A beginner's guide to high-volume photography.

Are you a photographer considering working on high-volume photo shoots like schools, sports clubs or events? Then you should know that this type of photography is not for everyone. It can be hectic taking photos of hundreds of people in a very short time as well as time-consuming to manage and fulfill the overwhelming amount of orders. There are a lot of logistical issues that need to be overcome as well as legal and ethical considerations. While the workload is hefty, this is the type of photography that, when done properly, can be especially lucrative if you prepare yourself with all the right tools in advance.

Reasons to consider becoming a high-volume photographer

1. You can earn a lot of money in a short time
   
   

2. You can amass a lot of new customers quickly which could lead to other jobs

Are you ready to be a high-volume photographer?

So you've got great cameras, amazing lenses and a good eye, but to be a successful high-volume photographer you need to make sure that you are also equipped with:

1. Patience
   
   

2. Planning and organizational skills
   
   

3. Logistics and workflow
   
   

If you are lacking in any of these areas, then you're likely to run into trouble.

How to get the job

1. Keep your portfolio up-to-date
   Having high-volume photography experience is a benefit but it’s not necessary if you come prepared. Keep your portfolio up-to-date so you’re always prepared for a meeting. If you have never shot for sports teams, then go and build a portfolio of sports photography so you will at least have similar shots to the job you’re trying to land. Your employer may not have a good imagination, so showing them what you can do in a similar vein, is going to make it easier for you to land the job.
   
   

2. Be active in your community
   Approaching schools and organizations via email or cold calls can certainly be one angle for landing a meeting but these will be more effective if you’re already known in your community. Build up your presence by going to school events, sporting events, community events in general and take pictures of everything! Make a collection of the photos you’ve taken, put them on a memory stick and share them with the event organizer to help get your name out there. Being active in the community greatly improves the chances of you receiving a potential job.
   
   

3. Be accommodating
   Emphasize your accessibility and willingness to adapt to your clients needs. Clients can be finicky about the things they want or even change their mind about factors you both agreed on in the beginning. Be willing to show your clients you can adapt to changes in a way that’s fair to both of you. Assure them that you are willing to be a part of the process every step of the way so they don’t have any anxiety about hiring you; not only does this help your client show you care but it can also make your job easier.
   
   

4. Present fair and flexible offerings
   Keep your bundles/packages simple and flexible. Not every event is going to be the same. If you provide the client with ideas unique to their event and simple packages that cater to their specific needs and price-points, they’ll be more likely to hire you.
   
   

5. Know your market
   Go to the meeting prepared by researching your market. Keep your pricing competitive within your community. It is not unusual for the organization to want to be paid or to receive free images to use. Figure out what the specific organization or school wants and work out something that is fair to both of you. Making sure that both you and your clients are benefitting from the business relationship you have will help to ensure the longevity of those relationships.
   
   

6. Keep current & responsible
   Keep your resume, references, and equipment insurance up to date. This will give your client extra assurance that they are in good hands.
   
   

7. Be awesome!
   When interviewing for the gig with a new school or organization, they will be impressed if you can provide them ways that save them time, such as handling the scheduling and payments. Basically, the more work you can save your client, the more likely you will be to get the job.

What kind of contracts are required
Every client will be different, so therefore, the contracts will be as well. Some organizations may not even require one, but it is usually a good idea to formalize your business relationship with a contract so both parties have a clear understanding of what is expected. Contracts should include:

1. When and where the photo shoot will take place
   
   

2. Provision of an alternate time and place should weather, illness, or an unforeseeable challenge should present itself
   
   

3. How much and the manner in which the organization will be paid (if that is what is agreed upon)
   
   

4. How much and the manner in which you will be paid (if they are paying you, or if the attendees are paying you individually via their own discretion)
   
   

5. Describe in detail how many images the organization will receive for their own use and how they may use them (should they credit you, for example, when using them)
   
   

6. An agreement on a time-frame to deliver the images and how that will happen.
   ie: will the organization be responsible for delivering the finished product to the attendees or will it be up to you to handle that directly with each individual from the event.

How do you organize an event

Organization is the cornerstone to any successful high-volume photo shoot. Every event is going to require a different set of equipment and personnel.

1. Make a checklist for yourself and your assistants
   Plan ahead with a checklist. Nothing is more frustrating than arriving to a high-volume photo shoot and realizing that you’ve forgotten something. Using a checklist will not only give you peace-of-mind but it will also help save valuable time.
   
   

2. Make a checklist for your clients
   Let your clients know exactly what to bring. Costumes, uniforms, sports equipment, water, payments.
   
   

3. Hire the right amount of assistants or photographers
   Make sure they are well-prepared as well. If you hire too many assistants, you will lose profits. If you hire too few, you will be scrambling to complete the job and likely make mistakes. Having a system in place that allows attendees topre-registerfor an event is the best way to know how many assistants to hire. Have back-up personnel on call in case someone does not show up!
   
   

4. Schedule appointments
   If you have a system in place that allows your clients to schedule their time slot, you will find that you can allocate your time and resources better. For example, if you are photographing a two day event and the majority of the attendees schedule their time slots on the first day, you may not need to hire as many assistants for the second day. Scheduling also reduces client frustration. Reducing the time they have to sit around waiting will improve their experience and increase your value in their eyes.
   
   

5. Consider charging a session fee or taking a deposit
   Getting people to pre-pay will help ensure that they show for the event and will cover your expenses if they don’t.
   
   

6. Know the poses you’re looking for
   Directing your clients before with a choice of poses will help you get the best shot quickly.“Spray and Pray” is NOT the way to go. A lot of lazy photographers will simply keep their finger on the shutter and “pray” that they got a good shot. This will render you with thousands of  pictures that you’ll have to deal with later.
   
   

7. Keep the time in mind
   Most events will have a specific timeline they’re going to follow, so it’s your job to stay at the top of your game. If you calculate that each subject takes 4 minutes to photograph, then try to stick to that!
   
   

8. Understand the location
   Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, each high-volume photography situation is going to require a different set of equipment or perspective. Ask the client if it’s possible for you to go to the location beforehand to get an understanding of the space and where you need to be in order to truly visualize your work. This will help you feel comfortable as well when you’re in the midst of it! If you’re shooting outdoors, consider shady spots for clients to wait in. Provide water or refreshments. Nothing says you care, like caring!

What to sell
What to sell can depend on many factors but knowing your client is the best indicator. You will definitely be selling different products when photographing a sports team in comparison with photographing family mini-sessions. The former will usually include a package with a group shot and a single pose whereas the latter may include high-end products such as canvas wraps or metal prints. There are other things to consider that can really affect your bottom line such as:

1. Selling discounted products or packages during the pre-registration can help streamline your work-load and get you some cash-flow to work with for the event ahead of time.
   
   

2. Bundling multiple products into packages can take the guesswork out of the decision making process for your clients while beefing up your profits. This makes it very simple for your clients to be more than happy to pay you. Offer multiple packages at different price points so you can appeal to any budget.
   
   

3. Should you sell downloads? More and more clients want electronic versions of their images, usually because they like to share these on their social media accounts. While this is a point of contention for a lot of photographers who would rather see their work “printed” or don’t want their work misused or undervalued, it’s hard to go against the grain. If you do decide to provide electronic files then you can greatly simplify your workload and delivery headaches, but you should be very clear on how the images are to be used:
   
   

1. Perhaps you specify that they can be shared but only if you get proper credit
   
   

2. Perhaps you will deliver the files with your name or watermark on them
   
   

3. Perhaps you will deliver the files in a low-res format unsuitable for printing
   
   

4. Perhaps you will allow only a limited amount of downloads, or a limited amount of sharing
   
   

The choices are yours. Make sure you select a client proofing partner than can provide you with all of these options.

How do you get paid

Gone are the days of handing out envelopes to attendees where they pre-select their packages and include a check or cash inside the envelope. Nowadays it is simple to get paid online making it a smoother transaction for you and for your client. Set up a PayPal or Stripe account and link that to your online proofing service. No more bounced checks or chasing after your clients for payment!

Fulfilling high-volume photography orders

The process of fulfilling orders can become a huge bottleneck for you and can potentially make or break your success. There are likely hundreds of images to edit and many client questions to respond to. Fulfilling these orders will really test your metal. The sooner you can fulfill the order, the sooner you can do another photo shoot. Some things to consider that will help streamline this process are as follows:

1. Employ a task system that clearly shows what work you have to do. This will help you stay on top of the orders and reduce your stress.
   
   

2. Communicate with your clients quickly. Keeping them informed will manage their expectations and maintain their satisfaction.
   
   

3. Consider outsourcing the editing. There are many services that will edit your photos and, while this cuts into your profit, it can free up your time to do other photo shoots. If that’s not for you, then be sure to have some reliable Lightroom or Photoshop presets that you can apply to your photos in a speedy batch process. You may consider charging more for advanced retouching and make sure you employ an event proofing system that will allow you to charge for it on a per image basis.
   
   

4. Hand out coupons at the shoot or offer a discount if orders are placed before a certain date. The sooner you can start producing orders, the sooner you can complete them.

Choose a good client proofing partner

Traditionally, customers had very little choice in the poses that they receive from a high-volume photography photo shoot because the photographer was responsible for choosing the images. With the advent of the internet, it is easy for customers to choose the poses they really want and photographers can fulfill the orders relatively simply. In fact, the entire process can be automated with direct lab fulfillment. Orders are received, reviewed, and sent to the lab where they  automatically produce and drop ship the order directly to the studio or the customer. So, keeping this in mind, choose a good online proofing partner who has the ability for your clients to:

1. Pre-register
   
   

2. Schedule
   
   

3. Pre-purchase products & packages
   
   

4. Pre-pay session fees or deposits
   
   

5. Allow your clients to choose their favorite poses and provide the option to purchase additional products after the event
   
   

6. Limit downloads sizes, quantities, or the amount of sharing on social networks
   
   

7. Have lab fulfillment and self-fulfillment options

Evaluate and adapt

The true key to success is to learn from your mistakes and experience. Remember to evaluateevery aspect from pre and post production because when you take a second, third, or even a fourth look, you can pick up on your own budding original style. Don’t forget to ask for feedback from your clients and the organizations that hired you, as well. There’s nothing like client feedback to help you hone your performance. You’re likely to get referrals and references by going this route as well. Pleased clients will be more than happy to tell all their friends that you are the go-to person for their photography needs.

High-volume photography requires great organization, patience and, well, clients. It may not be for everyone but, if you can handle all the moving parts by being well organized and thorough, you can stand to make a good profit in a short amount of time while meeting a lot of new customers along the way.

Have any suggestions to being a great high-volume photographer? Please comment below.

Check out our video below to see how our GalleryMagic and SortMagic workflow tools can help save you hours on your high-volume photography events.

Proofpix High-volume photography solutions.