Commencment Photography Pricing question

[joe_rych]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>As most of you may know. I am primarily a wedding photographer, however, just recently I got a call from local university wanting me to quote them for commencment photos. Seeing as how I dont usually do too much of that (though I would like to) I don't yet have a price structure for this sort of thing.<br>

She would like a quote back today. What should I tell her? She told me that I would be selling the photo's to the students (there are about 250 graduating). Do I charge them a small fee to photograph the event or should I offer the event for free while earning money on sales from the families?<br>

If I am to charge a fee, how much do you think? Also, what kinds of packages will I have for the families and students to purchase?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Joe</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>I am surprised by your questions. The answers are: It's all up to you to choose......you do weddings, so surely you can put packages together? Charge a fee? How much? Don't charge a fee? Do it free?</p>

<p>For a person who introduces his subject by saying that <strong>"I am primarily a wedding photographer"</strong> , you appear to know nothing about pricing what you do.</p>

<p>This is the kind of question that I find so irritating.....If you <strong>are</strong> what you say you are....then the question is really silly, imo.</p>

[joe_rych]

<p>Bob,<br />It's a vald question coming from someone who works in one market but is asking about pricing another. In a wedding market I am planning on making my money off of being hired for the event whereas in the graduation market I would be making my money off of many different people. Two totally different situations. I guess what I'm saying is, thanks for nothing. You post did not contribute in any way except to show people how ignorant you really are to people who are not "photography gods" like you.</p>

[wentzu_chang]

<p>Hello, Joe:<br>

Congratulations...that is a great oppertunity ;)<br>

I don't know what the best pricing quote is when working with university, but, I think you could asked around (if you have kids in school, that helps). From my understanding, my friends buying their kids' photos from the photographer hired by school (element, junior, high schools), it is around 15-30 dollars (wallket set, or 5x7 set or 8x10)...so, I think it is better to charge a setting fee, and layout different print packages that they like to buy...</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>Joe.....posts like the OP drive people away....at least, informed people. Are you seriously telling me that if you were offered such a job, that you would be unable to price it?</p>

<p>What I think my post contributed was that people who are photographers in one discipline should not feel incapable of being familiar enough with "people centered" jobs to <strong>not</strong> come and ask questions which are hardly believable. If you are a wedding photographer, then it goes without saying that you are very familiar with what your time is worth, and what packages people often order.</p>

<p>So if that basic knowledge qualifies me as a "photography god"....<strong>your words</strong> ......Then heaven help anyone who comes in here for a real problem.....</p>

<p>In a Beginner's Forum I simply would have passed. But this claims to be, at least a little , more than that.......Godly Blessings upon you, Joe</p>

[joe_rych]

<p>Bob, I have been working for other people making thier fortunes for a number of years photographing for them. I also don't have a big "5" next to my name like you. The only numbers I ever really saw were the ones on my 1099. I've since gotten tired of doing great photography for someone else when I could be making my own name. A few years ago I got into doing weddings for myself. I know wht my time is worth but it's still hard for me to know all the markets as well as the people I worked with. They dont typically tell thier shooters all the details on the jobs because they don't want us to become thier competition. To complicate the problem we've got places like lifetouch to deal with, giving the schools huge kickbacks. All in all I still don't see how you think trying to expand a business into another market makes for a bad question. As I said the first time, I'm so sorry I don't "know it all" like you apparantly do.<br>

If your really out to dog a question why dont you go over to one of those post that reads something like: "I booked my first wedding and its tommorow, I dont have any gear yet or any experience, what should I do?"</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>OK Joe, sorry for the hard time. It IS very hard to compete with the "kickback" issue, and on prices,and, often, on the number of different "sets" the big companies offer.</p>

<p>What you can offer that they cannot is, Local business, which means the clients can access you easilly, higher quality results that you <strong>can</strong> guarantee. <strong>Include the use of a cosmetic person</strong> ......consider insurance angles here.....but such a person can save you days and days of post processing.......and the kids love it.</p>

<p>Offer them : Local attention and access.<br>

Money stays in the local economy.<br>

Higher quality.<br>

Higher prices........you can't help this one.....but you are offering higher value.</p>

<p>Hope this helps a bit.....and sorry for the bruised feelings....Bob</p>

[savagesax]

<p>I think Joe asked difficult questions. These questions can only be answered based on experience.</p>

<p>We do this type of work all of the time, so I'll keep it simple and hopefully no one will yell at me for giving advice. I think Joe has asked important questions regarding the bidding issues. Bids vary a lot, depending on what the client wants.</p>

<p>In general, when we shoot schools we charge a flat rate of $20 for an 8X10, printed on dye sub printers. We give the school back $2 (about 10 percent), which is given to the person that contracted us, usually the PTA or the principal, or the head of the department. We also offer 2, 5x7 prints instead of 1, 8X10. Giving back money to the school is a good thing for us and for the school. We have been photographing 1 college now for 18 years; the nursing graduates. We have another IT school on our books for the past 15 years. If you give money back to the school they most likely will continue using you for many years. When you give out your business cards with the prints you will also get a lot of referrals.</p>

<p>Here's the final cost. You charge $20 per sheet, the school gets back $2, the paper and the ribbon, along with shipping averages around $1.85 per print. Usually you have a helper doing the printing while you shoot and pose. 4 printers. We pay the help $25 per hour. Joe will probably take home about $2200 for 4 or 5 hours of work.<br>

<br />With large groups such as 250 graduates, I find it's best to offer only 1 size, avoiding packages, which take up a lot of time. If everyone gets the same thing you can knock out a sheet in 45 seconds to 90 seconds on most dye sub printers. Based on experience I also feel you should have 1 printer for every 35 people, so in Joe's case renting or buying 4 printers would result in no lines or waiting. It the lines get too long people leave. Out of 250 graduates, about 1/2 won't want their pictures taken.</p>

[Marcus Ian]

<p>Thanks Bob ... Bob Bernardo that is. I too do weddings, and family/childrens portraiture, I've never done a commencement, and Joe's question certainly piqued my curiosity. Certainly that's a market I've never explored.</p>

<p>Obviously pricing and rental costs vary by location, but I'm curious what kind of costs are involved in renting the printers, and ink costs. Also, why would you ship if you are printing on the spot?</p>

[joe_rych]

<p>Mr Bernardo, Thanks for the input. It wa very helpful. I think I am going to put some pricing together partially based on what you have suggested and my own research. With any luck my bid for this job will be one of the better ones.<br>

Regards,<br>

Joe</p>

[manuel barrera houston,]

<p>Have done a few graduations, a combination of fee and lower costs of photos to the students, seems to have worked better for me. Keeping track of students can be a nightmare when the classes are very large, but 250 is managable.</p>

[savagesax]

<p> Marcus -"<em>but I'm curious what kind of costs are involved in renting the printers, and ink costs. Also, why would you ship if you are printing on the spot?"</em><br>

<em></em><br>

The "Shipping cost," was in reference to shipping the paper and the ribbon for the printers. Most of the time you have to order the paper and the ribbon online because local camera stores don't carry dye-sub paper and ribbon. I actually order my supplies from Focus Camera in New York. So I add up the cost of the paper, the ribbon plus the shipping together and it translates to about $1.85 per sheet.</p>

 

[Marcus Ian]

<p>Gotcha!, I was thinking that you had meant that you were shipping photos to your customers... I understand, and Thanks!</p>

[joe_rych]

<p>Thank you everyone for your help. I placed a follow up call today and was able to secure the job with the information I gained here.<br>

Joe</p>