Stress!
The #1 Reason People Don't Book Portrait Sessions
Say goodbye to portrait session stress!
As a portrait photographer with over 30 years of experience, I’ve seen every kind of portrait session challenge: crying babies, shy seniors, frazzled moms, and dads trying to watch the game on their phone during the session. I’ve worked with clients who don’t have a single open date on their calendar, have no idea what to wear, how to smile, what to do with their hands, which final images they like best, or how to present the portraits they have fallen in love with.
The number one reason people put off booking a portrait session is the myriad of ways it can end up being a stressful nightmare. But it doesn’t HAVE to be that way. I’ve worked over many years to develop a process for my clients that eliminates stress from every aspect of the portrait session – from preparation, to shooting, to selecting final images. What remains is an amazing experience filled with fun and laughter, and portraits that allow us to remember special times and special people for years to come.
Today, I want to cover the 4 most stressful questions potential clients have about booking a photoshoot and explain how these concerns are addressed and eliminated in a Ron Klein Photography portrait session.
“The number one reason people put off booking a portrait session is the myriad of ways it can end up being a stressful nightmare. But it doesn’t HAVE to be that way.”
1. How do I pick the right photographer?
I think the main attraction for a client to a photographer should be that artist’s style. You want his or her vision to be in sync with yours. Narrow your options to two or three photographers you love.
After style, the next goal should be to find a professional you trust. Selecting a professional will mean that you are working with someone whose growing pains happened long ago and who isn’t trying to figure it all out on your watch. Look for someone who communicates well, is intentional about what they say and do, and has confidence in their ability.
I’ve been a full-time working photographer for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve had close to two thousand portrait and commercial clients and I’ve never had one client express disappointment in my results. When we plan for sun and it’s overcast, I know what to do. When a subject feels awkward, I know what to do. When a high school senior boy would rather be anywhere than having his picture taken, I know what to do. When I’m not getting the shots I want or need, I know what to do.
With experience comes confidence. I can confidently tell you that you will love the portraits I make for you.
2. What will I wear for the session?
Whether it’s picking out five outfits for a senior session or coordinating an entire family, figuring out what to wear might be the most stressful thing for many portrait clients.
My answer is a combination of personal service and technology.
First, we will have a consultation prior to your session in which I can help with clothing selection. I know what’s currently in style. I know what looks good in front of the camera. I know what flatters different body styles. I know how to put together a set of senior portrait outfits that will work together as a cohesive collection.
Next, my secret weapon is RKP’s use of the Style & Select platform. Style & Select is an online shoppable style guide for professional photographers. With this service, we can define your style through a personal survey. Then, we create a series of coordinating outfits for a family or an eclectic collection of outfits for a senior. Clients have the option of buying their selections directly from the platform, or using it for inspiration in other shopping. We can even add clothes from your own closet into the mix. Clothing is chosen from small boutiques as well as large retailers such as Target, H&M, Free People, Torrid, and Gap.
The combination of personal advice and the Style & Select platform makes outfitting your session a breeze!
3. How will I keep from looking awkward?
The opposite of awkward is comfortable. The pictures you most like of yourself are probably the ones that caught you in a candid moment of true happiness or contentment. These were moments of real emotion, not something staged for the camera.
My goal is to get you out of the picture taking mentality and into having fun. I think I can do this pretty quickly. I have a few techniques that are secret. Maybe I’ll post about them another day. However, there are three techniques I use almost every time to evoke real emotion and get you enjoying yourself.
- Feedback. I see it in clients’ eyes all the time – the look of “Am I doing the right thing? Is this working?” It’s my job to make you comfortable by giving you ongoing feedback. To let you know what’s working. To gently guide you from something that’s not working to something new. And when we get locked in, It’s my job to make you feel fantastic.
- Movement. One of the easiest ways to break out of portrait posing discomfort is to get moving. Whether it’s walking or spinning or dancing, the freedom that comes with movement makes the whole process more natural. (Don’t worry, the fantastic feedback usually comes first, so dancing isn’t awkward, just part of the fun!)
- Sharing. If I’m going to ask you to share something real about yourself, I’d better be willing to do the same. I believe that sharing myself with you in a true and sincere way is a prerequisite for great portraits. Our time together isn’t about me extracting what I need from you. It is about us sharing some real moments during which we come together to make something amazing.
“If I’m going to ask you to share something real about yourself, I’d better be willing to do the same. I believe that sharing myself with you in a true and sincere way is a prerequisite for great portraits. Our time together isn’t about me extracting what I need from you. It is about us sharing some real moments during which we come together to make something amazing.”
4. What images should I choose and what will I do with them?
A two-part question with one answer: A key component of a Ron Klein Photography session is the in-person proof viewing and ordering session. Let’s call it the ordering session for brevity.
Instead of leaving clients to fend for themselves with a bunch of digital files, I again will offer a combination of personal service and helpful technology to make the experience less stressful.
The ordering session is a time for me to hold a client’s hand and walk them through a process that gets them exactly what they want – no less and no more.
The session will start with a big screen presentation of your images set to music. Some people cry happy tears while watching. It reminds you why you wanted a portrait session in the first place.
We continue the session by utilizing ProSelect software designed specifically to help professional photographers and their clients compare images, narrow down favorites, and then see how they will work in a variety of frames, sizes and collections. I even have the ability to import pictures of your own living spaces and scale images so you can see how they will look in your home!
Finally, I’m not going to try and sell you a bunch of packages or stuff you don’t need. I know what family and senior portrait clients value based on what these clients have repeatedly chosen session after session. I’ve curated a selection of the best quality presentation options. I have options that will work within a smaller budget while still leaving you with well-crafted and beautiful memories. I also have options that are more expensive, but are chosen for their unique ability to reveal the most subtle and magical aspects of your portraits.
The ordering session is the fastest and most sure way to take the images from your session and select artwork for your home that you will treasure forever. I will be there throughout the process to offer suggestions and make sure you avoid the most common pitfalls faced by clients left to their own devices in what might otherwise be an frustrating, complicated and time-consuming experience.
Don’t Miss Out!
I get that people put off portrait sessions because it seems like a ton of effort and more than a little overwhelming.
I also hear constantly from clients that I photographed 10 or 15 years ago. I may have photographed their family when the kids were little, and now they are teenagers heading off to college or twenty-somethings getting ready to strike out on their own. Mom and dad have a ton of digital pictures thanks to their phones, but nothing from the last decade on their walls. There is always a tinge of regret and an acknowledgement that they should have done at least one or two more professional portrait sessions in that time.
I have worked with senior portrait clients who have older siblings who didn’t do a senior session (or maybe had a friend of a friend take a few pics). When the senior’s parents fall in love with her portraits, they will wish they had something of the same for their older child. Sometimes, we’ll even do a session for that older sibling – catching them while they are home from college or wherever – just to make up a little for what was missed.
Don’t miss out on a moment that you will treasure for years because it seems like too much stress today. Let me do my job and solve the stress problem for you. Let’s spend some time together, have some fun, and create something perfectly special!
