So, time to open a full studio?

[Bob Hubbard]

I've been toying with this idea for the last 3 years and have a couple of good opportunities to open a full studio locally.

Here's the basic idea:
- Family portraits with an old time feeling.
- Kid shots in unique kid friendly environment
- Boudoir shots for women looking to capture a special moment.
- Pet friendly environment.
- Limited Event coverage with on location photo printing and direct burn to cd offered.

Basic shots would start in the $10-15 per sheet range. (Sheet is 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, or 8 wallets)
Nominal sitting fee $20
Specialty effects would be available at an additional cost.

Specialty Sessions such as Bridal and Masters portraits available at a premium.

We would have a loyalty club which gives some discounts on purchases, special offers, and free sittings.

We would not be doing weddings.

Studio would feature 2-4 shooting areas, 1 larger one capable of handling larger groups, and 1-3 'theme' rooms for seasonal and specialty shoots.


So, thoughts? If you were local to me, would you use my studio?

Thanks.

 

[Sukerkin]

I was going to jokily say "No, because my missus is a photographer!" but then thought again as it is not just your services as the 'shooter' that you are selling but the studio space to shoot in. Something with high ceilings would certainly attract me for a shoot of me in "Iai Mode" .

 

[Carol]

So, thoughts? If you were local to me, would you use my studio?

Thanks.

In a heartbeat

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I have a very good friend whom I used to belong to a photography club with. She went pro, I didn't (well, I did semi-pro for awhile). She is doing VERY WELL, despite having to relocated *hubby in military* several times. I suggest you speak with her; use my name so she knows. I'll bet she'll help you!!!

http://jacquelynnbuck.blogspot.com/

http://www.jacquelynnbuck.com/

 

[MJS]

I've been toying with this idea for the last 3 years and have a couple of good opportunities to open a full studio locally.

Here's the basic idea:
- Family portraits with an old time feeling.
- Kid shots in unique kid friendly environment
- Boudoir shots for women looking to capture a special moment.
- Pet friendly environment.
- Limited Event coverage with on location photo printing and direct burn to cd offered.

Basic shots would start in the $10-15 per sheet range. (Sheet is 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, or 8 wallets)
Nominal sitting fee $20
Specialty effects would be available at an additional cost.

Specialty Sessions such as Bridal and Masters portraits available at a premium.

We would have a loyalty club which gives some discounts on purchases, special offers, and free sittings.

We would not be doing weddings.

Studio would feature 2-4 shooting areas, 1 larger one capable of handling larger groups, and 1-3 'theme' rooms for seasonal and specialty shoots.


So, thoughts? If you were local to me, would you use my studio?

Thanks.

If you think the time is right, and it'll work, I say go for it. Would I use you? Well, I've only seen your work that you've posted on here, and I liked it, so yes, I'd use you.

Out of curiosity, why would you stay away from weddings? I'm not in the photography business, so I dont know, but it seems that with all of the different packages, shots, etc., that're usually available, that it'd be well worth is money wise.

 

[Sukerkin]

Weddings are a huge ton of hassle, MJS. My missus will only do them for friends too and even then she heartily encourages them to hire a 'wedding professional'.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Weddings are a huge ton of hassle, MJS. My missus will only do them for friends too and even then she heartily encourages them to hire a 'wedding professional'.

I can sort of picture some of the challenges doing wedding shoots. What makes them such a pain from your missus' perspective, Mark?

 

[Sukerkin]

Just trying to gather the guests for the necessary shots is like herding incontinent cats .

The time pressures are greater than you'd think to get the pictures 'required' for a wedding day portfolio and you are essentially on the go all through the day. Then you are at the mercy of the weather too, which just adds to the difficulty, not just of the photography but also the risks to extremely expensive equipment. The last one she did, I played the role of Sherpa and Umbrella-punka-wallah :lol:.

Perhaps the most major of pains is that even wedding 'standards' are visual art and people have impossibly high expectations, having seen scads of programmes on the tele of perfect shoots done at very high cost; and yet they don't want to spend any money on them.

 

[Archangel M]

If it's something you think you will regret not trying than by all means go for it. I would just say that if you are not willing to take the bad with the good than think twice. Owing a business is hard work if you want to survive.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Just trying to gather the guests for the necessary shots is like herding incontinent cats .

Don't forget feuding inlaws and step parents who won't stand in the shot if so-and-so is in it. It is the hardest legal work I've ever done, for real.

And you *have* to have a second shooter, hopefully one of the opposite sex who can go into the 'rooms' where you can't.

In my case, my wife was a trooper. She lined those people up like a drill sergeant, shouting orders and ticking off the bride's shot list as she went. I just snapped the shutter.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I appreciate the comments and feedback.

As much as the money doing weddings can be good, the "herding cats" comparison is apt. I'm also well aware of my strengths and weaknesses and trying to deal with all the logistics involved, plus have the "Alpha" personality required, isn't me at the moment. I prefer a more sedate pace, less rushed, and more one on one than the hectic pace of weddings.

Now a pre-bridal shoot? No problem. I think I posted a few shots I did with my wife as a test run here. Most folks who saw those liked them.

That brings me to another "selling" point as it were. Walmart, Sears, etc all work on volume. $5 for 5,000 prints, coupons coupons coupons, and get em in get em out as fast as you can shots. I've read literally hundreds of complaints online about feeling rushed, waiting hours, and being treated like a number.

I'm looking to do something more intimate, more one on one, more personal with my clients. Average Mall studio allows 10-15 minutes for a session. I'm leaning towards 30-60 per sitting. Be a little time to chat and determine what the client wants shot wise, a little time for the kids to relax or calm down, changing the baby doesn't back 20 familys up, etc.

We've got 3 locations in mind, one's 7,000 sqr ft, and I can do a lot but the $5k/mo rent is out of my reach ATM. Next one's 2100 sqr ft, not optimal and still pricey budget wise. Last one looks good, need to see the inside but it's 1300 sqr ft in a good area dirt cheap. We're leaning in that direction and there's some good possible local tie ins that could feed us clients.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Saw the 1,300 'ft one yesterday. Someone basically built a spot with us in mind. Needs a coat of paint and a carpet cleaning and it's ready to go. 3 rooms, nice spacious lobby, large main shoot room, and a back room with rest room and kitchenette that's also large enough to shoot in. Rent is reasonable and includes utilities.

So far we've checked out every mall studio from Buffalo to Rochester, and Buffalo to Canton Ohio, as well as studios in TX, FL and GA. To say we're "malled out" is an understatement, lol! I've also checked out 4 other "indy" studios, and the closest to what we're looking at doing doesn't cater to the public.

I've dropped a few hundred so far on industry reports and in WNY the failure rate of studios is about 10% over 5 years, which makes me confident we're got a strong shot. While I haven't found a report yet that separates the numbers into 'retail' and 'home based', I can make a few educated guesses. Corporate stores were the biggest losers (19%) which would account for Picture People pulling all their WNY locations in early 08. Of the 133 shops in 06, 119 of them remained in 08. (loss of 14.) Of the 130 classified as small business, 116 remained. (loss of 14). About 90% are home based so 12-13 of those failures could be anything from 'moved out of area', 'died', 'got bored with it', etc.

Current trends are that people are buying less prints and looking for more digital content. This is also demonstrated by chains such as Sears and Clix offering more "buy it on cd" options to customers, with an estimated 20-25% of their clients currently doing so. Customers are sharing their shots more on social networks as well, so catering to that desire is a key component for us.

Comparing sales figures from 2006-2008 we see a 1% drop in overall gross income while no real change in customer counts. Area sales growth rate 06-08 rose 14.65% with an 1.23% increase in employment. There was a 10.34% increase in number of studios (home and retail) between 2007 and 2008.

Risks we face is the higher saturation of cameras as they are in everything today including cell phones. More and more people are taking hundreds of snapshots, lowering their need for low-end studios. Sophisticated people however continue to recognize that while it is easy to take pictures, not everyone can take a quality portrait. Those looking for a truly lasting memory will continue to turn to professionals who have the equipment and training to do so. While the continued subdued state of the economy is cause for concern, recent actions by several large chains shows optimism for an improvement. Portrait Innovations has recently opened locations in Erie PA and Rochester NY, and Picture People have reentered the Erie PA market. It is possible that one or both will enter the WNY market in 2010 which may draw off a portion of our target audience, however we believe that our ability to offer a higher quality and more diverse product will offset the chains ability to under price us.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Interesting news....

Kiddie Kandids Announces Closure
Sandy, Utah - January 10, 2010

Kiddie Kandids, a Sandy, Utah based chain of photography studios, has ceased operations, effective immediately. This shutdown occurred as the result of an abrupt and unforeseen loss of funding from is banks. Kiddie Kandids' operations have been particularly challenged by the economic climate over the past 18 months and its lenders have informed the company that they will no longer provide funding for Kiddie Kandids' immediate cash needs. Without continued funding, Kiddie Kandids was unable to meet its imminent financial obligations. We have exhausted all possible avenues for funding and have come to the end of the road. This is truly unfortunate in light of the great team of employees and the great customers that made Kiddie Kandids a leading national children's photography studio. It is our hope that if the assets are purchased out of bankruptcy that the buyer will consider hiring back many of our employees. In light of the unforeseen termination of funding by its lenders, Kiddie Kandids intends to file a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code in the coming days.

Prior to its closure, Kiddie Kandids was one of the nation's premier children's portrait studios, specializing in newborn, infant, toddler, and pre-school portrait photography. Founded in 1974, Kiddie Kandids grew from a single camera in a mall kiosk to a nationwide network of 184 hi-tech portrait studios. The majority of Kiddie Kandids' studios are located within Babies 'R' Us retail stores across the country.

There weren't any in WNY that I've ever seen but I did stop in one in Ohio 2 years ago. Interesting place, basic mall studio, black boxed camera on a rack...kinda looked like a helicopter gun mount. Kinda cool, think it was remote controlled. Seems the chain also had a lot of accidents with kids falling off the posing table if comments on consumer sites can be trusted. Plus side, one national competitor down, bad side is the comments about funding. Course, they need 300 customers per month to break even, I need 75.

 

[jks9199]

Weddings are a huge ton of hassle, MJS. My missus will only do them for friends too and even then she heartily encourages them to hire a 'wedding professional'.

I know several very good photographers who won't do weddings because of the demands and difficulty. There are too many ways that they can go wrong, and just too much stress...

And, yes, Bob, I would use your photography services.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Applying for loan on Monday, hopefully will have a yes by Friday.

If not I might pass a cup around here with the promise of if I'm busy photographing babies and brides I'll post less often in the Study.

 

[Archangel M]

Good luck Bob!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

ok...question:

I'm expecting a full session to run an hour. That's the shoot + selection process.
What do you think about having some toys and coloring books for the kids, and coffee/tea/water for the parents on hand?

 

[jks9199]

ok...question:

I'm expecting a full session to run an hour. That's the shoot + selection process.
What do you think about having some toys and coloring books for the kids, and coffee/tea/water for the parents on hand?

Definitely.

I see why places do that much more today than I did before my son was born... but something to distract him while we're working on something is priceless.

As to adults... Check the coffee services around; your best bet might be to get one of the setups that makes one cup at a time... ave you from having a pot sitting and burning. And to use a filter of your own on the tap rather than pay for bottled water. (And plain hot water, not just for tea, but for warming baby bottles, etc.) is priceless!)

 

[Carol]

I think coffee/tea/water is a good idea. You may even be able to sell it....but check with your local regs. Other things you could potentially sell...healthy snacks (cereal or protein bars, etc) and single-dose packets of Advil. You may be used to being around the lights but someone not used to a photo studio may get more uncomfortable.

I like the idea of coloring books. You could make your own, put together images and assemble them in to books...maybe even sell them for a nominal amount to defray costs. Toys may work but their potential to spread germs around is not something I'm crazy about...LOL

I hope you have a way to actively recruit and drive traffic in? A comment that you made earlier that you're not a type A, which is good for a photographer that wants to make his models comfortable but may not be good for the repeated attempts to get your name out and bring customers in.

Another thing I would strongly recommend -- newspapers. Bring the day's paper, the most current issue of a gossip rag such as the enquirer and any "scenester" magazines that might appeal to young folks with nightclub listings, etc. You might be shocked at how much this helps customer satisfaction.

Other things...look at areas, especially apartments, that are popular with familes. Draw a colorful flyer on 8.5 x 11 paper welcoming them to the neighborhood and congragulating them on their new apartment, and offer them 10 percent off any portrait shoot. Offer these to the property managers in the area to put in their New Residents kit. (Try printing these up with the name of the complex already on them ie "Welcome to Timber Ridge", it will make it harder for the property manager to say no...LOL)

The geek in me says check cell reception in the store and out and around. If you can, check it with different phones/carriers. If someone is waiting for a call from their love, or waiting for their child to call them for a ride, they may not be comfortable doing so if they aren't convinced the call will go through.

 

[jks9199]

Speaking of geeks... You're probably gonna have internet service for yourself... a secured wifi system for customers while you process, etc. might be good. Especially if they can immediately send that special picture of the baby to family...

There are security issues to address, though...