Page 33 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #2

Nikon, you aren't making money. Breaking even, couples never made an effort to even look at
maybe, but that’s not the case for most. This their images.
was reflected in WPPI attendance as well. As I Francois: That makes no sense.
mentioned before, Olympus and Leica weren’t Falcon: It does when you consider that there
there, and Pentax had reduced their booth size were dozens of other cameras present at the
significantly. HP was absent. I won't even go wedding, and that out of these hundreds upon
into what has happened to Kodak. Ironically, the hundreds of photos taken, many were given
only company with a noticeably larger booth was to the bride and groom by family and friends.
Panasonic, and they don't make a pro camera. And then "life happens" and suddenly, it isn't
Virtually all point and shoot. What we saw at the important any more. Or, the thought of pay-
trade show was just a reflection of what's wrong, ing another $2000 for a wedding book is just
not the reason why we are in this mess. too much. So, the clients tell themselves that
Francois: Meaning? one day they will get the book. That day just
Falcon: We never intended to do weddings. doesn't ever come.
Like everyone else, we thought that weddings What this means is, out of the sixty wed-
were low hanging fruit. Easy money. So, we dings we did in 2006, we lost money on
studied what other photographers were offering more than fifty of them. Now, throw the
clients and created a series of packages that fell cost of bridal fairs and advertising into the
somewhere in the middle in terms of price point. mix. That same year—2006—we spent near-
Our services were not the most expensive, but ly $28,000 on bridal shows and advertising
not the cheapest either. From what we could tell, and promotion.
photographers were literally “giving away" their Francois: Coupled with the proliferation of
work on the day of the wedding because they be- cheap digital cameras—this is what has deci-
lieved that the “real” money was to be made on mated the industry?
the back end—through the sale of prints, photo Falcon: Yes. But also consider, as I mentioned
books, still video, or other add-ons. the last time we talked, the "Apple-ization" of
Francois: That isn't a new strategy, and, it usu- the world has taken a toll as well.
ally works. I assume it didn't? Francois: So, the quality has diminished and
Falcon: No, it didn’t. Here’s how it went for us most people can't see it. I get that.
one year: In 2006, we did about sixty weddings. Falcon: Yes. But it isn't that simple. It takes
We were paid an average of $1200 per wedding, upwards of sixty hours to produce a custom,
which required two photographers for the entire “one of a kind” wedding book. Before the book
day. Out of our sixty clients: Five couples were is even printed we are looking at about $1500
divorced before a single photo was ordered. in design time, photo retouching, and layout
Forty-plus couples disappeared and were never work. The cost for quality printing can easily
heard from again. Only five couples purchased add another $800 to $1000. Done really in-
a photo book, and one couple took nearly five expensively, that cost might go down to $500.
years to pay for theirs. Another couple put down So, we need to charge at least $2000 for a
a deposit, then, after five years, divorced. wedding book in order to break even.
Francois: What do you mean, "Forty-plus Here's another consideration: What if the
couples disappeared and were never heard bride doesn't want her wedding book printed?
from again"? Will she pay $1500 for a digital version?
Falcon: We processed the photos, posted the Francois: I can't answer that. I don't know
galleries, emailed or called the couples, then how to even begin to answer that question.
emailed and/or called again—but never re- Falcon: The answer is that she won't. Besides,
ceived a response. As far as we could tell, some with the emergence of online services such as

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