Wednesday, September 23, 2015

A Full Service Industry

2015 brought MHP  new goals, a new business plan, and a fresh face. However, I've noticed a trend with the same question coming back from clients this year: What is a "full service" photographer? With 2016 on the horizon, I want to explain what exactly it is you are investing in when you book your session.

 I am the same person I always have been when it comes to photographing you, your family, or your event. The foundation of my business is, and always will be, the same. I am laid back, I am easy going, I crawl on the ground with your babies, I jump up and down to make them laugh, and I soothe them when they are crying. I make real connections with your family so that I can get the best images possible, I want you to genuinely have a good time during your session, I sing the ABC's better than anyone I know, and I take pride in creating this stress-free atmosphere while documenting your memories. I hand your mom tissues as your dad walks you down the aisle, I fluff your dress more times than I can count, I make sure you have eaten, and I hold your dress above your head while you pee. I happily drag a van-load full of blankets and props into your home, I rearrange your furniture and then move it all back, I rock your baby to sleep, I encourage you to nap, and I gladly clean up poo explosions. I am the soul of MHP and this is the rock on which my business was created.

A string of similarities was brought to my attention last year. Three clients in a row mentioned they never printed their images from the previous session. I provided the digital images in one form or another, yet they had no pictures. Nothing hanging on walls, nothing sitting on desks, and nothing hanging over the mantle like we discussed during the session. Two wedding clients came to me for their newborn sessions. Neither one had any wedding pictures printed, nor did they create their album like we had mentioned. A client from 2012 contacted me asking if I had a backup of her files. The CD I gave her had been badly scratched in a recent move. She had not backed up the files, and hadn't printed a single one. While my career is based on a service I provide, I must take pride in the service I am offering. If you come to me wanting portraits, then I should be offering you portraits. Until 2015, I was not giving you what you were paying for, and I apologize for this.

After months of research and development, I am able to take pride in what I am offering my clients. Not only am I offering the portrait experience, but I am offering the portrait. I have gathered products from dozens of professional printing companies and have narrowed down specific items that I love and would happily display in my own home. I have weeded out companies that do not fit my standards, and I have selected only the highest quality in materials. You are not only receiving a piece of paper. You are receiving a product that will withstand a lifetime. An item that can be passed down from generation to generation. You are receiving an heirloom.

So, in answering your question, "what is a full service photographer?", I am all of the above. I create your portrait experience, I manage your portrait experience, and I place your portrait experience on the top of my list. I travel to you, I talk you through the process, I help you measure your space and decide exactly which product is best for you, I mail your Christmas cards, and I hand-wrap and deliver your product. By the time I leave you, you have art on your walls, in your hands, and you still have images you can share with your friends on Facebook.

Megan Hile: Full Service Photographer


Cheers!

Megan

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3 comments:

  1. That's a great change for you and your clients!!!

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  2. Nothing like the real deal in your hands!

    P.S. Beautiful work :)

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  3. Congratulations on moving to the full service milestone with your business. I love that you show such sincere enthusiasm with what you do and that you strive to provide the best possible service for the clients you care so much about. Excellent move.

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