Need some opinions on an idea! Good or Bad?

dazftw

Ok so I had an idea awhile ago I made a thread about where to get a permit so I could setup a small sort of stall in red square.

Basically the idea is:

• I want to setup a small studio which would include one studio strobe and softbox.
• Use the carousel and big christmas tree as a background.
• Take photos of families couples etc using this setup.
• Charge €15 for photo, photo on a disc & 10 x 8 print.
• I would be doing this from Thursday (17th) to Thursday(24th) of this month.

This is an example of what I would be doing just with the carousel and tree for a background, photographed from the waist up and horizontal.



So is this Good? Bad?

Im going to find out now tomorrow if I can get a permit for this but I was thinking tonight what do people from Waterford actually think of this?

seanybiker

Good idea. Fairly pricey though, dont ya think.

paddywhippets

great idea man. go for it.
i for one would love a picture in my hometown

dazftw

I thought €15 was cheap!? I had people telling me €30 and I thought that was too much.

€5 goes on the print so thats leaving a €10 profit! With the post processing of the shots and burning the CD's that an extra few hours work.

What would you and other people consider something fair?

lee_

Fair play to ye getting out there and trying something!

If people arent buying then you can drop the price.

dazftw

lee_ wrote: »

Fair play to ye getting out there and trying something!

If people arent buying then you can drop the price.

Yeah thats what I was thinking, I dunno though I think €15 is good. Ive got a good setup that people will see anyway so its not going to look dodgy at all. There getting what i paid for(and still am haha)

peter_sligo

Mr_Moynahan wrote: »

Yeah i hear theyre selling them at carboot sale for about 2euro free roll of film and all save your 15euro for a bigmac or something lads smell of **** off this wannabe entrepreneur.

yeah there the ones ya can get in the car boot sale in kilkenny. ya can get an angus meal on the way back to waterford right before ya take yer own pictures at the carousel

Stokolan

Seems like a good Idea. Not sure if €15 is expensive. All ya can do is try it. if people arnt going for it drop your price a bit.

would also be nice to get the thread tidied up a bit

Professey Chin

Does cold weather mean more trolls here

RxQueen

god i got banned for a lot tamer trolling than this!


i think its a real good idea op, esp the carousel idea... and i dont think €15 quid is to expensive

Sully

Is there something in the air? Seems to be all trolls the last few weeks.

Out ye go.

Topic Cleaned, Iditots Removed

Asmodean

I think its a great idea OP. Fair play to you for taking the initiative.

Farolina81

Go for it! It's good value with disc etc.

Sully

emo!! wrote: »

god i got banned for a lot tamer trolling than this!

I can make it happen again, if you like? Quit being a smartarse and report posts if you have a problem with it.

dazftw

Thanks lads, im just wondering what are peopless opinions on paying for prints before getting them?

The way me and a friend are doing it is take the photos and drop them all to mccauleys to get done and collect them the next day for people to collect.

They would just have to pay 1st so we can pay for prints which are 4.99 each.

Im thinking if I have some sort of written proof of the permit that should do fine.. im also giving out reciepts. Just like they would do in a photo lab.

Woodgate

dazftw wrote: »

Thanks lads, im just wondering what are peopless opinions on paying for prints before getting them?

The way me and a friend are doing it is take the photos and drop them all to mccauleys to get done and collect them the next day for people to collect.

They would just have to pay 1st so we can pay for prints which are 4.99 each.

Im thinking if I have some sort of written proof of the permit that should do fine.. im also giving out reciepts. Just like they would do in a photo lab.

I dont think people would pay in full beforehand, I would suggest a €5 deposit and then if they dont come back you are at no loss.

dazftw

Woodgate wrote: »

I dont think people would pay in full beforehand, I would suggest a €5 deposit and then if they dont come back you are at no loss.

Ah I thought I posted that.. yeah the €5 is just to cover the cost of the prints.

MacGyver

id say deposit is the best idea. i wouldnt pay in full until i saw them. have you a way of people being able to see the shot in a good size before they even pay a deposit.

like if i got a shot taken i want to see that it looks nice before i agree incase i want another shot ( obviously with out p!ss taking). maybe on laptop screen or something ? just not the screen on the camera. other then that it sounds like a good plan.

dazftw

MacGyver wrote: »

id say deposit is the best idea. i wouldnt pay in full until i saw them. have you a way of people being able to see the shot in a good size before they even pay a deposit.

like if i got a shot taken i want to see that it looks nice before i agree incase i want another shot ( obviously with out p!ss taking). maybe on laptop screen or something ? just not the screen on the camera. other then that it sounds like a good plan.

This is what I thought aswell.. I might have a laptop for it but atm im not sure!

If I have to make do, the screen on my camera is decent enough, bigger than most mobile phone screens and a bit smaller than an iphone screen. I can also zoom in and show all the little details as well.

Im hoping for a laptop though.

AdMMM

Sounds like a great idea Daz and a fantastic use of the wonderful scene that is John Roberts Sq at Christmas. Further to some of the advice you've got, I'd recommend bringing along a few fold-up stools or chairs to help with families of all shapes and sizes (e.g. someone might like their child sitting on their lap). One issue I can foresee is the weather, although without setting up marquees and the like, it's something you're at the mercy of!

dazftw

AdMMM wrote: »

Sounds like a great idea Daz and a fantastic use of the wonderful scene that is John Roberts Sq at Christmas. Further to some of the advice you've got, I'd recommend bringing along a few fold-up stools or chairs to help with families of all shapes and sizes (e.g. someone might like their child sitting on their lap). One issue I can foresee is the weather, although without setting up marquees and the like, it's something you're at the mercy of!

haha the weather I know.. it all boils down to that!

I like the chairs idea! I was going to bring one for myself but never thought about the people in the photos!

Thanks!

MacGyver

if ur camera has video out, you could connect it to a cheap 14" tv even. you might pick one up off adverts cheap, something like this is local and not a bad price considering you could sell it off after you were done. http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=163158&cat=all im in no way linked to the ad it was the first local one i found

dazftw

MacGyver wrote: »

if ur camera has video out, you could connect it to a cheap 14" tv even. you might pick one up off adverts cheap, something like this is local and not a bad price considering you could sell it off after you were done. http://www.adverts.ie/showproduct.php?product=163158&cat=all im in no way linked to the ad it was the first local one i found

Only problem there is power.. but yeah my camera has video out! Its a canon 5D incase anyone might be wondering.

south

dazftw wrote: »

This is what I thought aswell.. I might have a laptop for it but atm im not sure!

If I have to make do, the screen on my camera is decent enough, bigger than most mobile phone screens and a bit smaller than an iphone screen. I can also zoom in and show all the little details as well.

Im hoping for a laptop though.

just take a few before hand of someone you know and have them printed already so people can take a look.

enniscorthy

see you there 3pm sat regards brian

dazftw

south wrote: »

just take a few before hand of someone you know and have them printed already so people can take a look.

There you go problem solved haha! Thanks!

AdMMM

Also, just thought of it there, get a few business cards done up. If people are pleased with your work then it's an easy way for them to contact you and you'll easily get some more work if you're considering taking photography more seriously. It would also add to the professional feel of it which would impress a lot of people and help spread your service by word of mouth.

longshanks

i say go for it. whats the worst that could happen? if its not a success, at least you tried, and got your own face out there. the business cards are a good idea too, raise your own profile a bit. i'd also go with having a few sample pics on hand for people to see before they part with their hard earned. 15 yoyo's doesn't seem too bad either (i'd go with the fiver deposit idea mentioned above). good luck with it chief

dazftw

AdMMM wrote: »

Also, just thought of it there, get a few business cards done up. If people are pleased with your work then it's an easy way for them to contact you and you'll easily get some more work if you're considering taking photography more seriously. It would also add to the professional feel of it which would impress a lot of people and help spread your service by word of mouth.

longshanks wrote: »

i say go for it. whats the worst that could happen? if its not a success, at least you tried, and got your own face out there. the business cards are a good idea too, raise your own profile a bit. i'd also go with having a few sample pics on hand for people to see before they part with their hard earned. 15 yoyo's doesn't seem too bad either (i'd go with the fiver deposit idea mentioned above). good luck with it chief

Yeah ive had a little business card design for god knows how long but never had a chance to use it. If all goes well and im allowed do this ill get some printed and include them with the prints/cds. Photography is pretty much my future career plan.

nkay1985

It sounds like a great idea to me. I really don't know about the pricing though. You say the post-processing of the shots and burning the cds is an extra few hours work. Obviously, burning one image onto a cd will only take a few seconds so is there a lot to do with each picture?

If there genuinely is a lot of work in it, then €15 sounds ok. However if you are going to be charging €15, the examples you'll be showing will have to be really top notch.

If I were you though, I'd be finding a place willing to offer you a discount for getting multiple prints developed. If the normal price is €5, you could probably get them or a competitor down to €4 if you were doing a fair few of them, which I reckon you would be.

The pricing is the key though. It's either going to be €10 or €15. Above €10 is a psychological barrier. If you were to charge €10, you'd need 1.5 times the amount of customers you'd ge at €15. I personally think you'd get that. Because the most important thing is to attract the first few customers. People are a lot more willing to take a punt on something for a tenner than above that. And if your work is then good, the word could get around because people with kids have friends and family around the same age, in the same familial situation who they would be showing the picture.

One more thing I'm wondering is whether there's a reason you'd only be doing it for one week from December 17th? Town is already manic at the weekends and is only going to get busier.

Hope you get good news on the permit anyway. Make sure you let us know.

TheFlatulator

Just wondering the pic you gave as an example is at night which is great for a preset light source, but what have you set up to give the a good image in daylight.

Will have a power source to give any lights juice or are you using poli or a bounce sheets. I think the important thing is to have some sample prints to demonstrate what the outcome will be.