What is it about those Portrait Studios?

[Damon]

I was walking around the mall the other day, and walked past one of those portrait studios. They had a lot of their photos posted on the wall, and I gotta say, some of them were downright awful. Yet, the place had plenty of people waiting in line for their christmas photos.

And the other day someone was telling me they spent a small fortune at one of those places and got horrible portraits done.

Glamour Shots used to make me cringe, as well. And they charged out the wazoo. And what about the high school photo places? Has anyone really ever liked their high school photo?

Yet people pay these studios gobs of money for mediocre photos and a ten-minute session where the guy has no interest in being creative, just gotta take the shots to get to the next customer.

I don't have a studio. I show my portfolio, offer to shoot on location, give a good hour or two of my time, place special interest in giving someone a unique photo, post-process, online viewing, all for the same price as one of those cookie-cutter studios (if not a little cheaper).

And yet I'd have to put a gun to someone's head to get a gig. I don't get it. I mean, it could be the quality of my photos, but I feel they're just as good, if not better than, some of the stuff that's hanging on those studio walls.

Do people give some sense of credibility that comes along with having a physical studio? Will this suddenly make me a worthy photographer? Is that what I have to do to be taken seriously?

I'm going to have to go back to TF* work pretty soon, just to get more samples in my gallery. The longer I go without anything new the worse I look.

sigh.. end rant.

[Tom]

Maybe people just don't want to work with Nikon users?

j/k

I totally understand the rant and feel the same way. It is really ridiculous, but keep at it.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Damon

Do people give some sense of credibility that comes along with having a physical studio? Will this suddenly make me a worthy photographer? Is that what I have to do to be taken seriously?

I have begun to think that this really does matter in the eyes of a lot of folks. Also, I think it's just exposure. I'm convinced that if I had a storefront on Main Street in Grapevine, I'd get a lot more exposure and, therefore, a lot more business. It's very logical actually.

[digitaldude400d]

From someone that is planning to have a photography business (in another year) I am wondering if those who shoot professionally do you advertise by anything other than by word of mouth?

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by digitaldude400d

From someone that is planning to have a photography business (in another year) I am wondering if those who shoot professionally do you advertise by anything other than by word of mouth?

Haven't you seen all my posts on Craiglist for :

FULL WEDDING COVERAGE WITH CD/DVD, TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS, CATERING, FLOWERS, MINISTER, ALL FOR $495 ???

[CallMeAl]

My suggestion would be to raise your prices. For some people, cheap prices reflect poor quality, although you and I know that's not always true. If you're not getting the gigs anyway, you won't be losing customers due to higher prices. One other thing that I've been trying to concentrate on is choosing my customers instead of waiting for them to choose me. I went to a seminar (Bruce Hudson) where he spoke about selective marketing and marketing to the ideal customer...the customer that had money and wanted to spend it on portraits of their family. Wall portraits specifically, in the example he gave. Figure out who your ideal client is and market to them specifically. A happy client will make lots of referrals. Of course, this is all just my opinion.

[digitaldude400d]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

Haven't you seen all my posts on Craiglist for :

FULL WEDDING COVERAGE WITH CD/DVD, TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS, CATERING, FLOWERS, MINISTER, ALL FOR $495 ???

LOL Well I KNOW that you that isnt you!

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by digitaldude400d

From someone that is planning to have a photography business (in another year) I am wondering if those who shoot professionally do you advertise by anything other than by word of mouth?

I advertise in The Shepherd's Guide, which is a Christian business directory. It has good coverage and is worth the small cost to me every month. I have, also, considered putting advertising on my truck, but I don't want to invite break-ins.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Damon

.......

Yet people pay these studios gobs of money for mediocre photos and a ten-minute session where the guy has no interest in being creative, just gotta take the shots to get to the next customer.
......

I thought those mall studios were cheap?
How much is a session at one of those places?

[toverman]

I think the answers have been posted here. Before I read them my thoughts were:

• Those studios are easy to find (even by accident) and they are backed by massive marketing budgets
• People who don't know better shop by price. Photography is one of those things that you usually get what you pay for. Sometimes you get less.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by thejakestir

I thought those mall studios were cheap?
How much is a session at one of those places?

OK, so I looked up a few. I can see why people go there:

http://www.portraitinnovations.com/special_offers.html

http://www.kiddiekandids.com/pricing_packages

http://www.jcpportraits.com/sitting-...d-pricing.aspx

http://www.picturepeople.com/default.asp

[Corrie]

They are cheap and a lot of people like that generic look.

[CaptainTom]

I think you'll discover that most of the final packages those mall stores sell are in the $800 - $1200 range. They get you in the door, and then sell you all the bells and whistles.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by Corrie

They are cheap and a lot of people like that generic look.

True. I seems that too many folks don't appreciate the art of photography. They prefer the simple, traditional, studio-style portraiture (we have one hanging over our fireplace). Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by CaptainTom

I think you'll discover that most of the final packages those mall stores sell are in the $800 - $1200 range. They get you in the door, and then sell you all the bells and whistles.

Definitely. There's no way to stay in business selling packages for $9.95.