A
Conversation with
THE PROS
There were 2,190,363 weddings in the United States last year according to The Wedding Report, Inc. By June 2009 we’ll be half way into a year fully designated as a recession. What does our current financial predicament portend for the industry overall? Will the engagement pace pick up or slow? Are wedding budgets up, down or postponed? Rangefinder magazine asked five prolific shooters important questions covering trends in the market. Each voiced strong concern about the economy and how it will affect their business. All are optimistic, citing bookings to be at least on par with 2008, as a result of more finely tuned marketing efforts. The featured photographers are adamant that price-cutting not be an arrow in their quivers. They instead opt to bring even more value or give complimentary products such as additional reprints. These questions were posed to each photographer. Here are key responses.
In the past few years what new products have you started to offer clients? Robert Evans: Among our studio’s newest products are what we call fusion videos: 3–10-minute dynamic multimedia videos created using the newest Canon and Nikon DSLRs. We produce each in various formats to allow customers maximum portability. They can view from a DVD or an iPhone and we also provide Internet-ready versions so they can share them on social media networks like Facebook, blogs or websites. Jim Garner: We’ve been focusing on creating beautiful large art books for clients, plus custom enlargements and signature prints. What’s exciting about the art books is that we are paid to not only photograph, but also to design these wonderful books. The books move beyond the realm of traditional photo albums to become something longer lasting and more easily shared with family and friends. Rachel LaCour Niesen: Slide shows
By Martha Blanchfield
are a hallmark of LaCour’s service, although not a new product, per se. We approach weddings as storytellers, so slide shows become visual narratives of our clients’ weddings— complete, well rounded stories. Each slide show contains 150–200 images set to music with photos that include scene-setters, tight portraits to establish the main characters, event details, climactic moments, such as the first dance, transition shots and closing shots. We also include evocative photos that reveal more than the literal—they reveal the magic behind the scenes. Anthony Vazquez: Conceptual albums! We’re marketing albums that have a fine art feel with a strong focus on design. The looks are clean and sharp, with a direction that strongly borrows from fashion plus a touch of photojournalism. Describe a ‘hot’ marketing tip that you have recently added to your mix. Evans: We’ve been using iContact, an