You had a fabulous session. It was even more than you expected. You know I took at least a hundred photos during your two hour session but that was where you lost count...It was way more than that. Yet, when you open your online password protected gallery for the first time there are only 40 images there for you to see. What?! Where are the rest of our pictures?
Many times I get an email from my clients asking "where is the photo of..." or "I know you took a photo of ______, where is that photo?" Or, I simply am asked "Where are the rest of the photos you took? I would really like to see them all, even if they didn't turn out." Here is my answer to those types of questions: Yes, I took lots of photos during our session but not every image turns out the way I had envisioned it would. Many times either someone's eyes were closed, the light just wasn't right, the photo was out of focus *gasp!* :) I am not perfect, nor does every image that comes out of my camera turn out perfectly. And I want to only give my clients the absolute best. If I would not be proud to have that image hanging on your wall in a 20x30" full color gallery wrap, I am not willing to share it with you and give it as an option for printing.
Another reason I don't share every image I took with my clients, even if they did "turn out" is that too many options leads to confusion and difficult choices when it comes time for ordering. Typically, I will choose the BEST image from each pose and offer those to my clients in the online gallery. My dream is that every client has a difficult time choosing their prints for ordering, but I want that to be a difficult choice because they absolutely love every image I gave them, rather than just having too many to choose from. Many times clients just get frustrated with too many choices and they opt for a disk with all the images, which they say they will take to a retail store some day and print themselves. (Make sure to come back to read my next blog post and find out why this makes a photographer cringe!) And after speaking with many of my past clients, those disks are still sitting on their desk or in a drawer waiting to be taken for printing! Insert my sad face here!
So, let's talk about what you can expect to see in your online gallery after your two hour family photo session? To be completely honest, I average 100 shots taken per hour during a session, however you will only see 20-30 of those images in your gallery. For one pose I will usually take at least 5 shots, some horizontal, some vertical, some off-kilter, etc. Many times I will even take 10 shots, just to make sure I have: captured great expressions on everyone, made sure everyone's eyes are open, captured beautiful light and color and that there's nothing distracting in the background. The more people who are in the photo, I will take more shots of that pose. If a pose just doesn't work out, I won't share those with you because I only want to put my absolute best foot forward for you. My business has my name on it. Literally and figuratively.
I want you to be proud to show off your final images to everyone you know. And even people you don't know. But I want to be proud for you to show them off as well! My happy clients are my best marketing! And that brings me to some exciting news!
In my last monthly newsletter I announced a client referral program! (If you don't currently receive my monthly newsletter click HERE to go to my website to register for an account. The newsletter is sent out the first of each month!) For each new client you refer to me, you get $25 credit toward your next session! And they can add up and the referral credits never expire! If you refer three new clients to me and they hold a session and place an order you get $75 credit and that is a FREE session! There are some little details, but it's a great plan! For you and for me!! If you're a past/current client and you have already referred a friend who has held a session, please click HERE to send me an email and make sure you're getting credit for that referral! I'm trying to remember all of them but I'm happy to receive a reminder from you! Even if you've never had a session with me, if you refer to me, I will hold your credit for you for your first session!
I'm really excited about this and I hope you are too! Give me a comment to let me know what you think about the new, if you've experienced the "Where are ALL my photos?" shock
Another reason I don't share every image I took with my clients, even if they did "turn out" is that too many options leads to confusion and difficult choices when it comes time for ordering. Typically, I will choose the BEST image from each pose and offer those to my clients in the online gallery. My dream is that every client has a difficult time choosing their prints for ordering, but I want that to be a difficult choice because they absolutely love every image I gave them, rather than just having too many to choose from. Many times clients just get frustrated with too many choices and they opt for a disk with all the images, which they say they will take to a retail store some day and print themselves. (Make sure to come back to read my next blog post and find out why this makes a photographer cringe!) And after speaking with many of my past clients, those disks are still sitting on their desk or in a drawer waiting to be taken for printing! Insert my sad face here!
So, let's talk about what you can expect to see in your online gallery after your two hour family photo session? To be completely honest, I average 100 shots taken per hour during a session, however you will only see 20-30 of those images in your gallery. For one pose I will usually take at least 5 shots, some horizontal, some vertical, some off-kilter, etc. Many times I will even take 10 shots, just to make sure I have: captured great expressions on everyone, made sure everyone's eyes are open, captured beautiful light and color and that there's nothing distracting in the background. The more people who are in the photo, I will take more shots of that pose. If a pose just doesn't work out, I won't share those with you because I only want to put my absolute best foot forward for you. My business has my name on it. Literally and figuratively.
I want you to be proud to show off your final images to everyone you know. And even people you don't know. But I want to be proud for you to show them off as well! My happy clients are my best marketing! And that brings me to some exciting news!
In my last monthly newsletter I announced a client referral program! (If you don't currently receive my monthly newsletter click HERE to go to my website to register for an account. The newsletter is sent out the first of each month!) For each new client you refer to me, you get $25 credit toward your next session! And they can add up and the referral credits never expire! If you refer three new clients to me and they hold a session and place an order you get $75 credit and that is a FREE session! There are some little details, but it's a great plan! For you and for me!! If you're a past/current client and you have already referred a friend who has held a session, please click HERE to send me an email and make sure you're getting credit for that referral! I'm trying to remember all of them but I'm happy to receive a reminder from you! Even if you've never had a session with me, if you refer to me, I will hold your credit for you for your first session!
I'm really excited about this and I hope you are too! Give me a comment to let me know what you think about the new, if you've experienced the "Where are ALL my photos?" shock