Pricing a Portrait Calendar

[nicole_powell]

<p>I've been very good at understanding the value of a print, but when it comes to calendars, I'm lost! I would normally charge $60 for a 12x12 print, but put (12) 12x12 prints in a calendar and charge $720 - that just sounds outrageous! Even to a professional photographer like myself.<br>

Maybe it's because the quality of a print won't be there, or possibly the client won't keep it for the amount of time they would keep a print. I don't know. But I just can't bring myself to charge even half that amount.<br>

Would do any of you charge for a 12 month 12x12 portrait calendar?</p>

[diane_rose]

<p>Hi Nicole,<br>

I've been making calendars (landscape and travel) for years, and have sold them on my website in the past. I find that people might pay $20 for an 'artisan' calendar, but really it's a stretch. We are competing against Ansel Adams quality photo calendars for $12-15 range in big chains.<br>

I rationalize it to myself that a calendar isn't like a print, because it's not high quality photo paper, not as good a print quality, and not archival.<br>

Over the years I tried printing them myself (which I found a nightmare just making 20 calendars!). In recent years, I found a good print shop. I make photo-ready pages (i.e. layout photos and captions on a white background, turn to CMYK), burn them to a dvd, and send them priority to the print shop (they provide the month grids and customize them with a banner of my contact info). They send me a color proof for free. I can FTP any fixes. And they charge me $13/calendar. Not big profits, but able to compete in the calendar market. Low enough price that I can send a few promotional ones where having my work hanging on walls can spark interest...<br>

I'm very curious to hear others' experience in this area!<br>

Good luck!<br>

Diane <br>

www. dianerose. com</p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Let me get clear on this. You have a client who wants a calendar of portraits of them self?</p>

<p>For that, I would charge a large sitting fee, enough time to get 12 poses, with changes of clothes/costume, etc. a comfortable post-processing fee to prepare 12 portraits for printing, layout pages, etc. plus something like 3 or 4X your cost to actually have the calendar printed.</p>

<p>I don't see how that's going to come in much under your $720, unless you're giving away your sitting fee with those $60 prints.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

[diane_rose]

<p>Apologies, I clearly didn't understand to what you were referring.</p>

[nicole_powell]

<p>I'm already charging $X amount for the session fee. The client is picking out 12 images from a regular portrait session to put in a calendar that is being printed out by a print shop. My print shop is charging me $13 for printing it.<br>

I was referring to the $720, because (12) 12x12 prints would be $720 and I'm imaging it as putting (12) 12x12 prints into a calendar. But since it's in a calendar, I wouldn't know what to charge for the (12) 12x12 images that would be in the calendar. Does that make sense now?</p>

[denniswms]

<p>It is at this point that I ponder- the client wants a one off calendar utilizing images culled from, as you put it- "a regular portrait session". I'd tell the client it was self indulgent and ill advised idea. But that wasn't the question, so...</p>

<p>You charge what you charge for the shoot. If you charge separately for X amount of processed files then you charge what you normally charge for as many images as the client requests processed files for.</p>

<p>The fact that the client's chosen use for the files is for a low rent one off rather than to create 20 x 30 exhibition prints is irrelevant. </p>

<p>If you are facilitating the printing of the calendar add a small service charge to the cost of the printing or you can waive that charge in acknowledgement of the large number of images being purchased.</p>

[denniswms]

<p>Take the best images you can within the framework you are given.</p>

[mark_davidson1]

<p>Some good responses here.<br>

My first comment would be getting the communication clear in the initial consultation.<br>

The second would be pricing it according to the fact that someone is commissioning a fair sized project. Just because calendars go for $20 at WalMart is irrelevant. The project would be well north of $750 for me as each image would be quite different. In addition, it is unlikely that the design of this piece would be without pain.</p>

<p>I get a variation of this issue every year at Christmas when people call to book a session and intend to order cards only. Somewhere in their fevered imagination is a belief that I will do a complete (or even abbreviated ) family portrait session and deliver cards at a price that is $20 greater than the chain store delivers cards alone.<br>

I price my 4x6 cards at $20 ea. with a minimum of 25. And that is for the low rent slimline. A proper folded 5x7 card on fine paper starts at $30 for each card in sets of 25.<br>

Needless to say I get no takers.<br>

OTOH I do a fair amount of cards for portrait clients who order at least $600 in print sales. I will let them choose an image for a card and then print at reasonable (but very profitable for me) prices. <br>

I keep my prices up and let clients get a premium product at a premium price that is otherwise unavailable.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>Some families like to give calendars as gifts to relatives (think grandparents) that can't be there throughout the year -</p>

<p>Personally - I charge a normal sitting fee - and then my price for the calendar plus a mark-up. My mark-up includes the time it takes me to create the calendar and edit the images for it. Since I deliver a cd of edited images - I come in WAY below the $720 mark. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[thesaltypeanut]

<p>Dennis would you REALLY tell a client that it is a self indulgent and ill advised idea? Wow. It's not my business what people want to do with their images. As the previous person stated, many give gifts to grandparents and the such. I had a client do this for her husband, who was overseas in Iraq. Don't be so quick to judge because the only person being judged, badly, will be you.</p>