Attention Wedding and Event Photographers

[Mark Elberson]

<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]As my wedding photography business grows I am looking for new ways to market myself as well as create new revenue streams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] It&rsquo;s been my experience that most customers are more interested in receiving images rather than prints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Their friends and family however are interested in ordering prints.
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]I just spoke with the groom of a wedding that I shot back in May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] He told me how his mother-in-law, aunt, etc. were clamoring for prints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Part of his package was to receive a disc of full resolution images so he could fulfill those requests himself but it took him almost two month to pick up the disc and they started asking as soon as I gave them their online gallery soon after the wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Furthermore, not only is this a terrific opportunity for me to make some extra $$$ and get my name out there, but I feel that this is a value added service that I should be providing.
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]I want a full service shop to sell prints online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"] Things I need:
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]&middot;<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Printing
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]&middot;<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Delivery
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: Symbol; mso-themecolor: text1; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"]<span style="mso-list: Ignore;"]&middot;<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"] <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Payment Processing<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]<o></o>
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Who have you dealt with?
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Who do you like?
<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Who makes it easiest on the customer?
<p class="MsoNormal"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-themecolor: text1;"]Thanks!!!

[peety3]

My wedding photographer uses Pictage for prints and albums. He's been thrilled with them, and it seems to offer a really good service. He can post the pictures, pre-mark some as private (for the client only to see), allow the client to pre-view them and mark others private, then make the whole thing available to all guests and such. If my guests pre-register, they get email notification when the gallery is ready and a $5 credit towards print purchases.


He includes a certain number of prints and albums based on the package selected. I presume he can "gift" those to us within Pictage, so that he doesn't have to mess with fulfillment.


Interestingly, he offers a CD of low-res pics upon completion, and a high-res CD/DVD is available one year later. A semi-reasonable compromise between making money on prints and letting the client do what they wish. I'm the kind of guy who just wants the images on my iPad, facebook, etc., but the Mrs. wants an album. *shrug*

[Mark Elberson]

My wedding photographer uses Pictage for prints and albums

Thanks! I actually just heard of (I know, it's been around since 1999 I believe) Pictage yesterday. I sounds like an amazing service. My concern at this point (and hopefully it's not the case for 2011) is that since I am shooting less than 10 weddings on my own this year that it may be a little too robust for my current needs. I am shooting a lot more with another photographer (paying dues) but I certainly won't be making money off prints when working for her :-)

[realityinabox]

I am shooting less than 10 weddings on my own this year that it may be a little too robust for my current needs

You might want to check out imagequix.com. There are no monthly fees, they simply charge you a graduated rate per upload (it's like $5 for 30 shots, $10 for 300, or $15 for 3000). They let you do custom price sheets, full service order fulfillment (meaning they take care of everything once the order is placed, just choose your favorite lab that they are associated with, i use myphotopipe.com), and have an option to have the order sent to you first so that you personally can send it to the lab.


Their rates seem very reasonable to me, especially considering the no monthly fees (which is nice if you have a lighter workload, you won't be paying for months your not using it). They just handle the commerce side, you choose the lab you want to process the prints either by having them send the order in, or having them send the order to you and you deal with the backend.



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I may be mistake on this point, but if you want the full-service ordering scheme, you can only offer products in the selected photolab's catalog, meaning you couldn't offer a full-res disc and just fulfill that part yourself with the rest going to the lab, it is an all or nothing kind of deal. I would check into this for you, but I'm running into atechnicalproblem with the software right now (they have helpful tech support that I've dealt with before).



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