Who does Senior Portraits?
I knew a film photographer who did virtually 100% of the senior photos for one high school. He set up a deal with the high school administration. Two objectives: He wanted to shoot 100% of the kids for formal yearbook purposes, regardless of whether they had the ability to pay. The school wanted that. Then, of course, he wanted to reel in some kids with wealthy parents who could pay, and who would want lots of prints. He got his rates all structured so that he could shoot two frames minimum on each and every kid, and then he shot more on the ones who were paying. The school administration liked that, and the paying parents didn’t know that they were subsidizing the others. Since all of the senior shots were shot by the same photographer in the same studio with the same film and same camera, then they all had the same look and feel. Of course, he got lots of business for the informal poses as well. It probably took some muscle to set the deal, but then he had a goldmine.
