New event photgrapher - some advice please

[Rmosk]

Hey i was wondering whether i should offer my clients the option of purchasing photo specific items(other than the prints and album) such as Printed aprons, canvas printing, and other such products. I currently only offer them prints in varied sizes and albums. Should i offer them other products as well? If this is a good idea I was also wondering if anyone knew of a way for me to go about doing this? Thanx

[Dennis_Hammer]

I offer a few things like that, and have had a few sales nothing to jump and down about. I do because I use exposuremanager for my event stuff and they have it available. Mugs, shirts, aprons folded cards etc etc. People can order it right through my site which uses there galleries made to look like my site.

Whats nice is they supply unlimited space for event stuff and do all the credit card processing and shipping and it looks like it came from you.

Here's a link you can check it out

http://www.exposuremanager.com/aff/hammerphotos

[Mike R]

I tell parents that if there is a product they would like me to offer, just ask. Last year I also mentioned it on my site. Throughout the year I have people ask for T-Shirts, coffee mugs, key chains, magnets and buttons. I have sold them all and the quality is excellent but the wholesale prices on some items are a bit high. This year I'll be offering custom posters, The feedback has been great to the samples I put on line.

[Dennis_Hammer]

Custom Posters are probably my biggest profit center right now. Easy to throw together once you creat a few templates and nothing but great comments about them and great word of mouth.

[Mike R]

Custom Posters are probably my biggest profit center right now. Easy to throw together once you creat a few templates and nothing but great comments about them and great word of mouth.

I agree. My only problem was pricing. I didn't want to price them too high for the area I'm in, so I asked my wife what she would pay for a poster of our son and went with that.

[amfoto1]

Hi,

There's no reason not to offer a selection... Take some samples to events if you can, sell online.

A friend of mine got the kit to convert her printer for this sort of thing, is now printing on all sorts of things... fabric, mouse pads, mugs, tiles, etc. It's expensive initially, but the per item cost is much, much lower than anyone offers online.

I offer about 2 dozen items through my Printroom.com account, but the prices are a bit high there and there are many other sources if you wish. Try CafePress.com. I suspect Printroom might subcontract their specialty product work out, perhaps to CP, and that's why their prices are higher.

[Dennis_Hammer]

Mike your in Connecticut also what you are getting for one? I get 52-60 for a 12x18 with anywhere from 4 to 7 different shots plus some text. And the larger obviously higher 12x18 seems to be the best for me have done some pano's and 24x36 of whole teams.

[Rmosk]

Thanx so much for the responses and the help- Thanx Dennis for that very interesting site- Does anyone know of any similar sites that I could upload the pictures from the event I've shot which allows me to save that specific event pics into its own page or something, that the people Ive been hired for can order directly from there.

[Dennis_Hammer]

I just responded to your other post with the same link. It does what your looking. Unless your looking for a free site of course Exposuremanager is roughly a $12 a month and a small discount if paid a year in advance.

[Mike R]

Mike your in Connecticut also what you are getting for one? I get 52-60 for a 12x18 with anywhere from 4 to 7 different shots plus some text. And the larger obviously higher 12x18 seems to be the best for me have done some pano's and 24x36 of whole teams.

12 x 18, one shot: $28.00 I'm still working on pricing a 6 shot poster and also offering more sizes. Where in CT are you?

[Dennis_Hammer]

Southbury, raise your prices trust me on this they will sell.