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View Full Version : Strictly manual selling or zenfolio/smugmug style selling


grphx
13th of February 2009 (Fri), 13:43
Which method do you think is best? A lot of times I'll go to events just to shoot for fun(that's why I like photography anyways) and a few people will ask how much I charge for photos(keep in mind half the people never seen my photos, I'm guessing they ask because I usually have a large lens and look "professional". I can do two things

1) Tell them that I don't really shoot to get paid, but they can contact me and I can email them(or I can be proactive and email them) the pictures I took that they were interested in. I'd give them my email address or they would give me theirs and later on the in the day I'll email them some shots I took, and ask if they were interested in seeing/buying some good resolution photos to print for themselves, or I can have large prints made for them.

2) Tell them that I don't shoot to get paid, but they can go to my website(which will be a zenfolio/smugmug) later on in the day and look for the event we are at. Mention it should be on the top(unless I am doing two events in one day which I rarely do). Then let them use the site to buy my photos.

I'd love to be able to go get their pictures printed and hand deliever, because I get to see my photos in large high quality prints and it makes me feel better about my photos, but that can be time consuming and a pain to deliever them. I'd like the website to do everything for me (show, order, print, deliever) and I just collect a check later for it.

Giving my situation, where I go to events(Usually racing events) and don't have a fancy vest with my name on it, and not that known for being a good photographer, should I do it all personally or use a website? Of coruse I wont be a snobb about things and will talk to the people like I'm just another fan of whatever event I'm at, just the whole "showing, collecting money, printing, delievering" is what I want to either be personal or off a website.

spuddevans
13th of February 2009 (Fri), 15:29
I cant comment on zenfolio as my experience is with smugmug, but with smugmug ( and I assume zen as well ) they take care of any issues with delivery/customer care ect. I feel that's invaluable, and you dont have to worry about fulfilling the orders or worrying about payment issues.
You just have to take the pictures, process them and post them on your site, after that you dont have to worry about them. In my opinion that is far easier / better and free's me up to just enjoy taking pics and handing out business cards to those who ask if they can have a copy of a photo.


Tim