Would You Do Daycare Pictures?

[thecrazyisout]

Hi there Everyone, I am almost done transitioning my daycare into a full time photography business! I am so excited! I would like some opinions on targeting in-home daycares.....

1. Do you do "school" pictures with your kids?
2. What kind of interest do you think there is in this area for parents who use in-home daycares?
3. if you do this, what do you like/dislike about it?


Below are some thoughts I am putting together to promote "school" pictures for in-home daycares...what do you think?

My program would have the daycare provider host/hostess have the families pay for a session for their kids at a reasonable rate (undecided). The provider would recieve a complimentary session for hosting. Each family would recieve an 8x10 of the child, and 3 digital images. I am not sure how to set rates for this yet, but looking to see if this might be a good idea?????? I would go to the home of the provider/host or we could define a set location.


Thoughts, concerns?? Thanks for the input..... this post is not intended to gain business...I am hoping to gain some great thought/input on how to develop my idea! I hope you can help!

[Unregistered]

pictures

We tried doing pictures and my daughter freaked out. I was sad- I was really hoping to get some. I was happy to get a class picture- with her screaming and crying on the teacher's lap. I'm sad that she was so upset, but it's kind of funny at the same time.

[bunnyslippers]

My goddaughter went to a preschool, and a photographer came and took candid photos of the kids throughout the day, as they were playing. She then sent proofs to the parents, with the option to buy them. The parents in the program LOVED the photos, and they were much more natural than the posed photos. I am sure it took some time of the photographers end...but I KNOW she made a ton of money from that preschool class.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I would if my clients didn't have to pay a sitting fee. I would do it if the photographer only charged for photos purchased.

[melilley]

I loved the class pictures of when my daughter was in preschool! I always bought them, but I worked at the center and got half off, otherwise I probably would not have gotten them. She is 10 now, but we get them out occasionally and look at them and reminisce. She was in a center then and had a bigger class.
Now I have a fcc and personally I wouldn't hire someone to do group/class pictures. I only have 6 children and just take group pictures myself. Plus, some of my parents seem to have just enough money to pay for childcare and I don't think that most of them would buy any.
It is a good idea though! Maybe if I lived in an area where parents made more money, then I would hire someone to do them.
I like enthrocontrolspecialist's idea of letting parents see the proofs and buy what you want.

[2grls4us]

I love the idea, but I only have a small group as well. I do my own group and individual photos and give as gifts to the parents.

I like the idea of proofs more than just pay and get what you get. Plus I personally do not tend to buy 8x10 photos anymore. They are just to big to display or store them all. Since you are trying to build a business you might consider doing something like if the parents make a purchase they would get an amount or percentage off a family session fee. This would be great for any Fall sessions you would do.

In our area the schoold also do the Spring photos as a fundraiser may be something that you could work out with the businesses your offering your services to. I don't know that I would do the session fee either. The way I see it they are allowing you to offer your service to their daycare parents and make a profit from that. Maybe give each class a free group photo for the classrooms?

Not sure if any of that answered your questions or not but my 2 cents anyway.

[AmyKidsCo]

I agree that I wouldn't want to pay a sitting fee - just a fee for the prints, or a CD with the files that I could print as many copies as I wanted.

My boys' school offered a CD for $15 instead of printed pictures this year. The CD only contained 2 files - one "plain" picture and one with an oval "frame" around the edges. At first I thought it was expensive, but now I love the idea! None of the package deals fit our needs and with the CD I could print exactly what I wanted, plus I had permission to use the photo on social media and websites.