Question about pricing again - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

05/22/2006 03:55:21 PM · #1

I know I've asked before but need help again.

I'm aiming to cater towards those that want quality portraits but can't afford a private studio price.

I have a general idea for package prices but not sure about what to charge for sheets above and beyond the packages.

If an 8x10 on mpix is 1.99 how much should I charge? I've done some research and the average price for the private photographers is 15. So I'm thinking 10? or even 8?

I'm not doing this to make a ton of money for myself, more to help seniors and families out who want more then a Walmart shot but can't afford it.

cfischl

Canon EOS-40D

05/22/2006 03:56:18 PM · #2

I've only recently started doing this type of thing for money but I charge $10 for an 8x10. Just my two cents.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/22/2006 04:02:39 PM · #3

It somewhat depends on how much time you spend prepping the file for print -- you need to recoup that in the first print. If your price for the print is $2, and assuming you don't spend more than 15-30 minutes editing and uploading the file, I think I'd charge about $10-12 for the first 8x10 print, and maybe $6 for additional copies ordered at the same time.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

05/22/2006 04:05:04 PM · #4

That's what I was thinking. 10 for 8x10's and 12 for bw 8x10's.

Tomorrow is my first shoot. He's basically going to be my guinea pig- they know all this and that he is my first "job".

He's needing headshots so I want to make it reasonable for them, but still make it worth my while too.

ragamuffingirl

Sony Alpha NEX-5N

05/22/2006 04:05:29 PM · #5

I've been charging $10, but I'm thinking about raising my price. It seems people take you more seriously and are less likely to rip you off the more you charge.

I didn't charge some friends a sitting fee for prom pictures, but foolishly I put 600x450 copies on my pbase. They went on and on about how good the pictures were. They have yet to order prints. I more than slightly suspect that they just hit right click/save image as. So, I went in and significantly reduced the size of the image on pbase just incase they hadn't downloaded it. If I'd charged them the $15 sitting fee, then at least I'd have the $15. Instead I put a whole lot of work into some pictures, and I have nothing.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/22/2006 04:05:54 PM · #6

Originally posted by missinseattle:

That's what I was thinking. 10 for 8x10's and 12 for bw 8x10's.

Why charge more for B&W?

Message edited by author 2006-05-22 16:06:51.

05/22/2006 04:08:43 PM · #7

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

pbase doesn't have right click protection? I'm on picturetrail and they do so as soon as I get this kids stuff done I'll be uploading to there. I'm going to give them the option of actual printed proofs or a disk. Whichever they choose will be free because that was my original offer for 2 people. I'll watermark each one so they can't print from them- or if they do they'll have my name across the middle which probably wouldn't look to nice in a modeling portfolio.

Everything after this kid will be a charged sitting fee. My original offer in our church newsletter stated that I needed 2 teens for my portfolio to start my business. I offered free proofs and free wallets at no charge to them and anything else wanted above those things would be charged.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

05/22/2006 04:09:26 PM · #8

Originally posted by GeneralE:

Originally posted by missinseattle:
That's what I was thinking. 10 for 8x10's and 12 for bw 8x10's.

Why charge more for B&W?

on mpix a bw 8x10 is 2.49 whereas the color is 1.99.

General

Kodak Z7590

05/22/2006 04:14:00 PM · #9

That sounds fair enough that you charge more for BW.Why does printer charge you more for a BW?

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

05/22/2006 04:16:05 PM · #10

i have no idea
it's mpix

I don't know why it's more for bw lol I'd think it would be cheaper but apparently not.

Now how much should I charge for a CD? I'm not going to make it some fancy slideshow thing. Don't have the program to do that right now. I have cdroms coming out of my ears so they're already bought and paid for. They're cheap ya know.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

05/22/2006 04:29:44 PM · #11

If they are printing to true B&W photo paper then it makes sense, because the papers are harder to get (Kodak has stopped making theirs) and more expensive, and requires different chemicals for processing.

However, you should be able to get a decent enough result sending a gray image to a regular color printer. In Photoshop, I change the mode to Grayscale, then back to RGB, and print that. You can also use the Channel Mixer in Monochrome mode to make an RGB image grayscale.

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

05/22/2006 04:51:34 PM · #12

I wonder if it would be beneficial to approach it a little differently maybe...

Instead of having packages, let your customer pick and choose what they want in what sizes. Have a minimum $$ print order as your 'package'. If you are charging a sitting fee, you could approach it from another angle also. Have a $100 up front fee, $30 of which is the sitting fee and your customer gets $70 credit towards any print purchases at your posted print prices. Allow a discount of some percentage if they buy more than that... Just some food for thought...

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/22/2006 05:15:39 PM · #13

Now that's a nice idea also jm. I rather like that. I want to be flexible as possible but don't want to go in the hole on it either. I could set a limit to how many prints they could order for that 70 dollars too.

Telehubbie

Canon EOS-40D

05/22/2006 06:31:58 PM · #14

FYI, you don't have to choose the Ilford "true digital" b/w paper to print b/w's. You can get b/w prints at Mpix on the regular Kodak paper which look fine. I've had a few b/w orders on the Ilford which were nice, but one time I had a large color order printed and needed just two 8x10 black and whites so I choose b/w on the regular Kodak paper because I didn't want to pay an extra $10 shipping on two small prints. (Yeah, I'm cheap) They still looked great on the regular paper. But if you're going to be ordering all b/w, might as well go with the Ilford. I like Mpix, but I don't get the different paper = separate order = separate shipping charges. Wierd.

Edit to add: good luck on your shoot, you'll do fine!

Message edited by author 2006-05-22 18:33:21.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8

05/22/2006 08:57:31 PM · #15

Oh thanks for that bit of info!

btw, every time I see your screen name I see a purple thing dancing around lol.

TrynityRose

Nikon D100

05/22/2006 09:02:53 PM · #16

Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:

I didn't charge some friends a sitting fee for prom pictures, but foolishly I put 600x450 copies on my pbase. They went on and on about how good the pictures were. They have yet to order prints. I more than slightly suspect that they just hit right click/save image as. So, I went in and significantly reduced the size of the image on pbase just incase they hadn't downloaded it.

You could also put a watermark on the images so if they did right-click and print out themselves it wouldnt look as good, which usually means they dont print them out at all.