What would attract you???

unless your instudio prices are equal to or less than walmart's studio, I wouldn't bother.

First off....HAVE CONFIDENCE in yourself and your photography!!!!! You clearly have very little which is okay because you are new at this and questions are wonderful! I'm a personal professional photographer myself and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to help you out with all your questions. I'm on bedrest with my pregnancy and will be out of my biz until after baby so any kind of connection I can get with photography would make me very happy....I've been trying to find someone to bounce ideas off with any how. Message me okay.

For me it would be a relax place. Were my children could be themselves. My favorite photos don't always have smiles and everyone looking in the camera but they people being themselves. Also building my own package was nice, maybe a discount for repeat business. Also a reasonable price. i mean some photographers charge an arm and a leg.

well i hate walmart and sears cuz they do sucky pics most the time..they dont hire good people where we are at..so just do good pictures..i pay 300 for ours and we get all the negatives on 4x4 and then we get like 2 8x10 4 5x7 and 6 4x6 and 28 wallets ..but they are great pics and the lady takes her time with us and is so sweet.. she charges and extra 100 on offsite and but she also counterbalances by doing $15.00 holiday shoots for two days shes do pick somewhere like on halloween shell do pics in front of a nice house with leaves and a bale of hay and pumkin..so cute...hope this helps..we also get postcard coupons and flyers that way.. i got to her by seeing her photos in a store window..

Cheap prices are always a good thing especially when most people don't have much these days. But your patience and ability to work with kids would be important and how nice and polite you are to the moms. I'm not one who likes all the cheesy props but I also hate when all they have is a white background. My kids are pale like me so I hate taking the time to get them done and then not even buy any because they look so washed out. Also I wish more places would offer black and white, sepia, or color touched at cheaper prices. Even more I love outdoor photos and it doesn't have to be liek mountains in the background just a little green looks so much better in pics than a sterile inside environment.

To build my portfolio and attract customers, what would attract you, as mom's, to give me a shot? Free 5x7? Etc.

It's cold. That's why I'm offering indoor. I would prefer outdoor, too. ;)

For me, I like "storybook" pictures that captures the life of the people and not just portraits all the time. I like pictures that have a father and a young son laughing at each other or a little girl trying to catch a butterfly or something. Also, some moms would like to have the ability to share their pictures online. You can either create a website or have a CD. A memory book is a great item to create and the prices you suggested in your question are reasonable and I wouldn't mind paying it.

To build your portfolio, free photo session and some free prints are great ideas. If you know anyone who is having a wedding, a family reunion, a birthday, a marriage proposal...any special occasion...offer your free services in exchange to use their photos for your business. And if they want the photos, maybe offer the negatives on a CD to save costs on developing the prints yourself.