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Archive 2014 · Question for people who do senior portraits....

  
 
agelessphotog
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


Do you always have to also do an indoor studio shot for the yearbook? I would like to get into doing senior portraits but I really am not a big fan of indoor studio shots.


May 22, 2014 at 09:33 AM
Shepherd_in_CO
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


It varies from market to market. My area had a policy for years stating there could be no indoor studio portraits in the yearbook. Everything had to be on location. Now there are schools here that have changed the rules and studio portraits are accepted. Check with your local schools and see if they have specific guidelines, not only concerning location vs. studio, but also head size, props included or not, etc. The schools in my area vary from school to school on a lot of the guidelines, sizes of the photo, submission of the portraits (some allow file uploading, some want prints, some want a cd).


May 22, 2014 at 09:42 AM
dmacmillan
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


I used to do a lot of Senior photography back in the '80's. I'd be interested in how today's market looks.

We had contracts with the schools back then. We not only provided the Senior images for the yearbook but also we did campus photography of the clubs, sports events, etc. We were required to kick back a percentage of the gross from the Seniors to the schools.

The big companies (Olan Mills, Lifetouch) moved in and offered as much as 40% kickback. I moved out of the contract business and went into "kidnapping", shooting Senior portraits just for the students. If the school wouldn't accept my image for the yearbook since we weren't the official photographer, we offered to pay for a basic sitting (if required) with the official photographer.

This move got rid of all the extra work and the unprofitable customers. I ended up making more money with less effort this way.

The best thing is to check with the local schools, as mentioned. Find yourself a student ambassador or two at your target schools and offer them generous print packages based on the number of referrals from them that you get. They will work hard for you if you get them motivated.



May 22, 2014 at 09:53 AM
friscoron
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


Here in my area in the NW suburbs of Chicago, the schools all have contracts with a photographer. The boring yearbook shots are done by the photographer at the school in a studio-like setting: lights and backdrop.

The nice part of that is that I don't have to be concerned with conforming to any rules about senior portraits for a yearbook. I do my thing to please the senior and parents. That gives me a lot of freedom to be creative.



May 22, 2014 at 10:18 AM
jefferies1
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


In some areas the yearbook photo and senior photos have nothing to do with each other. In my area schools contract with a place do a photo and that is what is seen in the yearbook. All the exact same. Sure some buy more because they don't know what good photography really looks like. The kids or parents who want something better hire someone to do personal senior photos.


May 22, 2014 at 10:22 AM
gregfountain
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


^^^Same here. I just did some senior photos for a young lady and her mom who wanted something different than those she had done by the school. The school photographer does the shoot for free, then tried to sell them a package of prints (for what they considered an exorbitant fee). I charged them a flat fee to go to a couple of outdoor locations, and provided them with a thumb drive of the finished images. They ended up using my shots for her senior "announcement" card and took a pass on the school photo's prints. Like Jeffries said, two separate things.





May 22, 2014 at 10:45 AM
RobWNY
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Question for people who do senior portraits....


Every senior shoot I have done, I've shot for their yearbook photo submission as well a the rest of the creative shots they want for themselves. There are a few schools in this area that stipulate the yearbook photo needs to be a studio shot, but for every one of those I've shot them on location. With the right lighting and backdrop they had no clue if it was studio or location. Never had a YB photo questioned yet.

Here's a cut and paste of one school's requirements... most are very similar to this with no studio stipulation:
• Picture print size-Standard wallet 2 5/8 by 3 ½ (Gloss finish-No soft focus)
• Any portraits submitted in digital format must be on a disc in JPEG format with a minimum of 300 dpi
• Vertical Format
• Color Portrait ( No sepia or Black & White)
• Head and Shoulders pose( head size not to exceed 1 1/2 inches)
• Neutral or solid colored background
• No hats, props, bare shoulders
*The yearbook staff reserves the right to reject any photos not meeting the above specifications.



May 22, 2014 at 06:03 PM





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