 Jessica A. Eiss |
To Mark F., or anyone else.... I'm doing some family photos in my friend's home, using available light, and plan on getting model releases of her two kids, in case I plan on using them online, or eventually in portfolios or advertising. My question is the pricing of the pics. Didn't you give some websites to someone else, to look up the pricing? I went back 8 pages, and couldn't find it if you had. I'm not sure if she'll want Walmart developing, which happens to be very good at our local store, or I'll use Mpix, if she wants the good stuff. My question is the pricing, depending on what I'll have to pay. Any ideas or suggestions on the way to do this? would appreciate it a lot. I spent all evening looking up "pricing photos" in the BP search, and nothing talked about non-wedding prices. Jess
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Jerry Frazier |
You just charge whatever you want to. Figure your total cost, shipping, packaging, etc, and add something on top, 3 times, 5 times, or 20 times, it doesn't matter. One great strategy is to sell all sizes up to an 8x10 at the same price. So, anything 8x10 or smaller is $65 or something. This way, small orders for aunt marthas 1 4x6 print doesn't annoy you. Also, your comment about you not knowing what she wants, WalMart or the good stuff. I don't understand that comment. YOU DECIDE. You are the professional. When it comes to printing, my clients don't tell me where I go, I just produce a print for them. I would suggest that you take all of your costs associated with making a print - everything you can think of, add it up, and add a multiplier to it. And, that's your price. There is no standard, we all do it differently. If you front load your prices, meaning you charge alot for the session, then you don't care so much about sales after the fact, so you might keep your prices lower. If you have a low sitting fee, and plan to make your money on the prints (more popular strategy), than you have to charge alot more and have a bit of a salesy approach to selling the product afterward. Sell BIG. Large prints are where it's at.
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Mark Feldstein |
Wellllllllll, I think the posts you're referring to involved photographic illustrations for advertising or editorial work. So I referred whomever it was to APAnational.com and our pricing survey from about 1999. (Advertising Photographers of America). For the work you're doing you'd likely benefit from joining some local chapter of a professional association like Wedding Photographers of America, Professional Photographers of America (PPofA) etc. That should help you at least in three area: pricing by discussing what other professionals charge for similar work; vendors they favor in your area for one thing or another; and helping you learn the business along the lines of what Jerry described so well in his response. Another advantage to joining an association is developing professional relationships with other local photographers so that you know each other well enough to help each other out if need be. In other words, if you're going to sell your work, join an association. Don't dabble or dink around. Get a mitt and get in the game. (Oh, and get a business plan that includes a flexible price list for your fees and services). As for using Walmart to process and print professional work (work for sale) personally I think that's nuts notwithstanding how good you believe your local walmar is at this type of work. If you compared prints side by side from any Walmart and say Gamma Photo Lab in Chicago (http://www.gammaphoto.com) or Isgo Photo in Burbank, CA (http://www.isgophoto.com) I guarantee you'd notice a huge difference in the quality of the work, the consistency, careful handling of your originals (whatever the source) and meticulous attention to detail. If your work isn't worth that price you'd pay at professional grade labs then don't charge for your skills. Just go into the Walmart print sales biz and when people say how much just hand them a walmart price list. Take it light.
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Jessica A. Eiss |
thanks Jerry and Mark, I appreciate your remarks. This shoot is as much for my benefit, as it is hers. Yes, we've already had the "how can you beat Walmart's prices" discussion, but she's willing to have me do her photos for her. They'll include single shots of each of the kids, and a fmaily pic to be used for Christmas gifts for her family, but not Christmas themed. I have a local camera club mtg tonight, and I'll scope out whether or not there is an association locally. Thanks alot! Jess
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