I am updating the pricing for my photography biz and am in need of some help. I have a few ideas, but I am not sure which is better. My main goal is to increase the amount I make per session and to weed out the clients who are looking for bargain basement photography prices. I also really want my clients to start printing more through me. So here are my ideas. I would love any thoughts.
Idea #1:
Increase my price significantly, but include a large print credit. This would allow my clients to get at least one large print through me.
Idea #2:
Just increase my session fee. It would be more than the session fee would be if I included the credit (total minus the print credit), but less than the total price of #1 (does that make sense?)
Example of the two with arbitrary numbers...
#1 is $300 with a $150 credit so you pay as a customer about $150 for the session
#2 is $200 this just includes a session fee, but is initially a smaller investment than #1
Here are some thoughts as well. I would like clients to order prints through me rather than just disks for a few reasons. First, the quality of, say Costco prints, is subpar and when I spend HOURS editing photos to get them just right, it seems like a waste to then print them and get a lower quality print. Also, I think many people buy disks and then really never print much of anything. That also seems like a waste. My goal really is to create art for my clients and mediocre printing kind of thwarts that.
At the same time, do people just want the disk anyway? Will this deter people from using me? Should I care or just accept that I wouldn't be a good fit for those people anyway.?
I thought also that maybe I could offer digital packages that include x amount of print credit and x number of digital files. Would that satisfy people's need to have digital files.
Okay, so now that is confusing, but I really would love some input!
9 comments:
Get a large up-front retainer fee. That will week out the bargain basement people who rely on post-session negotiation to lower the price. If you charge a retainer (for example, 1/2 the session fee and half the expected print fees up front), people tend to be more serious.
That said, what % of your business is bargain hunters? In Southern Utah, those sorts of clients might just be par for the course.
I like option 1. But, if you're worried about people just printing from the disk, I believe there's a way you can lock the pictures so that they can't upload the file off the disk. So, give people a perusal disk, lock the pictures, and then ask them to come to you when they're ready to order prints. Or charge more for the disk so people may just think it's easier to order prints through you.
I don't think option #2 is clear. Clarify?
I think this is basically sound reasoning, but here are a couple of reasons why people might want digital files, completely independently of your good reasons for having nice prints: Lots of people send Christmas letters via e-mail or sometimes copy them into blogs, as well. Or, what if I say, gosh, I love this photo of my family? I want that to be my facebook profile pic because I love them! I don't know how you would feel about it, but those are things I can imagine that people might think.
But I think you're right that you should have a way of ensuring that your hard work is adequately realized in prints.
I would go with option #1. That way you get the commitment from the client to order prints and the client should feel like they are getting a good amount for their money. I think you should add digital files to SOME of the packages. Maybe 5-8 of the clients favorites. I like having digital copies because it gives me a peace of mind. If something were to happen to my hard copies years down the road I would have nothing. That is just my opinion.
Here is my best approach, which is a combination of the two. First, charge the price of the professional, which you are. Included in this charge would be the time and materials for the shoot, itself, and your photoshop time for preparing the pictures for printing. Secondly, in addition, charge essentially your cost, with a possible slight markup, for the prints, since you have already made the money for your expended efforts.
Third, you should get a few of your "doctored" picture files and get some printed by your vendor, COSTCO, and maybe Walgreens or some other volume printer. When you are doing your initial consultation with the client, you can show the difference in the quality of the printing, and what they get when they order from you. The cheap people will do what they will, anyway. Reasonable people will go for the quality. Either way, you will have been compensated well for your time, regardless of their decision.
I hope this helps. Let me know what you decide.
George
I like the idea of showing people the difference between a costco print and one you could print for them. But I also like the idea of making a cd available for purchase. If I were to get family pictures done, I would only do it somewhere I could purchase the cd. Pictures are so precious and I would hate to think that if a couple years down the road something happened to one of the prints I had purchased, I would have no way of replacing it. If a had the cd, (which I would have backed up it several places) then I could always know those pictures were available to me forever. Plus it is fun to think you could put those up on your personal blog or facebook.
Yes, show them the difference and sell or give them the CD. Hopefully, your sitting fee would make enough money for you to throw in the cd.
thanks everyone, these are some great thoughts. I will let you know what I decide.
To be real honest there are so many great photographers that offer the cd in a package that I wouldn't go to someone who didn't offer that. I just love to have all the pictures. I use them as above stated. On my blog, facebook, digital scrapbooking, books, and cards. I also did order large canvas prints from Kellie even though I had the cd and could have done it myself. I just felt it was worth it. And sorry I'm being so honest but I have professional prints and "costco" prints and in a frame with glass I cannot see a difference. :)
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