Dance School Photography
W. John Jones
I'm approaching a Dance Studio to shoot their school photos. From the
initial contact their regular,(10 years) photographer has retired, (quit).
I've put together a plan based on advice from a pro publication, plus my
own ingenuity and common(?) sense. My problem is that this past
photographer has spoiled this dance studio, (IMHO), and I find it hard to
persuade the director to take any other approach. By spoiled I mean that
he was shooting at the recital dress rehearsal, (mayhem), and delivering
the bulk of the photos at the recital itself, (about a week later). If
this was a small to medium school no problem, fact is there are 900
students registered. One week gives no time for lab problems or even
elementary proofing. The shots offered were groups, (class) and singles.
Another problem is in the organisation. The studio flatly refuses to
participate in any way, (distributing / collecting order forms, acting as
pickup point for finished work). How could it be done, by mail, or by
phone & mail? I'm thinking I could set up a drop off box, but I suspect
the studio wouldn't like that one their premesis either.
For their part the studio expects shots of the actual recital in an album.
I wanted to shoot the dress, but I'd be busy shooting class photos in the
hall between changes on stage. I have suggested the shoot take place
over a one week period before the dress rehearsal with re-shoot at dress
for missing students & costumes. No go they don't have the space to
accomodate me at the studio. It sounds like I'll have to shoot amid the
hubbub at the dress rehearsals.
Any suggestions on the orderforms and delivery?
Post or e-mail responses.
All for now.
JJ.
Jim Chagares
I shoot a dance school every year. I do get a bit more cooperation than you
are getting. One way (my least favorite) to get some cooperation is to offer
them some sort of kick-back from each package sold.
As for the collection of money: preprint buisness size envelopes with prices
for packages. The dance studio must pass these out to the studients so they
can take them home. They then bring the money with them the day of the shoot
and hand it to you when it is there turn. This way you get you money for sure
up front. As for pick up: I have a studio so I tell the parents to pick-up
their orders in 30 days at our studio. This way you save money on postage and
it makes all these parents have to come to my studio where they can now look
around at our portrait photography and helps drum up some business later. If
you don't have a studio when they can pick up and the dance studio won't help
you may get stuck with mailing. If your real lucky you might be able to build
this cost into your price.
As for delievery in short time: There is no such thing for professional
photography. Unless you do your own printing and the quanity you are dealing
with is now logical. If the director doesn't like a 30 day delivery date I
assure you he won't find anyone (without a tough search) that can do any
better. Politely ask him if he wants speed or quality and remind him he must
make a choice he cannot have it both ways.
As for reshoots: I do not offer them. If the kids are missing they miss out.
I shoot two frames for each order to be sure I get one with their eyes open.
I send the film in and order prom packages (best prices). Sometimes I let the
lab pick the best shot other times I get negs. only and I look at the frames
on a fotovix then return the film for printing. You can not cut the negs. if
you do this because cut negs. do not qualify for prom packages.
As for candids durning your shoot. Your are probabaly going to have to get an
assistant to shoot those shots. Those shots aren't going to make you any
money anyway.
I do my shoot a the dress rehearsal. Some parents will have two or three
children that they want shot together so you must be ready with a large
enough background. I use 2 10x20 matching musloms. One spread across the
background and the other on the floor. You sweep them over each other where
they met to try to hid the horrizon line as much as possible. I also use this
sett-up for large groups and families.
Good luck, make lots of money, be patient, and get some cooperation.
Jim
W. John Jones
Jim Chagares (JCha...@gnn.com) writes:
> JJ.
> I shoot a dance school every year. I do get a bit more cooperation than you
> are getting. One way (my least favorite) to get some cooperation is to offer
> them some sort of kick-back from each package sold.
The school has now made this 'kick back' a condition of the shoot. They
learned about it from one of the other bidders' proposal. I found it a
little high handed that they would inform me of another bidder's offer.
It seems a betrayal of trust to the other bidder on the part of the
studio. I believe that they only informed me to see if I would enter a
kickback war, although they didn't tell me what % he offered, (the other
bidder). Isn't Mulroney being investigated becasue of kickback
allegations? How legal is this practice?
> As for the collection of money: preprint buisness size envelopes with prices
> for packages. The dance studio must pass these out to the studients so
they
> can take them home. They then bring the money with them the day of the shoot
> and hand it to you when it is there turn. This way you get you money for sure
> up front.
I would much prefer not to have to deal with potentially 900 kids with
little envelopes of money while they're in the midst of a dress rehearsal.
I would much rather recieve full payment at least a week in advance along
with the signed order form. We have included in our plans a system to
deal with last minute orders as they inevitably do crop up.
As for pick up: I have a studio so I tell the parents to pick-up
> their orders in 30 days at our studio. This way you save money on postage and
> it makes all these parents have to come to my studio where they can now look
> around at our portrait photography and helps drum up some business later. If
> you don't have a studio when they can pick up and the dance studio won't help
> you may get stuck with mailing. If your real lucky you might be able to build
> this cost into your price.
We are definately including mailout costs in the initial cost breakdown.
We know that parents are used to picking up orders at the recital so we'll
plan for that with some residual orders having to be mailed.
> As for delievery in short time: There is no such thing for professional
> photography. Unless you do your own printing and the quanity you are dealing
> with is now logical. If the director doesn't like a 30 day delivery date I
> assure you he won't find anyone (without a tough search) that can do any
> better. Politely ask him if he wants speed or quality and remind him he must
> make a choice he cannot have it both ways.
We have found a lab that will choose best shot and print them up in the
initial order and return them on rush, (apparently 4-5 days). Then we
organise the prints in the days left before the recital. Lots of work but
could be well worth it.
> As for reshoots: I do not offer them. If the kids are missing they miss out.
> I shoot two frames for each order to be sure I get one with their eyes open.
> I send the film in and order prom packages (best prices). Sometimes I let the
> lab pick the best shot other times I get negs. only and I look at the frames
> on a fotovix then return the film for printing. You can not cut the negs. if
> you do this because cut negs. do not qualify for prom packages.
> As for candids durning your shoot. Your are probabaly going to have to get an
> assistant to shoot those shots. Those shots aren't going to make you any
> money anyway.
I don't plan to shoot candids, but we will be hiring 3 more photographers
and 5 assistants to handle the mob.
H> I do my shoot a the dress rehearsal. Some parents will have two or three
> children that they want shot together so you must be ready with a large
> enough background. I use 2 10x20 matching musloms. One spread across the
> background and the other on the floor. You sweep them over each other where
> they met to try to hid the horrizon line as much as possible. I also use this
> sett-up for large groups and families.
I will not be allowing parents anywhere near the shooting areas, and if I
start to shoot multiple kids it'll be chaos. With a smaller studio this
would be no problem but in this case it's only going to throw things out
of whack. If I start changing set-ups from single shots to 2's
and 3's I'll be burning precious time that I can't afford due to the
number of students plus the unpredicatability of the shooting schedual.
We'll be shooting groups and singles between curtain calls at the
rehearsal. Some groups appear more than once and change costumes also.
It sounds like we'll be on the fly.
> Good luck, make lots of money, be patient, and get some cooperation.
> Jim
Thanks for your input, and consideration. I hope I can get this contract
but if I don't I'll still have benefitted from the preparation and be able
to use it to approach other studios.
All for now.
JJ.