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The Photography Studio Industry – Why is broken
Our industry is broken
I took some time to really see the state professional photography industry today. I looked at it objectively as a photographer and as a client really trying to figure out the next direction for the industry.
We know that photographers in the industry is under great pressure from the shape of different sources and for different reasons.
One change most radical in the photographic industry is the emergence of high quality economic team. Anyone with a few big ones can go looking for a high end Nikon or Canon and hang a sign. Yesterday they were working at the Waffle House today is a photographer. In the past these new photographers were relegated to second place because he could not produce the image quality requires that the consumer public. It was the snap shooters. Nothing more, nothing less.
Today, the shooters are a complement to the progress same full-time professional photographer and delivery of the basic standard.
Because the amateur-pro has none of the general requirements (insurance, licensing, advertising and other business expenses of this type) that can easily undermine the pro-time full terms of pricing. Sometimes considerably. And his client is happy because in his mind that he saved a boatload of money.
This brings us to the next issue I see. We and the industry fails to point that the pricing paradigm has changed. Because of the abundance of competent professionals of fans out there, full time professional photographers, regardless how much they scream that are in different cost disadvantage.
Let me give an example.
I do a lot of event photography. If I go take photos processed and shipped for sale. My impression 5X7 is 15.50 (which I have said is too expensive for my colleagues).
At an event recently, there was a amateur-pro should be fired the same program and posted images for sale. You could tell the clear difference in the quality of the capture, display and use lighting available. Your prints 5×7 prints were $ 5.00. He sold more than $ 500 in that program.
Customers are looking for the big word "V" when deciding where to spend their money. Value is the name of the game. And the value is perceived by the customer is not defined by the photographer.
Even in A study of value that I have seen this paradigm the value of play outside.
I was at a mall during the weekend. And all we have shown our professional contempt for studies of the mall, but we really looked at from a purely economic point of view?
The study I saw was a separate operation. None studies of mall we all know. Your packages ranging from $ 12 to $ 36. The "portraits" were shot on green screen (which clearly was not illuminated properly). They offered "hundreds of funds" and their production was performed on a inkjet printer. Not for any artistic photography stretch of the imagination. They had a warehouse full 2.5 hours and there was a wait of a meeting.
I spoke with an employee of the operation and gave me some idea of its volume. In a weekend that will make adjustments and about 300 150 for the rest of the week 450 values of the week is a staggering number. Each configuration is about 5 to 7 minutes. They have a camera 2 position to maintain that volume. They use a commercially available software package to do the chroma key.
His 20.00 goal is to sell more than others.
If we set down and play with the numbers we can get a rough estimate of the profitability of this operation.
450X20 gives $ 9000 gross a week and 36K a month.
What "conventional" study would not love to have that amount of gross sales. And remember they're in a mall location with all overheads attached to it.
The normal return for owners most of the studies is that these are low-end customers who do not spend the money. Correct answer, not spend $ 300 for a 8×10 but spend money. The problem is that they want "Pictures" and not "heritage art that will be part of your family heritage for all time a client are different from us, and industry have ignored. In addition, marginalize anyone that goes after the market because traders are hurting OUR. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We do not want that customer. As professional photographers and artists that the client is below us. "We simply must educate them about what is quality and they come around "is a statement that I hear a lot … so it's foolish never going to come around to our pricing mix. So forget about that customer.
36K a month … I Take That.
As an industry we are also guilty of our product positioning so as not to attract customers with a higher threshold value.
I looked at the portrait market as an example. Most studies of advertising for this to Like promote their other services. Go to most web sites that focus on senior portraits and they are the same rather boring piano music with same "family heirlooms" snap lines. It seems that the attitude is we're going to overwhelm our class to get 17 years old to shop at Abercrombie and Fitch and prefer to be online than in the real world to enter the beautiful senior portraits.
The most successful portrait studies have focused their marketing this segment of the population. They succeed. Many of us did and we wonder why we are not receiving high-level business. We are positioning our advertising to a traditional market that, frankly, quite hates piano music.
We need to look to our customers and be sensitive to their needs. Have acid treated few images on your website does not make a study of portraits. This is the attitude and most of us project the attitude that "let's nap.
I think for the photography industry to wake up, have some important issues to address. We must change our paradigm-setting prices because customers simply not getting in the studio. Change your attitude. Most customers will not want great photos heirlooms. They want to be very excited and not bored to tears experience in studying
I think if we start there to be well on our way to recovery from industry, once big.
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About the Author
Dave is a professional Commercial photographer located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
His websites are
Image Fusion Studio and
Studio Alegria
His focus is the business of photography
GEICO Skytypers – Seymour Johnson AFB 2009