Pet Photography Brochure C&C

[BekahAura]

Hey guys, I have just one more month before I'm launching my Pet Photography business that's been nearly a year and a half in the making.

In June I'll have a vendor booth at Woofstock, an annual doggie event that drew over 1400 people last year (too bad I wasn't ready yet it cost half as much then). I'm going to have a display with business cards, brochures, and a bunch of framed photos, and other products I'll be offering. I'm also going to have a raffle for three prizes with a chance to win for joining my mailing list. My goal is 500 people on the list, but we'll see how that goes.

Anyway I just 'finished' my brochure, and before I get it printed I wanted to get some professional opinions... any suggestions for improvements will be greatly appreciated!

There are a few photos that are just placeholders on the inside page, I still need to add a horse photo, and a puppy photo to the inside page. So feel free to tell me your least favorite photos in the collage.

As always, thanks so much guys!

Left: Back Cover Right: Front Cover

The inside of the brochure

 

[spacefuzz]

I'm no pro, but I do like your cover. Inside is busy, but not necessarily bad. nice use of selective color.

 

[Formatted]

I don't use brochures but there is way to much going on... Its hard to tell what is important for me to read and what is not..

Do you really need a About Photographer section on your brochure? Isn't the idea of a brochure to make them call you or to get them to look at your website? Its the starting step, your not going to make a sale just through a brochure are you?

To much information turns people off, some great photos and a bit of info would be much better.

 

[Mecal]

I agree the inside is too busy.
But I LOVE the "about the photog" - great idea.

 

[tirediron]

Front cover: Looks good although I might change it to just say "Pet Photographer" or "Animal Photographer" rather than listing off different types of animals.

Back cover: I think the 'About' is a good idea, but lose at least half the text (especially about the birds and flowers beign your favorite subjects when you're trying to advertise for pet photography) and show your face. This looks like you're hiding something. Go four colour here.

Inside: Again, too much text; trim your mission statement by at least 2/3. Passion, by definition is intense, and people are lazy. Give them to much to read, they're going to pass. You also need a 'hook'. Some reason that people are going to want to call you; offer something for free or discount (even if it isn't really); say "Limited time offer, additional free costume changes". People want to think they're getting a bargain; it doesn't have to be big, but you do need something. Lastly, I like the gallery idea, but try and get a few other animals, horses, rabbits... something that shows clearly you're versatile enough to deal with animals other than dogs and the odd cat.

 

[gsgary]

Will there be dogs at the show if so why are you not setting up a studio and printing on site, i do this and you can make big money

 

[orljustin]

Wow, you've "taken courses"! That indicates to me you don't have any real experience, so I wouldn't call. Lose all that "about" stuff and showcase a couple of good pictures. All those mini-pictures are too busy. There is way too much going on here. The paw prints are upside down. Why the selective color of the wrinkled curtain behind you? A "puddle of piddle"? LOL. Come on. Get professional.

It needs a lot of work.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Bekah, awesome for you getting yourself out there!


I want to add, that "Reflective Photos" followed by "Memories Made" sounds like two different business names, and is sorta a redundant mouthful.

My opinion is just go with:

Reflective Photos
by
Bekah Nemethy​

to clean it up.

Less is more, and simple is sexy.


Also, since you have the reflectivephotos.net domain, can you set yourself up a [email protected] email account? It's that added bit of proffessionalism that @gmail.com doesn't give you.

 

[BekahAura]

Thank you all for all the suggestions.

Spacefuzz: Thanks =) Not many people like the whole selective color thing... especially here.

Formatted: I'm not expecting this brochure to be my sole marketing plan, it's just a supplemental thing for when I go to pet fairs, and have vendor booths elsewhere. Perhaps I will drop the about the photographer back cover and just add few photos instead. Thank you.

Mecal: Thanks, you seem to be the only one who likes that part though

Tirediron: I'm definitely going to be adding a horse or two to the collage, but I probably won't be adding any rodent type animals. There is definitely a bigger market for dogs than all the other pets, which is why there will still be more dog photos in my final brochure. I can't imagine someone paying me to take pictures of rabbits, and hamsters, but if someone requests it, I'll do it. I thought I was offering a freebie, by giving them all of the photos from their session for internet sharing. Maybe I'll throw in a free 8 x10 or something. I will definitely be cutting out a lot of text! Thanks alot!

Gsgary: That's a good idea, but I don't know how to go about doing that, and I'm mainly going to help my boyfriends mother because she is running the show. So I'll be helping out and taking pictures of her dogs and other dogs when I can. The pictures will be added to my portfolio, which I want to be as diverse as possible before I launch the business. I would love to know how you work it though! In the future that's a definite possibility.

Orljustin: Thanks for making me laugh! I really do appreciate your blunt comments. The truth is, I do have experience, and I was hoping my pictures would show the experience even though, as you have pointed out, my wording is seriously downplaying the experience I have. Maybe you can help... here is my background: I started out in college as a Visual Arts major in college focusing on photography, so I took about two years of photo classes. Unfortunately I switched majors after a bad wedding experience (I was the photographer, hated it and thought that was the only way to make money as a photographer- I was a dumb 19 year old) and I graduated with a degree in Journalism. I shot kids sports portraits and team photos for Sportography. I currently work as a photographer's assistant at Consumer Reports Magazine. So I can't say I have a degree in photography, and my other professional experience is for a chain portrait company, and I'm merely an assistant. I also have shot a bunch of free photo sessions to load up my blog and website with experience. None of those things is so impressive either, but together I think they do add up to something. How could I say something truthful and be impressive at the same time. I hope to one day be able to say on my website: "over 20 years of experience as a photographer" but I'm not there yet. Maybe I'll just take that out of my brochure completely, but I still have a similar about page on my website, and I'd like to know how to make it better. Now you know why journalism isn't for me lol.

Bitter: Yes I'm sure Google offers something to make that e-mail possible, I've done it in the past with another website. The problem is that I already have 1,000 business cards with the gmail e-mail on it. You're 100% right, it looks more professional with that e-mail. I hope to go through these marketing materials quick though, and I will definitely be changing it over... branding the business and all that. Redundant huh? I didn't notice that before. Thank you =)

I will be revising soon and I'll post the revision!

 

[BekahAura]

Gsgary: Oh, I thought you were talking about the dog show I'm going to (which I didn't even mention in the OP -- I have so much going on lol). Well at Woofstock I'm not sure I will be able to do that. I don't have the equipment to print on site... and I'm not sure I'd be able to focus on schmoozing the people and shooting all the dogs at the same time... like I said before it's definitely something I would consider in the future... but with only a month left and so many other things to do, I will have to wait til next year to give it a go if I do. I want to focus on developing a mailing list and be focused on the dogs and their owners without a camera separating me from them. I hope to book a few sessions that day too.