How do event/school photographers match people to portraits?

[Trinity Ridge]

We have done a few small schools on the side of our wedding photography business. We feel like there MUST be a more efficient way of identifying who's picture is being taken so we can match it to the order form. Can anyone here give me suggestions or tell me how they do it?

Thank you in advance!

[bondarnes]

The first child come up and hands me his form. I write 1 on it and take his photograph. The next child hands me her form and I write 2 and so on. All the images are in numerical order on the memory card. As a check I write the starting camera filename on about every tenth form. If they don't wear uniforms you could write the color of their shirt/blouse on each form. Don't make it into something complicated. And don't renumber the images.

[jeffro20]

Following Don's method, which would be mine as well with youth sports shoots... don't dare delete any images other than the last one shot.

[Trinity Ridge]

Thank you for the input!

[toverman]

You could even write a big number on the form and make the child hold it for the first shot in their sequence, matching the numbers that way. Bad thing about it would be the extra images you'd have, though.

[Sweet Caroline]

I take a group photo of the class, followed by the individuals from that class. I put three proofs on an order form (with the image numbers in the margin) attached to a 9x12 inch envelope and deliver to the school organized by class. The teachers make sure each kid gets the form with their proofs attached. The parents fill out name, class, and their order, and return the envelope with proofs still attached with payment inside. There's really no reason for me to know their names with this system, except to field questions from parents after they place an order. Then I can look them up in my file by name, which the parents have provided when they filled out the form.

I do this for one preschool with 9 classes of 8-17 students (about 115 students), and one private school pre-k through 8th grade with classes of about 10 students (about 80 students).

On my computer, I have a folder for the proofs for each class. I can always refer back to the group photo to remind me which class they belong to. This system has worked very well for me. I really can't think of an easier way to do it, aside from making everyone order online.

Caroline

[VisConPhoto]

I agree with Caroline. We do not do prepaid orders. We did the something with the schools that we shot. If there is no class picture then we have a someone that gets the picture number of the first student in each class. The teachers will know each student in their class better then you.

[MyKey]

We do it several ways:

If the school has the class rosters (which they should) we receive this and input it into either our new computer program (Event Workflow Solutions - EWS) or into Miller's Digital Undergrad Software. Both allow us to use the date to create bar codes for each student.

If the event is Pre-Paid, when the student gets in line to be photographed we place their bar code on the money envelope. The first photograph we take of the student is actually the bar code - then we take as many photographs as needed of the student to get the "Winner" shot. Be it 1 or 100 it does not matter.

If the event is Post-Paid we place the bar code onto a 3x5 white note card and then photograph the note card before the student gets photographed.

So when we get back to the studio we should have on the cards Bar code - students photo(s) - Bar code - Student Photo(s) etc.

I pick the winner images (if more was taken of each student) to where it is only bar code-photo -- bar code-photo -- bar code-photo and so on.

In the process I color correct or other touch up which might need to be done. When I am finished with this I am pretty much done with the manual labor of the job, EWS takes over from there.

EWS next does the following for me all automatcially:

1)Reads the barcode in the photograph - makes a folder with the name of the folder the barcode number - places the next photo (or any number you set) into the folder. So in other words it sorts all the photos for me keeping all the data of each student.

2) Upload it into Miller's Undergrad Software (or your own if you have it) so I can prep it for ordering

3) If you are doing a Post-Pay event and need to print out proof sheets, you then open up your previous pre-designed Proof Sheet (leaving spots for your proofs to be inserted) and EWS inserts the photos where you tell them too AND places the Students - Last Name, First Name on the proof sheet (again where you tell it to be placed). Outputs these proof sheets in another folder with the file named Lastname_Firstname. When done I simply print out in ABC order (by file name) and take to the school, sport league, whatever with a money envelope included to return.

4) Orders come in I already have all files uploaded into Miller's Undergrad I simply use a barcode scanner - scan the barcode which is attached to each orderform - it pops up the students photo, I place in the package which is order, move to the next student. When done I hit Upload. Miller's color corrects, prints, separates and returns to me within the week, which I simply drop off the portraits.



Event Workflow Solution takes care of all separation for me, leaving me to shoot by myself if needed and most importantly no human error issues which is nice. Plus the sorting is done MUCH faster and the custom product you can provide for EACH event with the pre-designed proof sheets really makes a nice touch! If you do not have the barcodes of each student you can either premake them or make them on the spot with a laptop by simply typing in the students name. The Software will make a unique number on its own and then print the barcode out.

We have shot schools with 2500 kids to band, choir, sports, etc. with this system and it has worked very well for us so far. Hope the information helps.