Another How much to charge for jpgs

[musicmaster]

I know this is thread 10,000 about this.

I shoot for my college's sports information department for web use. I get paid ($8/hr... woo!) but get to keep my images.

One of the moms of the basketball players came up to me at a game and asked if I would be interested selling photos to her. I gave her my website and told her I'd upload photos for her and she could order prints. She kept insisting on wanting a CD and that she'd tell the other parents about the photos I've taken.

So I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If I say prints only, she may not order at all and she won't tell other parents.

If I charge too much, same thing.

In my mind, I've already gotten paid for the images, so anything extra that I make is just a bonus, but I obviously don't want to lose out on the sale.

Part of me says charge $5-10 per picture... or just charge $50-60 for all 17 photos

[Aaagogo]

remember, once you sell the electronic copy, you lose 2 things.

1st, most important, the print quality control.

2nd, any and almost all future sales of the images, unless you make a collage or something.

I, personally, never sell the electronic copy, (unless the price is right)

what are you selling your prints at right now? take the 2nd most expensive print and double it, if you want to sell the electronic copy.

[musicmaster]

$4.50 for a 4x6 and $10 for an 8x10 (5x7 I think is $6.50).

I'm not worried about future sales... because I doubt there would be any future sales. If the parents don't buy the images... who will?

I explained to her about print quality, but she didn't seem overly concerned.

[wyofizz]

I charge $7.50 for a 4x6 print. I sell two 4x6's prints of the same image for $13. I charge $13 for a digital file and they can make as many prints as they like.
I don't worry about future sales either. It's either now or never.
(These are action sports images).

[mikekelley]

I sell nothing but the electronic copy.

My sales have increased since doing this.

Here's why. Most of my clients don't want prints - they want these shots for social media, for their facebook, myspace, showing their friends via email.

There is a limited rights notice that says they can't alter them or claim the work as their own. But since I have been doing this my profits have been going nowhere but UP. This depends on your market though. I don't even bother with prints anymore unless the client comes to me and asks, which happens occasionally but not enough that I'm worried about it.

To me, and my clients, in this world, prints are for the most part useless. You need to take your client's needs into consideration when doing this.

[Biffbradford]

Most certainly offer the digital image. If they don't buy now, it's unlikely they will in the future, because there will be another shot taken and this one will be 'old'. I have sold the digital image 6 months out on occasion, but it's rare.

[Aaagogo]

Ooops, didn't read carefully, yeah, sports, sell it, cause +1 to ^ the shot will be "old" come next game.

OP's prices are a little on the low side, double your charge for an 8x10, after you raise your price, for the electronic image.

[Tarzanman]

Unless you go to a big school, I'd keep the prices low until your business picks up. You're in college.... and most of us can remember those days... a $5 or $10 is one or two meals!

$5-$10 per print or $50 for all of them is fair. Sell the jpgs and if you're lucky you'll have at least 1 or 2 other parents asking for a similar deal.

Seeing as how you're already being paid to take the photos, this is a good deal. If you step on too many toes then people might complain (trust me, if anyone knows how to complain to a college, its the parents) and you might find yourself having to give a $$ cut back to the owner of the venue.

How many students get paid to build their portfolio? Tread lightly!