I thought of this while I was in the shower...

[stringfieldphotography]

Question,

I do a lot of wedding and senior portrait photography, and while I was taking a shower today, I thought to myself, How can I be modern with my photography business? Amongst many other things that I need to do that are way more important and time consuming, I thought that instead of returning all my final edited images back to the client for them to keep on a data DVD, I should give it to them on a personalized USB jumpdrive. Personalized? I don't know how I would personalize it, and, does this cause more problems than solutions?

Pros:

I know that it would save a lot of time for me (no authoring or printing of labels)

Cons:

Do you think that's one of the things that clients like though, a personalized DVD of their special day?

Thoughts on this would be great!!!!! Thanks a bunch!


Michael Stringfield
www.stringfieldphotography.com
www.michaelstringfield.com

[drg]

Jump drives are more volatile than a DVD so their archival qualities are questionable. Too close to a magnet or other disruptive things like an electric field and no more photos.

With senior photos, the question is who is the client? The parents or the Senior? I can always tell by who calls first and or the kind of questions they ask as to what part of the equation needs to be satisfied.

The kids/seniors may want everything delivered to an online file sharing environment or at least that as an option. After all, they may be using the photos as part of applications and certainly for friends.

Wedding photography is starting to evolve rapidly. Two big factors I have seen come in to play in the past year.

The first area is delivery. Far more technically sophisticated clients are out there now for whom a DVD or a CD-ROM for proofs or final delivery is no big deal. It is also a growing number of the future client base. This goes along with virtual proofing either in a studio (dying out as we speak because it isn't technically necessary) or via a website with a secure access for each customer.

Different delivery formats from the traditional wedding albums. Some brides are thinking scrapbooking and do not need/want large photos. There is also the 'all digital delivery' in electronic slide show formats or via digital only images. I have written about one particularly wedding last summer that everything was delivered (Multiple DVD's, copies and assortments) in the full size and double size HD format. NO PRINTS!!

The second area is of course economics. How much both of these type of clients are willing to pay now and in the future. That and the problem of what to do with the traditional physical prints. So many younger people don't live in large spaces and don't have room for all the traditional types of photos. Mom and Dad, if still married or living, may already be planning for their downsizing and are they willing to pay a lot of money for a few large (money making sizes) photographs?

I regularly see great Senior portraits taken by photogs that after a year or two will never see the light of day again. And besides, how many people wants to see that 18 year old in 20x30 forever? Or do you want to see yourself at that size in 15 years!!??

On site proofing via a notebook, digital delivery in the current best format, and even print on demand mini books for those who want photos to share, but may not want to have deal with albums.

[ricarte]

Pros:

I know that it would save a lot of time for me (no authoring or printing of labels)

Cons:

Do you think that's one of the things that clients like though, a personalized DVD of their special day?

Thoughts on this would be great!!!!! Thanks a bunch!

I was involved with a Wedding studio a few years back now. Innovation had its place but it all gets back to business - does it make business sense? If not it's all time/money wasting fluff. Brides want to see themselves on the mantle piece, not on DVD. But who I am to know what they want now?

[freygr]

Neither are burned CDs, DVDs or Flash drives are archival. A pressed CD, DVD, or Blue ray disk are archival.

drg is incorrect about the magnetic and electrostatic fields and flash drives. The problem is, is rate of change of the field sufficient to case damage to the devices and not just the flash drive would be in danger also your cell phone, digital camera, or anything with ICs would be in danger of damage (induced currents melting the IC circuity or electrostatic damage, internal arcing) "Too close to a magnet" is magnetic tape or floppy disk.

[stringfieldphotography]

Thanks for your responses, I really do appreciate them. So, I apologize if I haven't made this clear, but what I usually do for my clients is:

Online personalized website with their images
(example www.stringfieldphotography.com/gregg)

DVD of all their images

I do not print at home, I give them the option (which saves them money) and use that as one of my selling points.

If that, minus the DVD, add the USB Jumpdrive is good, tell me.

Thanks.

[tayl0124]

Just my opinion, but if I was the end user(customer) I would rather have the dvd. I like the idea that I can't accidentally erase the dvd. and the ability to make copies of the disc. However I would still want some prints. Who really wants 100 photos from their wedding anyways???