School Portrait Events and School Dances!
I can bring one of my full fledged themes to offer at your school dance or other themed event, providing portraits to always remember it by! I can bring any theme I offer, or even create one specifically for you if we arrange far enough in advance. This type of event’s pricing structure is based on volume... I design a special pre-paid package that includes the session and portraits at a much, much, lower rate than my studio offers. This is not designed as a fundraiser... please see my Fundraising section for that type of program. However, as a courtesy, children of school staff members are always photographed for free. School events and school dance events are designed so I can bring the fun portraits I offer my clients to your event at a highly discounted rate, allowing that extra something to make your event that much more participatory and talked about long after!
School Portrait Events
Preschools love having me come... some bigger schools like Tutor Time and Kindercare have me there for multiple days, as well over a hundred children are photographed. Most preschools have me there to coincide with a particular curriculum topic or summer camp weekly theme. I can bring one theme, or a theme that affords several variations, such as my beach set... as it allows me to offer Hawaiian, Pirate and Mermaid themes all during the same event. My vintage set is also requested often, as is my firefighter set.
During each child’s time with me, they are warmly greeted, shown the set and if old enough, are told what we are about to do, helped into the custom created costumes, have their hair attended to, and are positioned appropriately... and then of course, get to experience that theme. Little girls get to shake their Hawaiian grass skirt, or flip flop that mermaid tail! Little boys get to swoosh that pirate sword say “Argh!” or wave that real fire hose around! Then there is me entertaining them by doing everything I can to make them laugh. I always find the right gag or silly statement to make them giggle... that is my job. I keep trying until I know I have a great portrait. I don’t just snap and yell "next" because I have a hundred kids to get through. I generally start as soon as your school opens and go til you close. I personally pull children a couple at a time from their classrooms based upon naptimes, and personally walk them back to their classrooms. If you have a staff floater available or classroom aide that can assist me in helping them in and out of their outfits, that would be much appreciated by myself as well as the parents. Each child has a minimum 15 minute time frame with me, having a true blast every second, so much that each seems to want to hug me good-bye when I get them back to their classroom and have their parent come meet me before they leave at the end of the day!
When your school books their event with me, I will custom create promotional materials to make everyone excited about the event and sign up. I will make flyers to send home, create posters for the entry and each classroom door, and if desired, an email of the flyer that you can forward to your distribution list. So that we can book for your desired dates, please let me know about 3-4 months in advance, so that my calendar has spaces. I close my storefront for the day and therefore cannot already have previously scheduled private sessions already on the calendar.
I can arrange two ways of receiving the portraits: I can pick the portrait with the best smile for each families package, and bring them all back in their little As Cute As It Gets bag for delivery about a week or so after the event. Or... I can place all the images I took online in a password protected gallery for each classroom, and let each family choose their favorite pose for their package, and then deliver them in batches over the next few weeks, as parents will of course not order all at the same time.
School Dance Portrait Events!
Elementary, middle, and high school dances aren’t complete without a photographer, and I truly believe my themes can make the event totally over the top. Themed backdrops offered by other school dance photographers are nice and certainly get the job done, but why not have a fully unique 3-D set where those being photographed are actively part of the set and are allowed to hold props? My sets really live up to my studio’s name... they are As Cute As It Gets! Promise!
Popular sets for school dances are my Hawaiian, Western, 50’s, Jungle and Pirate Sets, but if given enough time, can custom create a set just for your theme.
When your school books me for their dance, then I will custom create promotional material for publicizing the event. I will create flyers and posters, and then if desired a email version of the flyer for you to distribute to your school.
I have designed my pricing structure to be competitive to what other school dance photographers are charging. The goal for everyone is to have affordable portraits so everyone excitedly participates. I can offer on site fulfillment, but in this type of event, I have found over and over again, that families like ordering online, as they can see all the portraits taken, allowing the purchase of extra groupings... such as groups of friends, best friends, and multiple couples. Also, the ordered portraits are then able to go off to the professional lab my studio has used for years, allowing for of course a higher quality product, and the ability to have all sorts of differently sized portraits and products. I then deliver the portraits back to school in weekly batches according to date of order, or offer the ability to have pick up at my studio in Old Towne Orange or have them shipped directly to the home.