Having a hard time nailing down my pricing...

[mstark70]

I am having a hard time nailing down my pricing. Of every shoot I have done, the customer really just wants a CD with their images and why not when they can get them printed at Costco for really cheap. How do you handle this? What do you charge for a disk with high resolution images ready for print? Do you sell packages or let people choose there prints from your online site? On average how many images do you make available to them? I am sure this depends somewhat on the shoot but do you have a set number you aim for like 10-20 images or what? What do you charge for an 8x10? I am at $25- which I think is reasonable but no one has ever ordered one. What am I doing wrong? I would like to get it all nailed down so I can have some consistency and predictability for myself, my site and my customers. I want to be fair without selling myself short.

I personally know I am frugal and I try to consider what I would pay. I have the hardest time knowing what to value my time, effort and quality at.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out. I know that is a lot of questions and information to consider.

Michelle

[windrider86]

I finally stopped even offering a cd for that very reason. The last lady who was a snot to me wanted one and I explained by saying that it would be like going to the car dealership and buying a brand new Cadillac SUV but only paying for the spare tire.

Since I said that, there are a few people that I will sell a low resolution cd of only the photos they have purchased in a package for $45. They can print them at a 4 x 6 size but thats it.

You're welcome to see what I charge for just a print on my web site. I dont know if the pricing is good or bad but it has been working for me. Now matted prints and art pieces are priced very much differently

[candleman]

i dont give images on disk anymore... unless its specifically required like for a website (like my newest client has asked for his business)

take my most recent job.
sitting fee $80 ...that covered my time shooting, editing, travel etc etc.
if i gave a CD it would have worked out to like $8/hr. and thats all i'd get. McDonalds pays better than that.
but they had to order prints and i got another $140 on top...which evened it out to being worth my while.

i dont sell packages. they pay a sitting fee and prints are priced individually from there. to me, a package puts a lid on things.. i provide several options making it harder for them to choose so they feel they want to buy more.
of the 16 images i provided, they ordered at least one print of 11 of the images. most of them were two or three copies of the same image.

they get a *free* "web ready" CD with watermarked and down-sized images for social networking sites.. only of the images they have purchased.

i've recently set a price to buy personal use printing rights to the full resolution image for $300 each.. pretty much on par with what you'd pay at your average stock site for full resolution. (nobody yet has taken me up on that)

*note... these prices are in NZD.. not USD*

[mstark70]

Thank you both very much for your info. I think I will remove any mention of a disk from my site. I think I will deal with it as people ask. But I will not advertise as thought I offer one.
Michelle I loved your comparison. So true. I need to take myself, my time and my quality of work more seriously so that others will also.
Michelle your prices are comparable to some others I have heard from. I think I will go with a similar scale and see how things go from there.
Thanks again!

[eNZee]

i do offer a cd of low res watermarked PROOFS with my packages. i have a package that includes a cd with proofs only but like i said they are watermarked and low res thats my base package for $200 and the client picks prints based on what they need. but my next package up offers a nice set of prints for a bit more. so it kind of encourages them to go with the print package instead. but as far as selling a HQ cd - it really depends on how many photos there are but i definately wont sell it for under $350 bucks. i had a potential client ask me to quote a wedding of 12hrs and high quality cd with editing included and i charged $1550CAD. he didnt bite - but i dont care because im not selling myself short. thats a freaking long day, plus my own editing, plus id have to source out some more complicated editing, and id have an assistant with me, when i cover all my other costs, plus equipment rental that really sounds like peanuts, especially when i know how much some other photogs charge in the area for that same package deal. (actually it didnt even include any kind of editing - i did my research). my point is - dont sell yourself short. your time is valuable and if people really want it and are about it - they'll pay.

anyways i base my prices on my personal experience when i go looking for a photographer for an event i need. i used my previous photographer as a guideline and priced just below it for various reasons. i did some other research as well from other photographers on the same caliber and found im competitive with those guys.

btw i also charge $25 for an 8x10

[SusanH1970]

I never, ever offer a high-res CD for them to print. All reasons listed above are very true, plus there's this: If someone gets your photographs printed by Walmart/Walgreens/whatever, and they come out crappy (which they most likely will), and their friends see it, it reflects badly on you. When asked who took the photo, the client won't say "So and so was the photographer, but I printed it myself at Walmart." And, even if they did, most people don't understand the quality difference between Walmart and a pro lab.

There was a thread about something similar on a Flickr group I belong to, and one of the photographers has this link on her Facebook page. Not so much about prints, but it spells things out nicely to the client regarding pricing in general.

[private]

I do offer High Res images for sale but with a disclaimer. A lot of this boils down to educating your client. 100% of the clients that I have sold the High Res CD to have also purchased prints. They know the difference between walmart and a professional vendor. I start the education process when they first contact me. What do you intend to do with the photos? Are you hoping for gifts for family members (heirloom talk follows this question) or just friends. I ask them if they scrapbook (talk about acid free, lingen free inks). When you take their portraits, ask them where they are going to display the photos. Does granny hang up the pics or put them in an album? Do you like B/W or Sepia, plain color (helps you when its time to process)

All of these questions add value to your service, so they will be more apt to pay a higher price tag and refer you. And people do equate quality with price. But you also do not want to cut off your nose either. Look and see what others in your area charge and undercut them by 10%. You will gain confidence and then you will raise your prices and not think twice about it.

Unfortunate for todays photographers, digital is the way of the world. And it is what people expect (at least in Northern VA, where everyone almost has a dslr and close to 1/2 of them have FF cameras b/c their hubby wants to buy the "best".) There is a SMALL percentage of people who will change what you have done, but its a very small percentage. They would not have come to you in the first place if they did not like your work. I believe there is more of a chance of people scanning in a print than someone really altering your photo.


All, I can add is that is what I have done, and its working out for me. During the busy season, I have about two or three clients a week (My hubby HATES it) and during the slow season, I average about 3 or 4 a month (where I like to be)

[nokiN]

Originally Posted by mstark70

I am having a hard time nailing down my pricing. Of every shoot I have done, the customer really just wants a CD with their images and why not when they can get them printed at Costco for really cheap.

Michelle

All Costco, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or any other lab sells.......is paper and a little ink.

Clients cannot buy your images at those stores, they can only get them printed.

Charge for your images, not CD files or prints.

What you are really selling is your style and the image making experience for the client.

[Jim Poor]

I removed disc options for my portraits, but kept them for sports.

When people ask about digital files for portraits, they are $50 per file for personal use only, optimized to print at 8x10.

[eNZee]

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

I removed disc options for my portraits, but kept them for sports.

When people ask about digital files for portraits, they are $50 per file for personal use only, optimized to print at 8x10.

50 per file????????
so what happens if someone wants a HQ cd of their wedding??
lets say 500-1000 pictures. you're going to charge 50 bucks a picture and optimized for 8x10 only?