Wedding Pictures on cds

[alice_trask]

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I can't find anything in

the Search. I have a wedding client that asked how much we charge

for all the pictures on cds for her to print. Personally, I am

against this, but to be honest, I'll be glad to get this job DONE.

My husband says $1000, but that sound a little too high to me. I'm

just curious what others have charged or what sounds fair to present

to the client.

Thanks,

Alice

[jmichaelc]

I recently have figured in a price for full rights to all images, at origional full resolution, on DVD with every package that i offer. The price that i came too was roughly that of $1000.00. So, i would say, according to my personal cost estimates, that you are very close to exactly what i charge. The demand for this has been so high that i decided to restructure my services completely. It has proven to be a good decision thus far.

 

Some people like the hassle (or enjoyment...depending on how you look at it) of post orders but i personally equate the way in which i've structured my packages to that of receiving a $1000.00 on re-print sales with every package i close on. I like it - the customers like it. Win Win.

[larry schaefer - chicago,]

Alice I need to ask you or Jammey about that price.

 

Can I assume the $1000.00 number is for the disc, images, rights, and nice gizmo to put it in and does not include your days labor and other expenses. True?

[larry schaefer - chicago,]

In otherwords in lieau of album or reprints.

[jmichaelc]

Larry,

 

I enjoy the initial stages of "Batch" processing. White Balance, excluding what i would consider bad exposures, and converting necessary BW (since i shoot 100% digital). My actual work before batch processing is approx 2 hrs for every 500-700 images. After completion of batch processing, my finial product is 8 bit full resolution (no cropping the origionls at all unless absolute necessity) jpegs. This i burn to DVD and present to the client. My involvment from there ends and i have now begun leading the customers into the proper direction to outsource output. Some options will be proper direction as to how the customer can print themselves via internet uploads or local processing. Other options will be outsource profesional services.....the choice is simply theirs and i help make anything they want happen. My liability witin my contract now ends when i hand over their images on DVD. Basically i'm marketing and selling my initial capture capabilities and pointing them into the right direction to make their output desires a reality.

[jmichaelc]

Larry - sorry, i forgot to answer your question. The $1000.00 price is figured into my total package price. What use to be, for instance, a $3000.00 package is still roughly a $3000.00 package. Except now it consists of a DVD of images with full ownership instead of a 4X6 preview album and finished 5X7 album (example). If the customer wants the preview album etc.....i point them into the proper direction to make it happen with outsource services.

[alice_trask]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Larry..The $1K we came up with would be in addition to the $1K they paid for the wedding and proof album of approx 500 4x6s. The reason I'm thinking of doing the disk this one time, is because the bride manages a 1-hour lab and I figure she'll be copying all the pictures, anyway. So I know, even though we put "ﾩOn The Go Studio" on the backs of all pictures, there is a good chance many of the pix will find their way thru the lab.

So, even though they've already paid $1K for the wedding, is another $1K too much to ask for the disks of all the pictures?

Thanks again,

Alice

[catherine_oostdyk]

I, and a lot of other photographers in my area charge, around $500. I think asking a bride to double the price of her package is a little much. Would they have actually spent that much on prints anyway?

IMO, if you tell her it'll be 1k, she'll say "never mind" and just copy the photos anyway.

[Jerry_]

How long will you be keeping a 'digital' backup of the customer's CD?

 

 

 

One CD to the customer, and one scratch: you may see a laywer in your future if you do not have a means to replace the CD down the road. The $1,000 price may not be so high if you figure out how much time you will need to produce the CD. Then you have to 'also' figure out how to explain to the new bride that what you see in a 4x6-inch print may not print exactly the same way as a 8x10-inch print.

 

 

 

 

Good luck!

[aaron_lee___minneapolis__m]

"One CD to the customer, and one scratch: you may see a laywer in your future..."

 

Funny, I can't sue the RIAA if I scratch my Switchfoot CD.

 

How about when the CD/DVD naturally degrade over the next 5 years.. or 1 year if people put pretty adhesive labels on top of it?

 

Even if you keep two copies of the DVD at home, and off-site, they will degrade in just a few years. 50-100 years is B.S. I tell my clients to make sure to pull it out every couple years and burn a new copy.

 

Aaron Lee

[larry schaefer - chicago,]

Okay I havent been there to do that but here are some of my views.

 

Under any circumstance CD, DVD,whatever the storage medium thats fine but I personally need to hand over some images when its all said and done. I need to see some form of tangible validation of what I did exchange hands.

 

Therefore even if I am asked for "just" the HiRez disk with no post print fullfilment There will be a compulsory book of 4 X 6 proofs or a digital proof folio that accompanies the cheezy plastic disc.

 

Our very own uber shooter Marc Williams has frequently refered to the "Gold" archival grade DVD that he furnishes in this circumstance. I looked it up to discover that the gold disk is made by MAM A Mitsui and they run about $2.00 each. There is 24K gold in the reflective layer which according to the claim is more noble than the standard DVD's and CD's They claim a whopping 100 years. I would figure work in a few spares and they can burn copies until the next advance in storage media technology comes along.

 

If that disk got 50 years I would be happy. I'm 51 it won't matter.

[jim_marby]

I started photographing weddings 35 years ago and I've operated a full time studio for the past 8 years. When I started, no self respecting photographer would ever give or sell his/her negatives, you would be drummed out of the business, but times change. Since it's become a trend for wedding customers to request a high res CD I've reluctantly ended up doing so.

 

To price it I've averaged the income from reprint sales from past weddings, added on a couple hours labor to cover adjusting exposures and used that as my selling price.

 

At least if I'm going to lose reprint sales I'll still make an amount equal to reprint sales.

 

Jim Marby

pictureperfectstudio.biz

[Jerry_]

"Funny, I can't sue the RIAA if I scratch my Switchfoot CD."

 

 

 

Right. But then you did not sign a 'contract' for the production of a single copy of your Switchfoot CD, did you? A wedding is a one-time deal: shoot everything very well and your day is good. Have problems and suddenly your day is down into the pits.