My recent decision to switch from delivering digital images to selling prints hasn’t been easy. It has required me to rebuild my entire brand, my pricing, my workflow, and my mindset. It has taken a lot of time and effort to get things set up for this new delivery method.
Why?
When I first started, delivering digital images was the normal thing to do. Everyone else was doing it that way, and it is what almost every client was used to and expected. But here is why I have said goodbye to digital delivery. When you go to a restaurant, do you want the staff to bring you the ingredients or the prepared meal? You want the meal all prepared for you, right? Photos are meant to be enjoyed, be shared, and be displayed. So do you want the ingredients (digital files) or the meal (print packages)?
With Digital Delivery
You just spent your hard-earned money getting some great photos taken of you and your spouse, your family, or your child(ren). What happens next? Well, a disc is mailed to you, or an online gallery is made for you to download your files from. What happens next? Well, now it’s totally up to you. Does that disc gets viewed and put in the desk drawer? Do those files get downloaded and shared with social media? How many of them make it onto your living room wall, your coffee table, or your desk? Let’s say you finally decide to load those files onto a USB drive and head to Walmart. You are left sitting by yourself in front of that kiosk trying to decide which pictures you want in which size for which person. Your overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. Your face is getting warm, and patience is wearing thin. You power through that grueling process of ordering your own pictures at the big box store kiosk. “I can’t sell you these without a print release from the photographer,” said the clerk. Did you forget it at home? Let’s hope you remembered it. Congratulations!!! You are finally done. That is until Grandma Sally decides she wants a different size or pose. “Where did I put that USB drive?” “Where is the copy of the print release.” “Here we go again.” Now there is nothing wrong with this method. Plenty of people like to cook. BUT……………..
With Full Print Service
Roughly 2 weeks after the photoshoot, I host my clients for a viewing session. With snacks on the table and a beverage in your hand, you can enjoy a slideshow on the big screen. I go through a wide selection of photos and help you narrow them down to the select few images you want to have printed to display in your home or gift to friends and family. Would you buy an expensive print on material like canvas or metal if you have never seen one before? I have samples of all the products I sell so you can physically see what you will be ordering. Photo books are perfect for showing off all those photos you love but can’t put on the wall. I help you through these tough decisions so you are not overwhelmed and frustrated. I build packages with the most popular amounts, sizes, and products to help alleviate stress. This should be a fun experience and not a dreadful task. After ordering your print package, your work is done. Leave me the hard work of getting everything organized and printed. You will leave the viewing session knowing in just a couple of short weeks your prints will be hand-delivered by myself to your home. What if Grandma Sally wants a different size or pose? Well, you head on over to the online gallery provided to you and purchase a print that will be shipped right to her door. Does it get any easier than this?
