Well I'm not in Philly. My only competition really seems to be about three or four photographers in the area. However, I will go to school with about 100 other seniors and a few already asked if I would take their senior portraits.

http://www.daveashbyphotography.com/
http://www.michelleconner.com/
http://www.zaclehr.com/

Michelle charges like $200 for an hour long shoot and then on top of that you have to buy something like $200 worth of prints. But her prints are outrageous. I can get 8x10s print for $8 I think, and she charges around $30..

looks awesome, i have been thinking of getting it as well, but i hav put it on hold atm

Dave is really good. Michelle's photography bores me, plus the 'over the rainbow' song she has on her site is cheesy and over-used. Both their post-processing is relatively simple to immitate.

Zac Lehr isn't even really a senior photographer.

If Michelle charges $200/hr (although I see $150 only in her site), I'd say you charge $100-150. Include something that she doesn't, like DVD with 72 ppi, long edge 720 pixels for facebook. She includes a proofbook.

Also, whether you belive or not, Philly is your competition :\

How so? I haven't heard of any seniors going to Philly for their senior portraits.

For my brothers senior portraits Michelle charged $250 for the sitting fee. Then the price of her cheapest print package is $160 which it three 8x10 prints, which can be anything from an 8x10 to wallets.

The proof book should be easy enough to do, I like the idea and obviously I will also include the website with all of the photos on it.

Zac does all of my schools prom photos and I know of around 15 of the seniors had him take their senior portraits.

His website doesn't show the seniors.
You forget that your target should be the higher-paying customers, many of which will go to Philly. Heck, if I had the money, I'd go.

Oh, I never really looked at his.

:Edit:

Haha... I know why they aren't on there.

I'm just an idiot. It's Greg Lehr not Zac Lehr..

http://www.lehrphotography.net/#

This post was edited by kratos on Feb 5 2011 12:26pm

oh yuck! Creamy, fake-looking barbie faces. You can easily produce superior work than this.

Ok, well.. What about lighting set ups?

Right now, I have two strobes and umbrellas, but I can easily get 3.

Really, I don't have much going for me with lighting, as I've only had my strobe for like a month and not many chances to shoot it with portraits and off camera.

I'm going to need a backdrop, and I'm guessing a reflector or two would help..?

You can produce sufficient light variety with 2 strobes and 2 reflectors. I'd go with 3 strobes though, and add a hair shine (that always looks nice, and allows you to make killer black & white, black background shots).
What's your budget on lighting? Also, you can produce some great work with softboxes and being outside, as well as with simple white paper rolls (the type that's used in elementary schools, forgot name).

I'm really not looking to spend much more on lighting. I have one strobe that I own, a YN-560 and then I can probably steal the schools two 580's over the summer. I have two wireless receivers, so I'd have to get another for a three light set up.

I'm thinking the most I'll have to spend is around $1500. This is for the new lens and all the set up.

I'll probably get the 100L so that's around 1k right there..
~$150 for the backdrop

Then whatever else.. Probably the reflectors and stands for them.

I've also been told to look at Sigma's 105 if I need to save a bit.

This post was edited by kratos on Feb 5 2011 01:05pm