What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
My standard portrait session fee is $50 plus tax with a la carte pricing for prints. My price list is on my web site.
All photo sessions come with digital files suitable for posting on social-media sites. All sessions also come with 4" x 6" proof prints of usable images from the photo session. Digital files will be available on CD, DVD or online download.
I do business and actor head shots for a flat fee of $125 plus tax. For that fee you get 4" x 6" proof prints of up to 10 usable images you select plus a full-resolution digital file of one image you select. You also receive a low-resolution digital file of each image you select (up to 10), fully edited and ready to share online.
If you belong to an organization and want head shots for more than one person during one session, the session fee is $125 for the first person and $30 per person after that. The session is limited to one location.
All prices shown here and on my web site are before sales tax.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
We like to chat with our customers over the phone or in person before we meet for a photo shoot. We want to understand what our customers want and need, and that allows us to properly plan for a photo shoot.
Photo shoots normally last 1 to 2 hours, including time we spend reviewing photos on our tablet. Before we complete a photo shoot, we schedule another visit with the customer at their home, office or other location to review the proofs and take their print order.
We provide online jpeg copies of the original images for customers to review before we meet to review their print order. These unedited jpegs are proofs only (watermarked) and are not suitable for printing. After the print order is complete and we have the prints in hand, we deliver the prints to the customer.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have been a photographer for 30 years. I was a news photographer in the Air Force and a professional studio photographer after that. I've worked in the photographic retail industry and have taught basic photography. I'm a member of Professional Photographers of America and the American Society of Media Photographers.
How did you get started doing this type of work?
I started out as an hobbyist photographer in the early 1980s and eventually shot news photographs as part of my job as an Air Force public affairs specialist. After I completed my Air Force career, I became a professional studio photographer but left the industry about a year later. After about 11 years away from the photo industry, I returned to the vocation by starting Scott Martin Photography LLC in 2014.
What types of customers have you worked with?
My experience in photographing people includes individuals, families, toddlers, business people, pets and various groups.
Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
I recently photographed a local Spokane musician, Daniel Hall, in four locations over three days, including two public musical performances. Daniel uses some of these images to help promote his musical career by posting them on Facebook and using them in promotional posters.
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Identify the specific type of photography you need, and look for photographers who specialize in that type. Most photographers who are good at what they do will limit their specialties to a few things. A photographer who says they're willing to shoot all types of subjects is probably not a specialist at any thing, which means you may not get the quality you want in the final images. Also, be sure to visit photographer web sites to see examples of their work. If a photographer doesn't have a web site to showcase what they do, they're not serious about being seen as a professional.
What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?
First: Know what you want. If you don't know what type of photography you need/want, you won't be able to properly express your desires to your photographer. Do you want head shots? Family shots? Traditional portraits vs. something else? Images for your business cards or web site?
Second: Know where you want to be photographed, whether it's in a studio, your home or office, or on location somewhere. If you want to be photographed in a studio, make sure you choose a photographer who uses a studio, or who has access to one. Some photographers do all their work on location, and that doesn't suit everyone.
Third: Look for a photographer who focuses on just a few types of photography that are related to one another and fit into what you're looking for. For example, if you find a photographer who says they specialize in architectural, sports and newborn photography, they may not be right for you if you need a portrait photographer.
