Every year around this time, I sit down with my good friend Thomas Nguyen and we begin planning out our annual senior destination trip. Last year, we headed to San Francisco and to say that it was amazing is an understatement!! (If you didn’t have a chance to check it out, make sure you click here to see some of my favorite images!)
As photographers, it’s our DREAM to be able to travel and photograph our clients in absolutely stunning locations. Who doesn’t want to shoot a session with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background? Or with the Chicago skyline in the background? Plus, what if we were to tell you that this is actually a huge reason that we end up signing seniors to our senior rep teams?
If you’re not offering senior destinations, you absolutely should and today I’m going to share a few images why I personally offer senior destination shoots as part of my business!
Destinations Are IN!
In an age where people travel to crazy locations just to “do it for the gram,” your seniors are craving the opportunity to styled and photographed in locations that none of their other friends are going to have the chance to. Offering this as part of your business becomes a huge value proposition to your business and a reason that seniors book me versus another photographer who doesn’t offer the same experience.
There’s just something about getting on a plane, flying a couple hours and ending up in a location that is completely different from your home city. I can’t tell you how many times I have flown out of rainy Portland only to end up in sunny Los Angeles two hours later. Yeah, it’s a lot better photographing my clients in warm weather than stepping in puddles all day.
It Keeps Your Refreshed Creatively
How many times have you had a senior session and wished that a new location would just magically appear? ✋ I think that we’ve all been there. Being in a rut is one of the worst things that can happen as creatives, but it’s also a disservice to our clients. When we’re in a rut, we’re not at our best creatively, emotionally and sometimes it’s hard to remember why we’re doing what we’re doing. We feel like we straight up suck.
Destinations refreshes you. It provides you a new environment to try out things. Try new poses, new lighting techniques, locations that offer new inspiration. It keeps me going!!
Forcing yourself into alien territory is sometimes what we need as business owners and there’s nothing like walking into a shoot where we don’t know exactly how it’s gonna go. I love the feeling of coming back from a destination feeling revived, looking for similar aspects of my destination that I fell in love with in the destination and more. I truly feel like I am a better photographer after every destination and it’s huge for keeping my clients happy.
It’s Great for Engagement
We all love seeing where people are heading! As humans, it’s natural for us to want to escape and explore a new corner of the world. With Instagram Stories and social media, it’s easier than ever to follow along with someone whether they’re eating at a new restaurant in town or driving along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Right before we take off for wherever our destination shoot brings us that year, I love hyping it up on Instagram. I invite people to come along since it’s something that’s different. Your followers are so used to you being in the same location, shooting the same way, but when you change it up, people take notice. We typically schedule our senior destination right after our clients get out of school since it works best for their schedules, but it’s also a fantastic way to gather the attention of their peers and book up the remainder of your calendar by keeping your name at the forefront of their mind.
Other Photographers Are Not Doing This (Yet)
I get it. Booking clients can be tough.
You have to stand out in business and photography and destination shoots are the absolute best way to make that happen. It shows that you’re different, innovative and ready for an adventure — and seniors love that!
However, it’s just like on-location photography… Remember back when everyone just headed into the studio, got their one photo for the yearbook and going on-location for their senior images was unheard of? Now it’s expected. Times change and it’s before times changing that you need to take advantage of being different and offering new things before they’re expected.
Don’t miss the boat (or plane, or train, or car, or whatever method of transportation is to your next destination) on this amazing opportunity for you, your clients and your business.
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