Almost every photographer initially started as “part-timer”. Today, there are more part-timers than ever. Before digital photography changed our industry, there were more “full-time” photographers. The reason: economics. Photographers could make more money. They could also make enough to cover health and other benefits.
Today, you can still make money as a “full-timer”, but it’s harder. There are still high volume studios (defined as 100+ weddings), and they generally still make a decent living. What’s been impacted are the “mom & pop”, mid to high-end studios who have been forced to reinvent themselves. Many are still “full-time”, but they’ve closed down their studios and either moved into their home or now travel to meet clients elsewhere
Pre-digital there were many “part-timers” that worked for the big studios on weekends for extra cash, and this model is still viable today for both the “shooter” and the “studio owner”.
We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of “part-timers”, who generally have a full-time job and shoot weddings on the side. We know this to be true because every week we receive new registrants on our site inquiring about our photo albums. And less than 30% are available to take our call during business hours. These photographers work out of their home, and are generally looking to outsource as much post-production as possible. Here’s a profile of how we see today’s part-timer:
Today’s Part-Timer
- # of weddings shot: 5-20
- Has full time employment other than photography
- Outsources wedding album design and selection of photos
- A good % outsource their Culling & Editing
The “part-time” status works really well for photographers who need to work “full-time” in a different job in order to get benefits. Many of the “part- timers” that we talk to have no interest in ever going “full-time”. They’re happy to augment their income and allocate it towards retirement, or college funds for their children.
To support “part-timers” we’ve worked hard to simplify our product offerings and ordering systems. “Live Chat” was a request from Part Timers who need a quick answer on something while “at work”, and we now ship more custom photo albums “direct to bride” than ever before. To help reduce Post-Production work, we offer a suite of services like (Click on the links to be routed automatically) Selection and Album Design.
Zookbinders supports BOTH types of Pro Photographers: “part-time” and “full-time”, and are happy to share with you what we’ve learned talking to “part-time and “full-time” photographers just like you. Rest assured that we will always be a “full-time” photo album and service company to help support and grow your business. Visit our “Accelerate Your Business” page or call us anytime!
