6 Things to Consider When Picking a Senior Rep Team

Upcoming seniors are always anticipating their senior photos but have you ever considered a senior model team? You may be asking yourself what in the world is a senior model team. A senior team is a group of incoming seniors who are signed with a photographer to represent their business and help spread the word about their work. Being on one of these teams is a great experience for those seniors who like to branch out to meet new people, step out of their comfort zone, and add a fun experience to their final year of high school! Although many photographers offer amazing senior model teams, they are not all created equal. In this blog, I will give you a few tips and tricks to help you when making the selection for a senior model team. 

Photographer’s Vibe

Every photographer is different. This can range from their style of photography, goals, and their personalities. It is so important when selecting a photographer that offers a senior model team to find out if it is someone you would be comfortable around, after all you’re going to be spending the next 12-15 months with them. If you’re a 17 year old girl, you may not want to be hanging out with a Grandad-cheesy-poses who graduated in 1955. This is the person you are entrusting to encapsulate your senior year, so you should 100% trust them with the task.

Understanding Your Requirements

The purpose of a senior model team is to not only give you amazing pictures, but it is also a business investment for photographers. Which is why it is important for you to have a full grasp on what your photographer is asking from you in return for your sessions. Most photographers will provide a contract for you to sign that protects both parties. Before signing it, be sure that you read everything and that you don’t have any questions or concerns about what they are asking from you. Be sure that you are keeping your attendance up for events, doing any promotions for their business that they ask, getting referrals or bringing in new clients, and seeing what their policy is about working with other photographers. Every team may have different expectations but it is so important to be sure you 100% understand what is expected of you before joining the team.

Size of The Team

How many people are included in a team is so important! Teams can range from as low as 5 people to as large as nearly 50 or more. Smaller teams provide a stronger bond between senior and photographer. It also allows for more one on one time with the photographer of your choosing. These smaller teams also allow for you to become closer with the few people in your group rather than maybe a full class size of people. Now there is no issue with joining a larger team, but again, this is something you want to build a connection with as they ride along for your senior year.

Consistency

You want to expect the same results with your photos every time you receive them. Which is why making sure that the photographer's Instagram/Facebook feed shows consistency. Although professional photographers don't use filters per say, think of it this way, an Instagram feed that uses the same editing style versus one that uses different filters. If a photographer constantly changes their editing style, their photos will never have the same results. You want to be sure that your photographer can produce the same quality of work consistently. You want to know what to expect when opening your gallery.

Photographer Flexibility

As a senior, your schedule is going to be crazy busy with sports, family time, college prep, and so much more. So having a photographer who is going to be very flexible with your other engagements is a huge plus. A photographer who is running their business full time is much more likely to work around your schedule than someone with a 9-5 job as well. Making yourself a list of all the important senior dates you know in advance can be a huge help when scheduling with your photographer and the rest of the team!

Costs

In order to fully understand what your cost is, you need to know how the photographer you choose runs their business plus what is all included. There are some photography businesses that follow an IPS (In Person Sales) business model. This is charging a smaller session fee for their time shooting, but NOT providing the client with any images (digital or prints). Then meeting with clients in person to view the images and sell them digitals and print products. The average client will then spend an additional $500-1800 in prints. For the Senior Models on teams with this sales model, it may mean you are only receiving 3 photos for free from a shoot then having to pay for any other photos you want before they are deleted for good. Selecting a photographer who gives you the entire digital gallery and allows you create your own prints will benefit you so much more in the end. It allows you to have a wider array of photos and make you not regret selecting the photos you did. 

Are you a business nerd who wants to learn more about IPS in the Photography Industry? Here are two great articles. 

https://www.colesclassroom.com/ips-vs-digital-photography-sales-which-is-right-for-you/

https://www.ppa.com/ppmag/articles/an-in-person-sales-road-map-for-photographers

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