The Art of Pregnancy Photography (21 page)

Consider creating gift certificates that offer the bearer a free portrait session. Offer them to local business owners who can present them to their clients, and note how your client base grows. Gift certificates created by Studio2CDesign (
www.studio2Cdesign.com
).

David McKay of McKay Photography in Sacramento, CA, took the time to seek out a mall that caters to high-income customers. After negotiating with the mall for four years, he was able to create a beautiful display of his images that suited the overall look of the mall environment. “The key [to making your display work for you] is having work that is unique, different, and high end … work that is different from everyone else’s and stands on its own,” David says.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

If you find the terms “marketing” and “public relations” confusing and assume they are one and the same, you owe it to yourself to read up on the power of maximizing your public relations. Eric Yaverbaum, Robert W. Bly, Ilise Benun, and Richard Kirshenbaum have written an easy-to-read, informative book called
Public Relations for Dummies
(Wiley Publishing, 2006), which you can pick up for under $20.00. You’ll enjoy learning about the many ways you can expand your client base.

In a market that is saturated with photographers, creating unusual and extraordinary images will set you apart and create an interest in your services.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

When you attend community events, consider donating as a door prize a free pregnancy portrait session and/or a free print. You might also consider giving attendees a discount coupon for a pregnancy portrait session. If they can’t use it, they can pass it on to a mother-to-be in their family or social circle.

Contact your local Chamber of Commerce to determine which businesses will allow you to display and distribute your print materials. These folks can also provide you with contacts for organizations that may be looking for speakers and donations from local businesses.

Networking is a critical component of achieving name recognition. As you will see, the photographers interviewed in
chapter 9
have employed many of these age-old techniques. Many of them regularly attend weddings, Chamber of Commerce mixers, special interest clubs, and museum and art gallery openings to mix and mingle—and hand out business cards and walking cards (small cards printed front and back with more information than a business card but less than a brochure).

The importance of networking has been spoken on extensively by many successful businesspeople. Zig Ziglar and John P. Hayes, Ph.D. have authored
Network Marketing for Dummies
(Wiley Publishing, 2001), a great little book that you can pick up for under $22.00. In it, you’ll learn a wealth of ideas that will help you amplify your visibility in the community. From attending civic organization meetings, to taking on a speaking engagement for a local organization, to holding your own gallery show or “mother’s tea” for young women with small children, to displaying at the local county fair, to writing articles on the beauty of pregnancy portraits for the local parents’ newsletter or community newspaper, to being a sponsor on public television’s annual auction where a buyer can donate a set amount to the PBS station and have a sitting with you, to giving away a free sitting and an 8x10-inch portrait through raffles conducted by the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, or mothers’ clubs—there’s no end to the public appearances you can make to reach potential clients. As politicians know, you must meet and mingle, see and be seen in a wide array of community events to gain recognition and win the public’s interest.

GENERATING YOUR OWN BUZZ

The parenting and child-oriented newspapers, little neighborhood newspapers (mostly weeklies), and the family sections of local newspapers are always looking for new stories. Consider scheduling a meeting with the editor of one of these publications, and tell them about the growing trend of women having their pregnancies recorded and showcased in family portrait albums. Many editors and reporters will be surprised and pleased to interview you, and when your story appears in print, you will be viewed as the local expert on pregnancy portraiture.

Expressive images not only tell a story, they also make great marketing pieces.

SALES

Many people believe that capturing images is the most important part of their business. Of course, a photographer cannot
stay
in business unless they sell their images!

There are many proofing options available to photographers and their clients today. We’ve found that projection works best for our studio. Because we cater to higher-end clients, we often have the option to allow our clients to preview their images on their large-screen televisions in their own home theaters. This seems to produce better sales than do in-studio presentation sessions, as we can recommend particular portraits in larger sizes for display in specific areas of the home (with a quality frame, of course) or particular specialty products.

We first run through a slide show of the images, set to royalty-free music, to really create an emotional response from the viewer. Then the images are presented one by one or in small groups so the client can select her favorites and place her order. We also recommend several add-on items, including frames, albums, and image boxes, jewelry, and purses. (
Note:
If you must, you can send the DVD home with your clients to give them some time to think about their order. However, this can discourage sales. If you do send the DVD home, get a large, nonrefundable deposit, and tell the client that the amount will be applied toward the price of their product order when they come into the studio to place their order.)

You can also add the DVD slide show to your product line (again, you must be sure to use royalty-free music) and offer it for sale, or offer it as a gift with purchase if your client’s order reaches a specific dollar amount.

Projecting your images assures the biggest possible sales. Putting the images to music and showing them large creates and emotional appeal for your clients. Kim Treffinger’s presentation room (below) is decorated with samples of her work, and products are displayed for clients to see and touch. The rich colors used in the room create help to create a luxurious, affluent feel. Presentation room photo courstesy of Kim Treffinger,
www.treffingerstudio.com
.

10. PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES

I
n this chapter, we’ll take a look at some of the ways portrait photographers at the top of their field approach pregnancy portraiture. You’ll find that many of the photographers profiled here have similar viewpoints; however, you’ll also gain an appreciation for the innovative approaches each photographer uses to personalize their work and set their business apart from the competition.

KEVIN KUBOTA

Background
. Kevin Kubota of Kubota PhotoDesign, Inc., located in Bend, OR, is a wedding and portrait photographer who creates images that speak to the heart. They are filled with emotion, joy, intimacy, and impact. Who better to capture the joyful, intimate moments of pregnancy?