About a month ago I sat down and wrote out my goals for 2011. On that list was to begin offering albums to my clients if they so wish to purchase one from their session. This includes weddings, of course, lifestyle sessions, children/newborn sessions, and engagement sessions.
As I began the process of choosing an album company that fit my style of photography, I began to notice two very distinct trends.
The first type of album that I liked were the expensive albums! The ones that everyone ooh’s and ahh’s over. There is just something very classy and very professional about the albums that fit into this category. They are simple, timeless, and offer superb excellence in the finished product. These are the companies all the big boys are using.
The second type of album I noticed were the middle-of-the-road albums. These were by all means gorgeous albums and excellent quality, but yet they somehow lacked the pizazz and wow-factor I was looking for. These albums are sturdy and get the job done, but yet my eye was constantly drawn back to the first set of albums I mentioned.
My dilemma as a photographer offering albums is pricing. I want to be fair to my clients in my album pricing, but I want to offer a product that exudes greatness. One that is going to last forever and one that everyone is going to love.
Most of my brides want good quality pictures from their wedding (duh, that’s why they hired me!), but probably the majority just don’t have the budget to hand over $2,000 and up for a wedding album. I don’t know, maybe I’m way off base in that statement.
I know when I got married, I didn’t have $2,000 for an album, but what I got is a wonderful top-of-the-line album that will last me forever. It’s from one of those top-notch companies, the kind I hope to one day offer albums from. Of course, my wedding was five years ago and I’m not naive enough to think that prices haven’t significantly gone up since then.
So, my album crisis is this: do I offer an album that is expensive for both me and my clients, yet gorgeous, sophisticated and the one I really want to use? Or do I offer a more cost effective album to my clients and settle for a company who offers good products, but just isn’t the type of album I’d like to offer?
I’m not saying my albums will cost my clients $2,000, but it would be more than where my prices are at now.
Someday, maybe my clients will be willing to spend more in albums. I have to work on improving my photography in the mean time, to make them want those pictures in an album!
Anyways, thanks for listening to my album crisis that I have going on at the moment! I’d love to hear what you think!
Please click one of the options below and help me solve this dilemma I can’t seem to get over!
Weddings need a luxury album because they will be an heirloom past through generations. The other sessions could definitely have economy albums because they will become dated quickly and need to be update on a pretty regular basis. That is just my 2 ¢.
I always present the higher-end album line first (usually in a family pack: bridal album w/2 parent albums). I let the couple “ooh” and “aah” over it and point out all the positives as to why this is a perfect choice (heirloom quality is key as the previous poster mentioned). If they’re still not sold (which is pretty rare), I offer the less expensive alternative and explain the differences to let them understand WHY the other line is priced as such, and why the economy line is priced as such. Usually the couple “gets it” and selects the better quality album. Again, I only show the more economical if, and only if the better album is shot down. Best of luck with your dilemma!
I’m with Chantal on this one – I offer two lines. The top of the line album that I love, and I have a more economical option but have yet to use it… I think both is a good idea, but I do the exact same as Chantal stated. Also, I explain why it is so very important to get prints from a professional lab, why albums are important… Educate the client’s because chances are, they’ve never done this before!