Question on Pricing, Photo CDs/ Session Price VA

[r. franks]

I've been seriously going back and forth on prices since 2006! I started on my own then, doing TFCD, getting tips on the way, then 2008 I

started charging only $40.00 for session (including CD and copyright), $400 for weddings (5 hour coverage, cd of 400+ images, and

copyright included). Don't yell at me! :) I know I'm being real cheap, but I felt I was still working on my portfolio. So question is, I know

people ask all the time what to charge, I know there's a billion ways to do it, so I'll try to be specific:

 

I'm from VA, I do live near some yuppie populated cities, have a whole lot of craigslist photographers here working for free/low prices like

me, but know of photographers that do make their living off of portraits and weddings alone.

 

I've done 8 weddings (2 w/ others, 6 by myself) 25+ portrait sessions, taken some college courses in photography, and have some great

gear. I think I'm pretty good, but I'm still working at being better. For skill/quality here's my site: http://www.creativeeyezphoto.com/ Its a

template site with a lot of limitations (I think I'll be doing a make over w/ BluDomain soon).

 

Problem is since I went up on my prices, I haven't been getting any bookings, I tried doing $80.00 sessions, including 25 edited and

touched up high res. photos on cd, and still no one. I've got some paper to do flyers, but need to make up my mind on pricing. I'd like to

offer CD Sessions, at a good profit, but not too high to scare off people. But how many images should I offer, should I deal with prints at

all? Should I have one sole session price, then cds and prints a-la-cart?

 

I think pricing should be a combination of the photographer's skill/quality of work, location, client base, and maybe even local competitor's

prices... There's so many ways to do it, I've gave myself headaches literally trying to make up my mind. Pretty please help me, what

should I be charging based on my photos and location?<div></div>

[patrick_f]

jeaz.....

Smugmug, whom I use to upload extra pics, etc, has a default pricing of 500% markup from the cost of the print. Personally, for

a non-high end sale, I think that is pretty fair. I did raise the prices on the larger prints. $40 session with CD and Copyright?

Are you crazy? That is the antithesis of good business practice and a sure fire way to put yourself out of business. 1. YOU keep

the copyright, always, unless they are willing to pay a huge sum of money to own it. 2. Ten years ago, session prices for a

portrait studio where I assisted started at $125 and went up depending on the number of locations and outfits. (BTW this was in

Harrisonburg, VA - your market will determine prices big time) Forget about the number of pics you give them. Infact, why are

you giving them a CD with the images in hi-res to begin with? Doing so only kills future sales and profits. I guess it depends on

what the shoot is for, etc...

I would sell yourself and your talent and get the #&@! off of Craigslist. Craigslist is for bottom feeders. If that is the market you

wish to attract then you will just be competing with people who care about cost and little else. Try to sell prints. Big ones. Stop

giving CD's away. I have given clients "proof" cd's in the past (low res images). Guess what? Every single person I gave a CD

to I NEVER heard from again. It did not matter that the images were low resolution or may have had a copyright on the image,

sure enough print a few from home and the quality (I assume) was "good enough".

For now, I would re-structure your prices (session fee's) and hook up with a site like smugmug. Then you alleviate the issue of

giving someone a CD where they can print there hearts desire. Just tell them that "the photos will be posted to an online

gallery" and set the prices where you want.

Some might disagree (the high end!) about the smugmug suggestion, as the best way to sell is active and not passive. I agree

completely. It is way easier to sell a 16x20 (or larger) in person rather than just making it an option on a website. BUT for you, it

sounds like a website hosting gallery may be the way to go. You get rid of the "give them a CD" issue while you can learn

about upselling and mastering your craft.

Good luck

[kerry_goodwin]

I have also struggled with this for many years. I think you need to charge more than you think you do. You will

eventually become comfortable with the prices that you once thought were high. People will also take you more

seriously and believe that you are worth the higher price.

 

On that note, my prices are pretty high and I only have friends for clients who I am too nice to charge full price. I

can't seem to get any regular price clients.

 

My prices are session only, prints or cd extra however EVERYONE wants their images on a cd but don't want to pay

the $250 fee for it.

 

I use photoreflect for a proofing site. It's free to the photographer unless clients purchase prints, then they take a

percentage of the sale. But I suppose if you tell the clients to order through you wouldn't have that issue.

 

Good luck!

 

www.klgproductions.com

[r. franks]

Thanks both of you, Kerry I'll be looking into photoreflect, and Patrick, I've been considering SmugMug, so I guess I'll

compare those two and see what works best. Craigslist is free, so I post often there, but your right, I get a lot of bargain

shoppers, but I have seen a few good results, people coming in for my cheap wedding deal, and ending up with a far

better package. See my copyright release is actually kinda different than most, I only release my photos for personal

use, non-business related. Basically they can get get prints, but I still can do whatever I like with images, it kinda acts

as a model release within the copyright release. But your right, I don't see much return customers, unless its like a

couples session, then family session. Nobody buys prints from me unless its included in a wedding package.

 

So now, what kinda session fee/print pricing should I think about at my skill level? I'm sure you guys have been in

business longer, and are at a higher skill level than myself, I've seen session fees at $50 + prints, say $15 for an 8x10,

should I charge more based on quality? I've seen $100-200 session fee+ sheet prices from $20-45 for 8x10's (I don't

believe I'm ready for that skill wise, but I don't know I think the best way to tell is for someone thats in the business to

take a look at my portfolio on my site above and maybe that would give ya a better idea)... keep in mind I'd like to do

this full time, and have repeat customers, and get new customers from middle income to upper middle income to the

higher end customers. I also still would like to have a cd option, just maybe price it higher to encourage print purchasing.

what do you think?

 

Thanks, Rachel

[patrick_f]

FYI, I compared them and asked questions on this site before I went with Smugmug. I cannot say enough good about them and

there service. 1000% satisfied....except for the fact that they have not yet given me a sponsorship for the amount I "talk them up".

SMUGMUG - Are you hearing me? (hint.)

[wayne wallace photography]

Rachel,

 

If you gotta say don't yell at me you need to just stop now, back up and learn how to run a business.

 

You can charge whatever you want price is a fictitious thing, you just gotta back it up and produce the goods and know

how to sell it.

 

Never give away files on CD unless you get a credit card, my customers pay from 50 to 250 dollars for a single file, you

don't even want to know my whole CD price.

 

Imagine if a restaurant took the approach of most photographers take in starting a business.

 

I kind of know how to cook and have some of the ingredients let me open a restaurant, get some clients, give away

some free or cheap food then one day maybe I can serve a full meal and charge full price.

 

How long do you think that would last?

 

You need open and run your business from day one the way you want it to run with all the right components. Sure you

will tweak it but you business model is your business model.

 

I started my business in 2005, I've made a lot of money and do it full time, I also mentor photographers on how to run

their business.

 

My prices are my prices, I based them on what I wanted to make no what someone else makes, I can back them up

with my work just like a restaurant does with their food and their ambiance.

 

As for business types there is Wallmart, Target, Macy's and Boutique (I prefer the later). They all had a proper business

plan and were prepared before they opened their business.

 

They each have a certain target audience and different prices.

 

If you're giving away a CD don't bitch about the slugs on craigslist.

 

You need to educate yourself, have all the pieces in place then open the type of business you want to have from day

one just like any other business owner does. If you're not good enough then get good enough first otherwise people will

just take you for a sucker which is what most craigslist people are looking for a sucker.

 

No matter what audience you want to reach you need to have all the right pieces in place before you open doors and

offer services. If you don't have the chops to charge the right price then it's not time to open a business.

 

Until then you're just a hobbyist in training and you will always be that if you do it the way you are doing it now until you

give up from frustration, which is what most professional photographers wish you would do.

[r. franks]

lol Patrick, alright gotcha. I've worried about setting up customer proof galleries, b/c of people downloading images, and

me ending up with just the session fee. I know I can watermark my images, and I guess SmugMug has some way of

disabling dragging the photo off the site onto a desktop, but there's always ways of getting around protected photos, so I

guess I'll just have to do what I can.

 

Wayne- Thanks for the advise. I'm not really bitching about craigslist people, I just realize that most people are looking

for a deal there, and so I've been thinking about other places to advertise. I'm a craigslist "slug" myself, I've gotten great

deals on things there. I'm not saying I'm going to base my prices on others, but I don't believe I should totally ignore the

average pricing around here, say if I'm trying to get hundreds or more on session fee alone, I can't possible get the same

amount of business if there's many other professionals within 10 miles of myself that provides the same quality far

cheaper. Your right though, I should have a business plan like any other business. I do believe I have the skills, but I'm

very critical of myself, and still don't know exactly what I should be charging. I just don't want to go back and forth on my

pricing. About Photo CDs- People are in total disagreement about that on here, some say don't offer, some say do,

everybody has their own reasons and have some very great points on that subject. I was actually considering on taking

some kind of marketing and business courses at a local college. I know I've got a lot to learn, I'm 22, I've got many

years to grow and improve.