Best advice I can give on these very first ‘official’ photo shoots is to just relax – you’re doing it for free, your client has seen your art and knows what to expect, and you’re going to put your best into it. Study well, get some practice in beforehand, and then just do good work. Make a shot list, a checklist of things you want to ‘remember’ during the shoot (because trust me, you will get caught up in the moment and forget important things).

One thing that will ease your mind and help you nail what your client wants is to learn and manage their expectations – you know what you’re capable of right now, or at least have a good idea of what you know you can do versus what you don’t think you can do well. Discuss your client’s needs, temper those needs against what you are confident you can do, and you’ll both go into the shoot with the proper expectations. At that point, let yourself go, follow your plan of attack, and be an artist, be creative, be solid, do good work.

As for reading the customer, I think it’s most important to just be social, be casual, but on point. Some clients will want to gab, some will want to get to work, so just go with the flow. Don’t get lost behind the camera, and don’t chimp alone – let your client look over your shoulder sometimes, just so they can see what you’re getting, and don’t be afraid to ask if it’s inline with what they want – better to find out now than after the shoot.

Play and have fun, this is far less serious and far more enjoyable than most photographers make it out to be. If you can create that sense of enjoyment and calm leading into the shoot, your client will do the same and you guys can really work together to make some quality photos.

I hope this answers your question! If you have more, please don’t hesitate to ask.

have come across this blog which I think is fantastic. I would love to make money doing photography, I have had an interest in it for years. I got a Canon 600D for my birthday and I am devouring everything I can online to use it properly. I would love to start taking pictures professionally and have my own website and even my very own studio one day.

I have a tentative booking in the next few weeks, just a freebie for a mate that m partner and I sponsor, and he needs some promo shots for his website and advertisements, and I am so scared that I will stuff it all up!

Can you please give me some tips on what to ask before the shoot, to give me a better understanding on how to read the customer, etc. I would like to get some more work from them and their mates in the future.

Any advice you can spare would be most helpful.

Thanks again,
Belle

Even when you focus on a tight niche or artistic style, as you grow as a specialist photographer you also grow as a general photographer. What you learn doing T&I photography easily translates to children’s and family portraiture, business head shots, school and daycare photography, etc. What you learn as a landscape photographer informs your engagement and bridal portraiture. There’s so much opportunity for cross-application of these skills.

The value of networking can’t be underestimated – I got my break in professional portraiture from my sports photography work for the local newspaper. F8 and Be There, be where your clients are. If you want to break into the senior market, shoot senior activities – academic and sports competitions, homecoming, prom, senior class fundraisers, and so forth. Even if you focus your business on a specific niche, your success there will spill over and pull in all kinds of photography work.

It sounds like you’re growing a great pair of businesses, Dave, and taking advantage of the cross-marketing opportunities that present themselves.

The strobist work you’re showing in your portfolio is just too cool, I’m sure wildly popular with seniors. Beyond the stylish lighting, the images tell stories – there’s a lot more to them than just a pretty face.

Keep rockin’ it! And please do keep us posted on your continued adventures. As always, I appreciate your readership!

Its been dang near a year since I posted my comment above. Just to give you an update, that T&I job went well… Even though I got the job booked, we decided to shoot HS T&I under my photo buddy/partners’ website 10framesasecond.com as it seemed more appropriate. I’ve been picking up the senior shoots and other stuff as a fallout from the T&I’s. Since that first one last April (Softball), we got booked for Girls Volleyball, Boys Soccer, and now back to Softball all at the same HS. Both our wives come along and help with the envelopes and primping the girls. I’ve had interest from another HS but I decided not to push for it as I know their photographer fairly well and he does this for a living now… One or two big jobs a quarter and some side jobs every once in a while is plenty with my 8-5 job (more like 7-7 these days). I’m pretty much investing everything I make right back into eqpt. so if anything, its self funding this lovely habit for now, building my portfolio, and I’m starting to get a lot of verbal commits from Juniors saying they’re coming to me for their Senior pics now that they’ve seen my website ( wusstigphoto.com)
Anyhow, just thought I’d say hi and let your readers know there’s definitely opportunities out there if your willing to work at it and continuously research and practice to find your niche. Mine has definitely become or developed into being a ‘strobist’. I love the technical aspects of it and all the different moods you can create with it.
Later.

The biggest stressor with T&I is time. Posing and lighting are usually consistent and easy (especially if you’re using those strobes on location like you talk about on your site), it’s not brain surgery to keep image numbers matched up to specific kids, but keeping the line moving and dealing with disorganized kids/parents/coaches can blow your schedule out of the water.

Having an assistant to play defense for you is a boon, but you can do it solo – maintain control of kids, crowds, and time, and you’ll make some fabulous profit-per-hour.

Good luck Dave! Let us all know how it turns out for you.

I’m glad to confirm a lot of what you say to do is close to what I’m doing now.

I’m not exactly new to part time photography (about 1 year off and on now) but have recently started pushing for more paying jobs. I’d say I still barter mainly to build my portfolio for my new website I started this month (still a work in progress) but have made a teeny tiny bit of money here and there. The hardest part is pricing imho.

I have the potential to get a decent payout in my first high school Team/Individual shoot tomorrow… I’ll find out when the kids show up with their pre-paid envelopes I handed out last week (a first for that too).

I’m trying not to get too nervous but there’s gonna be a lot of kids to shoot. Wish me luck!

Dave

I’m actually finishing up my article on proofing and sales sessions right now where I touch on some of your questions, but to answer now, the model release is the only “form” I use. I’m pretty casual during my sales sessions, so I don’t use things like official order forms – I show images in Adobe Bridge (comes with Photoshop) and take order notes in a text editor.

I put all my client’s information (what they ordered, how much they paid and in what form, their shipping address if needed) into this text file and save it on my desktop. Once the order is complete and delivered, I move the text file to a folder where I can get at that info any time I need it. If a client wants a receipt, I print the text file and sign it for their records and security. When a client buys hi-res digital files on CD, I burn with the images a text file with copyright and licensing information. I’ll drop that file in an e-mail to you shortly.

I’m a talker though – I’m very conversational with clients to make them comfortable and make it easy for them to just tell me what they wand and how they want it. If you are more comfortable using order forms and proof sheets that clients can make notes on, don’t hesitate to do so. Microsoft Word has great templates for invoices and Bridge lets you print contact sheets easily.

Don’t worry too much about the pomp and circumstance – having a consistent brand is great, but it’s not the biggest reason people will remember you, become repeat clients, and refer their friends to you. Concentrate on making their overall experience delightful, produce the best art you’re capable of, then get out of the way and let the client buy what they love.

Please let me know how your photo session goes! You are very talented – folks deserve the chance to be photographed by you.

Your art is really lovely – the way you mix colors and desaturation is very stylish!