A la carte pricing?

[Tandem]

Here are my thoughts on portrait pricing and I'd like to have some feedback if you don't mind. I have a portable studio with 4 WLX-1600's, softboxes, background, etc., and I shoot on location. I sell my prints through smugmug so I don't offer any package deals. I plan on charging a fee for setup and time and offering prints at a relatively low rate. That way my customers can make up their own package deals - the more they buy the lower the cost per print. They can share the session fee (aka a photo party) and cut the cost even more - and I only have to set up one time.

I was planning to go with $60 for set up in the local area plus $60 an hour then sell prints for...

$4.99 4x6
$5.99 5x7
$5.99 4 Wallets
$9.99 8x10
$19.99 11x14
$34.99 16x20
$39.99 16x24
$44.99 20x24
$49.99 20x30
$69.99 24x36
$79.99 30x40

[chtgrubbs]

I would say triple or quadruple your prices if you are planning to make a living at this game.

[ssim]

You have to be within the acceptable median of prices charged for your demographic area. Have you spent some time trying to ascertain what your competition is charging. Set your prices accordingly. I see no reason to undercut them by a huge amount if at all. If your work is good you can even take a premium on that median rate.

My first reaction is that your prices are too low but then I don't know much about the economy or competitiveness in Colorado.

[Tandem]

The on location photographers I checked were in the order of $180 for a one-hour session and $220 for a two-hour session. That includes a small print package.

My rates would be $120 for a one-hour session and $180 for a two hour session without a print package. Once you added the cost of prints I would be competitive.

Where I might have the advantage is in encouraging my customers to buy more prints with the low print cost. The disadvantage is when somebody would have placed a huge order anyway and the price wouldn't have made a difference in the size of the order. I don't know how to weigh each of these factors or if there are other things to consider.

[E3_Photo_Studio]

Ya know what's funny. The other day I was talking to a lady about doing her wedding, and she was asking me about my prices. And at the same time she was on my website looking at them. She TOTALLY freaked out on me b/c I'm charging $2.00 for a 4x6 print. Just got all kinds of irrate with me and said I was way over priced. LOL :) Just thought that was funny.

Anyways....I think your prices are good for the sizes that you are offering. I might lower the initial sitting fee to like $50 and raise the per hour fee to $75 or even $100. But that's just my opinion.

[J3ffro]

The number of cheap people when it comes to photography continues to frustrate me. Sure, if your work is good enough it can warrant the price for some people, but for too many others it seems like they see $.19 a print at Walgreens and think that every photographer should match or beat that price. Grrrrr...

[E3_Photo_Studio]

The number of cheap people when it comes to photography continues to frustrate me. Sure, if your work is good enough it can warrant the price for some people, but for too many others it seems like they see $.19 a print at Walgreens and think that every photographer should match or beat that price. Grrrrr...

HA HA HA HA!! That's EXACTLY what she told me too! Her exact words were "That's WAY over priced! Especially when I can just go to Costco and get them for $.45 a picture.":rolleyes: I just rolled my eyes and said "Well, there is a cost difference between a professional and a non-professional. But I understand that you want it to be cost effective."

I'm always be berrated by other photographers for having "too low" of prices, but that was a first at being told I was too expensive. Just had to laugh.:lol:

[cdifoto]

HA HA HA HA!! That's EXACTLY what she told me too! Her exact words were "That's WAY over priced! Especially when I can just go to Costco and get them for $.45 a picture.":rolleyes: I just rolled my eyes and said "Well, there is a cost difference between a professional and a non-professional. But I understand that you want it to be cost effective."

I'm always be berrated by other photographers for having "too low" of prices, but that was a first at being told I was too expensive. Just had to laugh.:lol:

I would have told her good luck getting a Costco print of a photo she doesn't have in the first place. Click.

[MJPhotos24]

exact reason I don't offer 4x6's online (ok two reasons - the profit margin sucks and many just buy the cheapest print, scan them at home and print bigger ones that look like crap!). Anyways, only sell 5x7's and up online, however for a low price you can buy a package that has 4x6's ;) On order forms do offer a set of four 4x6's for $8, it brings up the profit margins and noone questions it - as most buy the package anyways.

[cdifoto]

exact reason I don't offer 4x6's online (ok two reasons - the profit margin sucks and many just buy the cheapest print, scan them at home and print bigger ones that look like crap!). Anyways, only sell 5x7's and up online, however for a low price you can buy a package that has 4x6's ;) On order forms do offer a set of four 4x6's for $8, it brings up the profit margins and noone questions it - as most buy the package anyways.

I sell 4x6 prints but they're 10-20 bucks each (haven't fully decided where to sit on that price yet). Not as high as some, but enough for me. I wouldn't go any lower though.

[Gatorboy]

exact reason I don't offer 4x6's online (ok two reasons - the profit margin sucks and many just buy the cheapest print, scan them at home and print bigger ones that look like crap!).

At WHCC you can have a pebble finish put on your prints (costs 8 cents more), but the finish makes scanning very difficult.

[Tandem]

Anyways....I think your prices are good for the sizes that you are offering. I might lower the initial sitting fee to like $50 and raise the per hour fee to $75 or even $100. But that's just my opinion.
Noted... but I'd like to hear your reasoning for a lower sitting fee and a higher hourly fee. I think that from the responses so far that tweaking the session fee is the best way to modulate the prices. If I set them higher I could always offer special deals if I wanted to drum up business while still having the standard rate for when business is going well.

I plan on purchasing a dye-sub printer, most likely a Shinko for formal events. For those 8x10s I plan on charging a much higher rate.

Thanks for all the ideas!

[noelty]

The number of cheap people when it comes to photography continues to frustrate me. Sure, if your work is good enough it can warrant the price for some people, but for too many others it seems like they see $.19 a print at Walgreens and think that every photographer should match or beat that price. Grrrrr...

Tell them to have someone at Walgreens to take the picture for them...your print pricing includes your skill with the camera...that is something that cannot be discounted.

[E3_Photo_Studio]

Noted... but I'd like to hear your reasoning for a lower sitting fee and a higher hourly fee. I think that from the responses so far that tweaking the session fee is the best way to modulate the prices. If I set them higher I could always offer special deals if I wanted to drum up business while still having the standard rate for when business is going well.


I have a strange way of thinking. LOL :lol: But...A lower sitting fee will sometimes draw in more customers, b/c they think you are cost effective. Then you charge more per hour to make up the cost for the lower first hour sitting fee. Does that make sense? When you average it out it's like you were constantly charging like $75-$80/hr for a 4 hour sitting, but the customer thinks they're getting a great deal b/c the sitting fee is lower. Hope that makes sense....it's just my logic behind the thing.
You can still offer special deals and stuff too, to make it even more appealing to the customers.
Good Luck!!