Looking for a Photographer around Orlando

[jimim]

I've already seen a few of the old, big well known studios in my area shut their doors because they didn't change their business model. There are still holdouts who want to control the entire process, just like there were when digital first came onto the scene, but we live in an age where photos are shared with social media, not by sending grandma an envelope of wallet size prints. People keep their family albums on their smartphones, iPads, or share them on their TV's. Sure, they have that big print above the fireplace but when it comes to the 5x7 for the office desk people are using digital frames. Pictures in the wallet are gone and seniors don't hand out prints to their friends anymore. It's the reality that we live in now.

But then you're also implying, like wbeem has, that giving files on a disc is always akin to fast food photography and that you can't get the same quality from a photographer who offers digital files. And that's simply not true.

I'M saying that's what they feel. And they, not me, are adamant about it. They won't change and I don't see them having to. They r in an area which people can afford and will use them generation to generation like we do.

Me personally I don't share my pics that I care to show off digitally. I print from White House. I don't keep OCD on my phone and rarely show stuff on my iPad. I don't use digital frames I think they suck and I'm not a fan of social sites. I use flicker but as a means to post something up here or on another board when I need to. Just me. We still get wallet size pics for my parents wallets of my kids. I guess I'm a really old fashion 35 year old! Lol

I actually just finished a 100 page album for my wife of this past year. I do one every year since we had the kids. All our Disney trips are in albums.

I would rather pay multiple hundreds of dollars for quality prints and have a high quality shoot vs going to a place like picture people and getting a disk and prints spit out while waiting. I know an extreme exams but it is real.

Again not saying there isn't people out there that do quality work and CDs bit around me there deff isn't.

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[photo_chick]

I'M saying that's what they feel. And they, not me, are adamant about it. They won't change and I don't see them having to. They r in an area which people can afford and will use them generation to generation like we do.

You're implying here, as has been a few times in this thread, that only photographers like this who still only sell prints and not digital files are somehow able to charge more. Again, simply not true. I guess the whole idea that's being put out there in this thread that you're somehow less worthy if you sell your files rather than a ton of prints is really sticking in my craw. It's not like we're talking about a studio that still makes silver or platinum prints by hand (I can sell those for more than multiple hundreds of dollars each in the right market).

Where I'm at there is most definitely a more affluent area and those are the tech savvy people who want a digital file for the images. They order that one huge print and the rest is all files. (I'm setting more art based unique processes aside here) But then again, technology is a huge industry here so maybe that slants my perspective based on my market. Or maybe it's that lab prints, even from a good lab, are just so generic to me and really don't have any more intrinsic value than the digital file.

I also keep thinking aback to a thread discussing wedding photographers on here not too long ago. And how many were scoffing at the idea of a photographer who wouldn't give out files. Some even felt that photographers should give out RAW files. It's interesting that this thread is so different in tone and somewhat derogatory to those who sell digital files.

 

[jimim]

You're implying here, as has been a few times in this thread, that only photographers like this who still only sell prints and not digital files are somehow able to charge more. Again, simply not true. I guess the whole idea that's being put out there in this thread that you're somehow less worthy if you sell your files rather than a ton of prints is really sticking in my craw. It's not like we're talking about a studio that still makes silver or platinum prints by hand (I can sell those for more than multiple hundreds of dollars each in the right market).

Where I'm at there is most definitely a more affluent area and those are the tech savvy people who want a digital file for the images. They order that one huge print and the rest is all files. (I'm setting more art based unique processes aside here) But then again, technology is a huge industry here so maybe that slants my perspective based on my market. Or maybe it's that lab prints, even from a good lab, are just so generic to me and really don't have any more intrinsic value than the digital file.

I also keep thinking aback to a thread discussing wedding photographers on here not too long ago. And how many were scoffing at the idea of a photographer who wouldn't give out files. Some even felt that photographers should give out RAW files. It's interesting that this thread is so different in tone and somewhat derogatory to those who sell digital files.

Seriously. Give out raw files. 50 percent of the general public doesn't even know what a jpg is let alone a raw file. Most people pop those card out of the camera at Walgreens to get stuff printed out. We are diff here vs the general public when it comes to photography so giving out raw files is pretty crazy I think cause they would be useless to most.

All I'm saying is what a other business though which was similar to what William said. And also that I appreciate old fashion quality print over a digital screen or the whole social media hoopla.

Jimi

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[photo_chick]

I'll strongly disagree that what you get from a lab is anything like an old fashioned print and leave this discussion at that. But as someone who still works in a darkroom and uses early photographic processes I'm biased towards hands on printing.

And I agree giving out RAW files is unusual and not something I would do. I consider my edited jpeg to be a finished product and that's what I sell. But it was a topic in the other thread and some felt they should be able to purchase RAW files.

 

[jimim]

I'll strongly disagree that what you get from a lab is anything like an old fashioned print and leave this discussion at that. But as someone who still works in a darkroom and uses early photographic processes I'm biased towards hands on printing.

And I agree giving out RAW files is unusual and not something I would do. I consider my edited jpeg to be a finished product and that's what I sell. But it was a topic in the other thread and some felt they should be able to purchase RAW files.

Sorry I forgot ever word on the Internet is literal so I didn't mean old fashion. I appreciate high quality prints and this studio prides itself on its quality of prints. And wdcc isn't too shabby either.

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[wbeem]

You're implying here, as has been a few times in this thread, that only photographers like this who still only sell prints and not digital files are somehow able to charge more. Again, simply not true. I guess the whole idea that's being put out there in this thread that you're somehow less worthy if you sell your files rather than a ton of prints is really sticking in my craw.

"Less worthy" is not my implication. "Less business savvy" is more like it. Sure, you can sell files on a DVD, but that limits potential sales and makes it much more difficult to make a living as a photographer.

By delivering images on a CD/DVD, the net result is that you're also depriving your clients of an experience. There's this concept that people don't know they want something if they've never seen it. Henry Ford used to say that if he listened to his customers, they would have just asked for a faster horse.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

This is a very interesting topic because it involves a side of photography that I don't experience. Being a staff photographer for a motorsports complex, I shoot a completely different style. When I shoot an event, I shoot it in RAW and JPEG. I keep the RAW and the track gets the JPEG. They get everything I shoot just as it came out of the camera. If there is something obviously terrible with no image, I may delete that one, but everything else they get. I get no time to process the images. They have used out-of-focus images in their advertising (much to my dismay) if it works for the point they are trying to make. They may use a part of an image, their graphic designers may totally change the image. Its all done for what fits their marketing strategy. Even when I shoot guest drivers its all done on the fly with little to no time for setup and heaven forbid I ever get to adjust lighting! Last year after the Daytona 500, the winner (Matt Kenseth) made a media swing through Chicago. I did a day of Matt interacting with fans and sponsors at four different locations. The same when we had a day with Danica Patrick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Justin Allgaier at Oak Street Beach. It was outside with the weather going from Sunny to Cloudy to Rain. Keeping up with the changing lighting conditions was a challenge. Part of the problem with sports photography today is the internet and Twitter. Folks are satisfied with images from a P & S or cellphone. The quality doesn't matter. Only the speed to which you can post it! The day of the freelancing sports photography is dying fast if it isn't already dead. After an event, I may get time to go back and PP some of the images. Some of those then find there way either to a team (usually a local drag racing low buck operation looking an image for some marketing) or posters around the tracks. Photography is a tough business today!

 

[wbeem]

Being a staff photographer for a motorsports complex, I shoot a completely different style.

Yep, and there are tons of people who sign up with wire services just for the hope of doing what you're doing. Some are good, some not. They value the access and the experience more than money.

Then there are some who think they want do to what you do and would gladly quit after they found out how much work you really do.

 

[boBQuincy]

We met Tanner at Magic Kingdom and could immediately tell he was not the typical Photopass photographer. Some Photopass photographers are good, Tanner is *exceptional*! He may not be what the OP is looking for but he has a lot of great ideas and the skills (and hard work) with which to turn the ideas into a photograph.

http://www.tannerochel.com/#/home

 

[jude&jonah]

As a high end photographer in Connecticut (bellportraits.com) - I think most of the time most people who don't get it will only get it after having a very poor experience with a very unprofessional, unskilled "snapshot taker". There is no reasoning these days in the photography industry- it's a very destroyed, misunderstood industry unfortunately.

 

[photo_chick]

"Less worthy" is not my implication. "Less business savvy" is more like it. Sure, you can sell files on a DVD, but that limits potential sales and makes it much more difficult to make a living as a photographer.

By delivering images on a CD/DVD, the net result is that you're also depriving your clients of an experience. There's this concept that people don't know they want something if they've never seen it. Henry Ford used to say that if he listened to his customers, they would have just asked for a faster horse.

Again, you're making a huge leap about selling files here based on your experience and your idea of what a disc of images constitutes and sells for.

 

[jude&jonah]

I have to agree with Danielle. At my studio the digital collection is 1600.00 and yet our average sales are still 2200.00 due to very thought out, strategic planning of our pricing. Our clients love owning the files, and I love that the way our collections are set up that it guarantees they also end up with a beautiful album, wall art, or both. It's all how you set up your pricing IMO.

I will also say that in my part of the country the wealthy, tech savvy young families who was great spenders and value photography would NOT book me if I did not sell digitals. This could just be where I'm located. I personally, as a full time photographer, could not lose out on this many clients. I would need to cut down to being a part time photographer/part time starbucks barista or something- which I choose not to do