Pricing advice (I know, the horse is dead)

[TitusvilleSurfer]

I was shooting a softball game tonight just for good practice. I intended to look over the ratio of keepers vs. throw aways...take notes on why they were keepers or throw aways...and delete them. After the players shook hands, the coach ran out of the dugout and asked if I worked for the paper. Flattered, I told him I was just a freelance guy taking pictures. He wrote down his name and number on a piece of paper, asked if I would take a team photo on the field, and said he "would take care of me financially for prints".

Well, okay...thats really great! What now?! I downloaded the images of his team specifically (I was shooting three others as well) and seemed to get some OK images. I uploaded them on Photobucket here: http://s145.photobucket.com/albums/r236/TitusvileSurfer/12-10-07%20game/?start=0&paginator=top

I have never charged anyone for pictures and had no intention of doing so tonight. Well that has changed and I need advice. I marked my favorite 5 with an (*) symbol above the shots in Photobucket. As a professional selling your prints, which would you choose and how much would you charge realistically. I don't care to stiff myself or the team, as they have already asked me to come back Wednesday and Thursday (before seeing the results of tonight).

Thank you for your help.

[IndyJeff]

To begin with you may have a bit of trouble getting an 8x10 out of the team shots. You shot too tight and when it is cropped for the 8x10 you will lose guys off the ends. Maybe suggest they get 8x`12's instead.
As for pricing I charge $19.95 for an 8x12, multiply that by 17 your looking at $339.15. The coach may fall over when you quote a price like that but, what you could do is tell him that since it will be that quanity all of the same shot you get a discount so you can pass that savings on to him. Say $170 and that would be at $10 a piece.

Your on dangerous ground here because if you quote too cheap of a price and someone wants to buy an enlargement of themselves in action they will be expecting to pay that cheap price again.

[TitusvilleSurfer]

Alright that helps, I actually slightly cropped that picture so I do have a little room to play on either side. I've never printed anything, so I'm not really sure how that works. I'm guessing a 2:3 crop ratio (what comes out of the camera I believe) would transfer to an 8x12 perfectly and the 8x10 slices an inch of each side?

[IndyJeff]

yeah your going to lose a bit off each side in an 8x10. If you did crop it already but still have the full size file you can crop it to an 8x10 in Photoshop and that would work.

don't print it yourself unless you have archivable inks, take it to a lab and get it done.

[TitusvilleSurfer]

I was planning on taking it to the camera shop where I bought all of my gear. Embarrassingly enough I do not have Photoshop yet. I am restricted to digital photo professional, which has been fine until now.