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Senior Guys Q&A

Lesson 24 from: Build a High Volume Senior Photography Business

Matthew The Body Kemmetmueller

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Lesson Info

24. Senior Guys Q&A

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Lesson Info

Senior Guys Q&A

Question that came up from karen katie a photography about that if a male came to you and said I want to be posed, you know, in the locker room at school would you get me out of your session and they could just pay extra and you will do that for them? It would it would depend on where the school is obviously like we pull from our community is pretty close, but yeah, absolutely yeah, we would do that it wouldn't be I wouldn't do it for you pick minimum price I would do it for we're going to go on location than what we would do is instead of going to the arboretum are going to the depot, I would do it at that school and we've done that several times and like his family are amazing clients of mine amazing clients he's a marine, this kid is so proud and I'm so proud of him and what he's doing for our country, he is an amazing young man and he played football and he's great at and passionate about a sport he's got a little brothers like two years younger he's in the air force, this family i...

s just they're they're awesome people in their great clients and his mom is the ultimate like I'm going to tell everybody why I love you with every time she comes in she sends me thank you cards so that's an amazing family to have a relationship with now those two boys were passionate about about football there dad helped coach the team they asked if they could do the session at the football field yeah let's go it's down the road we did all of their pictures their though we didn't stadium we get him on the field we did everything at school so that question was actually from mr iowa and the second part was just how do you handle that for the high volume business that you have? Does it not happen that often sing it well it's the same amount of time it's just where I spend my time you know what I mean if if I'm going to drive fifteen minutes to the arboretum and shoot for an hour from going to drive ten fifteen minutes to the school and shoot for an hour it's it really doesn't affect my bottom line it doesn't affect the amount of time invested in some cases that could be better for me because the school could be like white settle which is on my way home and then I could just shoot that one in the afternoon and go right home afterwards but I would not change the amount of gear that I bring it would not be like we're going to bring six strobes I'm going to bring assistance and we're gonna do this massive locker themes would not be that it would very much be same equipment, different venue, and it would it doesn't happen that often we always make it happen and it's just one of those things where I still have to know that my time is going to be compensated for some call me one more question that was coming in from poland is a and I don't know let's see from karen katya, who is talking about boys who might have a more feminine aspect to their personality, who are not elect a masculine, manly guy who just that's not their personality. So do you then approach them in a different way? Or do you, er what's your approach to people who don't identify, shoot my merrily masculine? Remember, my goal is to capture who you are, and so when I'm telling you guys thes rules these air rules, I'm speaking in generals, and I don't ever want to make anybody come in and do something that's so uncomfortable and so out of your place, you know what I mean? That that that doesn't work and I've had I've had a feminine males come in for sessions I have, and it it feels weird for me to tell them to do that post and so that comes out and how you pose and your client interaction it's the same way as it's, the same as posing a big girl you know that she's a bigger girl and you're going to have to pose her to get her the best images as a big girl you know that he's not this big masculine guy who wants to look huge and tough don't pose him to be this big masculine guy who looks huge and tough you aren't doing your job as a photographer at reading your clients and understanding that and that is one thing that is unfortunate about being how many sessions we do like I have to identify that in five minutes like I got to figure that out like right off the bat I had to figure out what where we're going with this immediately and that's on me and so there's there's a lot that kind of stinks because you don't have the luxury of doing like pre consultations and doing this and doing that you gotta you gotta read it right now so but no don't pose your clients of your clients to be them I have a quick question as faras like do you ever I kind of do a little research own a client and they come in like facebook like they create what their pictures are like and then you know just okay I can sound to see how this guy is a little bit before they get to your studio do facebook creep absolutely I'm the master of facebook creep's no I tell all my employees actually view tried if you fill out an application work for me just so you know I have been on your facebook I have figured out where you are and then some people tried to get sneaky and they'll do and like yes, absolutely absolutely I will and I like you have to get clever because people like change their names but then I would go back and I'm like who they gave me their email address let's search by that ah your name isn't it lexie peche si I know who you are you going you find it but yeah, I do I do a little bit of research I'm not a ton and not all the time but if I have some guy coming in I might hop on and really what I'm doing more than looking to see what they're posting and what their likes our I'm looking to see if we have friends in common I'm looking to see if they know kids that I've shot from their school I'm looking to see if there uh if their profile pictures of sports photo I look to check that stuff out because that's generally like that just give me a little bit of an idea but if I do that it's like legit forty five seconds to a minute I go on find him click click oh yeah he knows he knows that could I shot him two years ago and I'll like it just gives me an ability to kind of lead the conversation at certain direction. Matthew lisa, I just wanted you to know that you have been facebook creep today as well. Do you ever have? Ah, kids come in the wanted like de sessions with their friends? Yeah, and that's actually a good thing that lorenzo and I were talking about at lunch, too. I told you guys it's really, really important that I focus on bringing family like I want your mom, they're I want your dad, they're I want someone else there for a lot of reasons. One I don't want mom to get the images and say, why the heck did you wear that? I hate that outfit, too. I want to make sure that it's I talked with the non creepy thing I wantto have people there to help, I get free labor, the other thing I'll tell you, that is absolutely imperative and ask for it and lobby for it and fight for it get a picture of mom with the kid you're guaranteed to sell it, they are going to buy at least five by seven I don't care if they ate other kids, I don't care if dad isn't in the picture, they're going to buy a picture of them with that kid and they always I'm not dressed for pictures today we're here for his session I don't care come on, mom no it's all right, don't worry I'll do it for free get a picture of the parents of the kid every single time they will buy it every single time and it could be the cheesiest picture in the world and they're going to buy it so cool let's keep going here um I was like that I always avoid when guys walk in actually do it kind of is a joke I'm like hey you here for your session? You know what you're signed up for and they're like senior pictures yeah, totally um so your session maybe like four hours I am boy talking about how long their sessions are they do, but I know you want to avoid not making that connection. You want to avoid that you've got to get that connection you gotta get it. You've got to find something to talk about for half a hour to two hours. You have to find that common think and that goes across that's that's cross gender that's cross segment of business whether it's a boudoir client whether it's a senior client whether it's a headshot client if it's a wedding you have to make these connections with people high school guys are some of the hardest to do but it's on you to make that connection all right and the other thing that's funny is like moms will spend as much on high school guys as they do on their daughters and it's funny because so many people get like worked up like I don't want to high school guys because I just I don't like you and I don't know how to pose on there's only three poses and I'm not going to sell very much if julie has a sixteen by twenty if cara has a sixteen by twenty if joni has a sixteen by twenty guess what billy's getting is money in the bank they're going if they buy big wall portrait's for their daughters they're goingto have to buy them because you have to be equal with your kids I hear I don't have kids so I don't know for sure e no junior you're my favorite you get we're gonna have a shrine teo you forget the other one no sincerely like there's a lot of times especially you're not shooting the first kid you're not shooting the first kid there are certain elements of high school seniors where it doesn't matter what your pricing is it doesn't matter because there are certain things that they are almost pre required to buy they have to buy a matching wall portrait now what I really hope is that they buy a matching wall portrait with a custom frame because then I can explain to them how custom frames go in and out of style and moldings may or may not be in fashion, so you should buy all your frames right now. I'll do it for a hell of a price. You got it and so it's an opportunity to to sell more. But don't be afraid of shooting high school guys. You could make a lot of money, especially if they have daughters that they've already bought big stuff for. You might not hit us many wallets. You might not hit little jewelry pieces or anything like that. You aren't gonna hit that stuff, but you're gonna hit the meat and potatoes. They're still gonna buy the pictures for the aunts and uncles. There's something about the pictures for the grandmas and, um yeah, what else if you sell? Yeah, they're obligated by the campus, but if they buy the twenty by twenty four, they're obligated by it. For all the other kids. They have to be the first kid that the first kid in that family that buys sets, the bar crosses all studios, everything else, they're going to need that product from you and then pre sell sports collages and we're gonna go over and we show you one of those today to show you how we lay it out and make it and it's super easy. And but have conversations with your clients. Get them thinking about spending money, get them thinking about the things they want to buy. And don't do it in a you gotta buy this. Just make sure they know you should. They know their options so cool and that's about all I got for this segment, so thank you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Next, one's coming up with the full shoot at it. Download done.

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Lightroom Start to Finish Guide
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Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I decided to listen in on the free course of Build a High Volume Senior Photography Business w/ Matthew Kemmentmueller...I thought it would be good to have the skill sets even if I chose to do another photography forum other than seniors. And I was laughing thru the whole thing...he is one funny guy!! So, I decided to buy it...not only is this course full of great tips/advice/ and "did you know facts" but it's really informative and again, he is down right funny. I'm learning lots. Thanks for having him on Creative Live...this one is a keeper.

Diane Yvon
 

I absolutely loved this course. I am primarily a maternity and newborn shooter and to my surprise what I learned here applies to my current work as well as developing my senior work. I thoroughly enjoyed Matthews delivery of each topic as it was clear, precise, fun and non intimidating. I will watch this over and over and the course downloads were amazing! 100% satisfied with this course

fcaisp
 

Matthew's class is excellent! I watched it live, but decided to buy it since it's so foundational. I think his information and materials are excellent, whether someone wants to be "high volume" or not. I love how he continually drove the point home about how so many photographers overwork themselves and gave excellent ways to resolve this issue. CL does such a great job of covering the gamut in education of all types. Thanks!

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