School Portraits – Tips for Photographers
School portraiture is an area many photographers wouldn’t even consider, because it’s typically a scary subject for them. Nevertheless, cheesy school pictures are necessary and always will be, therefore you should dare to try it! In many countries, large franchise studios have a monopoly on high schools and public grade schools, so it might be tricky to start up school portrait business. Luckily, there are many private daycare centers, preschools and schools which are open to the idea of hiring someone new. If you happen to get this chance, our tips on taking school portraiture photographs might help you.
Being organized is important no matter what job you do, but here you have to be especially concentrated. From the start you will be talking with tons of school principals or directors, teachers and parents, therefore you need an effective organization plan and workflow. It’s crucial not to over-book yourself in order to get everything done properly. Keep in mind that school portraiture means giving each school 110%, plus it’s time-consuming. So, once you’ve plotted a plan for school portraiture season, stop with further booking. Yes, it will be hard to say “no” to schools (and income), but trust us on that one, it’s better that way.
When it comes to pricing, it’s undoubtedly a touchy topic. If you want to get more income, you need to make it apparent that your work is different from common school photos. The price, however, has to differ from your normal portrait sessions, you need a special rate for school portraiture.
Treating each child who sits in a chair as a mini session is a must! This is the only way to capture awesome shots of your models. If you do something different instead of the typical, parents will most certainly appreciate it. Don’t be afraid to get them move around, dance and giggle. We know it means extra-time and patience, but kids will love it and parents will be willing to purchase more photos of their children having a good time. You’ll get more money and people will start talking about you, and both things are your goals, right? However, you need to be wise here if you don’t want to ruin your non-school portrait business. Bringing the best props and furniture and creating the same high-end set you would at a client’s home or in a studio isn’t really a good idea. Since your price is lower for school portraits, the quality should not be as high as your full portrait sessions. We’re not suggesting doing a bad job, but leaving clients desiring those images they see on your portrait website.
Finally, be true to yourself and try not to conform to what you think families will want if it’s not what you like. It’s important to create images that everyone can recognize as yours, no matter if they are not done in a full session. If, for instance, you like rich, deep tones and colors, your cheesy school pictures should look the same, since your clients will surely expect to get that from you.
