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Ways to Satisfy Clients

1. USE SHARP, FAST LENSES. They’re easier to focus, lighter to carry, and often make the difference between a tripod and handheld coverage.

2. STAY WITH ONE ALBUM LINE. A lot of studios offer multiple album lines with services and finishes I don’t even understand. It’s easy to upscale or offer add-ons after the booking …don’t confuse clients before.

3. THANK YOUR REFERRALS. Since the majority of our new clients come from past ones, I always extend a complimentary portrait session and samples to the event coordinators when their leads come in.

4. UPDATE YOUR SAMPLES & WEBSITE. We have brides who tell us years later they check and see what’s new. I’m thinking of a blog for 2007 and a quick, 60-second promo video that loads off the main page at our site.

5. TELL IT STRAIGHT. Keep the rates simple, say what you mean, and mean what you say. No surprise retouching fees or leather upgrades. Include what you know clients will want and clearly indicate add-ons on the same rate sheet.

Michael Erdkamp’s Gear Box

Digital Cameras
Canon EOS 1D Mark II and Mark II 1Ds
Canon lenses: 200mm f/1.8L, 15mm fisheye f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 24mm f/1.4L,
50mm 1.4L, 70-200mm f/2.8, 85mm 1.2L

Lighting
Canon 580 Speedlites
Chimera mini, medium, large softboxes w/ ring
Norman 200C, Photogenic 1500 studio moonlights, FreeWire Quantum radio slave

Hardware
Apple Mac G5 Dual 2.0, 15”Mac G4 PowerBook, Apple Mac 23” Cinema Display
LaCie 200GB Firewire, 40GB FireWire lite drive, Firelight 40GB drive, Western Digital 250GB hard drive

Software
Adobe Photoshop CS, IPhoto, iCal
PhotoJunction, Toast 6.0
Canon DPP 2.2.2, PhotoMechanic
Transmit, LabPrints
Filemaker Pro 5.5, Showit Web 2
Pantone GretagMacbeth Eye-One Display 2

Necessities
Lexar Professional stackable Firewire readers
SanDisk 2GB Extreme III
Gitzo carbon fire tripod legs
Pelican 1510 case with dividers