Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | People Photography | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2012 · pricing

  
 
Michaelparris
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · pricing


This probably should go in the "Pro" forum but the thread would play to an empty room.

For those that do portraits for pay. What is your pricing strategy. Session fee? Do you give them the files for extra? Whats in your package's...

How do you price what you do....

Iron sharpens iron...



Jul 26, 2012 at 05:57 PM
bbourizk
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · pricing


I think it depends where you are in your Photography.
If your starting out you might be cheap or even free. You need to build a good portfolio to get people to ask you to take their portraits.

I did my first paid job a few weeks ago and had been doing portraits for three years before that...granted my main job pays me very well and photography will never replace that.

Lately people have been asking for portraits done, strangers that are seeing my work on facebook etc. So now i'm starting to charge. I have Three packages ranging from $300 to $600.

On the other hand if you want to do this full time and earn a living then your prices need to be different.

If you look at websites of pro's posting on here packages start at $300 just for the session and then you have prints so a package can be around $750-$1000...

So it all depends on where you are in the business.



Jul 26, 2012 at 11:22 PM
Michaelparris
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · pricing


I tend to be to nice a guy, if there is such a thing. I tend to give more than I should as far as product goes. One thing I struggle with is whether or not to give them hi-resolution files or not. Some do others say they are buying photographs not files.


Jul 27, 2012 at 12:19 AM
bbourizk
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · pricing


Michaelparris wrote:
I tend to be to nice a guy, if there is such a thing. I tend to give more than I should as far as product goes. One thing I struggle with is whether or not to give them hi-resolution files or not. Some do others say they are buying photographs not files.



i know what you mean...my second paid shoot was for a single mum...she always liked my pics and would comment..one day she asked how much pics for her young son are...ended up doing them for nothing.

I give them hi-res files 40-60 of the best pics from the day...normally i take 300 or so photos and for that i charge $300, but as i said in my earlier post photography is not my main income.



Jul 27, 2012 at 12:38 AM
friscoron
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · pricing



10 years ago and going back from there, photographers did the shoots and the results were always prints. You certainly didn't turn over the negatives, so the customer's only choice was to purchase prints from the photographer.

Those days are gone. Customers want the edited JPGs, they want to post them on Facebook, and they want to use online printers to print quality prints at great prices way below what we usually offer. Obviously, the consumer is going to get better prints by going through us, but these days they don't always understand or see that.

So having said that, I offer a session fee and then the customer will choose to pay for prints or electronic files, or both. When they purchase prints, I actually provide them with web-sized JPGs with my watermarked logo so they'll put it on Facebook and drive more business my way. But that's just me. Ask 100 other photographers, and you'll get 100 different responses.



Jul 27, 2012 at 08:54 AM
Michaelparris
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · pricing


I was hoping to get varied responses....Thanks for yours.

Iron sharpens iron



Jul 27, 2012 at 09:57 AM
benee
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · pricing


It really depends on the type of session.

For headshots, an all-inclusing fee. If I am shooting artist headshots, I promise 2 high-res, retouched files of their choosing. For extra $$, they can get another 5 edited web-size shots for their website. I don't sell prints for headshots, b/c there is no $$ in it for me. Performing Artists will want to print in bulk for auditions, and it's in my interest and the client's interest to go elsewhere for 8x10 reproductions.

For a family session, I have given CDs as part of an all-inclusive package. In the future, I'm thinking about changing this. I think a session fee and a certain $$ credti towards prints or a CD would be more profitable. In other words, charge a certain amount, all inclusive, including $100 credit for prints, or use the $100 credit towards a CD, which would cost $200 or something like that.



Jul 27, 2012 at 10:17 AM
jefferies1
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · pricing


Most of my work is business portraits. I charge a flat fee for 1 retouched image and additional if they want more from that same session. Additional looks shot are extra but not as much as the first, assuming all shot at the same time. I only release retouched images. I provide them on CD and with use rights. I usually give a print only because they will show it off at the office which can be good for business. My clients don't really need prints for business but they like gettting one as a bonus. The files are print and web sized. I try to give a sample of what can be done with promo materials so that is another chance for extra income for me. Few people are creative and can design promo material or business cards. Most end up making a great portrate look like a driverse license image.I find if I do the design I get lots more referrals. About 10 to 1 compared with them going out and having something done by their office.
As price goes I am higher than many in my area but a lot better. My portfolio supports that fact. Those wanting quality will pay as the price is still a good value. Those wanting cheap usually don't book.



Jul 27, 2012 at 10:30 AM
ScooberJake
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · pricing


Agree that it depends on the type of session.

It also depends a bit on your philosophy. One way is to figure what you want to make per hour, figure the average time per shoot, and then price accordingly. If all you care about is that hourly rate, then digital files may end up fairly inexpensive. In that way, you are pricing your photography as a commodity. People can shop around for the best prices, and just go with who is cheapest. Which photographer doesn't really matter. A "better" photographer commands a slightly higher rate.

But the other way to look at it is to view your photography as art. Your images are one of a kind and could not be produced by any other photographer. From that standpoint, selling digital files doesn't make sense. A painter doesn't loan out his work for photocopying at an hourly rate. He knows that he has something unique that other people want, and he places a high value on it. From this viewpoint, any digital file you let out of your door represents hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in lost revenue. Digital files are either not sold or priced at an extreme premium.

I shoot mostly seniors. I require payment for the smallest print package (includes session fee) upfront. Easy to upgrade to a larger package later. I always put my favorite images on Facebook with my watermark. Later, client gets Facebook-sized files (without watermark) of anything they order as a print. This keeps the kids happy, but I don't lose out on print sales.

Full-rez digital files with printing rights are for sale at what I consider to be reasonable prices (though my clients may see them as high). But I require a minimum print purchase first. This way any time I sell digital files I am already well past my desired "hourly rate".



Jul 27, 2012 at 11:04 AM





FM Forums | People Photography | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.