Hybrid Photography: Tips for Easy & Profitable Video Add-Ons
What if you could add an extra dimension of emotion, movement, and value to every client gallery without adding hours to your workflow?
Hybrid storytelling - using photos and video in combination - is one of the fastest growing and most powerful ways to serve your clients better, increase your value, and stand out in a crowded market.
For many photographers, adding a video-based service or product can be intimidating.
So we spoke with several thriving, video-loving creatives during our Hybrid Storytelling webinar [INSERT REPLAY LINK] to find out their best tips and advice on utilizing video inside Pic-Time to increase client satisfaction and your bottom line.
Already Ready - Leverage What You’ve Got
One of the most encouraging takeaways from our Hybrid Storytelling webinar [INSERT REPLAY LINK] is that photographers are - by default - perfectly positioned to incorporate video into their business.
Be encouraged.
You’re already halfway there: you have the eye, the gear, the instinct, and the trust of your clients; you understand light and composition, storytelling, and mood. And you already have a platform to seamlessly deliver your video content right there alongside your photos.
““We have the opportunity to actually use our skills and our tools to add video to our offerings. And to differentiate ourselves.””
The barrier to entry for video creation and delivery is low and that’s something to take full advantage of.
Pic-Time allows direct integration of downloadable video Clips (up to 3 minutes) alongside photos in-gallery, or Featured Videos (up to 90 minutes) in dedicated video-only scenes offering more control and monetization options.
Featured Videos appear in dedicated scenes and can be offered for free or paid download. (Credit: Cinemate)
TIP: Trust and leverage what you’ve already got: the eye, the gear, the ideas, the delivery platform. You need nothing new to get started with video on your next shoot. As Monika Frias says, video is just moving stills after all!
Video in Your Pocket – Start with Your Phone
Get familiar with your phone’s basic video function if you aren’t already. It’s the quickest, easiest and most accessible way to start experimenting with video creation.
Your phone is portable, light, discreet, and a familiar item to all. And you’re likely carrying it around with you already so you may as well put it to use.
Phones generally take decent quality video and certainly as a starting point, they’re ideal. Phone video is better than no video at all!
““If you’re a photographer and you’re not comfortable shooting video, it’s so easy now to take your phone out of your pocket and just shoot a few little bits.””
The hardest part when starting out, says Canadian photographer and videographer Taylor Jackson, is just remembering to take video in the first place. In the early days of his career, Taylor taped a small note directly onto his stills camera as a constant visual reminder to switch into video mode.
TIP: Record short snippets of video in vertical format for clients and vendors to download and use in their own social media posts. Politely remind them to credit or tag you when sharing (you can use Scene Text to do so). See below for examples by Greg and Simon from Cinemate.
Play, Don’t Promise - Start Small & Experiment
When first experimenting with creating video content, keep the stakes low and pressure off, says Chicago-based wedding photographer and Super 8mm videographer Alisha Tova.
Play, experiment, practice and surprise clients - and yourself - with the results.
““My videos are not perfect - I haven’t spent years honing my craft. But I think that’s what people connect with. They’re drawn to the imperfect nature of it all.””
Video adds new and exciting dimension and emotion to photo galleries. (Credit: Tova Studios)
You don’t even need to tell your client you’re planning on shooting video content - just surprise and delight them by delivering a dynamic hybrid gallery including both photos and videos.
”Pic-Time allows us to present our work - photos, videos, animated GIFs - in ways we just couldn’t do before,” says Ireland wedding photographer Michael Toman.
Pull out your phone or switch your camera to video mode as you go, recording short snippets of Behind-The-Scenes (BTS) footage and general short-form content for your clients (and vendors) to keep as mementos and share on social media - exposing your brand to their network in the process.
Consider adding content creation as an add-on service, either to DIY or outsource to a second shooter.
TIP: Under-promise and over-deliver when it comes to producing video content, especially when you’re first starting out. Adding unexpected video to your galleries will generate excitement, making clients more likely to leave you a positive review, want to work with you again and refer you to their network.
Clips autoplay and display in-gallery alongside photos. (Credit: Maciej Suwalowski)
Maximize Impact, Minimize Effort
““Always give more than what they expect.””
Add extra wow-factor to your galleries with just a little video. And keep that video simple.
As a photographer, you may not have extensive video editing experience or want to spend hours editing full-length films or action-packed highlights compilations.
Perhaps do what wedding creative Monika Frias suggests and focus on delivering short, unedited videos as Clips instead.
“It’s very easy to shoot video,” Monika says. “It’s not easy to edit!” So set your frame and let the action unfold, like Taylor Jackson suggests.
Clips can be snippets of video up to 3-minutes long. They display in-gallery right alongside your photos and are freely and easily available for clients and gallery guests to download and share.
Chicago-based wedding photographer Alisha Tova offers Super8 video as a signature, fuss-free add-on and clients regularly seek her out because of it.
Alisha Tova of Tova Studios keeps her video add-ons simple but impactful.
Alisha chose Super8 not only for its sense of nostalgia, but for its ease to create. “[Video] is not a huge amount of workload to add a lot of value to my galleries” she says.
Take Alisha’s lead and get started with easy video content on your phone at your next shoot.
TIP: Keep your video delivery minimal to begin with - remember it’s about creating impact without overwhelming. Aim for short, one-take videos or edit a few snippets together into mini compilations with any basic video editing app like CapCut, Wink, InShot, Adobe Express, Canva or the native Instagram Reels editor.
BONUS TIP: Drop a set of your favorite photos into the Pic-Time Slideshow Builder and use the Auto Beat Match function to create ready-to-go Reels in no time.
““Pic-Time has incredible built-in templates for creating really polished [Reels] designs.””
Extra Impact, Added Income
Clients are regularly wowed by the experience of having video inside their galleries. It’s an incredible win for client satisfaction and increased referrals.
It also provides opportunity for an extra income stream.
““Video unlocks a completely different emotional level.” ”
To charge for your video content, upload it into Pic-Time as Featured Video and set your price for download. There are 6 pricing options available for selling slideshows and various video types at different price points.
You can set one price for short unedited video for social media usage; a different price for edited ready-to-go Reels; and another for longer, edited highlights compilations.
Whatever you like.
Hybrid gallery with Featured Video and ready-made Reels for clients to download. (Credit: EMES Weddings)
Several creatives at the Hybrid Storytelling - Video Meets Stills webinar [INSERT REPLAY LINK] offer full-length, unedited versions of wedding ceremonies and speeches as optional add-ons to their pre-paid videography package.
TIP: Add to your income by pre-selling basic video services then include additional content for optional purchase upon gallery delivery. Not only will clients receive what they paid for and be wowed by it, they can choose to purchase even more content of interest. It’s a win-win for everyone. Shayne from EMES Weddings delivers a Reel one week post-wedding, given that’s the content his clients are requesting the most.
““Think of [Reels] like a preview gallery…it doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. It just needs to be exciting and interesting to watch.””
Strengthen Your Network: Video for Vendors
The ongoing benefits of serving vendors and collaborators are well known, particularly among wedding and event photographers who typically represent one part of an elaborate team of professionals.
Vendors are usually working with your ideal clientele so are easily able to refer you on for further bookings. And if you give them reasons to want to mention your name and work with you again, it pays off long down the line.
Shayne Thomas, half of European wedding photo and video duo EMES Weddings, intentionally shoots video just for vendors and delivers it separately to the main client gallery.
““It’s marketing for YOU…Vendors of all kinds are going to recommend you more.””
Shayne includes unedited vertical videos and encourages clients to use them in DIY Reels. He keeps a special eye out for any BTS moments where vendors are interacting with clients, as this content is invaluable for their marketing.
Go above and beyond to serve your clients AND vendors. Wow them with dynamic content. (Credit: Story of Eve)
Utilizing Pic-Time’s Vendor Network makes it easy and efficient to share content and terms of use with vendors.
Put your logo on-screen at the start or end of videos you’re gifting to vendors for guaranteed brand exposure and attribution. Communicate the need for credit and tagging upon sharing as well (use Scene Text and Vendor Terms to do so).
TIP: Use the AI Image Filter to easily curate vendor-specific photo selections and share them as a custom gallery, blog or slideshow in minutes. You can also email curated collections directly to the relevant vendor(s) to wow them with the speed and convenience of your service.
The AI Filter & Search function is ideal for curating vendor-specific galleries. (Credit: EMES Weddings)
Pitch Perfect: Confidently Offer Video Add-Ons
Clients can’t buy what they don’t know exists.
Wedding creative Monika Frias, suggests reaching out to offer one or more simple paid video add-ons before your next shoot.
Share any examples of video you have and highlight the benefits of Behind-The-Scenes (BTS) footage for social media and User Generated Content (UGC) to add to their Reels, Stories or website
““People want to book what they see.” ”
Still too scared to offer video add-ons in advance?
Offer to create a Reel for your client using photos from the shoot. Reels can be quickly and easily created inside Pic-Time in 3 simple steps and when uploaded as Featured Video, you can even charge users to download them.
Start by offering a low-commitment video add-on that’s impossible to say no to and once clients purchase this add-on regularly, look at raising your prices and expanding your video add-on options.
Pay attention to what sort of video - in terms of content and format - proves the most popular and create more of it as you go to help build your confidence and continue to impress your clientele.
Video add-on options to consider creating and charging for include:
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Short BTS (Behind-The-Scenes) and general video content created by the photographer in addition to stills, intended for social media usage
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A person to specifically shoot video content, primarily in vertical format for social media usage. Can be a professional content creator or an assistant
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Ready-to-go Reels of various video cut together and set to music for social media usage
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Uncut recordings of significant sections like ceremonies, speeches etc. where all footage needs to be kept as a whole
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Unedited lengths of footage (for archival and / or external editing purposes)
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An experienced videographer to professionally record audiovisual content throughout
TIP: Don’t be afraid to pitch and charge for video add-ons before the shoot. Highlight the value you can provide and many clients will take you up on it. If you have them, share samples of the sort of content you can create. Once clients see for themselves, says Michael Toman, they rarely say no to adding video coverage and often it becomes their favorite deliverable.
Show samples of your work to excite clients and encourage them to purchase video add-ons. (Credit: Story of Eve)
Get Started With Video Content Now
Video isn’t the future, it’s now.
And photographers like you are uniquely positioned to embrace video delivery of all kinds to better serve your clients and stand out.
““Having the visual layout and display in Pic-Time provides a totally different and elevated experience to a general file sharing platform””
Hybrid storytelling with both video and stills is already proving successful for many creative professionals.
Use what you already have and know to get started delivering your own video content today. Dive into Pic-Time's video features and see how effortlessly you can elevate your offerings.
More On Pic-Time Video
Read about Pic-Time Video Delivery features on the blog and head to our Help Center to learn all about how it works.
See and read about real-life galleries in Video Delivery: Galleries in Motion.
Delve into more helpful tips and video workflow inspiration from Cinemate’s Gregg and Simon here:
How Cinemate Evolved Their Wedding Video Delivery with Pic-Time
Webinar Speaker Details
To find out more about the creatives who joined us for the Hybrid Storytelling: Video Meets Stills webinar, follow them here:
TAYLOR JACKSON: YouTube | Website | Instagram
MONIKA FRIAS (Latxina): Website | Instagram
ALISHA TOVA (Tova Studios): Website | Instagram
SIMON & GREGG (Cinemate) | Podcast | Website | Instagram
MICHAEL TOMAN (Story of Eve) | Website | Instagram
SHAYNE THOMAS (EMES Weddings) | Website | Instagram
MACIEJ SUWALOWSKI (Magic Wedding Photographer) | Website | Instagram
