Would you price a trash the dress / or post wedding photo shoot the same as you would price an engagement shoot? This is for a potential client who had their wedding photography done by another photographer and weren't happy with their wedding photos.
I'm feeling like I should price it closer to a wedding, but really apart from the dressing up it's essentially just a portrait session ?
Depends on what you want to cover. This is a session that could easily take most of the day, depending on whether she did hair and makeup and whether you covered that as well; how many locations you shoot in, how theatrical you choose to be, etc.
The first question is what the clients' goals are. If they want to get some images that will essentially replace the unsatisfactory wedding photos, it could be quite an endeavor.
If a girl came up to me and said, "I wanna do a trash the dress", I'd price it like an engagement shoot. About the same number of hours on location. Maybe even less images to edit with the trash-the-dress because there may not be the multiple locations as what you often get with an engagement session.
louloulou wrote:
I'm feeling like I should price it closer to a wedding
I don't know where you're getting that! My engagement sessions take about 20% of the time in shooting and editing as compared to a wedding.
Figure out how much time this is going to take you in shooting and editing compared to a wedding and just do the math. Say you figure this is going to take you 25% of the time a wedding would. Charge 25% of your wedding price.
louloulou wrote:
I'm feeling like I should price it closer to a wedding, but really apart from the dressing up it's essentially just a portrait session ?
Price it like a wedding Yikes...that is a hella expensive session. How long would you really expect it to take? The longest one we have ever done is 2.5 hours, and they usually are more like 1.5 hours (about the same as an engagement session).
We price it the exact same as a bridal session or engagement session...
I've never really understood the concept of pricing sessions differently. If you do, then you place a heavy value on your time (nothing necessarily wrong with that). The difference with a wedding is substantial IMO. Here's a few of the main reasons why I think a wedding should cost more:
1. It's a one shot deal. You can charge more because you can deliver, guaranteed. It's an insurance policy for them.
2. Supply and demand. You can only shoot so many weekends per year, and need to charge $X in order to stay in business
Other than that, why does an engagement session, trash-the-dress, family, maternity, boudoir, etc., cost any more than the other? If they are all anywhere between 2-4 hours, why would one be 2x the price or more than the other? Just my way of seeing it. Sure, certain types of sessions require different skill sets, but hopefully the cost difference isn't based on time.
However, I'm all for pricing your services as high as you possibly can. Heck, if the client wants to pay the same amount for a trash-the-dress as they did for a wedding then kudos to you. I just don't think it'll happen very often.
Yes, maybe I am in Lala land, actually the way our politicians are going I'd say that it's a fact.
However, when I say price like a wedding, I actually do 2hour and 4 hour weddings as well as 8 plus hours, but I have priced them so that when I break it right down to an hourly rate I try to make sure I'm making the same amount of moula per hour for a 2 hour wedding as I do for a 8 hour wedding.
My portrait pricing is now priced that I could technically times it by ten and come up with a decent base price per hour for a wedding (no product other than disc).
What I'm asking is would you break down what you charge per hour for a wedding and charge that perhourly estimate for a trash the dress/ engagement or should I be charging less because it's not a wedding at all?
If I'm not making sense write me off as a crazy person then.
louloulou wrote:
What I'm asking is would you break down what you charge per hour for a wedding and charge that perhourly estimate for a trash the dress/ engagement or should I be charging less because it's not a wedding at all?
I think this is a good way to measure how well certain segments of your business are running. If you are priced for profit for your weddings, and you can make the same profit per hour on other assignments, I think thats a good way to measure growth/success. If one segment starts becoming more profitable then start focusing on those segments.
I wouldn't necessarily price it that way, as price is really dictated by market demand.
I'd use the same structure as an engagement session. If you think it'll take more time/work, adjust accordingly.
I know I've read on here one person offered to do this for free to someone who had their fauxtographer completely mess up their wedding photos, and it was great for that persons business. Not really relevant though...
My question is this: why is there so much emphasis on your time?
You completely read me wrong. I simply meant don't charge for two hours when they want eight. I didn't say/mean charge wedding rates at 8-10 hours. My hourly is $150. (plus deliverables) That doesn't change. Weddings are NOT $150hr. Seems our rates are the same.
sboerup wrote:
I guess I'm not understanding you again. So your hourly is $150, but your weddings are NOT $150hr?
Well. Basically. Weddings involve additional costs/commitments. When I said hourly earlier, that's generally pointing to portrait-type sessions - like we were talking about. Thus, the reason I've said what I've said. Weddings are a different animal. Thus, the reason your 8hr wedding price is not $1200. Neither is mine.
Yikes...that is a hella expensive session. How long would you really expect it to take? The longest one we have ever done is 2.5 hours, and they usually are more like 1.5 hours (about the same as an engagement session).
My hourly is $150. (plus deliverables) That doesn't change. Weddings are NOT $150hr.