Talk'em into Digital

[jstatler]

Just got my personal 10D via fedex.(been using one at studio I'm employed. Finally took the $plunge) One quick aside can you believe fedex left a 10D and 550 flash outside my backdoor? Talk about a heartattack. But my question is... I live in a very small farming town. Been photographing weddings using an A2 for a while and have a very good rep going, but am having a hard time convincing people to let me photograph in digital. Family/child portrait clients love it because of instant previewing, but it's too crunched time-wise to preview during weddings. I've tried showing clients that with these wonderful canon products they'll never know the difference. I've shown them comparisons of film and digital as well as shown them all of the cool effects I can do for them at a much reduced cost from film. Still very little luck. Any ideas out there on how you made the transition and how your customers responded.. I know I shouldn't give them a choice and that would solve my problem, but I believe in disclosing the facts and for a fee I allow my clients to buy negs so they're going to find out. Help I'm getting frustrated because I know what this camera will do and they won't let me play :cry:

[stopbath]

Simply structure your prices to allow digital to be the 'obvious' choice.

Shoot:
Digital $500: film $600
Prints
Digital $25: Film $30
CD slide show:
Digital $50: Film N/A
DVD slide show:
Digital $75: Film N/A

Just made up the prices and stuff, but given the monetary and feature promptings, you may find film getting demanded less and less. Expecially when shown a digital 8x10 with a film 8x10 to show they aren't loosing anything...

[G3]

I simply give them a discount for digital. Actually, what it amounts to is a surcharge for using film to cover the cost of the film, processing, printing, getting the film to the lab, etc. For instance, my least expensive package for a wedding is $1,500.00. If they insist on using all film, the price is $1,725.00.

However, I do not do all-digital weddings. The cost of Medium Format film photography for the Formal Portraits is included in that basic package price. Everything else can be all digital. I just don't think that the quality is there for large prints for formal portraits with a 10D. For shots other than the formal portraits, if they choose film, then I use 35mm.

I try not to sell the negatives or provide image files. If they do insist on buying them, the price is high...The $1,500.00 package would run closer to $3,000.00 if they insist on buying the originals. Plus, I have them sign an agreement that states that once they take posession of the originals I am no longer responsible in any way. That is because I have had people come back to me much later (years) saying "There must be something wrong with your negatives. I had more prints made and they don't look anything like the ones we got with our package." That's because they went to WalMart or Wolf Camera or something like that. I had the original prints done by a custom lab....no comparison. I would rather sell them additional prints later. Then everyone is happy. I'm making residual money and they are getting quality prints. However, some people just can't grasp the concept of the photographer owning the rights to their wedding photos. In all cases, whether I sell the originals or not, I retain the right to use the images for advertising, for use in my portfolios, etc. I only sell them the rights to reproduce the images for their personal use. I still own the copyright. Otherwise, they would possibly sell the images for some other wedding vendor, such as a florist or venue to use on their advertising and websites and such without giving me credit for the photos. I don't mind allowing other vendors to use my photos as long as I'm clearly given credit.

[scotgasch]

I don't give them the option..... If they don't want me to shoot digitally, then they find someone else. I don't want to deal with those people who ALREADY don't trust my decision making ability (the decision being my shooting digital). Since going fully digital a year and a half ago, I have only had one couple out of about 90, not use me because I wouldn't shoot film. If you have a good reputation as a good wedding photographer then It will be less of an issue.

.....it's just what I do.....

BTW.... I shot MF weddings before going digital (about 300 of them). I have had 20x24 prints made of images shot at the same time using both digital and MF...I think the digital prints are FAR BETTER. I don't know who you use for a lab, but that could be part of your problem. If your lab doesn't have the best DIGITAL printer the OPTICAL stuff will look better. Miller's is the best you can get printing digital.

[jstatler]

Sometimes the obvious stares you in the face and you can't see it because your having a staring contest! Thank you! This is why I come to you guys!

I do keep all copyrights with clients allowed full reproduction of images for their own personal use. I've tried both and as a busy mother of two I've found that when they buy these rights/negs I've had fewer hassles. No mothers/brides changing their minds, never getting orders to me, trying to take my images to copy shops ugh. I also show customers chainstore/walmart prints and pro-lab prints so that my images don't get raked through the chainstore lab mud. I also recomend reputable labs in the area that I have dealt with.
This is a small community 1 1/2 hours outside of D.C. that is growing quickly, but still rather backwater. I photograph using a photojournalistic/ candid approach and am finding my niche market there as apposed to more formal portraits. My prices are currently somewhere in between what you both have suggested so I'll have to do a little tweaking and see what I can come up with. Again thank you so much.

[G3]

I don't give them the option..... If they don't want me to shoot digitally, then they find someone else. I don't want to deal with those people who ALREADY don't trust my decision making ability (the decision being my shooting digital). Since going fully digital a year and a half ago, I have only had one couple out of about 90, not use me because I wouldn't shoot film. If you have a good reputation as a good wedding photographer then It will be less of an issue.

.....it's just what I do.....

BTW.... I shot MF weddings before going digital (about 300 of them). I have had 20x24 prints made of images shot at the same time using both digital and MF...I think the digital prints are FAR BETTER. I don't know who you use for a lab, but that could be part of your problem. If your lab doesn't have the best DIGITAL printer the OPTICAL stuff will look better. Miller's is the best you can get printing digital.

I haven't used Miller's. Do they have a website? I'll give them a shot with some digital images and see how it comes out.

[G3]

Sometimes the obvious stares you in the face and you can't see it because your having a staring contest! Thank you! This is why I come to you guys!

I do keep all copyrights with clients allowed full reproduction of images for their own personal use. I've tried both and as a busy mother of two I've found that when they buy these rights/negs I've had fewer hassles. No mothers/brides changing their minds, never getting orders to me, trying to take my images to copy shops ugh. I also show customers chainstore/walmart prints and pro-lab prints so that my images don't get raked through the chainstore lab mud. I also recomend reputable labs in the area that I have dealt with.
This is a small community 1 1/2 hours outside of D.C. that is growing quickly, but still rather backwater. I photograph using a photojournalistic/ candid approach and am finding my niche market there as apposed to more formal portraits. My prices are currently somewhere in between what you both have suggested so I'll have to do a little tweaking and see what I can come up with. Again thank you so much.

Yeah, pricing is a touchy thing. I don't negotiate. My prices are my prices and if it's more than they want to spend, they can move on to a bargain-basement photographer. I find that of the people that come to me and then want to "price shop", about half will come back to me and hire me once they look at what they are getting from the bargain basement types. On average, maybe 1 out of 10 consultations will try to price shop. I tell them that my prices are not negotiable, but that they should go look at sample packages from the cheaper photographers. Some settle for less quality, others come back for the higher quality. It's all good. I will not lower my quality standards to compete with bargain-basement photographers. I still get plenty of business. I'm booked pretty solid until November as it stands now. One thing that is particularly troublesome, though is that there are a couple of photographers around that advertise "$500.00 Wedding Package, includes negatives." I try to explain that that is a good approach for someone who is a part-time photographer or someone that is doing weddings in between jobs and doesn't plan to be around for a long time. That way they don't have to be bothered down the road for additional prints, etc. Or, someone that books multiple weddings on a Saturday and hires inexperienced photographers to shoot them for him, pays the photographer $150.00 or $200.00 for the day and makes $100.00 on their work after expenses. I do not hire other photographers. I simply don't overbook. Since I can only shoot one wedding in a day, that's all I'll book. I send my overflow to other quality photographers in the area.

[jstatler]

Complete agreement with what you're saying "G3" pricing is touchy. I'm not at the top of the food chain nor am I at the lowest. This is my career. I don't do it full-time now because of the kids, but am growing the biz at a steady growth rate and am planning to go full-time as the children get older. I have a few of the local top photographers that send people my way when they are booked or the client can't afford their prices. These guys have been in the business for 20+ years and I am truly honored that they feel confident enough in my abilities to recommend me. I use an hourly rate currently because it works well for me. I do have a minimum # of hours that they must book me for.(Most go over what they first thought they might need) I want people to have good quality photos from their wedding day and if I only have to work a few hours to acheive this then we're all happy, but yep my fees are my fees and are non negotiable. The terrific thing is that they might not have been the most lucrative wedding but every one of these more budget conscience couples have brought me numerous new clients that do have the money to spend.
I'm also in total agreement on the not spreading yourself to thin. I only book just the one wedding a weekend. I also give myself a raise if I book more than 2 or three weddings in a month. Money to pay for my habit(aquiring more gadgets) keeps me happy. And ya know if Momma ain't happy....