I read Norman's post and agree with him on pretty much everything. But it sounds like you may be in the same kind of market that I am. i live in NE Ohio and for the most part the entire county is rural. Its the largest county in the state and the smallest population at around 90,000 people. On top of that most people here are rather poor. Also I have 5 or 6 pros to compete with plus the sears/walmart jokers. Sound firmilar?
I charge $40 for a sitting and $15 for 8x10s. i know my prices are low because every time i do get a call they always say something like, "Wow, thats good, that's about the lowest price I've seen." But I had been offering the negs with the sitting and taking my $40 and running with it, I think that was scaring people off so now i do the prints myself.
I think the big problem in my market is that everyone is so poor they'd rather go to sears/wal-mart and pay for a high school brat to do it. But we both have to show our market that we are more than a cookie cutter McPhotoHut.
In short I know I don;t charge enough and I don't think you do either, but we may be stuck with it you know?
At 11:25 AM 9/14/2003, you wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "Russell Baker" <rebphoto@pronetisp.net> To: <photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu> Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2003 10:24 AM Subject: Pricing
> Hi Gang..................... > > Every one here has told me that I am charging too little for my work. > > I agree on that................ > > Here is the situation.................. > > I am doing Theatrical Portraits................. > > You know Head Shots. > > Usually I get $30.00 for a sitting. > I shoot about 30-40 shots and then give > the customer a low res. CD of the shoot. > > (I am shooting digital now, I used to > give them proof sheets of the 6x7 negs) > > I charge $10.00 for the first 8x10 > and then $5.00 for each copy from > that same pose. > > I just went round and round with a customer > who felt that if they were ordering in a large > quantity they should get a lower price. > > They had just placed an order for 5 > prints each of two different poses. > > So the math is > $10.00 for the first one > $5.00 for the copies of that > > So the total was $60.00 > for the package of 10 shots. > > These shots were taken on digital, > converted to grey scale and touched > up in Photo Shop by me and then taken > to Sam's Club where I was charged > $2.00 ea. > > So I am making $40.00 on the package........... > > > Where the problem lies is that this customer had some shots > done by a large studio that did get some good bucks for a sitting > and some finished prints, and then directed her to a lab that would > make her an 8x10 copy neg. from one of the finished prints > (and she could keep the neg) and then run off 8x10's at a buck a > piece when she needed photos. (I do think she had to order 25 at time) > > > I do understand that there are labs I can deal with that will > print my files when I order a quantity cheaper than Sam's Club > $2.00 a print. > > But what here is what my real question is.................. > > I was under the idea I was not charging enough for my work. > > (and I have called around to the local Studios > and I am more than competitive in my pricing) > > > I hate to ask this, but are any of you folks doing this sort of work > and could I ask a "ballpark figure as to what you are charging? > > (please don't direct me to a bunch of books to look up > rates and stuff, I just am looking for a basic idea of what > the average pro/semi pro is getting for this in the real world) > > > Thanks........ > > > > Russ > R.E. Baker > Photography > rebphoto@pronetisp.net > > > > > >
Brian Blankenship
www.bngraphics.com
