Why Photographers Need A Strong Data Collection Tool

Why Photographers Need A Strong Data Collection Tool

The first time I ever hired a photographer was for my senior pictures in high school. My parents wanted a nice looking photo before I went off to college—something less embarrassing than my stockpile of selfies that I’d shamelessly offered up.

I remember the experience very vividly. Finding a reputable photographer with a specialty in senior photos was easy, thanks to a quick Google search. But setting up the actual appointment and getting all of the paperwork together was not for the faint of heart.

Pro Tip

Capture images, not information. Create a photography form today!

The first thing I noticed was that the photographer’s website wasn’t very user-friendly or intuitive—it was hard to navigate and there was no way to make an appointment online – you had to pick up a phone. After setting up the call, the photographer emailed over PDFs of a session agreement, release form, and a form for credit card details. The forms had to be printed out, scanned into the computer, and returned via email attachment. The process was long, and it was daunting.

Looking back, there was an easy, obvious solution: online forms.

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Online forms are an underused technology in the photography space. When it comes to gathering client data, signing agreements, and collecting payments, the old school method of pen, paper, and fax seem to be most popular.

But the thing is, this process of information collection isn’t easy for clients—they have to take extra time to find a printer (if you’re like me and don’t have one at home!), fill out the documents by hand, scan them back into the computer, then, finally email everything back over.

With an online form, there are only two steps: fill out the form and press submit. Talk about easy!

Making your client’s experience as simple and straightforward as possible is vital for standing out amongst the crowd in a saturated market. If you’re a photographer still using paper, now’s your chance to switch to the wonderful world of online forms.

To get you started, we’ve listed out a few must-have forms that are perfect for photographers and their businesses.

Jotform makes photographers’ data collection process simple and streamlined by offering premade templates, payments integrations, and hundreds of widgets and apps to choose from. Our online form tools support photographers by creating a flawless client experience, which in turn, brings repeat business.

P.S. If you want a good laugh, here’s how one of the senior pics turned out. 🙂

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AUTHOR
Annabel is a former Director of Communications at Jotform. She's passionate about writing and has worked in communications roles domestically and internationally. When she's not blogging about SaaS or online forms, she enjoys international travel, loud concerts, and artisan coffee.

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