Time is money!

[Photoboothguy]

Lots of information, but doesn't change the fact that customers will only pay what they want or can afford to pay.

You cannot educate your customers on the cost of doing photography. They don't care.

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Lots of information, but doesn't change the fact that customers will only pay what they want or can afford to pay.

You cannot educate your customers on the cost of doing photography. They don't care.

True.....but, you have to educate the photographers first. They have to learn to what to charge and stand by their prices.

[Dennismc]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

True.....but, you have to educate the photographers first. They have to learn to what to charge and stand by their prices.

That is true, but what happens when all the photographers charge what everyone here thinks they should ? And no one but a few can afford them? Who takes their pictures then?

Jim, I really do understand you point, and they are very good points as well, but there has to be price points in there someone, otherwise you are just catering to a specific class or income level, which is fine if that's your bag, but then you leave out the rest.

Someone making only 23k a year, can not afford anything but the walmart/sears studio shots, but I am sure they would like a nicer set done. Where do they go then? Or is it better to leave them to the sears/walmart outfits and continue the acceptance of that level of work? Which in turn hurts you guys even more?

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Lots of information, but doesn't change the fact that customers will only pay what they want or can afford to pay.

You cannot educate your customers on the cost of doing photography. They don't care.

Photography is a luxury item: if you cant afford it, then dont get it. Its like the difference between a Honda Civic (craigslist ad for a photographer) and a Bentley (a good, proper, professional). Both are cars that get you from A to B, but you'll be more comfortable (and have more goodies) in the Bentley.

If a customer cannot afford my services, I usually dont fret. They'll find someone to do the job, at a lower price and likely at a lower quality. I have no problem catering to the market I want to cater to

[Jim Bryant]

Osmosis- If a customer cannot afford my services, I usually dont fret. They'll find someone to do the job, at a lower price and likely at a lower quality. I have no problem catering to the market I want to cater too.

Jim - This is so true, I feel the same way.

Dennismc -Someone making only 23k a year, can not afford anything but the walmart/sears studio shots, but I am sure they would like a nicer set done. Where do they go then? Or is it better to leave them to the sears/walmart outfits and continue the acceptance of that level of work? Which in turn hurts you guys even more?

Jim - I would, they can't afford me. How do you think I was able to keep abreast of the upgrades in photographic equipment and computer hardware and software? It wasn't by charging $50.00 a session. Besides, those aren't the clients I'm looking for. One good hint is to look at the car they are driving and the house they are living in. Some times folks will act poor, just to get a good deal.

I had a lady that wanted to purchase some of my stock photograph as wall art. I had to drive all the way to Bainbridge Island where she lived in a 1.5 million home overlooking Eagle Harbor. There was a Land Rover and Mercedes parked in the driveway and yet she still tried to get me to cut my prices in half. Her husband works in Bellevue making over $850K a year. I know this because while working at the Seattle PI, we did a story on him. Instead of driving over or catching the ferry, he motors his own boat over, ties up in a rented slip and gets in his jaguar and drives from there to work. I just laughed and said, "Thanks, I'm flattered that you want my images, but not at the prices you're wiling to pay, because I can't afford to let them go so cheaply, especially for 16 x 24 inch prints." I already knew why her husband budgeted the photography for as we talked about it earlier and she was only going to offer 1/2 price he and I agreed on. After a quick phone conservation to him and after he called her back did I get the whole price. I guess she needed the extra money to get her hair and nails done at a full body spa.

[Photoboothguy]

I'm finding this humorous.

You guys talk bad about the weekend warriors and moms with cameras, but then say you wouldn't want their clients anyway because they couldn't affort you.

There's a reason the budget photographers exist...customers like their prices. If these people can't afford you, then the weekend warriors aren't really your competition, are they? If they aren't your competition, then how can they be destroying the market?

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

..respectful snip..

* 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
* 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images

...wwhhhaaatt? 60-90 minutes to do this? Are they doing it in the dark? With their feet?

[dblightsey]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Photography is a luxury item: if you cant afford it, then dont get it. Its like the difference between a Honda Civic (craigslist ad for a photographer) and a Bentley (a good, proper, professional). Both are cars that get you from A to B, but you'll be more comfortable (and have more goodies) in the Bentley.

If a customer cannot afford my services, I usually dont fret. They'll find someone to do the job, at a lower price and likely at a lower quality. I have no problem catering to the market I want to cater to

on that note, do you know how many hondas are sold compared to Bentleys. Bentleys cost sooo much but the guys that own the Honda dealership are not usually hurting for money either. I would also say there are alot more wealthy honda dealerships than their are Bentley ones. Instead of me seeing you be a great wealthy Bently dealer, I would love half of those millions even if it came by selling hondas. Lots of people love Hondas.

Welcome to America, the land of opportunity.

Also dont forget its the super high photogs that give people like me a whole market to play with.

[OsmosisStudios]

Photoboothguy: What you find funny isn't what we're complaining about. I have no problem with someone doing a job for less, what I have a problem with is someone claiming to do a high-quality, professional-class job for less. And that's what every professional hates too. I have no problem with weekend warriors making a buck: I have a problem with them advertising themselves as "as good as" the pros.

BryanC: Your comment is irrelevant. Im not the one shopping for a photographer.

dblightsey: Again, I'm not talking about dealerships, im talking buyers. The drivers themselves. As Jim pointed out earlier, people with money spend it. With very few exceptions, if people make enough money for a very nice car, they're going to have the very nice car.
You are correct though, that mass quantities at a lower price are, IN THE LONG RUN, potentially more lucrative. However, you failed to grasp my analogy properly.

[Photoboothguy]

So, what you're saying is, you have no problem with people charging less than you as long as they specify how their quality is different from their higher priced competition? That's even funnier. I hope you're doing this with your customers.