School Photography - is it lucrative?

Hi - just a quick question to hopefully those in the know. Is school photography potentially lucrative area? Or should I stay well clear?? ;) I've been trading as a Wedding and Portrait Photographer ( BIPP and SWPP registered and Award winning) for the last 8 yrs and am still doing so. Unfortunately owing to the number of 'new kids on the block' my number of Weddings has suffered - Portraits up tho!! Many thanks! Jude

Hi - just a quick question to hopefully those in the know.

Is school photography potentially lucrative area? Or should I stay well clear??

I've been trading as a Wedding and Portrait Photographer ( BIPP and SWPP registered and Award winning) for the last 8 yrs and am still doing so. Unfortunately owing to the number of 'new kids on the block' my number of Weddings has suffered - Portraits up tho!!
Many thanks!
Jude

I would say a night school teacher would be better to teach photography. All these schools take up time, when people would be willing more to go once a week for say 10 weeks! Andy

I would say a night school teacher would be better to teach photography. All these schools take up time, when people would be willing more to go once a week for say 10 weeks!

Andy

I think Jude is thinking of actually [i]photographing[/i] school groups etc. If you Google "school photography" you'll see there are a number of firms which specialise in this area.

I think Jude is thinking of actually photographing school groups etc.

If you Google "school photography" you'll see there are a number of firms which specialise in this area.

The word lucrative and photography in the same sentence? Have I woke up in 1984? ;)

The word lucrative and photography in the same sentence?

Have I woke up in 1984?

No, it's ok Keith, you've not done a back to the future :)

No, it's ok Keith, you've not done a back to the future

Hahahaha, silly me!! Keith!! Sorry - I was just going to remove this post - but I'll leave it as it's had answers ;) I'll be a millionaire by Friday ;) I know about all the firms - been there....... Has anyone heard of a company called 'School Supplies Services' ? Apparently operate in Private and Self Funding Schools. Not an area I really want to go into but I'm so fed up with 'Weekenders' and ' I've got a camera's' that I just thought it might be something different.( Can't stop laughing as I'm writing this ). ;) I do actually have a very nice little business going at present with the help of a make-up artist and we have new ventures that are proving to be great fun.

Hahahaha, silly me!! Keith!!

Sorry - I was just going to remove this post - but I'll leave it as it's had answers
I'll be a millionaire by Friday I know about all the firms - been there.......

Has anyone heard of a company called 'School Supplies Services' ? Apparently operate in Private and Self Funding Schools. Not an area I really want to go into but I'm so fed up with 'Weekenders' and ' I've got a camera's' that I just thought it might be something different.( Can't stop laughing as I'm writing this ).

I do actually have a very nice little business going at present with the help of a make-up artist and we have new ventures that are proving to be great fun.

I'll bet the kids photograph each other (and their teachers!) with the ubiquitous camera phone, these days! ;)

I'll bet the kids photograph each other (and their teachers!) with the ubiquitous camera phone, these days!

[quote]The word lucrative and photography in the same sentence? Have I woke up in 1984? [/quote] LOL.....:D Absolutely spot on Keith, Your reply caused me to crack up big time, Laughed so much I spilled ginger beer all down my shirt.....:) :) :) Keep em coming.....;) To the OP, Seriously if your looking for something " Lucrative " ....? Just about anything based on " Photography " as in actually taking the pictures, Is the last place you should look.....!!!!! Teaching photography....Maybe if your any good, Photography workshops....Maybe for the time being if what your offering is interesting, And you know what your talking about.....!!!! Selling photographic equipment.....Or better still inventing some new must have gadget ( thats sure to bring out the PRO in you ).....:( New and wonderful software that gaurantees Pro quality irrespective of how crappy the image starts out.......:( So maybe there is a few niche areas of photography, Where if your shrewd you could make a buck or three, But none of them that actually involve making a picture.....:( :( :( Probably not what you wanted to hear ! Huh! But that is the state of todays market.....;) Like it or not....!!!

Quote:The word lucrative and photography in the same sentence?

Have I woke up in 1984?



LOL..... Absolutely spot on Keith, Your reply caused me to crack up big time, Laughed so much I spilled ginger beer all down my shirt.....

Keep em coming.....

To the OP, Seriously if your looking for something " Lucrative " ....? Just about anything based on " Photography " as in actually taking the pictures, Is the last place you should look.....!!!!!

Teaching photography....Maybe if your any good, Photography workshops....Maybe for the time being if what your offering is interesting, And you know what your talking about.....!!!!

Selling photographic equipment.....Or better still inventing some new must have gadget ( thats sure to bring out the PRO in you )..... New and wonderful software that gaurantees Pro quality irrespective of how crappy the image starts out.......

So maybe there is a few niche areas of photography, Where if your shrewd you could make a buck or three, But none of them that actually involve making a picture.....

Probably not what you wanted to hear ! Huh!

But that is the state of todays market..... Like it or not....!!!

Just widening it a bit, are there any reasonable (let's leave aside the word 'lucrative' ;)) areas of photography to be in these days? Has even the commercial photography market gone flat?

Just widening it a bit, are there any reasonable (let's leave aside the word 'lucrative' ) areas of photography to be in these days?

Has even the commercial photography market gone flat?

So glad I've caused a laugh - I needed it too. ;) Thought through and sifted so many options in my head over the last couple of years. Teaching I did look into - have done quite a bit of student placements and talks with schools - but thank god I'm not the only one crying into my boots. Everything has gone flat! Just trying to hold in there with something that's fun. We're looking into Vintage and ladies make-overs. (Just had another couple ring and cancel their Wedding c/o splitting up :( since i started this chat)

So glad I've caused a laugh - I needed it too.

Thought through and sifted so many options in my head over the last couple of years. Teaching I did look into - have done quite a bit of student placements and talks with schools - but thank god I'm not the only one crying into my boots. Everything has gone flat! Just trying to hold in there with something that's fun.
We're looking into Vintage and ladies make-overs.

(Just had another couple ring and cancel their Wedding c/o splitting up since i started this chat)

Perhaps get into the civil partnership market? :)

Perhaps get into the civil partnership market?

I've been in the school photo business for 15 years and it's been getting harder every year. Digital has made it easier for people to come in and do the work without the outlay we used to have. It's a flooded market with too many people offering what would have been studio products few years ago at rediculously low prices making it harder for the studios too. I'm looking to get out of it in the next year or two. 'Good' money is there to be earned in schools but with commissions getting higher as competition grows don't expect to make your whole living from it.

I've been in the school photo business for 15 years and it's been getting harder every year. Digital has made it easier for people to come in and do the work without the outlay we used to have. It's a flooded market with too many people offering what would have been studio products few years ago at rediculously low prices making it harder for the studios too.
I'm looking to get out of it in the next year or two.
'Good' money is there to be earned in schools but with commissions getting higher as competition grows don't expect to make your whole living from it.

I first used this phrase, on here, about 8 years ago: [i]"When everybody's a photographer, nobody's a photographer"[/i]

I first used this phrase, on here, about 8 years ago:

"When everybody's a photographer, nobody's a photographer"

Not found anything that pays much yet, though starting a Leeds based training company, see how that goes.

Not found anything that pays much yet, though starting a Leeds based training company, see how that goes.

Thing with training is that you need a lot of people regularly wanting to learn how to use one of the simplest bits of technology. I've seen Adult Learning Centres offering cheap as chips training with very experienced instructors having to cancel courses because of lack of numbers. I still offer the odd workshop but it isn't for the money. No sooner has the photographic market place become flooded, than its the turn of teaching how to flood it further. ;)

Thing with training is that you need a lot of people regularly wanting to learn how to use one of the simplest bits of technology.

I've seen Adult Learning Centres offering cheap as chips training with very experienced instructors having to cancel courses because of lack of numbers.

I still offer the odd workshop but it isn't for the money. No sooner has the photographic market place become flooded, than its the turn of teaching how to flood it further.