what to charge... - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 16-85 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

07/17/2005 10:20:35 AM · #1

Wedding photos, but the bride and groom are already married. They got married about a year ago, and were a semi-good friend of mine. We haven't talked in about a year. When they got married, they couldn't afford a huge wedding, but she has a nice dress, and he has a suit and tie still.

She contacted me via email and wants to get some pictures taken of them in their wedding stuff.

I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of $250 -- for driving out to their place and shooting (it's about an hour away). That would include maybe say an 8x10, 3 5x7's, and some 4x6's -- then anything over that, they could pay say $10 per 8x10, $7 per 5x7, or something like that...

Please let me know if that sounds fair to both them and me. I still have yet to shoot a wedding, but I'm fairly confident in my ability to shoot a couple and get good results that they will be happy with.

Thanks.

cbeller

Nikon D300

07/17/2005 10:29:10 AM · #2

Only you can decide what is fair for you. You're basically doing a portrait session, so $250 seems a little high to me for that. If it were me, I'd charge something like $125 plus prints, but that's just me.

07/17/2005 10:54:22 AM · #3

sounds good to me.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/17/2005 10:57:56 AM · #4

Originally posted by cbeller:

$125 plus prints, but that's just me.

OK...plus prints...how much do you normally charge for a print? Should you only charge them what it costs to get it? Or if a 8x10 is say $7, you charge $10, etc???

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

07/17/2005 11:12:58 AM · #5

you're on the right track. keep in mind the difference between being a professional and heading towards being a professional. if you've been shooting portraits a bit, and have a strong portfolio, then $125-250 is probably fair. on the other hand, if you don't have a portfolio of wedding-type portraits, maybe $75-125, plus prints.

as far as a print fee goes, i wouldn't recommend taking the cost of production (ink & paper) into account. i explain my pricing like this: the sitting fee pays for my experience, the markup on my prints pays for my equipment. for portrait work, i charge $15 for 5x7s, $25 for 8x10s, $40 for 11x14s. my cost is $0.57, $1.00, and $3.50, respectively.

i could probably charge more, and probably will, once i get more of a portfolio together. but, initially, i want to price somewhere between fair and 'what the market will bear', starting out low and working my way up. i don't subscribe to the idea that if you start cheap you can never raise your rates. your rates will ultimately reflect the strength of your portfolio and the depth of your market's wallets. the key, though, is building the portfolio.

good luck!

edit: note: i point out that i have invested heavily in the equipment that allows me to produce such images as what they want, and the value of those images goes far beyond the cost of the ink and paper.

Message edited by author 2005-07-17 11:14:48.

hdogg4u

Canon EOS-20D

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

07/17/2005 11:24:50 AM · #6

I charging $150.00 for an all day shoot for a wedding couple in a week here and then the prints are done in the package form. $150.00 package $250.00 package $500.00 package. I let them pick which photographs they want in what sizes. I get all my prints from mpix so 8x10's are normally 1.19 and so forth I double the price on everything but they can select up the package amount for prints so I could make up to $125 on the small package and 250.00 on the larger package.

07/17/2005 11:56:39 AM · #7

So is mpix better than dpcprints? It sounds like it's cheaper. I guess that's just mpix.com?

07/17/2005 11:59:49 AM · #8

hrmm yeah, mpix looks like a decent site. It looks like the bridge and groom can just go through, select what they want to order, and order it, no?

Can I have a sample link to someone's proofs to see how it's all laid out?

Message edited by author 2005-07-17 11:59:58.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

07/17/2005 12:03:44 PM · #9

hrmm...or is it more like you select the prints, order them to your house, then give them to the bride/groom -- I'm confused.

hdogg4u

Canon EOS-20D

07/17/2005 12:52:42 PM · #10

yeah you select the pics from them you get them to your house then you present them to the bride and groom gives you a better representation.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/17/2005 12:59:50 PM · #11

if you'd like an alternative, you might consider expressdigital's photoreflect and labtricity services. i was referred to them by mavrik, and it has really worked out well for me. you let your clients preview and order online, expressdigital handles the credit card sales, you can use a top-notch lab while getting wholesale prices. here's a thread with some additional info and links.

you can have the b&g's prints delivered to your house, but you can also set it up so that family members can order and have them shipped direct. pm me if you want to know more.

woohoopepper

Nikon D70

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

07/17/2005 01:24:46 PM · #12

I've been using both mpix and dpcprints. Right now I'm slightly perturbed with mpix because they've started some new policy of emailing clients who have had albums online more than 6 mos. without ordering from those albums. I was ordering ocassionally and liked using them for storage until I needed more prints. I still like their print quality, but I'm leaning toward dpcprints more now. I love the dpc print quality on fuji paper (whether it's true or not, I read Fuji crystal paper lasts 100 years to Kodak's endura, which lasts 80 years - like I'm going to be around to prove anyone right or wrong?)

One drawback I see to dpcprints is that they use Fed Ex whereas I prefer the USPS because I'm not always home to sign for my pkg. and have to ask neighbors to accept them for me. The only other drawback is that larger sizes are sent in tubes and therefore you have to spend a few days flattening the prints. But hey, I'm not complaining anymore - I really am pleased with dpcprints.

As far as pricing, dpcprints beats all others hands down on larger sizes. Mpix beats dpcprints on the 8x10 and smaller sizes.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM II

07/17/2005 01:48:55 PM · #13

I'm more comfortable with the dpcprints format. I may just end up using that -- but say I have 100 shots I want to order from dpcprints, don't I have to upload a photo into my workshop -- thus taking up more of my 25mb portfolio space?

colyla

Canon EOS-50D

07/17/2005 01:55:33 PM · #14

crabappl, who does mainly wedding photography, uses the mpix.com and his stuff looks pretty good. He just listed the last wedding he did (Laurielblack go to help him too!) Here's the thread if you're interested: Crabappl's Wedding Thread

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/17/2005 02:00:08 PM · #15

Originally posted by deapee:

yep, that's it in a nutshell...which is why i use expressdigital. nothing to upload, etc, etc.