Prom Photos

[JMM]

How do you price prom photos? I know a lot take photos prior to the prom so they cannot be very expensive or they will not buy. Do very many buy? Do you supply the setup or does the school?

Any suggestions helpful.
Joyce

[HotHolly]

Price has to do with what you are offering. I know some ppl who did print on site and freakin awesome backgrounds and each couple dropped over $200 and he was booked solid.

Photo packages range in price tremendously. Factor in your overhead and then figure out what you want your profit to be and figure your numbers from there. If you dont do that, you could end up upside down.

Kids will pay for stuff that they WANT.

[S-Man]

Listen to her ^
She's a genius.

[JMM]

What is considered freakin awsome? LOL What about offering a cd of the actual dance. Is it worth it? About how much to charge?

Thanks,
Joyce

[kayumangi]

Kids will only buy stuff that they can't own/have. If they have camera-phones more than likely they'll have photos and even vids of the actual dance, making what you offer less attractive even moot.

It's the same principle with taking photos prior to a prom, if you do standard firing squad poses (that they themselves can do) then more likely you won't be able to sell anything too. Also, you're not selling to the kids, you're selling to the parents since they have the spending power, of course the kids must love what you do first to get to their parents.

As far as the dance itself, If you have a portrait station with funky colored backgrounds (they surely don't have any of those) then you have a higher chance of selling something. And you don't even have to do on-site printing, just book the orders there and deliver later if you want.

[auddii]

What if you shot "photobooth" style with a back drop and had a whole bunch of props? Could also do serious poses if they or the parents want them. You wouldn't need a booth at all, just you standing there and print on site.

[LadyShutterBug]

the school will most likely NOT be providing you anything but a space to shoot. candids from the dance aren't going to sell like the posed stuff will.

printing on site is great, but design a "set" and prohibit the kids form taking camera shots while "on set". cute furniture is a must. like holly said, figure in ALL of your overhead and price to make money. this is one of those situations where kids don't have a choice-- they have to buy what you offer. be set up to accept credit cards on-site or you are doomed.

[StevenGWebb]

Go green screen or Scene Machine something that can't be snagged with a camera phone from the sidelines. Do something stellar. I think the old days of pairing up the couples and selling a pair of 5X7's for $15 is long gone.