Shooting for Free for More Business

In my area I have a gorgeous park with waterfalls, old stone bridges etc. The thought here was to approach couples and ask to take their photos in this setting. Many weddings take place at this park. It's a 2 minute drive for me. My idea was to take the photos, hand them my card and let them know when their photos will be placed online at my website. A max of 6 shots would be taken.

The overall idea is to further promote/market my business by doing this, by visiting my site they see my work, services like engagements, wedding, portraits and printing. They even may want the photos I took printed?

The only cost to me is my time. I know, I know lots of folks say "never" do anything for free but if it brings in work this is a good thing is it not?

Thoughts on this approach?

Lots of manufacturers still provide free samples for comparative testing and prototyping purposes. I think - from a marketing point of view - there is nothing wrong with providing free samples.
However, I would not put the samples on line or on a web site unless private and selectively accessible. When you hand them your card you might ask them to send you an email if they are interested to see the result and have a copy of the photo.
The idea that they end up on a web site for the whole world to see might put people off.

Your point is well taken I would of course provide them with a password to see their photos, I do this for all my clients.

How do you expect to convert that into business? approaching random folks who arent necessarily in the market isnt likely to convert to sales. You would be better off building a portfolio and marketing yourself?

Sounds kinda creepy.

Plus, commercial work in parks is often regulated so you might need to get a permit.

There's a sticky thread around here that talks about volunteering as a photographer for not for profit orginzations. I've done a bit of this with mixed results, but I think it would go over better than hanging out in a park and interrupting someone's afternoon together. You also get in front of possibly hundreds of people in the matter of a few hours and the are often the type who have disposable income.

gonzogolf wrote in post #17548984
How do you expect to convert that into business? approaching random folks who arent necessarily in the market isnt likely to convert to sales. You would be better off builfing a portfolio and marketing yourself?

+10 to this.

Building a business requires focus and identifying potential clients. Going up to randoms in the park isn't the way to do this. What you could do is ask/offer to shoot these people and they get the images for free and in return you get to use them in your portfolio (you will need them to sign a model release). Then you can use the portfolio to market your services.

I kinda feel that its awkward, not neccesarliy creepy walking up to people to ask to take the shot. But I think it would help the portfolio don't you think?

Are you suggesting I still walk up to them in the park though?

No dont approach strangers. There is no upside as they have no investment in success and it will show. Think about the times ypuve been approached with an unexpectednsales pitch? You generally expect it to be a scam or ruse. First find some attractive people and shoot them. Trust me ive posted shots here thst were of the same quality of an average looking person and an attractive person. The average person got few comments and the hottie got raves. You also get to chime in in dress and you can fully control settings. Lastly if you cant find someine to do this for free without approaching strangers then you are never going to have enough sales ability to make a business.

I'll chime in and agree with the others – approaching people in the park isn't a great idea for many reasons. It's kind of creepy, you're not likely to find customers who later decide to hire "that guy in the park", and it's just not very professional. If someone calls to complain (which someone eventually will), the park will probably kick you out and possibly issue you a citation for not having a permit. Not a good thing for your portfolio or reputation!

For your portfolio, you obviously want the most beautiful images possible. You've already found a nice location which is a key element. With a strong composition and proper lighting, you're another step closer. Now you need to find just the right person or people for your shot. It's highly unlikely that they'll be randomly walking by the moment you're ready to take the shot.

Look to a friend who has the right look or possibly consider hiring a model. You can find candidates on Model Mayhem or other sites who will work in trade or inexpensively. You'll also have more control over their clothing, hair, and poses. A model building his/her portfolio also has a vested interest in getting the shot to look as great as possible.

Now that you have your location, lighting, composition, and model completely dialed in, you'll be creating shots that you'll be proud to have in your portfolio and will get you more paid work. (This may be contrary to what I said previously, but if you're shooting in the park with a model on a single occasion, you can probably get away without getting a permit. Just keep a low profile!).

It isn't creepy if you are there shooting other things. For example one day I was in a park down town shooting random things and I saw a dad taking a photo of his wife and two kids with a cell phone. I offered to take a shot or two of the whole family with my camera and gave them a card telling them to email me and I would send it to them.

Not sure what they did with it and so far no business came from it but I am glad I did it.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #17549117
...you will need them to sign a model release...

Do you have a model release from every recognizable person that appears in an image on your website?

jecottrell wrote in post #17554836
Do you have a model release from every recognizable person that appears in an image on your website?

No, because the country I live in doesn't recognise the legal concept of image rights.

picworx wrote in post #17548927
In my area I have a gorgeous park with waterfalls, old stone bridges etc. The thought here was to approach couples and ask to take their photos in this setting. Many weddings take place at this park. It's a 2 minute drive for me. My idea was to take the photos, hand them my card and let them know when their photos will be placed online at my website. A max of 6 shots would be taken.

The overall idea is to further promote/market my business by doing this, by visiting my site they see my work, services like engagements, wedding, portraits and printing. They even may want the photos I took printed?

The only cost to me is my time. I know, I know lots of folks say "never" do anything for free but if it brings in work this is a good thing is it not?

Thoughts on this approach?

I had this same idea a while back! I honestly wasn't going to do it for business though. It just seems fun and I like interacting with people. I was going to just walk around and tell them to pose quick, snap a couple photos, give them my card, and tell them they can download them for free! I just never got around to it because I got busy with paid shoots! I was going to go downtown later at night when couples are all dressed up and out on the town!

The key is to do it quickly. Look for couples who might be dressed up for a date or just look like they are having fun already. Say something like "Hey guys! I'm (Insert name) and I'm promoting my photography business. How bout a free photo?! You can download it for free from my site (insert when they will be up)" and hand em your card. Take a few quick shots and thank them. If they seem to be enjoying it spend extra time with them and have fun!

Try to come across as being generous (bc you are taking a photo for free) rather than desperate for business.

So, yes, I obviously think it is a good idea.

Depending where you are, permits may be required too.
You are less likely to get business out of it than marketing your portfolio, but there is still the possibility of getting business out of it.

One thing you can do is upload them to smugmug or something similar. Set a password if you want. And allow them to download the low-res (or hi-res if you want) version for free. Then offer the hi-res at a fee and they can also order prints!

Not sure if it's the right approach, but maybe a small sign advertising that you're doing free shots might entice a few people/couples/familie​s to 'have a go'.

If you then hand out your card and get them to email you for the files, you can save those addresses on a database and use them to market your business...?

Not sure how much revenue this would generate though for time and effort spent.