Segment 33 - Senior Rep Program Q&A
Leslie Kerrigan
Lessons
Bonus Video: Beach/Park Senior Shoots
30:35 2Bonus Video: Concept Shoot
32:47 3Segment 1 - Why Senior Photography
20:07 4Segment 2 - Getting Started & Research Your Market
28:55 5Segment 3 - How to Get Started Q&A
27:55 6Segment 4 - Branding: Your Ideal Client
22:05 7Segment 5 - Branding: Define It
26:16Segment 6 - Visual Branding Tips for Websites & Blogs
31:29 9Segment 7 - Educating Your Potential & Current Clients
25:22 10Segment 8 - Get to Know Your Senior Client: Questionnaires
31:22 11Segment 9 - Senior Portrait Experience: Plan the Shoot
14:11 12Segment 10 - Senior Portrait Experience: What to Wear Guide
19:33 13Segment 11 - Senior Portrait Experience: Building a Style Closet
16:44 14Segment 12 - Interview with Senior Photographer: Jared Rey
22:52 15Segment 13 - Wardrobe Consultation with HS Senior
23:19 16Segment 14 - Senior Session: Hair & Makeup
23:12 17Segment 15 - Senior Session: Guy Wardrobe & Locations
25:25 18Segment 16 - Senior Session: Posing Girls vs Guys
35:37 19Segment 17 - Rooftop Shoot: Senior Girl Part 1
21:13 20Segment 18 - Rooftop Shoot: Senior Girl Part 2
19:21 21Segment 19 - Workflow & Post-Production Overview
18:38 22Segment 20 - Leslie's Editing Process
34:18 23Segment 21 - Senior Session Q&A
13:45 24Segment 22 - Social Media & HS Seniors
15:11 25Segment 23 - Interview With Teen Photographer Sara Cooney
21:01 26Segment 24 - Senior Panel: Teens' Perspective
26:02 27Segment 25 - Senior Panel Q&A
14:31 28Segment 26 - In-Person Ordering Session
42:28 29Segment 27 - Ordering Session Q&A
29:38 30Segment 28 - Pricing for Your Market
16:08 31Segment 29 - How to Build Your Collections
37:42 32Segment 30 - The Formula for Pricing and Q&A
24:37 33Segment 31 - What is a Senior Model/Rep Program
17:45 34Segment 32 - What Makes a Great Senior Rep & Rep Marketing
34:24 35Segment 33 - Senior Rep Program Q&A
35:10 36Thanks + Credits
06:26 37Segment 34 - Marketing Tool: Concept Shoot Part 1
24:21 38Segment 35 - Marketing Tool: Concept Shoot Part 2
39:52Lesson Info
Segment 33 - Senior Rep Program Q&A
so I kind of blew through that a little bit. There was a lot of information. I knew I'd have questions. Can we take any questions here in the audience, Teoh? Absolutely. Do that. And while you guys think of your questions, with so many coming in from online. So I wanted to start from one that goes back to a couple people were asking to clarify about the referral bonuses that the reps get. And there was a slide for that. Yeah, but on maybe Nico can take us back before you came. The question is, are they cumulative? So, for example, if somebody pays or somebody gets one referral and they get the session right, then are they getting the cash for the next 2 to 4. And then are they getting 30% off the five referrals, etcetera, etcetera? Does it all add to each other? So by the end, they've got a whole lot of stuff. Well, I mean, it is per referral, so number one gets him a free session. Period number two, get some $25 period done. Number through. If they get the number three, they're gettin...
g $2500. So that you said that the money, I guess, adds up. Yeah, So? So, yes. Also, listen for the 10th person, they're getting that digital collecting on top of everything else, they've already gotten everything else they've already got. Yeah, Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. A couple of people were just asking. Yeah, for that clarification. Awesome. Let's see. Okay. Good question from Stacy. Jacob, But which is what month are you doing? The senior model meeting the meeting itself with the juniors or the potential, right? So early. You know, like I start the application process in, like, November December ish time frame, and then I'm starting to go through the applications. And then I generally have a model meeting sometime in January, February so that I can make a decision and announce them. Maybe bum March 1st is usually good time, because then I'm going to start planning the actual shoot. I tried to do the shoot in March, but marches iffy with weather in our in my states. And sometimes I push it all the way to April. But just because I do want good weather and obviously I'm on on location photographer, So I need somewhere outside. So we actually, the this shoot we actually had scheduled for one week and had to reschedule because it was torrential downpour. So? So another good question is from a Stephanie Mitchell who says for girls who apply to the program that didn't get selected do you offer them any discount if they with you? Yeah, I do. I just say, you know, thanks so much for applying. And I offer just a small discount on their session fee again with just that one session fee if they want the other one. No, but yeah, just, you know, as a thank you as a courtesy, as they used to, you know, to help them make them feel better. I guess. You know I hate a little nose. I do offer something in return. Yeah, that's great. No, that's that's great. So this is a question from Leo J. Brown. What do you suggest is the best way to keep track of the referrals provided by your reps? I have just like that notebook. I should You guys, yesterday I have a print out that has all my reps names. And then I just have one referral to for all three of road just check him as they go. And then I write down the name of the referral so that nobody else can claim that person on. Then if if somebody's calling into book a session on their form that I fill out that I you know that I keep track of their information right in the notes referred by so and so So I've got two ways to kind of keep up with it. So, yeah, you need some way to tally it, Whether it's a spreadsheet or whether you create your own form, definitely make sure you write it down when you when you hear about it so they don't come back to you and say, Well, wait, I got that person. You go. You couldn't look and say, Well, no, that person didn't mention your name. So, yeah, definitely makes you keep up with it. Yeah, I just was curious. You said that at one school you have four reps, so I've had people. I have a school where I have two reps and I've had someone say, Oh, I'm friends with and they say both girls do you have? Do they have to, like, give you that thing? give me the car over whatever friend they gave the card to. That's the person getting the referral credit. Okay, because of that. Because, you know, when I first started again, I made some mistakes that people would just say. Well, so and so told me about you, and I give him the credit for it. It's like, Wait a minute. They just, like, overheard her in the hall or something. Unity. So I do make sure the reps know that the person has to And a lot of times when the person books, they'll mail me this with their check, okay? To pay for their session. Or they'll bring this to the ordering session and then that at that point, you right there. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Door. Do you do anything for people who are referred by someone who has referred? You know, I mean, like, they say they booked a session with you because they referred by one of your reps. Now one of their friends books Obsession with you because of this person, Not the rap. They're not. Not if they're not. They don't get anything for very fertile. Okay? I mean, you might e I mean, you might could do that. And then everybody's going to Europe and maybe something small for the people that aren't that you might consider many about 10 or something like that. I think that's inexpensive and thank you. And I think that's great. No, for the most part, it's the I mean, the refs are getting this right. So I didn't get the same lift If you felt like that would be a good thing. Cinema. Thank you. Give him a Starbucks gift card, you know? Yeah, we have a lot more questions coming. Um, keep asking them. But one of the things that we're talking about in the chat rooms that rust is asked, folks, and I would love to get your ideas here is are you doing rep programs model programs already and twofold. So if so, what does work well for you? What are some other insights that you might have for people at home? But then, if not, what are the things that have jumped out for you? That you might go ahead and try? I have one. And I have, um my problem this year has been that my girls tell me that everybody's direct So all the high school girls, all their friends, everyone's a rep for somebody because there's so many senior photographers. And there everyone does reps that everybody's a rep. So that is the Do they not want to be a rep because of that? No. They're saying it's hard to refer people because everyone's a rep for somebody else. So then there's no one left to refer that. There's just so many and then some of a Yeah, I mean home and everyone's does it differently. Um, yeah, everybody does do it differently. That's true, because I mean what you what you give them is all different, although all over the board I mean, I don't know of anybody else, even in my area doing one. So I don't have that problem. Um, I stand our yeah way, Give me a hard question and wait a little bad for me because nobody else is doing it. E. And I mean my girls, they are work really hard, like they post stuff all the time and they shirts and I have gotten referrals from them, but there I don't know if maybe I have too many reps and I have 11 you have 11 and are different schools. Is that 11? 11 different? I mean, I live in a big city, so we have you have one rep lens of schools, right? I actually have to. It what? The school right by me. I have to. Okay. But everything else? Yeah, yeah. How many do the other do you know about, like, how many of the other people have it? I think that probably about similar. I mean, I think there's some with less one photographer in my area. Last year I know had 22 reps, but I don't know how she runs her program. I just I don't know what she but I mean and I live in Portland. There's, like, probably 50 high schools, right? So is there a high school? But nobody's gotten into yet. Like, five reps maybe should give that round, rock it to a different high school. Maybe you could do something completely different so it might stand out in the people that you that your rips are referring, um, again, you know, it's gonna go back to what makes you different to make my car, you versus somebody else. But if there's nobody left to call. That's definitely hard. That's the challenge. I mean, if everybody's got already gotten three photos because they're all just rips and how is anybody making any money? Yeah, right. And we how are you getting clients? So my my idea would be to try to go to one of the high schools that maybe you haven't reached yet. Okay? And I know like Leah is friends with a photographer in my area also, and she said the same thing. Then she has wraps, and she has had trouble. So, like our rep, and I went up to one of my friends and gave him this car. Chances are, that person's a rep for somebody else. It's possible. And that's what Yeah. I mean, I think there's just a lot of them, right? Oh, gosh, that Yeah, that that is the challenge. Um, again, I would just try to research some other high schools, maybe be the first in an area high school that somebody else hasn't gotten into yet. Just tell your reps to keep working, and surely there's gotta be somebody that needs toe hire somebody. Actually, I am m booked. At this point. I mean, so I I'm doing fine. But my girl, I think the girls maybe are more frustrated even than I am like I have, Right? As many as I continue. I can. Then they want to do a good job, but they're frustrated that there and I do the same thing where they earned stuff. And so they're like, Well, I'm frustrated now. I'm not finding anything. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Did they get did they are to get a group shoot, so they got a fun experience. Can you maybe give them things like, like, for me, that the modeling in the fashion show and the modeling on the television show weren't part of the program? That's fairly I just Then I don't think they're frustrated like that. Like right with what? That would make them like that. Yeah. Yeah, that maybe isn't on the referral list, but at least they're getting something and rewards for their Yeah, good job that they are doing. Or that they're trying to Yeah, yeah, yeah. Honest. And say that my model program sucked, and it was terrible. I also seriously, um I think for two years, the 1st 1 another photographer stole my reps um, it was tear. I mean, it was so bad. It was like I was looking on Instagram and my my reps. I went with another photographer, and I knew she knew, you know, they were my ribs, you know? So I was just like I was done, and so it can be very frustrating. Yeah. This past year, I was in tears, like, literally, like, this is I was so disappointed I put so much work into it. Um, but now I found that I don't like him that long life for that long of time by for their junior year, all the way to their senior year. Like it doesn't work for my relationship with them. They're kind of flaky and high tool. So I've found that the best time for me to have reps is from the spring life from Jane. Wary to May. So I only did with them for six months out of the year, right? The other times, period, For some reason, it was just too long, and it was just not working. And you figured out what works works for, you know, getting a mini model program. Yeah, I think that's awesome. I think that's what works for you. And that's also and didn't do you guys your normal senior season within that time frame. So they are marketing to people that are come running. Okay, well, then, you know no one. No one for me was coming in the fall for Senior portrait at all. I was always getting my business. And between February and my right, so I mean, I have them. We were doing things. But no one was really booking anyway from a for seniors. So I just felt that the spring would probably be better. And it worked. It worked pretty good, because I could I was able to do the concept, shoes and everything that I still wanted to do in the spring. But bring it was just I just found it works better for me. Like the long period of time. It's just It was what you also teaching this age groups and that might would be annoying. After a while, I know how they are. Like there so way love you. And then what you shot with someone else, you know? So I you know, it's just you know that that time period that age for them was really kind of awkward sometime and then sometimes they'll they'll be loyal to you and then my hair and gets another friend who was a photographer and, yeah, I have 11 year do that. And she, um you know, it says in the agreement you're not supposed to represent another photographer. Um, obviously, if you're like a cheerleader, something like that and you have to have team photos taken, whatever. That's fine. But you're not supposed to represent another photographer. Have your Freddo senior photos taken by another photographer. And then one day I look on Facebook and there's this photo of her and also and I didn't series of photos of her, and I was like, Oh, my gosh, what in the world like, Who is this person that had the photographers logo on it? And so I immediately reached out to her and just wasn't mean or anything like that. It just was, Hey, Brooke, I need to talk to you about something. I immediately I'm sure she knew that she had done something wrong because she didn't call me back. And then I reached out to the mother. I said, Hey, you know I really want to talk to you about something. Please give me a call then. I never heard back from him that way. So finally sent him a message. I think Facebook messaged the mom and the girl said, Hey, I don't know if you remember this and always try to give everybody benefits it out, So I didn't want to blame them immediately. So I just said I'm sure you remember, but we did have that agreement that you signed, which was part of the program s. So I don't know who this other photographer is, but, um, you know, it kind of looks bad, toe, have you supposedly rep for me? But posting this and I did finally get a message back from the senior and she apologized and said, I'm so sorry. She immediately took the photos down from that other photographer on Ben. So I tried to correspond back with her, and since then I've never heard back from her and up again. I wasn't mean. I was giving her every out she could possibly take. I just gently reminded her about the contract is a contract with the agreement that we decided on. And that's kind of why I have it. So at least I can remind them, I mean and ever going to try to hold up one of these agreements in court? No, but I'm at least reminding them and making them think twice before they signed their name and agree to something. And then it covers my You know what? When something like that would happen and I could remind them that I wasn't part of the deal. So, um, again, she never did anything else for May. And and that's fine. I think she you know how people react to stuff. Sometimes you might feel guilty for something that, you know is not the right thing and said then I think she just didn't want toe get you be embarrassed or whatever. And it was totally fine. And I was okay with that. I don't She hadn't brought any referrals. And at that point, anyway. But again, you just have to remind them that Hey, this is not. And don't be afraid to just tell them they can't be a part of the program again. I mean, if they're doing something that's like completely not part of your brand or if they're representing some other photographer, Then then you have to stand up for your brand. At that point again, you got to remember they are teenagers. But no, you know, because you teach him. But you know what I mean. You can't like just you can't be mean or whatever. And maybe you want to talk to the mom versus the girl. That's fine, too. But if I started seeing like, mean girls stuff going on by rep, I probably would say, OK, I really I really don't want you to represent my company anymore. And don't don't be afraid to do that. I think it's perfectly OK. I mean, I've definitely talk to photographer to have had certain situations come up where they were like, Oh gosh, you know, what do I do? And I said, You got to remember that while they are teenagers and they don't think sometimes and we all know how we were when we were teenagers, but at the same time, you have a business to protect. So don't be afraid, Teoh. If you have to cut somebody loose, cuts on the loose and just say thank you for what you've given me so far, but don't continue to tryto build that relationship that they aren't really reciprocating, you know? Mean, go back and forth, right? You know, it's never good to do that. You are completely right. It's still never good to do, right. I just, You know, I know that I know how teens are, right. Um, so I didn't go back and forth. You know, I just new life for further, you know, for future references. You know how to take on that situation. So now I'm so very selective on who I bring in. And you know, just who's close to me now, you know, And I try also to have a very strong relationship with their parents, right? Because they find that the relationship I didn't have a strong relationship with the other parent. And so I just found that me having a personal relationship with the mom or the dad or just a family, right? It helps. Yeah, it definitely does. It definitely does. I would say my girls this year definitely have a great and last year. Those two years have been my best years really so far, and I've been doing it for a while, but Those were the years that I could really see that these girls genuinely were excited to do it. I mean, you saw that photo of me hanging out with all of them. I was literally, before we started the segment texting two of my reps, asking them, Have they moved into their dorm yet? Because today there are moving in. I know that about them. And I would do that with a client as well as a red. The ref you really get to know because you are spending a lot of time with them and you're doing a lot of stops. So again, I like Teoh, reward them throughout the year and do fun shoots. I mean, any time I want to do a concept, she which is our next segment, I would call my reps and say, Hey, or any time I need to put together a slideshow for this and I need a photo, I'm gonna call them, you know, domain. And so they get mawr than just those rewards. I mean, it's it is a lot more than that. So, you know, think about it in terms of that, too, because, you know, just having that relationship with a group of girls and they become a baby sitters. I mean, they're my They're my resource for baby sitting because obviously teenagers grow up and move on, and they're not always there to baby sit anymore. So they become that. In fact, I don't really know what I'm gonna do with one of my reps. This year leaves because she's been my baby sitter since she was in 10th grade. So, you know, But that that's that they all become a part of your lives. And those are the girls that you pick or the guy that you pick or whatever really need to be that for you. I mean, you guys are working together to achieve the same goal. So it sounds like you have created the ultimate ultimate experience. I really need to grow up, right? I really need to bring my phone over here and show you all the text that I've gotten just today just from all the girls sending me pictures of their dorm rooms and stuff because it does. It tells you that that's the way we are. You gonna cry? No. If you're gonna now. So although our there, I probably would have moved one of a few of them. There are a few of them. I would maybe we can look at it. All right. Can we take of more questions before we go before? Would you go to break Tracy? Kenny had asked, Can you expand on what you do ask your reps to do throughout the year? She finds that this reps kit distracted with school activities. Homework, boys, etcetera. So can you remind us again one of the different things that they're doing for you? Different things like you post each month, Something on Facebook s. So, you know, again, I go back to the Facebook profile or Facebook status examples I give them that said that they know that. OK, let me just go to my sheet and I'll just type this out or a copy and paste it. I will post in there, um, in the Facebook group any time I want to market something. So those air things, um let me just read all the calendar here. So, like January applied to be a spokesmodel February 10. The model meeting march share that you were chosen to be a model, um, April, where the shoot. The model shoot may change your team timeline. Cover to the one from the model Shoot June. Continue to share marketing materials with friends via social media. You know, August back to school party, December Christmas party. Things like that are just the things we do throughout the year, and most of it is just a requirement to post and share and continue. And just to remind them to do that in any time, there's something new that I want out there. I'll just go to them. When I got my new website this year, I went in there and said, Hey, girls chair the new link to you know the website. It's all rebranded. Go check it out. Your photos are on there. So that's something that you know we we can share. And then also I didn't touch on this earlier, but whenever I pick them actually had passed rips deliver this personally, I'm gonna make meth deliver this personally to the new reps at school, because then it created like an excitement. And, um, all the other students were like, Oh, what's going on? You know, So it's a novel. A. It's got all the leader that we're just gonna come out. But e try not to make a mess. Ah, but he made it, says spokesmodel team. And then in there is just a car. This is congratulations. You were invited to be a part of the 2015 spokesmodel team, and then it gives them a little idea of how to share that They were chosen. So just said something like, take a pic with your the rep that gave you this and share it on Facebook instagram and share your excitement about being chosen. So that was neat. And then I announced it, you know, on Instagram and had a little little square for Instagram. That kind of looked the same with the same design that just said Caitlin is a 2015 ripped and things like that. So that was neat. You could also maybe take them, have your password up to take them a cupcake. I mean, I can't go into school. So the past reps really came in handy for that. Take him a cupcake at school, take a balloon to school would say Oh, my God. I guess what you were chosen make it special so that they and so that other people can see it. So, yeah. So even junior sophomores, whatever might have seen out, I don't know when the girls actually took it, because I left it up to the pass around. So, you know, they may have gave it to him it lunch or whatever, but I left that up to them because they know that their day and they know what would fit in with their scheduled a vast. But I really love that because, like I say, it created a lot of excitement. So, yeah, I'm blown away. Are you guys, like, with how amazing this program is? No wonder you were excited to talk about it. You started off the segment saying this is my advertising. Yeah. This is an down to every little detail, right? It's just beautiful. And I can see how you've been iterating and working on this for years. Oh, yeah, Definitely. That did not start out this way. I did not start out thinking of this or, you know, doing that or whatever. So yeah, it takes It takes some time. Wow. Every single segment of this workshop that keeps adding on and adding on that alone is worth $129. That alone. I mean, that's really, really incredible. So thank you. Maybe just a couple more questions as well. Some good ones still. Then let me know if you have any other seat. Do you ever run? This is from picture taker, girl. Do you ever run a contest between your reps to get them to be more productive and have a grand prize? Yeah, I think that's a really good idea, especially when you know, go back to when I post in the Facebook group. How many referrals people have at the time that usually warrants a competition or, you know, makes people go. Let me do some more so I can get up with so and so or whatever. A prize for that would be a good idea. I haven't personally given a price for that. It just kind of announced a You know, this is where everybody is. You're doing a good job type thing, the whole T shirt design thing. They all submitted T shirt designs and then voted on it. And so that person got, you know, a little gift card to Starbucks or for being the design they chose, Things like that would be good. I do think a little bit of friendly competition is always a good idea. So but just make sure it's in the vein of friendliness, because that could easily turn Not so nice. So, yeah, you definitely don't want the mean girls? No, definitely not now and in girl. I mean, we all were in high school one time. You know how how it can be sometimes, and it stinks. And I'm sure it's way worse than when I was in high school. Um, so, yeah, just make sure if you do the competition, it is a very friendly, spirited competition. Cool. Do we have any more questions in here? Ideas, comments? First thing you're gonna go home and do you Do you ever find that the girls who don't get chosen like I always worry about really hurting their feelings? And you're like making a big deal about it at school? And if someone who wasn't chosen was right there, I mean, do they do they usually come thio thio. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't, um and no, I'm not trying to throw it in their face or anything like that. And I worry about those things to that same time. The pro of that is to see, you know, for their excitement and things like that. I do know that one of the girls took it very well. Most of the girls that didn't get chosen took it very well this year. So, um, whether they will come to me that I don't know this year, Um just relating it, Teoh. This is the first year of them. This? Um yeah. I mean, I don't want hurting guys feeling thing. That's the hard part. I hated trying to pick and choose Ivy Lee did. And from Riverside, where I picked for I think I probably had 10 that came to the model meaning and probably 12 or 13 that applied just from Riverside. So, you know, But again, it goes back to really making sure you let them know I cannot, as much as I want to cannot have everybody because it is a cost to me. If you were having them pay to be a part of it, you could have as many as you wanted. Teoh. You know, that's just not how I structured it. So I just have to explain that to them. And I never want to hurt my feelings. But I've seen a couple of games and stuff and they speak to me and I speak to them and make sure go out of my way to say hey to one because I mean, I remember them. I mean, you know me, and we go to football games. I mean, again, I'm involved in all of this again. I have girls that are cheerleaders and I love that part. So I go to football games and take the boys and they play football, so it works out great. But I'll run into him and I'll say, Hey, you know how you doing and they all seem to be fine. You know? Um, did their feelings get hurt? Maybe maybe it did. But if I've done a good enough job letting everybody know that it's just not possible, then you know, unfortunately, you don't always make the team its life from, you know, to me, like I it is a life I absolutely hate on, like my kids teams that everybody gets a trophy I don't think everybody deserves a tricky, You know, the main, like everybody didn't do the work, though. And sometimes they know ahead of time. They're not a good fit either. I mean, our domain. Like so you just have toe. You have to trust your instinct. You have to be as kind as possible. And you have to just let people know that not everybody is gonna make it. Yeah, and maybe you just educate your reps. Not, You know, if they can help it, don't do it right Right beside the girl that didn't make it. Because they know who made it way sat around after the model meeting. We talked about who they thought because they have a different insight than I do. So after I've interviewed all these people were all right. Okay. So what do you think? And what I think? And it ended up matching up reasons why some people were better than others. Ended up matching up with what I felt and what the girls that went to school with these people knew. Um, so that worked out fine. So they know who made it and who didn't know. And they don't want to hurt him by surveillance. either. I was just going to say they do have some type of experience with trying out. Just like for the football team. The dance detained a trailer team, um, for play in the school. So I think they do have the mentality that not everyone makes it for a particular role exact. Same, like Little League or whatever. Everybody makes the team. But eventually you do get used to not making it. I mean, I didn't make my college cheerleading team, and I'm still devastated, but e I still go to the football games. Yeah. Do you ever have parents that are no import with your program? Like when you have that parent model meeting? A couple of years ago, I had a mom and a daughter come to the model meeting and the mom kept going, so she's gonna have photos taken, but you're not gonna give her everything. And I said, no, I'm not going to give her everything. Well, then it's just not for us. And that's okay. Great. Because I'm not handing you all the stuff. Yeah, No way. So, yeah, And at that point, you know what truth be told that that girl was extremely shy. The mom was very overbearing, and I am very glad that they figured out that that's not for them. So I didn't have to tell her now and who that year I remember her maybe being the only one from that school, so I might would have been like maybe I took her and regretted it so and I will tell you another thing, and this is not to knock this certain type of person, but I don't tend to take pageant girls. And the reason is because they're getting their photo taken so often by so many people. So I don't want them to even have to worry about whether they can do that or not that they're in pageants. They are. That's their goal was to be in pageants, being actress, that kind of thing. I don't tend to take those girls as reps because they tend to expect all these photos or they tend to get a lot of photos taken by a lot of different people, and it would be way too confusing. So think about that, too, in terms of what type of person you want as your team member, because it just doesn't work for me. I had had a pageant girl one year, and every time I turned around she was posting stuff from pageants by other photographers, and I couldn't really say anything because that was her extracurricular activity. I can't keep her from getting those photos. Not like she went out and got her senior session done by another photographer, but it still was very confusing inner domain. So that's another little just that I've learned along the way. I don't tend to take those because I don't want to hinder them from what they're trying to accomplish, either. That's good. All right, we have a question from Stacy Jacob, do you or do you recommend specifically making an effort to choose diverse sizes of girls, shapes, ethnicities? And I think we talked about people being in different sports or what have you to like? All encompassing? Well, you definitely won't. Girls that aren't all of the things click. I don't pay attention to size, race, whatever. Whoever applies, if I fit with their personality, that's why I'm pickings. And no, I'm not consciously saying like I have this girl and I gotta have that girl. No, but I am picking girls that I mesh with. Um, and I am thinking of maybe not picking all the BFF's because they're all gonna have the same friend. So it's more with that regard. Um, you know, I can't say I've had, um, certain ethnic backgrounds apply, but it wouldn't be a consideration for may. I mean, if I mesh well with them and they were a good fit, I would pick him no doubt about. I don't I don't purposely pick or not pick anything like that. The only thing I would think about is whether this rep and this wrap this wrap all had the exact same friends. Gotcha. Awesome. Thank you. Okay, this is one where probably a lot of people are in this position. Catherine Holbert is saying, What if you don't have a marketing budget up front to cover all the costs of a senior program? Obviously, over the years, you built a robust program that have a lot of fixed costs. If if she wanted to have her senior reps have there hair and makeup done but didn't have the budget to cover that, would you charge the seniors? Would you ask them to get safer, this group shot, get their own hair and makeup, or what would be the thing? Maybe that you could ask the kids to do that. They would be OK, right? And I think there's a couple of different things you can do. I mean, yes, definitely. When you first started seeing a red program and have these folders and I have all this stuff, So it does take time and you definitely have to budget for that. This far is here. Make up. You know, there's a couple of different things you can do. Number one. You can try to find a hair makeup artist that is willing to trade, and that is the first thing I would do. Because if I can offer it to my reps, I'm going. Teoh, Um, first thing to do is find a new makeup artist or somebody that's up and coming, or explain to them that they're going to get a lot of business because you're going to get referrals that we're going to be bookings that will then result in them getting here makeup done. So that would be the first thing I would do it hands down the second thing If that didn't work out, then I would probably work out a deal with the hair makeup artist where they may be gave a discount, and maybe that is the only thing they purchased. I mean, that the reps were responsible for, and that's totally acceptable. They're not paying to be in the program. They're paying for this hair and makeup type deal that I don't feel bad about Afghan. I don't think that people would feel bad about giving on then, you know, like I say, the more you work on it that maybe you set aside a certain amount of money each year for your red program. That includes the cost of hair makeup, because you maybe aren't going to get that hair makeup parts to do it free every year. But when you're first starting, then you can probably do a trade of portfolio deal or, you know, help get them bookings in return
Class Materials
Ratings and Reviews
Lightfoot Studio
I can't say enough great things about this course! I went into it thinking I gain a little bit of info on posing and social media ideas... boy was I wrong! Leslie covers topics that I didn't even know where apart of Senior Photography. I highly recommend purchasing this course, if for no other reason then for the awesome senior panel that lets you know really want seniors want, are looking for, and actually care about in regards to their photos/social media/etc... I hope to meet Leslie one day and thank you personally! :)
Lynn Powell Roberts
I learned a lot from this course. I watched all day when CL replayed Sal Cincotta's senior course and I wanted a second perspective, so I bought Leslie's course. I'm really glad I purchased Leslie's course because it was a great complement to Sal's course. Leslie covered different things like using a style closet that I especially found useful. She also did a beach shoot with a male and female model, which I found very useful and different from Sal's style. Leslie is so excited about "her girls" that she photographs - it's very engaging. I highly recommend this course.
Student Work
Related Classes
Portrait Photography