form wrote:
I am not responding to the comments about my rates because I already made a thread asking opinions about how rate changes would work and what extra work I would expect to do for it, how much actual profit difference I would see, etc...this thread was not intended to be only about that very weird client experience. Not a complaint really, just a very odd situation...
But rates!!! (just kidding)
I think the lesson for you here is that your work is good enough to be demanded. Not every client chooses you simply because of your price. This one (despite you not doing skin smoothing), still likes your work enough to relentlessly try to book you. As you keep getting better, you will see more and more of this unless you do *something* to change your self valuation.
form wrote:
You don't know how diplomatic I can be...
The irony of you saying this right after having a thread locked for a racially insensitive comment isn't lost on me.
Your photography skills are better than you think, but my guess is your people skills are worse than you think. My suggestion is you get out from behind the camera for a while and spend time working on your interaction skills. When you do, stuff like this won't happen. Hint. Listen more.
ACRe wrote:
The irony of you saying this right after having a thread locked for a racially insensitive comment isn't lost on me.
Your photography skills are better than you think, but my guess is your people skills are worse than you think. My suggestion is you get out from behind the camera for a while and spend time working on your interaction skills. When you do, stuff like this won't happen. Hint. Listen more.
Wait, what did he do/say in the other thread? I try to be nice to this guy, but if he's a bigot on top of being sort of socially retarded, are we to continue to be kind and offer our advice and assistance?
sboerup wrote:
Yet everyone I know that started raising prices became more busy. There are people that would pass on hiring a photographer that is TOO cheap.
It really is that simple, too. We've raised our prices 300% since 2009, and are as busy as ever and making more money than we ever have. We are having more fun, we are working only marginally harder, and life is great. Not only are we more in demand, we are more in demand in exotic locales, we are gaining the recognition of important contacts in the wedding industry, we're winning awards, etc. I thrive on pressure. The pressure to deliver great images to clients at a level at or above par of our pricing is what gets my engine revving.
Form is known to basically come on here and complain about how tough things are for him, yet he thinks we are all idiots and he is right, even if he is asking for advice.
It sucks, because once you think you know everything, you've lost the ability to learn anything. And he tends to give off that attitude.
I haven't said that things are tough for me, at least not in a long time. I haven't been complaining, I've been asking questions and sharing things I've seen.
Still seem to be perceived as complaining anyway. O well, this thread needs a lock too...
So, I'm scanning the thread full screen on the 24" and out of the right corner of my eye I see Jason's comment above, only for a split second I read it as
"I thrive on pleasure" and in that instant I was well on my way to quoting and posting a great big +1
imaginephotoaz wrote:
It really is that simple, too. We've raised our prices 300% since 2009, and are as busy as ever and making more money than we ever have. We are having more fun, we are working only marginally harder, and life is great. Not only are we more in demand, we are more in demand in exotic locales, we are gaining the recognition of important contacts in the wedding industry, we're winning awards, etc. I thrive on pressure. The pressure to deliver great images to clients at a level at or above par of our pricing is what gets my engine revving.
Form is known to basically come on here and complain about how tough things are for him, yet he thinks we are all idiots and he is right, even if he is asking for advice.
It sucks, because once you think you know everything, you've lost the ability to learn anything. And he tends to give off that attitude. ...Show more →
There are all levels of wedding photographers, Some are more gifted than others. To put down someone without even knowing the dynamics of their business, talent, skill and demographics is totally disrespectful. Comes across as really arrogant.
sboerup wrote:
Yet everyone I know that started raising prices became more busy. There are people that would pass on hiring a photographer that is TOO cheap.
So, the magic potion is simply raise your prices without doing anything different ? Just raise those prices.
I know several local photographers who's prices were higher than mine, who are now out of business.
marti.g3 wrote:
So, the magic potion is simply raise your prices without doing anything different ? Just raise those prices.
I know several local photographers who's prices were higher than mine, who are now out of business.
Now that there are two fewer photographers serving the same amount of potential customers,maybe it s a good time to hike your prices, the trick is to find the point where it is just a little painful for the client to pay your rates but not so much they walk away....
Micky Bill wrote:
Now that there are two fewer photographers serving the same amount of potential customers,maybe it s a good time to hike your prices, the trick is to find the point where it is just a little painful for the client to pay your rates but not so much they walk away....
For those who have been doing this for some time, WE know our price point that fits our talent, brand and client base. As much as I want to be a mucky muck higher end photographer like some members here, " It ain't happenin"........"A man has got to know his limitations".....as Clint likes to say.........I know mine. Oh I raise them a little her and there, remove product, acquire a higher profit margin.....but as for "raising them drastically, that would eliminate a lot of my base clients that provide my steady income. "Hoping" for higher end clients would be foolish for me.
@marti.g3: I'm not disagreeing with your points at all (far from it), but I do think the example given is quite an extreme here. In that the prices are very low, and so a 'dramatic increase' wouldn't jolt him into the 'mucky much higher end' market.
the thing is Form has a REASON to justify if he raised prices. He is GOOD, very good. I wouldnt tell a photographer that wasnt good to raise their prices....they would first need to get better at their skill of photography. Clearly, form doesnt have this issue.
And yes, I can count over 50+ PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS throughout the course of his posts telling him to raise his prices....and he NEVER listens. So please Form, stop complaining if you arent really willing to take advice. This isnt being judgmental, it is being honest. You cant make someone change themselves, they have to want to.
Soooo many people are right about the clientele that higher prices bring. Budget prices bring budget brides....and generally are harder to deal with. There is always a price ceiling, but I can assure you that Form is not even remotely close to that given his level of quality. But then again, I have seen phenomenal photographers come and go, or stay stagnant in their business because they don't truly value advice from others who have been in the industry much longer than themselves. They arent willing to change, dont have good business sense, try to do everything themselves or think they can do everything themselves, or don't have great people skills.
Not quite sure what Form's issue is though as he has gotten the advice of raising his prices time and time and time and time again, but refuses to do so. What i do know is that it is crippling. Sure, you can stay plenty busy with lower end bookings and do decently, but you can't excell. There's a limit to the amount of money you can make at that level, and the quality of life you can live ( not through money, but stress of work and clients in that price bracket)
What drives me insane is people who come back on this forum with the same root problem asking for advice and yet NEVER wanting to take it. It's like going to the doctor because you cant stop coughing and the doctor tells you to stop smoking and you never, ever, ever do - and you keep coming back to the doctor, and he just rolls his eyes because he knows you will never take his advice.
