easy money

[skally]

i've set up a booth at the local flea market to take a few quick portraits...what would you guys charge per photo?...i'm just doing this for practical experience...i'm not trying to be a professional photographer or anything...i don't want to do this for free because then people wonder what's going on...

[epoh]

Will you be able to provide prints on-site? How much are you spending to rent the location? Props? etc. Add up all your expenses, then add in what your time is worth.

[DeLeon]

You may have to rely on volume as opposed to mark up. I don't think people would be willing to pay much for portraits at the flea market. I love to walk through the flea market, but is usually spur of the moment and I don't get very dressed up for it. For me, it would be similar to stepping into a photo booth, but with better quality photographs.

[Digital Daddy]

I considered this approach also, but did the math and changed my mind. Lets say you pay $100 a day for your booth and you could sell a 5x7 for $5. Thats 20 photos just to pay for your booth, and nothing for you. Not a real good way to make money, unless you can gat some real volume and multiple photo sales. Good Luck.

[PIC]

This kind of photo biz is in bad shape with the digi revolution.
There is much over Saturation in the Pro - Amature Freelance Market.
Do the research and check your costs,
Good Luck - you will need it.

EL

[skally]

this is not a money making proposition so i suppose that answers the question...i just need a place where a wide variety of people are willing to take a shot in some controlled lighting...i got surprisingly positive responses from the first weekend...if i was trying to do this to make money you should recommend a shrink...i'll charge a very small fee and give it to some charity...

[TxManx]

Make sure you tag all of your photos with your website, name, or something else - even if you 'break even', it could turn out to be a lucrative advertising gimmick...

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Ok one way to look at this is what do you need to recover your costs and if you want to grow this into a studio, show the people what you can do here and then upsell them into a more formal portrait setting at a higher price.

Lets say that you can be fairly busy, avg of 5 fast portraits an hour all day for an 10 hour day so that comes out to 50 jobs per day and that you are there just Sat and Sunday so 100 jobs per weekend.

If the booth rental is say $100 a weekend, may be higher or lower, you would need to charge $1 per setting plus materials costs to work 20 hours for free, if you want to make $20 an hour then you would need to charge $5 per portrait PLUS materials and wear and tear on the equipment so really you probably can offer 8x10's at under $20 each and smaller 5x7's for around $12 and put a little cash into your pocket for your time but that also means shooting 50 settings per day. (Since your costs of time/rental/wear and tear on the camera are the same for either sized photo I would try to upsell them to a larger photo that has a higher profit margin above costs of producing).

Now the big question is that in that market can you be sure to do 50 sessions every time that you are there, then also will you be there week after week after week for the summer-after a couple weeks people will see that you are there and will start showing up MORE DRESSED UP for their pictures which will reduce the number of possible outside of the flea market portrait sessions.

Be sure to put up signage in the booth that you do "Senior Portraits" or whatever else you will do outside of the flea market with a contact you for more details and also flyers with the information.

There are some of these operations in Dallas that have been around for a while and they are busy with people lined up over the weekends getting pics of their kids and family done at the "studio".

[kachina]

Just get some antique clothing, cut it up the back and add velcro so your subjects can get in and out easily/quickly. Create a simple set that you can put them on. Collect $$. Process images to antique them on the spot. Print them out. Collect all of your customer's contact info for future mailings. Put out a jar for a free portrait drawing to collect more contact information. Shabaaam...you have a money maker if your costs/pricing work out for you. You also have a good mailing list if you if you frequent the right flea markets. Hmmm...I may have to try this myself.

Now, back to Bridge once again...

[darktiger]

Just dont walk away from your booth without your equipment......

[skally]

Originally Posted by TxManx

Make sure you tag all of your photos with your website, name, or something else - even if you 'break even', it could turn out to be a lucrative advertising gimmick...

good idea...i hadn't thought of that...

[skally]

[DeepEllumMusic]Ok one way to look at this is what do you need to recover your costs and if you want to grow this into a studio, show the people what you can do here and then upsell them into a more formal portrait setting at a higher price.

Be sure to put up signage in the booth that you do "Senior Portraits" or whatever else you will do outside of the flea market with a contact you for more details and also flyers with the information.
QUOTE]

i've already had people ask about senior photos which surprised me...i had not put enough thought into signs and other contact info...thanks....

[skally]

Originally Posted by kachina

You also have a good mailing list if you if you frequent the right flea markets. Hmmm...I may have to try this myself.

Now, back to Bridge once again...

a mailing list is exactly the sort of thing i need to think about...never hesitate to state the obvious to me...it's often enough precisely what i need to hear...

[skally]

Originally Posted by darktiger

Just dont walk away from your booth without your equipment......

you got that right...the flea market crowd is a mixed bag for sure...of course this is the draw for photos...

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by darktiger

Just dont walk away from your booth without your equipment......

My son is a police officer and the detectives in his dept. check flea markets regularly for stolen merchandise. So the guy in the booth next to you might be a thief.