Terry wrote:
I think I'll jump in here and just one life experience.
I started work in photography 21 years ago, I always gave a very good
product and a VERY good price, my thinking was that if I treated
people fair in the end it would all come back to me, now in this
little community there are 7 of us trying to make a livening out of
photography, this has never been a photography hot spot, there is this
one individual who opened a shop in the next town over (three miles
away) his sitting fee is 3and 1/2 times mine and his reprints are on
average 5 times what mine are, and, in my opinion, he is not that good
of a photographer, but he does have a pretty little store front studio
and a hell of a sales pitch, want to guess ware every one is going to
have their photos taken, that's right that pretty little store front
photography shop, I really have no idea why unless its the fact that
people just don't recognize quality any more and have to rely on the
price to make the decision, because you know if its expensive it has
to be good! As I think about it, I am now 50 years old, and have no
retirement and it seams at this point no future in photography, not
enough to do any thing with any way. If I had it to do over, I really
don't what I would have done, my father has no retirement either and I
have been using my mourning time to work at another business with him
to make sure he has some kind of a future, I could not do that
differently, my advise get what you can when you can because just as
soon as the next pretty face comes along there goes the work!...Am I a
Cynic?
Terry L. Mair
Mair's Photography
158 South 580 East
Midway, Utah 84049
435-654-3607
www.mairsphotography.com
snip;
I'm new to the photography business but I did spend a lot of time in the
jewelry business and one lesson I learned very well. If it doesn't
move, raise the price. There seems to be one principal that people
instinctivly adhear to; If it doesn't cost a lot there must not be any
quality to it.
Think of it this way, what is the value to you of "found money"? Easy
come easy go. Are you as carefull about spending money given to you or
money that you have found as you are for money for which you have worked
hard? Of course not! It is always easy to spend the other fellows
money than it is your own. Ask the clowns in Washington D.C., they are
experts at it.
The value of anything is how much effort, time and money (labor) it
takes to obtain it. The more it cost, the higher the preceived value.
Price your work accordingly.
Just my $.02
Paddy
