Let’s face it, times are tough. Everybody is looking for a way to keep their doors open. If you aren’t currently offering passport photos in your everyday business, maybe it is time to start.
Few photographers got into the business with this idea in mind, and I wouldn’t expect to see any of these images hanging alongside the Steichen and Steiglitz works in the MOMA collection. But you have to consider the positioning right now.
The US Postal Service has announced that it is currently looking to close the doors on roughly 3700 of their town hubs. (Check to see the affected regions). That’s over 10% of the competition that could be disappearing. Imagine if Ma and Pa’s Grocery heard that Walmart is leaving town!
Combine this with the heightened security measures in the country. Whereas, it was once possible just to drive in and out of Mexico and Canada, a minimum Passport Card is now necessary. It all adds up to an emerging market.
An easy way to get into the business for photographers (and anyone really) is to streamline the process with something like the Canon CP1300 passport system. It’s a $395 investment for the whole set, but if you currently own a digital camera (SD media only), the printer alone sells for half the price. One thing to note is that the complete kit comes with a camera that can be dedicated to the printer with a direct connect function. The printer alone probably (camera model dependant) will require moving the SD card from camera to printer. Still, easy enough to do. Just a bit more time consuming.
What’s nice about a printer like the CP1300 is that it is designed with passport and ID photos in mind. Sure, it can give you a high quality 4x6 dye sublimation image at a 48 cent price point, its main function is to turn a profit. A typical set of passport photos sell between $10 and $15. Do the math. The complete system can pay for itself in 37 shots. Essentially, before you’ve used up your first pack of Canon KP-108, you own the system. By the time you are ordering your next pack, you could clear $1100.
What I like about the CP1300 is that it requires little time and virtually no particular skill set. Anyone can learn to use it effectively. Even if you have no photographic background, you can get it operating in no time. There is a little bit of a learning curve in what is required by the US government, but they even offer a photographer’s guide.
It is a good time to consider a sound investment.