Makeover photo-shoots are very popular, transforming your everyday look into that of a professional model, with a permanent reminder of how good looking you really are. The challenge is selecting a makeover studio that offers best value.
Sadly, the public perception and reputation of the high-street photography industry is tarnished by those that charge extortionate amounts for poor quality images. In fact, in most major cities, many in the target market (women in their 30s and 40s) know someone who has been grossly over-charged in this way, and are suspicious of all photography businesses. The good news is that there are high-quality best value makeover photography businesses - you just need to know what to look for!
There are two operating models for high-street photography studios: free and low-cost shoots with high image costs, and all-inclusive packages. The key to arranging a successful shoot is to understand the difference and select the right studio for your needs.
Makeover Photography studios that offer low shoot fees recover their operating costs selling images after the shoot. Superficially, this seems good, as clients only buy the images they want. However, the clients that buy images have to cover the studio's operating costs for both their shoot, and those of clients who do not buy any images. Moreover, many clients feel compelled to buy some images, whether they like them or not, as they have expended time and effort attending the shoot. This type of studio rarely advertises the cost of their images, and is often characterised by a conveyor-belt style of photography, whereby all clients go through the same preparation process and are photographed in the same location against the same background, to maximise the studio's productivity and profitability. So, people attending free and low cost shoots, usually end up paying excessively for a small number of generic images.
Conversely, makeover photography studios that offer all-inclusive packages recover their operating costs on a pro-rata basis, based on the length of the shoot and the number of images supplied. The risk with this approach is that you are purchasing the images before you have seen them. Conversely, this approach gives you real choice in agreeing the styles and looks that you want from the shoot, agreeing a price for a tailored service, and allowing time for you to relax and appear at your best in the images. Most importantly, studios that offer all-inclusive packages openly advertise the total cost of their services, so customers can compare prices.
On balance, the all-inclusive makeover photography studio operating model is better for those clients who want a high quality set of images, whereas the low-cost shoot studios are better for those who just want a shoot for fun and don't really care about the resulting images.
Last but not least, potential clients must carefully examine the quality of each studio's images. This can be difficult to judge, depending on the range of images available to view in each studio's portfolio, the studios' integrity in displaying the images that they shoot everyday, and the relevance of the portfolio to the style of images you want. The best solution is to ask short-listed studios for references from previous clients - good studios offering tailored services will have a good relationship with their clients, and should be happy to provide references.
So, in summary, if you want high quality best value makeover photography, select a studio that shoots high-quality images, offers all-inclusive services tailored to your individual requirements, and can provide you with excellent references.
You can view example Makeover Photo-Shoot images here.
About the Author:
Tony Brook has over 20 years professional photography experience and specialises in shooting high quality, best value Model Portfolios, Makeover Photo-Shoots and Boudoir Photography.
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