Cost of car show photos.

[Tzetsin]

Ok, heres the plan. I've decided to set up a booth at a local car show and offer uniquely stylized photos.

I've decided that i'll only be offering one size one picture one price. I'll have a couple different styles and shot angles to choose from, but otherwise they will be buying a single frame able picture of their car. I've decided this because of the timetable i'll need to run. the show is two days and i'll only be shooting the first and delivering the second, so I need to have a fairly simple setup for fast turn around.

My problem is with pricing (of course) I've been thinking about 75 CAD per picture. I'm not at all interested in being the cheapest photographer at the show, I want my product to have a certain value so as to attract serious car enthusiasts only.

The problem is that almost everyone I've mentioned this plan to has thought I'd dropped on my head. None argue the shots weren't worth buying, but they figured even 20 dollars would scare everyone away. I've got to laugh though as 20 bucks for the shot wouldn't cover expenses.

Its going to take about 15 minutes to place the car and shoot, and another 30 - 40 minutes post, then getting the shots to print which as about 10 dollars per print and the cost of having the booth.

What would you guys do in this situation? is 75 really too much? there will be about 300 people at this event, i'd be happy to have 10 - 20 sales. In fact, more than 20 sales would be very difficult to pull off in the time allotted.

[prabbit237]

I can't really address what would be a good price no matter what yer reply to this is (simply cause of my own lack of experience) but my main question would be: "what size of prints are we talking about?" If it's a 4"x6" for $75CAD, I'd say you not only were dropped on your head but yer momma did some serious crack while pregnant. But if it's a 40'x60', again I'd say you not only were dropped on your head but yer momma did some serious crack while pregnant (for being so CHEAP!)

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Tzetsin

ts weren't worth buying, but they figured even 20 dollars would scare everyone away. I've got to laugh though as 20 bucks for the shot wouldn't cover expenses.

How is $20 not covering your expenses? Even for the most expensive place in town, an 8x10 is $5 and that's without a bulk discount (which they do after you order TEN). Frankly, I wouldnt expect anything larger than that, likely be even smaller.

Why not allow your clients to order and you deliver after the show? Make yourself a simple order form with the sizes you're prepared to do along with prices, then have them fill out a name, address, and contact info, and have them sign off on it. Mail them the prints.

[Tzetsin]

I havnt decided on the specific size, but it'll be in the 24 x 16 range. This is going to be a weekend project for me, so I want to be able to pull it fast.

[OsmosisStudios]

Nobody is gonna wanna buy something that large. At least not en-masse. Look at something smaller. And look at letting your "weekend" project take 3 days instead of 2.

[Tzetsin]

what size would you suggest then? If it were you doing it, how would you set it up / price it?

[Jim Poor]

If I were to do something like this, I'd offer a "standard" size at the show along with larger sizes by order. They could all be in the same aspect ratio so that there is no real extra work to do.

Your time line concerns me though. You're talking about investing an hour of time in each car, which is entirely too much. Even if you do all your PP in the evening, at 20 min per car, that's only 24 cars in an 8 hour period, plus you'll run folks off who don't want to wait that long for their turn. I'd suggest you find a way to fine tune the shooting and get it done faster.

One of my occasional assistants makes his main living at car shows and the logistics are just crazy. He gets the cars as they are being driven in to the show rather than having a booth set up.

What are you figuring into printing costs that get you up to $10? Is it just a guess or are you including extras beyond just printing?

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by Tzetsin

what size would you suggest then? If it were you doing it, how would you set it up / price it?

Nothing larger than an 8x10 as standard, but offer larger sizes as Jim mentions. 24x16 is A) not a standard size and B) HUGE

[Tzetsin]

I did some print testing yesterday, The 20x16 looks to be the size that I want to offer.

Taking into account what you guys are saying though, something as small as an 8x10 would only save me a couple bucks at the print shop, but the time invested into each shot will be the same. I wouldnt be able to offer much of a discount. Do you think this would be a problem for most people, or do you think it would encourage them to buy the slightly more expensive but much more visually apealing 20x16?

[Jim Poor]

I don't believe in deep discounts based on print size. For portrait work, everything I have 8x10 or smaller is the same price.

16x20 isn't nearly as big as folks think it is. I carry 16x20 samples and folks are surprised that they aren't as large as they thought.

It's not really a matter of what it saves you at the print shop, it's a matter of what sizes folks are comfortable with. If you don't have samples, they will think "16x20 is HUGE" where if you do have samples, they are more likely to think "Wow, 8x10 isn't really all that big, I think I like 16x20 better."

It also wouldn't hurt to have at least one REALLY BIG sample on hand and offer that size at a premium. Perhaps even special as in "24x30 collectors print available only printed on metal." Not metallic paper, but actual metal. Car folks, I imagine, would go for that.