The free information on this page was taken from the Clicking for Cash from Home guide.
The Agreement Form
The reason I used the word agreement form is it made the client feel more appreciated and trusted. I found the word contract too formal and stiff.
Plus you will notice that it is short and to the point and it fit on one sheet. The reason I left out all the legalese rhetoric is because clients would not read it. And if you doubt that, let me ask you-do you read those user agreements when you sign up for software downloads, or when you use services on websites, and other like items?
So without further ado here is the form,
P.S. If you like this form, I do have a bonus marketing kit with the forms and sale aides I used in my business that I give away as a thank-you for buying the Clicking for Cash from Home paperback book from Amazon.
Company Name Wedding Agreement Form
I, ___________________________have hired (Your company name) for my _________________on (date)___________ time____________ at_____________________ Directions to the event: ______________________________________
_____$XXX.00 deposit paid.
_____$XXXX.00—Ultimate Plan: Includes: 7 to 9 hours. Engagement photo session with CD. 300—4” x 6” prints in proof album & CD. An album of ___ 12-8” x 10”s & 24-5” x 7”s or ___ flush mount album of 10 pages, 20 sides. A 16” x 20” framed photograph and coffee table book
___$XXXX.00 Premier Plan-9 hours Over 300-4”x6” prints in album, 10-8”x10”s, 8-5”x7”s & photo CD.
___$XXXX.00 Deluxe Plan-6 hours Up to 300-4”x6” prints in album, 8-8”x10”s , 6-5”x7”s, & photo CD
___$XXX.00 Standard Plan-4 hours Up to 275-4”x6” prints in album, 4-8”x10”s, 6-5”x7”s, & photo CD.
Ala carte:
____ Engagement session………………………………………… $ 125.00
____ Photo light & back drop.………………………….………….. $ 50.00
____ Enlargement Album 12—8” x 10”s & 24—5” x 7”………. $675.00
____ Flush mount album-10 pages, 20 sides…………………….… $675.00
____ Parents Album 24-5” x 7”s…………………………………. $299.00
____ Woven Photo Blanket 54” x 70” (Your choice of Photo)…… $125.00
____ Photo pillow (Your choice of photo)………………………… $ 39.99
____ DVD Event Album .…………………………………………… $125.00
____ Leather or linen coffee table book (15 pgs/30 sides)……… $135.00
____ Digital brag books (15 pages, 30 sides)…………………… $ 39.99
Deposits are non refundable if client cancels a week after the booking.
Last day cancellations-Full price will be paid to (your company)
(Your company) is not held responsible for and from any injuries and or damages due to children and/or guests running into or tripping over photographer’s equipment. If equipment is damaged by client, guests or their children—they will be responsible for replacing damaged equipment with the same product item or provide a new item.
If photos do not turn out, not due to photographers fault such as defective processing, lost or stolen, fire, or acts of God, all monies minus expenses shall be returned.
No refunds once client has examined the photographs, paid, and left the premises with photographs.
____________________________Date_____________________
Client signature
____________________________City_______________Zip____
Client address
Telephone no. (______)___________Cell ___________Email_____
Your company name Phone: 555-555-5555
Your business address
Your Email
Your website
Your company Wedding Pricing Sheet
All my services include:
- No additional charges for touch ups, black and white, sepia, and photo tinting
- I offer online ordering of reprints, enlargements, and photo gifts.
- I do not require photographer only rights so family and friend are welcome to take photos too.
Ultimate Plan $2500.00 Includes: 7 to 9 hours. Engagement photo session with CD. 300—4” x 6” prints in proof album & CD. An album of ___ 12-8” x 10”s & 24-5” x 7”s or ___ Flush mount album of 10 pages, 20 sides. A 16” x 20” framed photograph and coffee table book..
Premier Plan $1275.00: 9 hours: Over 300-4”x6” prints in album, 10-8”x10”s, 8-5”x7”s, & photo CD.
Deluxe Plan $1075.00: 6 hours: Up to 300-4”x6” prints in album, 8-8”x10”s, 6-5”x7”s, & photo CD
Standard Plan $825.00: 4 hours: Up to 275-4”x6” prints in album, 4-8”x10”s, 6-5”x7”s, & photo CD.
Ala Carte Extras
- Engagement session……………………………………. $125.00
- Photo light & back drop……………………………….. $ 50.00
- Enlargement Album. 12—8” x 10”s & 24—5” x 7”….. $675.00
- Flush mount album-10 pages, 20 sides………………… $675.00
- Parents Album. 24-5” x 7”s…………………………… $299.00
- Framed 16” x 20” framed enlargement..……………… $135.00
- Woven Photo Blanket 54” x 70”-Your photo choice… $125.00
- Photo pillow- (Your choice of photo)…..……………… $ 40.00
- DVD Slide show…..…………………………………… $125.00
- Leather or linen coffee table book (15 pgs/30 sides)…… $135.00
- Digital brag books (15 pgs/ 30 sides)……..……………. $ 39.99
Reprint and Enlargement pricing
- 4” x 6”…….…….. $ 2.25
- 5” x 7”………….. $ 5.50
- 8” x 10”…………. $12.50
- 11” x 14”…..……. $25.00
- 16” x 20”…..……. $45.50
- 20” x 30”….……. $65.00
- Set of 24 wallets… $10.50
Company Name
Since XXXX—Creating Happy Smiles with Beautiful and Quality Photography
Phone numbers
Business Address
Website
The PREPS of Photography
When the prospective bridal couple begins the tireless search for a wedding photographer, they are soon overwhelmed with the countless choices. That is why if your website in addition to standing out from the rest… Has to offer educational materials that will assist the happy couple on their wedding day.
The following is example of the information I had on my website about how to chose the right photographer for a wedding. an informational one page sheet that I gave to the happy couple that pointed out and assured the client that I had all the proper safeguards in place.
The PREPS of Photography
(Professionalism, Reliability, Experience, Price, and Service)
When choosing a photographer for your special day you want to be sure that the service is professional and your photographs will be there for you. This informational sheet can help you ask the right questions of a photographer to insure that your wedding day will be a beautiful reminder in photographs and not a disastrous loss.
When choosing a photographer for your special day you want to be sure that the service is professional and your photographs will be there for you. This informational sheet can help you ask the right questions of a photographer to insure that your wedding day will be a beautiful reminder in photographs and not a disastrous loss.
- Professionalism: Does the photographers web site showcase only about 20 to 25 of their best wedding photos in a slow moving slideshow set to music? Or is there a variety of formal, creative, candid, and spontaneous photos showcasing the different aspects of a wedding event? Is the photographer nice, cheerful, attentive, flexible, and helpful? Or is the photographer egotistical, haughty and knows what is best for you?
- Reliability: Does the photographer have a history of being late to appointments or events? Can the photographer deliver your photos, albums, CD, or DVD slide shows within a reasonable time period such as one month vs. six months? Does the photographer back up your work on a CD right after the wedding so it is not lost if his/her CF card or PC crashes?
- Compliance: How is your personal information protected? Is on a password protected computer with up to date antivirus software? Does anyone else i.e. family or other business associates have access to the photographer’s computer? Are the client’s sensitive information and or wedding on a portable flash drive the photographer is carrying all over the place? Is the photographer leaving his lap top with your sensitive information and photos in the front seat of his car in plain sight making it vulnerable to theft?
- Experience: The better choice is to hire the experienced home based photographer who is the one who shoots one to two weddings a week—rather than a random studio photographer who does maybe one a month.
- Price: The studio store front photographer charging $3500.00 to $7500.00 to cover overhead—does not mean better. The lower priced photographer who works out of their home can do just as good a job at a better value.
- Service: Does the photographer return your phone calls and emails in a timely manner? Are they flexible and willing to work with you on staying within in your budget? Will they accommodate your photography requests? Are they the photographer that will be photographing your wedding or do they send someone else?
Additionally, the photographer you hire should have a varied portfolio… be well trained and experienced both in photography and business techniques… have great communication skills… love what they do and enjoy working with their clients.
Four Free or Low Cost Ways to Advertise
The first way is I wrote a monthly column in a community newspaper.
The second way was I entered local photo and art competitions in the states I lived in. I ended up having two month long shows, was in juried competitions, donated photography to a local art gallery, and had my photography published in the local newspaper.
The third way was I sent a copy of my books sell sheet to the Photography Talks website founder and got featured on the Learn & Explore Series. Click here to view the article
The fourth way: I Created a Slide Show and put it up on Slide Share
Good luck and happy clicking!
Is Facebook Your Photography Business Web Site?
It’s a great day and you’re out shopping when you happen to pass by a group of ladies talking about needing a wedding photographer. Your ears perk up and you stop and introduce yourself.
“Hello, I couldn’t help overhearing you are looking for a wedding photographer. My name is ____________ and I am a wedding photographer”.
The bride is interested and asks you for your card and if you have a website.
“You can view my pictures on FaceBook (FB).” You say as you hand the woman your card
“So you don’t have a web site?”
“No, but I’ve got at least 100 wedding photos and all my information on FB.” You say.
“Well, I’m sorry but I prefer to see a website. I think it’s more professional. Thanks away.” And the person hands back your card and walks off.
Bummer–another sale bites the FB dust. And here are the reasons why:
Not everyone is on FB
FB page is loaded with distracting ad’s all over the place that the prospective client might click on and be taken away from your site.
Besides, if you have a website–you have a better chance of being found when prospective clients does an internet search for wedding photographers, your city and state.
Plus if you have control over your it–you can add SEO Meta tags. You can’t do that with FB.
With a web site you can have separate pages with your services, photo galleries, on line viewing and ordering, testimonials, products and contact me. Try that with FB.
Plus writing on your About Me page beats using the a FB notes page the prospect may not even see or read.
And by the way, I want to mention that my photography web site brought in 90% of my business-sight unseen. I had prospective clients calling me and gushing “I love your web site…are you available for this date…where can I send my deposit.”
No one’s ever called me about how they love my Photography by Laura FB page.
The Client Rules–So set your ego aside
I have been to weddings where the photographer was overbearing and insisted the couple do exactly as he/she wanted. It was obvious the egotistical photographer forgot the client rules.
Clients are paying you–so you do as they wish–you don’t run the show. You may interfuse suggestions–but in the end the client will tell you what they want. And if doesn’t fit your idea of creativity, too bad, keep on shooting with a smile on your face.
It’s also best to use your intuition and listen to those subtle red flags in your head so you don’t take on a troublesome client who can cause you to lose your hard earned money.
Clients expect you to know everything about photography and be a critical thinker in solving problems. This means you should not ask “what do you think we should do?”
If you screw up the client’s job–the client will tell everyone about their bad experience on social media. That a real career killer.
The professional photographer always stays positive and remembers to keep the ego in check when on social media, photography blogs, or in chat groups. It can be easy to lambast other photographers back with mean, degrading, nasty and negative comments when they write something disrespectful or nasty about you. Things is you don’t know who will see your comments–which includes prospective clients. So this could mean a silent phone as no one wants to hire a short tempered and unprofessional photographer.
And even though you will see the same styles of wedding dresses, decorations, and activities… always remember to compliment the client on how beautiful, unique, and creative their stuff and event is.
Properly interfused mingling and social small talk at an event with client’s, their families, and guests is how you get more work. If you just stand around an entire event looking like a statue while waiting for the next shot–no one will know who you are.
As a home based photographer–the client does not care about your awards… or where you went to school… or articles written up about you in the newspaper–all they care about is how much do you charge and how good are your photos.
Happy shooting
The Lazy Photographer’s Way to Making Money–Not!
I recently received a email titled “Discover the “Lazy Photographer’s Secret” to Pulling in over $1,200 a Month … in Your Spare Time!” for the special price of $249.00. The ad claimed I would not need expensive equipment or have to spend hours editing photos.
Well let me say that when I’m being paid to photograph weddings, portraits, and other events—I use a 35 mm digital camera and it takes a few hours to edit the photos. Plus… I did use my studio lighting when I shot portraits and product.
So I am thinking why would it be any different with stock photography? And why would I pay $249.00 for information that is already available on the internet.
Plus, I can tell you there is no lazy mans way to making money with stock photography. It takes time and the right equipment to shoot raw images to edit into top notch photos that will be accepted by the review board editors.
And if you decide to use the freebee sites that accept anyone–chances are your images may never sell as you are in competition with at least a million images.
First, you need to know how to take good photos. On the IStock web site they have photo taking tutorials and show examples photos of the type of photos they want. Here is the link. http://www.istockphoto.com/help/sell-stock/training-manuals
The tutorials discuss that images need to be shot in the raw format so when edited the image will not lose definition and be full of noise. The editors suggest that the photographer use a 35 mm digital camera and not a digital point and shoot. IStock also has a listing of what popular subject matter they are looking for.
Then when you have the right images there are the submission guidelines regarding model releases, product identification, image copywriting, and other topics.
The other three sites with review boards are Shutterstock, Fotolia, and Dreamstime.
Now if travel photography is your thing—you should go to the travel magazine web sites to see what they are looking for. Then you should plan out your images and shoot photos in the RAW mode. Since the RAW mode uses a lot of flash card space—this might be a hindrance if you are one of those people who like to just snap away hoping to get a good photo by accident. In that case carry an extra point and shoot for those photos.
Happy Clicking.
Doing your own SEO
SEO means search engine optimization. If you have control of your web sites HTML editor, you can write in the meta tags the right keywords so search engine spiders will be able to find your site.
When I had my photography business I got unsolicited emails from SEO companies that for a monthly or yearly fee, they guaranteed to put me at the top of all the search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others. But since I knew that was impossible, and how to do my own META tags, I trashed the emails and saved my money.
The words I typed into my META tags on my web site was–wedding photography, wedding photos, wedding photographers, photography, children’s photographers, portrait photographers, portrait photography, pet photography, pet photos… you get the picture. Also I would use the name of the major city I was living close to in front of these keywords too.
To find out more about SEO–Google search words can guide you through the process.
Here is a link to the Bing web master guidelines as an example on how to get your site listed on Bing. http://www.bing.com/webmaster/help/webmaster-guidelines-30fba23a
Happy Clicking.
Here is a site I used for years that brought me quite a few new clients for my wedding business…
Clicking for Cash from Home 