amanda: I do have a light that I can use externally, but honestly I wasn't too concerned about the lighting. The woman I spoke with at the school said parents have never worried about any special lighting in the past. Hopefully this will ring true for me as well.

Your not too concerned about lighting? Really?

In photography LIGHT IS EVERYTHING!!!

Just because the parents who took the pictures in the past didn't know or understand light does not mean that you should ignore it.

 

[tirediron]

...Tirediron: the tracking orders portion is what I'm most worried about. any good suggestions for that?

Unfortunately no; the only time I shoot volume I'm working with a team of 4-5 who do all the tracking.

 

[oceanmoments]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I ended up going to the school tonight and meeting with the Prom committee - we set up their backdrop and I figured out my lighting. I think it's going to work perfectly! I also figured out how I'm going to charge them and keep everything in order. Again, thanks for all the help here! I'll let you know how it goes this weekend!