onsite printing

[angelique_leland1]

<p>Hello, i'm a newcomer to this group and have a question. I recently purchased the PS110 portable event printer by HITI. The battery and shoulder bag allows you to walk around and print images on the spot. You can print custom boarders/frames directly on the phots's. I would like to offer a promotional photography service to events. I do social events also. The benefits for events would be the custom branding on the photos. I'm having trouble with how to price something like this. I'm thinking a base price for coming plus x amount for x number of photos. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.<br>

Angelique</p>

 

[Jerry_]

<p>Do you have a business plan?</p>

<p>Unless you have been lucky and you had your camera, lens, flash, memory cards all fall from a local tree (i.e., no cost to you,) you might consider a portion of the print cost to include a little wear-and-tear on your camera - lens - flash equipment when you do the math on how much to charge for a print on-the-spot. [if you are really in accounting, you can toss into the mix, a little income tax, along with a small part of your monthly telephone or cell phone bill....]</p>

<p> </p>

[jennifer_spencer]

<p>I have seen this at events I have photographed. A young lady had a backdrop set up and was doing on-site prints. I believe she charged the people sponsoring the event (my clients) for coming out, setting up, and for printing, but did not charge the party guests. <br>

Another price model would be to charge all of it per-print, and no sitting fee. You can also do some hybrid of that, where you charge the event coordinator a flat fee and then charge a low fee per-print. It might be good to see what cruise ship photographers do, for instance, as I believe they are in a similar situation. Either way, you have to figure out what your break-even point is per print and see if that's a realistic model to make a living. </p>

[picturesque]

<p>You may want to research the Non Event Photography archive, although pricing is a complex process and subject to local conditions, such as your immediate competition, type of client, and your goals for the product. This is why there is no one answer to your question.</p>

[savagesax]

Does the PS110 print 4X6 or bigger? We shoot per paper. For example we can print an 8X10, or 2 5X7's, 1 5X7 and 4 wallets, or 8 wallets, per sheet. The cost of the paper is $1.35. We sell an 8X10 sheet for $15 to $20, depending on the event.

 

If your printer only prints 4X6, I'd say $10 is too high. You will probably get a better response selling each print for about $7. Even that may be on the high side, considering places like Walmart prints 4X6's around 13 cents.

 

If it's a larger event and your sales will be about 100 people, you will walk home with $700, minus the cost of the paper.

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>I recently purchased the <strong><em>PS110 portable event printer by HITI</em></strong>. The battery and shoulder bag allows you to <strong><em>walk around</em></strong> and <strong><em>print images on the spot</em></strong>. . . . I would like to offer a promotional photography service to events. I do social events also. <strong><em>The benefits for events would be the custom branding on the photos.</em></strong> I'm having trouble with how to price something like this. I'm thinking a base price for coming plus x amount for x number of photos. <strong><em>Any advise would be greatly appreciated.</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p><strong><em></em></strong><br />Addressing the pricing question first: on the face of it I think you’d be best to charge for covering the event and then a charge or not charge for each photo printed on site: i.e. charge mainly for the service, and nominally for the product.</p>

<p>However addressing the “<em>Any [advice] would be greatly appreciated”<strong> </strong></em>question, I suggest you consider carefully the following issues and the consequences thereof:</p>

<p>Assumed you are a one woman show? <em>(“The battery and shoulder bag allows you to walk around and print images on the spot”),<strong> </strong></em><br />Therefore you must consider the <strong><em>printing time</em></strong> and the <strong><em>print offer of sale</em></strong>.<br />I understand the “HiTI P110S Pocket Studio” can only deliver 4x6 prints at a rate 63 secs per print.<br />IMO there will be limited events where a one person operator could shoot, show, sell, and then print 6x4 prints at a consumer receptive price and make a living at it – remembering of course that the “showing selling and printing time” will be eating into the “shooting time” . . . and the “shooting time” is the “making the product time”</p>

<p>So I would ask two questions</p>

<ol>

<li><strong><em>specifically what Events are you targeting?</em></strong> </li>

</ol><ol>

<li>Could you please explain how you see <strong><em>“custom branding”</em></strong> is a benefit <em>to the purchaser of the photo </em>you print for them?</li>

</ol>

<p>The answer to these questions will allow more precise and focussed thinking and perhaps some suggestions on your broader questions.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p> PS - <br>

The main point I am making is – extrapolating from Bob B’s example: you print one hundred 6x4 prints and to [perhaps] sell them at $7 to gross $700 . . . you have been PRINTING for about 10½ hours non stop . . . and you haven’t taken any photos . . . </p>

[angelique_leland1]

<p>Thanks everyone for your comments it's been really helpful. I would be the only shooter but was thinking about having someone there to help out. I hope I don't sound all over the place with this but these are the types of events I want to target . 1. Charity/Corp fundraiser & gala's 2. I live in a college town and all the greeks have tons of events as well as night clubs catering to students. Example apt complexes have to compete for students so they thow free parties, I come and take/print pics with the complexes info on them. A lot of clubs offer onsite printing but I think being portable makes it a little different. 3. Trade show & fest. vendors, every weekend there's some sort of fest. or trade show going on. Last year I stopped a booth where a salon was doing free make overs. I took some shots and the ower later purchased them, but I thought it would have been nice to give the client a pic to take with them, again with the salons info. It just seems like every where I look people are always talking about branding your business, so I thought custom branding would be an added touch. WW. I hadn't actually thought about the print time like that. I hope this explains things a littel better. Again, thanks everyone</p>

[laurel_jensen1]

<p>I worked for a full service large entertainment company for a year doing greenscreen portrait photography at weddings, parties, conferences, expos, etc. There were two of us to cover every gig and they lasted 3-4 hours each.<br>

We set up a greenscreen background, lights and camera on a tripod - also had props for people to play with in the photos, depending on the occasion.<br>

Two printers on site. Generally people bought the 5x7 package rather than the 8x10. We had the capability to do 4x6 but no one ever opted for that. After the photos were printed we'd slip them into a sleeve and had them to the participants. Everyone in the photo would get a copy.<br>

Here's the deal - you can shoot alot faster than you can print thus, the necessity for two printers and they ran non-stop. We needed two people, sometimes even three: one to shoot, one to print and hand off photos. It was always chaos but a very popular activity at every event.<br>

Pricing: $1,500 for 3 hours and unlimited photos. Pricing adjusted up for additional hours. Participants were never charged and they often came back for extra copies. We maxed out at about 120 prints per hour so I'm sure the pricing reflected that.</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>I've done this. Two printers, a laptop, an assistant. I typically do it at $10/print (4x6) and stay busy the whole time. Collect the money when they order the print, people walk off when you get busy.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>"Last year I stopped a booth where <strong><em>a salon was doing free make overs.</em></strong> I took some shots and <strong><em>the owner later purchased them</em></strong>, but I thought it would have been nice <strong><em>to give the client a pic to take with them, again with the salons info</em></strong>. It just seems like every where I look people are always talking about <strong><em>branding your business</em></strong>, so I thought <strong><em>custom branding would be an added touch."</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>OK, now I see the potential and the meaning of it.</p>

<p>It seems to me that for the best return you are looking at two tiers of commodity sales - I think you need to view the print on site as <strong>an extra sale</strong> and <strong>or extra incentive for the main customer to use you</strong> (i.e. the salon owner).</p>

<p>I am still a little concerned that attempting to do it all yourself (without an assistant) on the fly would compromise your ability to shoot. The other examples (like the greenscreen scenario) are certainly ramped up substantially compard to your model.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I have shot Hairstylists’ competitions. At the local level there is only five or six Hairstylists with two clients each; and they get two hours to work, so it would be easy to shoot al necessary shots, print a few shots thought the process and even print 12 shots, one for each “model” of the final hairstyle, while the judges were giving their views their views. I see an application in this scenario as one example.</p>

<p>I think if working alone you would need to <strong>assess the logistics </strong>and <strong>target the type of jobs and situations which are suitable for a one woman show. </strong></p>

<p>JS mentioned this but I will too . . . it is very important to get the money at the time of order, also the price should be $5 or $10 or $20 (i.e. the denomination being one single note of your currency . . . does the USA have $5 notes? maybe not).</p>

<p>WW</p>

[savagesax]

William W wrote - “HiTI P110S Pocket Studio” can only deliver 4x6 prints at a rate 63 secs per print."

 

63 seconds is pretty slow. I kind of feel if you want to do this right, shoot with a compact flash card, have an assistant to print and collect money. Keep switching cards so when the assistant is printing from one card you have the second card in your camera. If you can spend a few more bucks for a printer, a dye-sub printer, some of those printers can knock out a 4X6 in 10 seconds or less, of course depending on the model. From experience almost every client would much rather have a 5X7.

 

For now use the model you have and save the profits for a better, more professional printer, such as the Sony's, Kodak 9810, and about 6 other brands that I can think of off the top of my head. Most of these good printers start around $1200 and can print up to an 8X12 in 60 seconds.

[aimee_pieters]

<p>I have a lot of experience with on-site printing at events. I make a lot of additional money by using add-on products that I slip the photos into from Neil Enterprises. I only offer 2 or 3 products per event, but it makes a huge difference. I use a SONY SnapLab that prints a 4x6 for less than 20 cents TOTAL in about 15 seconds and it comes out dry. Regardless of what you use to print, the secret is in the additional frames, drinkware, key chains, magnets, etc.<br>

Contact Ted Suss at Neil Enterprises. He's a real expert when it comes to onsite printing. He's knowledgeable and low pressure and will truly help you....-Aimee</p>

[fred_l1]

<p>I do a lot of onsite printing. I usually try to charge 5,10,20 and keep away from $6 or $8. I use 2 snap labs and even have a mitsubishi printer that can go up to 6x9. I can print up to 6x8 with customized borders with my snap labs. I have found the best way of doing things is to try to get the money ahead of time and avoid payments onsite as the primary source of money. For example I will do a dance and tell the main organizer that I usually charge $10 for a 5x7 but will charge only $5 if they add it to the price of the ticket. I also put out one or two packages that have to be prepaid. By getting the money upfront you can have money to spend on helpers and other photographers. Make sure you pay the organizer with a nice $50 or more handshake which will get you future jobs. </p>

<p>Here is a new rule that I have in my business, If you want a photo you pay before I take the shot. When I take the shot I look ath the histogram and zoom on eyes real fast and if I like it I get the next person. If it is bad, I erase and do a new one. This way I know to print all photos at 5x7 or 6x8 or whatever the size I do that night. Remember, that when a kid goes home with a nice 5x7 photos mom wants more and don't forget post sales. </p>

<p>Group shots. Here is my rule: if I have 6 kids in the shot, I charge $5 each and I hand the card off to be printed. The person counts how many kids in the shot and that is how many get printed. $30 for a 5 minute deal is not bad. Get the money ahead of time. If the kid doesn't have the money, they don't get into the shot. </p>

<p>I try to have 2 or 3 stations so I can get prepaid package orders for around $40-60. I take all different shots behnid different backdrops including greenscreen. I do all the workflow beforehand and edit the 12 or so photos at home. You get 30 of these packages on your job you make about $1400 extra dollars after paying for the photos. In addition, there is no rushing. I do include one or two extra onsite prints with a package like this so they get something to go home with. I also have a nice letter for parents saying how they can pay by credit card online or call up. Once I am done editing the photos and burning them I send the packages to the organizer and all is done.</p>

<p>Never waste your time with taking pictures and hoping to sell them. Do all things ahead of time and collect all money ahdead of time. You can sell onsite with cash but get paid before you take that shot. By the way, do the same with baseball tournaments. Get money ahead of time. You won't make any money trying to sell photos of action shots. Trust me, I have tried it. </p>