So, before making your final decision on which senior portrait photographer you want to capture those images this summer, there are just a few more things to consider:
Packages – What kind of packages & services do photographers offer? There’s a myriad of options and opportunities. For some, it’s an all in one type of deal. Session fee, some prints (those are the 8x10s, 5x7s, 
etc.), and maybe a disk for one price. There are also those who do the session fees up front to (more or less) guarantee a certain appointed time. Some photographers can only do certain days and times, and others will be pretty much at your disposal. In many cases, a package can be upgraded or added to, and in others, you get what you paid for originally. Some seem like a bargain, others to good to be true. And some seem outrageously expensive. We like to think we fall somewhere in the middle. Because we are a full-time professional photographic studio, we are always working on imagery – and focused on just that and not a side job or other distraction. That means that the images we take are based on current methods and techniques, years and years of experience, and the best of customer service. You’re not just buying paper prints or a CD, your buying a lifetime of memories.
Products – Photo products come and go, and each year new types of items come our way from labs and photo service bureaus. Each year, the most popular items we sell are wallet photos, image CDs and multi-image composites. There are quite usually a significant number of prints sold, as well, but those usually end up as gifts for family members. This year, we have added some great new products to our lineup, and can’t wait to show them off! One thing you should remember about getting anything from a photographer is the finished quality. Our images are ONLY processed by a professional print lab. We do not use a local bulk-product store or drugstore to print our pictures. They are printed on the most highly-rated professional print paper in the industry. Our composites are hand-framed and mounted with care. Our image CDs are high-resolution image files with exclusive print rights turned over to you via a permission letter. When you get the CD from us, we also give you a 50% discount off any future orders from those images.
Performance – Dollar for dollar, we have the best deal for the best in variety of senior portraits. We do not adhere to one particular style of shooting, or post-processing. We use a variety of style input to create a unique presentation of images from your session(s) that equal not only what you expect from us, but go beyond what you want. This includes techniques and methods of which you may not yet be aware. The school photographer cannot offer that kind of versatility. It is something we offer for every session; not just seniors, but all portraits. Seniors portraits have only been a major trend for about 20 years or so. But they have become big business for a lot of photographers, and especially for young startups. But even if you find one who will give you a disk of totally edited photos for $50, what kind of variety, experience and relationship will you end up with? We do not believe in “one and done.” We believe in creating a long-term relationship with our clients… and it starts when they first meet us.
One last note on this topic. As of this writing, we have engaged a considerable number of new portrait sessions and are booking well into the year 2013. We do offer specials and promotions throughout the year, and encourage you to keep up with us, not just on our blog, but also on our main page and our Facebook page.
You can go directly to our senior portraits page by clicking HERE. We look forward to hearing from you.
Next Up: Senior Portraits: The Experience