If you are new to the photography business, you might be wondering, “How many emails should I send to my photography clients?” or “What information should I send to people who hire me for photoshoots?” While certain sessions will require additional planning, and sometimes even video chats or phone calls are used to finalize the details and to discuss ideas/visions, the following is a list of emails that you should make sure to send your clients over the course of working with them.
If you are a potential client, looking at hiring Amare Clara Photography, this is a glance at the minimum communication you can expect to have while working with me.
Inquiry Response
If you have received an inquiry about a photography session, this is the first email you will send. I like to thank them for their interest in reaching out to me about photos, and if applicable, comment on the type of session they are interested in – what you like about that type of session, how you make that session unique, etc.
I will answer any questions that they might have proposed and will give information regarding what they can expect as far as cost, deposit, what is included, what I do/do not provide. The more information you give that is relevant to them, the less questions they will end up having, and the more easy their choice will be on whether or not to hire you. It will also save you valuable time not having as much back and forth.
Whether or not they have inquired on dates, it can be helpful to include days/times you have available coming up for sessions, to also let them know right off the bat if you are available when they need you.
I finished by letting them know that I would love to talk more with them if they would like to discuss planning a session with me, or if they have any additional questions I can answer.
The Planning Emails
After all of the information you gave in your Inquiry Response, hopefully the client knows whether or not they would like to hire you. Once again, you can answer any additional questions they have, and provide as much information as you can towards the planning process.
Once a date is planned, you will know the optimal lighting time to give your client. I like to send a link to my location option page, so they can choose a location I am familiar with if they do not have somewhere in mind. If needed, I will also send a link to a blog I wrote about clothing choice suggestions.
You can let them know how to pay the deposit, when it is expected by, whether or not it is refundable, and make sure to also send them your session agreement/contract. If they are not willing to pay the deposit and sign your contract right away, then you do not want to waste time planning a session that may not end up happening.
The Lead-Up Email
Even after all the planning is finalized, I like to send a reminder email about 2 days before the session. It helps them remember, and to have peace of mind that I am still planning on it. I like to give them my phone number just in case there is any issue with finding me, and to make sure that we are planning on being at the exact same spot/address/parking lot to meet up. This is also a good time to provide any additional suggestions/reminders, such as to bring water, comfortable shoes, snacks if there are kids, or whatever else might pertain to the location they have chosen.
The Follow-Up Email
Whether the night of or the day after, it’s a good idea to follow-up after the photoshoot and give the client an idea or reminder of what comes next. For some photographers, they like to send sneak peeks at this time. I like to inform my clients about the timeline of what to expect: that I will be working on their choices, will upload them in a gallery, and as soon as they are ready I will send another email explaining how to make their choices. I will provide the best estimate of timing for this.
I have seen a lot of photographers complain in forums/groups that clients will be impatient and bombard the photographer with emails, questioning when their photos will be ready. Thankfully I have not experienced this, but maybe it is because I am very upfront beforehand, and with the follow-up, of the process and timing of when the next step will be happening.
This follow-up helps clients to be excited and not feel forgotten as you work on completing their photos.
The Gallery Email
If you are like me, and give your clients a gallery where they can choose their photos, it is important to send an email explaining step-by-step how to pick their images, the amount of images they can pick (and even the cost of additional photos if this is something you want to provide).
Ask them to let you know as soon as they are finished with their choices, so you can get to work on editing, or so you can send them the full size images (depending on how you set up your work flow).
The Final Email
Along with all of their final, full size edits, I make sure to send my clients a thank you for hiring me. I also try to send a kind reminder of what was in their contract – to credit me on social media posts. If the client has chosen not to print their photos through me, I will send them my recommendation of the best public online printer that I know of, as it is important to me that they love their images, and prints from Walmart, Walgreens, or Shutterfly just won’t provide that outcome. If you offer referral discounts for their friends/family, this is a great time to mention it. Make sure to let them know that you would love to work with them again in the future, and it doesn’t hurt to end with a “thank you again!”‘
ADVICE TO SAVE TIME
Something that has really helped me save a lot of time in the past, is that I have previous emails I have sent to clients saved in a document. This way, I am able to copy/paste the emails, and then adjust the content to fit the particular client. This saves you from having to rewrite the same exact information every single time, such as gallery instructions, or all the information you always provide in your inquiry response.
