Just for you Jim.............

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by WVCoalMiner

He deleted me as a friend LOL

A damn shame it is.

[metric_photography]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

I reckon that too many of his family members and friends told him his photography was good enough to start changing and go pro. It's happens everyday. I was out walking my dog yesterday and someone spied the camera hanging around my neck, (they had theirs.....a consumer entry level) and told me the same thing. I told her family and friends will tell you anything to keep you encouraged. I asked her to send me the link to her website, she didn't have one. I asked about her experience and what she knew about her " Cost of Doing Business" and when I saw the blank look in her eyes, I asked if she knew anything about the photography business, the costs, and what was she planning on charging. Her response was, "I was planning on offering a CD full of images for $50.00. I think I talked to her about an hour or so, educating her about what routs to take, schooling and prices to charge, gave her my business card and told her if she had any questions about what to charge to please contact me before quoting a price to clients.

Oh Jim-- I wish I could run into you in a park and you could advise me on what to charge!! I always feel guilty charging more than $100/ session. I know my work is good, I know I take time to research, take courses, set-up the session and post-process the images, I know I have good equipment, but I have trouble charging more money!! I guess part of me is afraid that if I charge more, I would get less work because people these days aren't willing to pay for a good photographer when everyone out there owns a DSLR and cheap photo editting programs!

[Jim Bryant]

Originally Posted by metric_photography

Oh Jim-- I wish I could run into you in a park and you could advise me on what to charge!! I always feel guilty charging more than $100/ session. I know my work is good, I know I take time to research, take courses, set-up the session and post-process the images, I know I have good equipment, but I have trouble charging more money!! I guess part of me is afraid that if I charge more, I would get less work because people these days aren't willing to pay for a good photographer when everyone out there owns a DSLR and cheap photo editting programs!

Do you want to work your butt off seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day catering to cheap folks who could care less about quality so as long as you work cheap? Or do you want to charge what other professionals charge and not have to bust your butt? Once you start charging cheap prices it's hard to get away from those type of Walmart, Kmart type clients.

I know everyone out there and their brother, sister, mother and father have digital cameras and want to jump on the money making wagon. After a few times of screwing us shoots, the word will get around that they are hacks. Sooner or later the cream will rise to the top of the bottle. Don't sell yourself short, you don't need customers such as that.