Pricing Question (yes another one)

[EdV]

I shoot mostly nature (i.e. birds, flowers, etc). I have a timetable in mind for when I wanted to start selling images on the side and leading into my retirement in about 7 years.

Well last week a colleague came to me and asked about the photos on my walls. To make a long story short, she is interested in buying some mostly 11x14 images unmatted/unframed which she would then mat and frame for use in decorating some of our satellite offices. We are in the healthcare field.

There is no special shooting involved. Just prints of images I have already made. What would be a fair price for 11x14s? I hate this because on one hand, it is my employer. But on the other, I don't want to sell myself short since I plan on selling images in the future. I guess the future may be sooner than I think.

[Mike R]

I shoot primarily HS sports and charge $18 for an 11x14. I priced my landscape shots the same. In Sept. I'm raising my prices by 10%. I would think that art to be hung in an office should be priced higher but you may want to be reasonable, sell more and be sure that your card is near a print on each wall, it could lead to more sales.

[EOS_JD]

Choose what you think you can. Ask what they would pay for it..... For showing in an office you should not sell your self short though.... For unframed, unmatted prints I charge anything from £20 - £100 depending on the subject and use.

[sevillafox]

I sell 11x14 mounted and sprayed for my portrait business for $60 (and am thinking of raising it).

I would tell them a price, say $100 but say that you'll give them a discount and sell it at $60-80 or whatever you think is fair. They are happy because they think they are getting a deal and you are happy because you are making them happy with you and getting the cash out of it you really want.

[beachbum2277]

I sell my landscape photos that size for $45 mounted. This price is actually on the low-end, but I am getting my name out there for right now, so I'd say $60 is about right.

You have to remember that selling your landscape and nature photography is different than selling portraits. To me you are selling your creativity of finding that perfect landscape as well as the means of getting there and preparation. Whereas portrait photography, you are still selling your creativity, but the subject is already preset.

Also, one last thing, I personally never sell just the print to someone. I require that the print be mounted. This way I know that the print will look good and will not ripple. I would hate to go to someone's house that has my work, look at the print and have it all rippled. Not something I'd want to put my name on...

[Jayson Prentice]

I sold a landscape print to an office in Kansas City a few months back, it was roughly a 20x30" print. My profit came to $100 from that sale, as the printing, etc. was taken care of by a local printer in KC.

Even though they are pictures that you already have, at one time you did take the time to get the picture. So you should still include some additional cost into the actual taking of the picture...

[amfoto1]

Hi,

You might poke around and look at the prices on Thomas Mengalsen's website. (www.mengalsen.com)

I wish I could charge his prices! Some day! (At least I have one of his limited edition prints hanging on my wall... Although it's an older one.)

First a couple small differences from your description: I never sell without archival mats. And, I now only sell signed, limited edition prints. (Editions of 200 per size).

Currently my 11x14s are $90, matted but unframed. I am planning to raise this price soon. It's a bit low. It should be about double this amount, but I just ain't all that famous yet! ;-)

But this is for personal display in a home or office only.

I haven't sold any for decorative display yet. This would be prints hung in the public areas of a business or store, which might fit your usage description better. My copy of "Pricing Photography" (3rd edition, 2002, by Heron and MacTavish) recommends for "decorative display prints smaller than 16x20":

Single print - $375 to $525

For 2 to 4 prints - $300 to $425 apiece.

For 5 or more prints - $150 to $225 apiece.

This is pretty much in line with what some photographers I know have charged restaurants and other similar businesses for prints used decoratively.

I don't think it applies, but FYI there is different pricing for permanent exhibition (in a museum, for example). That would be $1150 to $1875 per print smaller than 16x20. It's a little less for a traveling exhibition, up to one year.

Of course, these are all just ballpark figures and you can charge whatever you want and feel comfortable with. The book mentioned conducts a survey of established photographers, to arrive at low, middle and high pricing guidelines.

One thing, if there is an opportunity to have a small plaque or other discrete form of attribution next to the print on the wall, that might help get your name out there and may generate some additional print sales, so might be worth discounting your prices a little. I am currently pursuing loaning matted and framed prints to various local businesses for just this reason. They get free decor, and I get more exposure, and perhaps some more fine art print sales. We'll see!

Note: I also take and sell event photos. There my prices are lower ($30 to $34 for 11x14, depending upon finish), but I don't do any of the printing myself, and they aren't matted. Only a few of my event images also cross over into the fine art print category. But some do, and are priced accordingly.