Welcome

After all the planning, the dress fittings, the limos, flowers and finding the prom partner; you are going to want to make sure you have a professional photos as a reminder of the evening. Today’s prom photographers offer a truly professional setup and photo experience. The photographer for the prom is most likely to have a full portable studio with studio lighting and most will also offer printing on the night as well so the photos can be taken away at the end of the evening.

So what should you check for when looking for a Prom photographer?

An experienced photographer A professional portable studio setup with backdrop and studio lighting Prints to be available on the night or from a website afterwards

First off check the photographer’s website to see the quality of the photographs they can provide. The website is the photographer’s window and the images should represent the quality of the images that the photographer will provide. Check that the photographs on the website are taken by the photographer that will provide the services for your prom. Some of the bigger photography firms work as agencies and will allocated a photographer to an event, not necessarily the same person whose images are on the website.

The studio setup will most likely consist of a full length backdrop, usually large enough to provide a background for a small group. The backdrop is there to provide a clean picture where the subject of the image, the student, is the full focus. There should also be a full studio lighting setup, most likely consisting of at least a three light setup. The lighting is the most important aspect of the studio, it can make or break the photographs that are available to the students. If a studio type setup is used then there is no reason why the photographer can’t provide photographs that are of equal quality to any High street studio. You should expect the photographer to take a number of shots of every student and/or couple and they should work quickly and in a relaxed manner to get those images of the students that they are going to be proud of. The last thing any student would want is to be presented with a choice of two images that are awful, in other words no choice at all. Remember, this is one of the biggest nights on the school calendar, the quality of the photos should reflect the importance of the prom night.

Next there is the question of getting the photographs. Most modern prom photographers will shoot on a digital setup and this enables the students to view the photos almost immediately on TV screens. The student should then expect to be able to purchase these photos on the evening if they wish, this is a great feature for the night. A quality print is going to be one that is based on dye-sublimation technology, this is the same as used in modern day printing kiosks. Inkjet just doesn’t cut it when it comes to producing quality prints on-site in a short time frame. The photographer should also make the images available after the event from their website, this is for the parents/grandparents. Mum and Grandma are going to want copies of those photos for the extended family.

Prom night is a very important night in any student’s life. A good prom photographer will provide images that can be treasured for years to come, you will want to pick a photographer that will provide those images in a professional and friendly way.

Event Photography is an age-old profession where a photographer will capture images at an event and make them available for sale to anyone who is interested, right there at the event. With the rise of digital technology in photography, the possibilities of what events can be covered and what can be provided at any event have ballooned.

Before digital photography, an event photographer would take the photos at the start of the event, such as a black-tie dinner. The photographer would then have to rush off and get the films developed, printed and mounted and rush back to the event before the end of the night to try and pick up any sales from guests who were still there and still interested. The latest digital equipment and workflows have turned this on its head. The guests can now have the photos taken and see them almost instantly.

A typical setup for an indoor event, such as a charity ball or school prom would include a portable studio complete with backdrop and studio lighting. Digital capture of the images and automatic transmission of the images to the computer systems via a wireless network. Then there would be the sales desk where the images can be processed almost instantly. Once the images are at the sales desk they can be viewed by clients, they could then choose to purchase any of the images or have the photos retaken if they weren’t happy with the results. This can especially be useful for large group shots, inevitably there’s going to be someone who blinks or doesn’t like the way they look in a photo. Digital photography allows the photographer to shoot multiple images and get an image that’s going to please the whole group or at least a large portion of them.

As well as allowing for the provision of better photos digital capture of photos also frees up the photographer from the shackles of using film. The photographer can wander around the event covering award presentations, doing informal or table shots or anything the client wants to cover. All these images are then immediately available at the sales desk for viewing. This can be a really entertaining part of the event, the guests love to see themselves on the big screens and this encourages other guests to take part. It’s now part of the events entertainment instead of just a memento of the evening.

Digital photography has also played a part in the output of the final prints. Modern Dye-Sub printers are portable, easy to use and capable of producing “Real” photos that are durable, won’t fade and of high quality. Exactly the same as you would get from any high street photo lab.

Digital Photography really has changed the face of event photography. Different sized prints can be produced on the night, digital images could be put onto USB keys for the guests, slide-shows could be created and displayed at the event or put onto a DVD for the guests to buy. T-shirts, key fobs or mugs could be made by any event photographer who wants to invest in the equipment to create them.

If you are interested to succeed as a professional photographer, a photography business plan can help you to define your business, acquire capital funds, and increase your odds for success. Unfortunately, most photographers are not experienced business people and therefore have no experience in developing a business plan. Fortunately, it is not as hard as it sounds if you have a tried and true outline to follow. Below is a business plan outline that you can use for your photography business. This outline was instrumental in acquiring a $650K loan from a bank for a large commercial building.

1. Executive Summary-Provide an overview of the important facts listed later in the document. This should include expected expenses, income and marketing figures.
2. Objectives-List the objectives of your business. This includes what your market share goals are. The types of services that you will offer. The revenue that you expect, etc.
3. Mission-Define a mission statement for your business if you do not have one and list it here. This should be oriented toward how you want to treat your clients, the quality of service you want to provide, and the type of business you want to run.
4. Company Summary-This is where you will outline the structure for your business. Who owns the business? Is it a sole proprietorship, a LLC or a regular corporation? What are your start-up costs and where will the funding come from? Where is your business located?
5. Products and Services-List the types of services that you will offer. Include the price for your services and the cost to you. Include the time required to provide the services.
6. Technology-List the technology required for your business. This would include cameras, lighting, computers, software, etc.
7. Market Analysis-This is a very important section. You will want to list the following key items: – Overview of your market area to include population size, age, income, etc. -Your target age, income, demographic. – Your competition. What is their size, age, demographic?  How will you differ from them? – Value Proposition-How will you provide value to your customers beyond what other’s provide? – Marketing Strategy-What is your plan for reaching your target audience? – Competitive Edge-What will set you apart from others offering similar services.
8. Personnel- Who are the management personnel? What are their roles and resumes? What staff will you require? Are they already hired?
9. Finances What is your income and expense, past and predicted? – Break-Even Analysis-How many clients to you need to break even based on your expected costs? – Trends-What trends have you seen in the past? Are certain times of the year better than others? – Projections-List financial projections for the next 3 years. – Capital Expenditure requirements-What funding is required if any and for what.
10. Risk Assessment – What are the highest risks and what is your mitigation plan?
11. Conclusion-Wrap up with a summary of the highlights. Keep it positive!

There you go. There is a complete outline for a business plan for your photography business.  Just fill it out with your details and you are ready to execute it!   With a well laid out plan and hard work, you can succeed!