Modi Booth Photography Articles

3 Things You Can Do to Raise Your Profits in 2017

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Starting a photography business is hard work.

In fact, let's be honest...

It will take years of planning, preparation, and implementation of your plans to get your business off the ground.

But starting your business is just the beginning.

Once you get into business, you have to continually do things to keep the business growing.

Marketing, networking, and getting referrals is certainly part of the equation.

But so too is finding ways to get more business and increase your revenue.

It's the old, work smarter, not harder routine...

With that in mind, let's take a look at three simple, yet effective things you can do to increase your revenue this year.

Expand Your Offerings to Clients

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One of the easiest ways to increase your profits is to simply offer more products and services.

Granted, this doesn't mean that you should overwhelm your clients with choices. Instead, if you focus on expanding your products and services to include something exciting and unique, you'll have more clients spending more money, and that's good for your bottom line!

If it's something unique you're after, I'd like to recommend ModiBooth.

ModiBooth is a portable photo booth kiosk that you can set up in about 10 minutes.

All you have to do is put the base, pedestal, and top box together, add your camera and a tablet, and ModiBooth is ready to go to work for you.

And that's really where the profit comes in...

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ModiBooth is totally self-contained, so it's like having a second shooter with you!

While you're working on more formal portraits of guests, other event-goers can essentially take their own photos with ModiBooth.

That means you can double the number of people you can photograph and double the number of pictures you can sell. Talk about increasing your profits!

It's versatile too. Set it up at a corporate event, take it to a wedding reception, use it to get candid shots at a kid's birthday party...the possibilities are endless.

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And since ModiBooth is made of lightweight steel, you can rest easy that it'll be durable and stand up to years of use. ModiBooth was built with branding in mind too, so you can wrap it with a vinyl or magnetic wrap to really make it stand out and advertise your brand.

When it comes down to brass tacks, this thing is affordable too. In fact, some ModiBooth customers find that their photo booth is so profitable that they buy a second or third booth in short order.

Put yourself in a position to reap the benefits of increased profits. Get yourself a ModiBooth and see how expanding your offerings to clients helps you realize your financial goals.

Make It a Habit to Ask for Referrals

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You can post on social media, write blogs, make YouTube videos, and hang fliers around town all you want, but when it comes to marketing to attract more clients, word of mouth is the most powerful method.

The truth is, it doesn't matter how great of a photographer you are - if no one is talking about you and the products and services you provide, you won't be getting phone calls from prospective clients.

That's where referrals come in.

Every single person you photograph is a potential referral, and you need to make use of that relationship to try to generate more business.

There is certainly an art to asking for referrals, though.

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First, don't ask for the referral at the end of your working relationship, especially not when you deliver their invoice.

Even if you've gone above and beyond (which you should!) no one is excited to get a bill.

Instead, ask for a referral when you send proofs to the client. They'll be excited to see your photos and capitalizing on their excitement will make a referral more likely.

Second, when asking for a referral, it's best to be casual about it and not pushy. Work your request into the conversation naturally, like so:

"I've loved photographing you and your family. If you have family or friends that need a photographer, I'd appreciate you sending them my way!"

This request gets to the point but doesn't try to guilt someone into calling everyone they know, either.

Lastly, asking for a referral is much easier if you focus on building a solid relationship with your client.

The people you photograph aren't just a means to an end with your finances. Instead, treat them like your friends, be genuine, strive to give them the absolute best service possible, and the result will be clients that are so happy with their experience that they'll often spread the word about you without you having to ask!

Get even more ideas for getting referrals in the video below by Behind the Shutter with Taylor Cincotta:

Find the Best Quality Print Company

It goes without saying that your photographs can be as beautiful as can be, but if you print them on poor quality paper or go with a bargain-basement printer, you run the risk of all that beauty being wasted.

It's like using an inkjet printer at home to print your photos when you should have an experienced lab produce prints for you...

There are tons of online labs that offer plenty of services for professional photographers. From heavy stock paper to canvas prints to even printing on wood, you'd probably be surprised at the variety of prints you can offer your clients.

It's just one more way to expand your offerings to increase your bottom line!

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But not all printing companies are made alike, so do your due diligence. When finding a printer, consider the following:

  • What is the cost? Select a printer that allows you to make a good profit off of each product.
  • Where are they located? The best printer might be in another country, but that doesn't do you much good if shipping takes weeks.
  • What are the reviews like? Just like your potential clients will trust referrals about you, you should trust reviews from customers that have used the printer before. Check to see how the printers that make your final cut have fared with previous customers.
  • Do they guarantee their work? You want to work with a printer that offers some kind of quality guarantee. After all, your client won't want a print that's damaged, and you don't want to be stuck with it either.

You also want to inspect the printer's selection of products. Look at the papers and inks they use, identify the types and sizes of frames that are available, and like mentioned above, see what they offer in terms of other printing products, like printing on metal or acrylic.

Get the scoop on some of the best online printers in the video below by Tony and Chelsea Northrup:

When you select the right printing company for your situation, make a habit of asking for referrals, and expand your product line to include things like ModiBooth, you're only setting yourself up for success!



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9 Ways to Boost Your Business With a Photo Booth

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Today’s event photography industry is insanely demanding and competitive and never before have there been so many skills and services a photographer must provide in order to run a successful business.

Photo booths are a great way to upgrade your event photography business, generate more profit, and become a source of entertainment for the guests.

They also have a very practical purpose, and if you’ve ever been the main photographer at a big wedding, you can understand the immense workload a photo booth can take off your shoulders. The funny group photos everyone wants you to take become a much more interactive experience, and it’s a lot easier for people to be more natural when they’re basically taking a selfie rather than posing for a photographer. 

With that in mind, here are 9 great ways to use a photo booth for your event photography business.

Props

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Props are a huge attraction at most events, but if you really want people to talk about your photo booth, go the extra mile and get some original stuff.

By that, I mean don’t settle for prop kits that anybody can buy online. Put your DIY hat on and craft original speech bubbles, glasses or whatever else your imagination comes up with. The guests will appreciate it!

Get a Solid Photo Booth

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There’s a growing market for photo booths, and there are also several approaches. Some of them are insanely expensive, but cost doesn’t always reflect quality, and that leaves many photographers having to work hard to cover the initial investment.

Other photographers prefer winging it and show up with improvised booths, often crafted in their homes, and thus fail to tool look professional, especially when things tend to break down.

Our current favorite is the ModiBooth. Affordable, solidly built from pure steel, easy to assemble, and professionally looking, the ModiBooth kiosk can easily fit inside of a Husky Case for ease of travel.

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You can choose between 20 different tablets, 3 types of cameras, and you also have the option of a back door monitor or mirror. 

The electronics inside are cooled by 2 x 80mm USB fans. When it comes to lighting, the booth has four types of light sources that can go inside: strobes, speed lights, heavy-duty LEDs, and dimmable LEDs.

Learn more about ModiBooth here.

A Guestbook

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This is a great addition to your photo booth because it will be a cherished memory many years after the event.

Friends and family can write their messages at weddings and add a few funny photos as well.

Get an Attendant

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It’s great when you make the process interactive and give the guests control, but someone to get them started and be around in case something goes wrong is essential. It’s also the way a fully professional service should be!

Find a Great Backdrop

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If the location allows it, get a backdrop that will attract the guests. A large print or a floral arrangement will work wonders.

Good Lighting

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As with any professional-looking image, good lighting is essential even if the shots taken with the photo booth are more informal.

As mentioned above, one of the great features of the ModiBooth is that you can fit it with four different types of lighting. Just make sure you adapt your lighting setup to each particular location and backdrop.

Involve the Main Characters

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If the event is a wedding, make sure you involve the bride and groom right from the beginning. That will attract a lot of attention from the guests.

If it’s something like a corporate event, a few lighthearted shots with the board of directors will definitely get the right kind of attention that gets everyone involved.

Be Careful About Positioning

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Having your photo booth in a good position at the location is vital.

On the one hand, you don’t want it to stand in the way of guests or staff, but at the same time, you also don’t want to put it in a far away corner. As close as you can position it to the dance floor is a safe way to go.

Quality Prints

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You can easily ruin a fun experience with poor quality results. That’s why you have to make sure you deliver premium prints.

Photo booth photos also have to be printed quickly because the reality is nobody likes to wait for photos anymore.

Follow these 9 steps, and you’ll add great value to your event photography business. Got any more tips? Let us know!



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Top 10 Gifts for Photographers Under $2,500 - 2017 Edition

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All of a sudden, it's almost Halloween, and that means one thing - Christmas isn't far behind.

If you've got a photographer on your list for holiday shopping, you know how particular they can be about the gear they use.

That's where this guide comes in...

With a budget of up to $2,500, you've got a whole wide world of photography gear, gizmos, and gadgets to choose from for the people on your holiday list.

Here's my top 10 favorite gift ideas at this price point.

ModiBooth

Here's the great thing about ModiBooth...

It's the gift that keeps on giving!

For the photographer on your list this year, a ModiBooth portable photo kiosk is a great way to help them expand their revenue stream.

These things are built to last right here in the USA, and can be deployed at all sorts of events - birthdays, wedding receptions, corporate events, and so forth - to give attendees a fun and interactive way to get their photo taken.

That means that while your favorite photographer is hard at work taking photos with his or her camera, ModiBooth is working for them as well.

The kiosk is easy to set up, easy to take down, and easy to transport - all its components will fit inside a single Husky Case.

And since it's made of steel, photographers can customize how it looks with magnetic wrapping that's specific to their brand.

ModiBooth can accommodate a variety of different tablets, multiple types of cameras, and different types of lighting, too.

Learn more about ModiBooth.

Canon EOS 5DS

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With a budget of up to $2,500, you can get all sorts of goodies for the photographer on your holiday wish list.

That includes a pre-owned professional camera like the Canon EOS 5DS shown above!

This camera has an incredible 50.6-megapixel sensor that's among the highest resolution sensors ever made.

It's got 5fps continuous shooting for capturing action, and a silent shutter mode that will allow your loved one to capture images of skittish subjects without scaring them off with loud shutter sounds.

Its dual DIGIC 6 image processors make quick work of tasks, and the 61-point autofocus system with 41 cross-type sensors will help the photographer on your list ensure they capture their subjects in sharp detail.

Whether your loved one photographs people or places, animals or everyday things, this camera has the tools, features, and price tag that make it an ideal choice for the holidays!

Learn more about the Canon EOS 5Ds.

Vixen ED103S Refractor Telescope

With high-grade optics and a meticulous design for superb views, the photographer on your holiday list is sure to love the Vixen ED103S Refractor telescope for viewing the heavens.

Its high-definition SD lens gives top-notch optical performance but packaged in a small tube for easy handling.

The Super Extra Low Dispersion lenses produce bright images from an f/7.7 focal ratio to capture crisp images with high contrast and true colors as well.

The lenses in this telescope focus the full visible spectrum of light in a way that's highly accurate and virtually free of chromatic aberration with sharpness from edge to edge.

If you're shopping for a photographer this holiday season, they will be highly pleased with the high contrast images through this telescope.

Learn more about the Vixen ED103S Refractor Telescope.

CanvasHQ Canvas Prints

I love a good canvas print, and I'm sure most photographers do as well.

The operative word here is good, though...

Some canvas prints you get online are just plain terrible. But that's not the case with CanvasHQ.

In fact, for the photographer on your list, I'd suggest getting them a set of prints for Christmas!

With a budget of $2,500, you can go hog wild with CanvasHQ prints.

You could opt to get six 40x60" canvas prints and still have money left over! Of course, you can mix and match sizes, too, and give the photographer in your life a whole collection of their photos printed on top-quality canvas using premium inks for a print that looks great and will last for generations.

CanvasHQ is committed to customer service and offers a money-back guarantee as well, so it's really a gift you can't go wrong with this Christmas!

Learn more about CanvasHQ Canvas Prints.

Microsoft Surface Book - 512GB

One of the best laptops money can buy is the Microsoft Surface Book.

And their flagship model - the 512GB version - offers top-of-the-line SSD storage, 8GB of RAM, and a 6th generation Intel Core i5 processor.

On top of all that, this laptop has a gorgeous detachable 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display that's both functional and beautiful at the same time.

Loaded with Windows 10 Pro - the best operating system Microsoft has put out in years - it's a laptop/tablet combination that can handle any tasks a photographer throws at it.

And, even better, the incredible Microsoft Surface Pen is included, making it an even more functional device for everything from taking quick notes to making pinpoint edits to photos.

Learn more about the Microsoft Surface Book 512GB.

Holdfast Roamographer Duffle Bag, Camera Bag, and MoneyMaker

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Talk about the ultimate photography setup!

If you're aiming to impress a photographer this Christmas, go ahead and give them a bundle of products from Holdfast.

Their top-of-the-line Roamographer bags not only look incredible, but they're also highly functional, too.

Give them the Roamographer Duffle Bag for those long weekends out taking photos.

The duffle is handcrafted out of American Bison hide and has a shearling lined shoulder strap for easy carrying. It's the perfect bag for a quick trip, and with a metal frame that keeps the bag open during packing and unpacking, two boot bags to keep your shoes away from your clothes, and tons of pockets for small items, it'll become their favorite getaway bag.

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To carry their gear, you can include a Holdfast Roamographer Camera Bag as well.

Like the duffle, the camera bag has a vintage aesthetic but with modern features.

The camera insert cradles each camera item, ensuring their safety during transit.

The carrier straps accommodate a tripod for easy carrying, and the shearling lined shoulder strap makes it easy on your favorite photographer's shoulder to carry the bag, too.

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While you're at it, you can throw in a Holdfast MoneyMaker dual camera system.

The dual straps mean that a photographer can carry up to three cameras in ultimate comfort, and with their gear right at their fingertips for safe carrying.

What's more, for quick shots, their cameras are easy to reach, making the MoneyMaker just about the most functional gear you could give a photographer this holiday season.

And, like all other Holdfast products, the MoneyMaker looks like a million bucks.

You can pick up all three of these products and still have money to spare with a $2,500 budget!

Learn more about Holdfast products.

Artbeat Studios 40x60 HD Acrylic Print (Set of 3)

No one ever said that when you get someone a photo print that you have to get them just one...

Artbeat Studios has HD Acrylic prints that look outstanding and give photos an impeccable look that will leave people breathless.

For photographers on your holiday list, HD Acrylic Prints are the ideal gift because it allows them to showcase their work in large format (and with a $2,500 budget, they can get three prints made, too!).

Artbeat Studios uses the finest materials to construct these prints, including high-resolution archival Epson Metallic Photo Paper, Epson Archival Inks, wood or aluminum wall mounts, and, of course, gorgeous acrylic that's got polished edges for a diamond shine.

Better still, these acrylic prints are face-mounted, giving them higher resolution and clarity for a final product that is simply stunning.

Learn more about Artbeat Studios acrylic prints.

Nikon D810

It's one of the best cameras ever made, and now that a newer model is out (the Nikon D850), you can find D810s for great prices, especially if you buy pre-owned.

The photographer on your list will love a D810 if for nothing other than its excellent 36.3-megapixel sensor that produces highly resolute images.

The D810 also features 7fps shooting for capturing quick action, an ISO range to 51,200 for low-light shooting, and a 51-point autofocus system to help ensure that photos are focused properly.

Though it doesn't have 4K video, it does have 1080p video at 60fps. Additionally, it's shutter speed goes up to 1/8000th of a second for fast shots and its sensor is among the best ever made.

That's a lot to love in a camera that you can get for well under $2,500!

Learn more about the Nikon D810.

Vixen VC200L Reflector Telescope

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If the photographer on your holiday list is into highly specialized astro imaging, this is the telescope for them!

The unique catadioptric design features a sixth order aspherical primary mirror, a triplet corrector lens, and a convex secondary mirror for gorgeously sharp results.

It provides high-definition star images all the way to the edge of the viewing field. Additionally, it offers outstanding performance when used for astrophotography.

With its aspherical optical design, the Vixen VC200L offers impeccable image correction throughout the large illuminated field as well.

In other words, this is a top-of-the-line rig that anyone who enjoys viewing and photographing the night sky will appreciate!

Learn more about the Vixen VC200L.

Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i7 / 512GB SSD / 16GB RAM

Like its cousin, the Microsoft Surface Book, the Surface Pro offers all sorts of flexibility to photographers that are on the move.

That's due in part to its dual functionality as a laptop or a tablet, so they can work with the full machine or work fast and light with the tablet when need be.

With a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, this thing can handle virtually any demanding task with ease, too.

In fact, the Surface Pro is 2.5 times faster than that Surface Pro 3, and it's not like that machine was a slouch!

With a battery life that exceeds the Surface Pro 4 by 50 percent, it's not like your favorite photographer will have to worry about losing power, either.

And with a 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen display and compatibility with the Surface Pen and the Surface Dial, the Surface Pro makes viewing and editing photos a real joy.

Learn more about the Microsoft Surface Pro Intel Core i7 / 512GB SSD / 16GB RAM.



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