Ratjack wrote in post #15977183
People go and buy a Rebel with a kit lens and immediately start "operating a business" with no business license, no insurance, and no business plan. They will offer to shoot for $50 and include 20 images on a disc. They are able to do this because they have no expenses.
While it is very hard to slash your own price to try and compete, it seems like this is what it is coming to. And eventually this will cause professional photographers to start dropping since their revenue will have a hard time exceeding expenses, especially considering their time.
I see this a lot in the forums but, frankly, if you are having to slash your prices to compete with people who have just "gone out and bought a rebel with kit lens", then how good is your work?
If you are a good photographer you should be able to deliver results that are far better than somebody who has just bought a camera and decided to be a professional photographer. If your results are better, then you compete on quality, not price. There are photographers out there who charge high prices, and they don't moan about beginners with basic gear charging a fraction of what they do.
They may charge a couple of thousand to shoot a wedding, but they are not concerned about the people charging a couple of hundred because they are targeting different clientele. It's the same as Rolls-Royce not worrying about Hyundais being available at a fraction of the price. Some people will always buy on price, wanting the cheapest job done and not caring about quality. Those are the people you are targeting by trying to compete on price and match those shooting for $50. If you work is better, then charge accordingly and target those who buy on the quality of the results, not who is cheapest.
Ratjack wrote in post #15977183if I am lucky to get 2 people a month then $50 from each person goes towards my yearly expenses. Then there is wear and tear on my car, gas, time. If I cut my prices down to what local kit lens shooters are doing then I may be able to have a higher income working at McDonalds.... Sad but true.
Seriously, if you are shooting at rock bottom prices, and only getting 2 customers a month, then something is very wrong with your marketing or your photography. At that level, people will pay someone $50 rather than a slightly better photographer $60, simply to save money. Don't cut your prices, show that your work is significantly better and worth $300 (or more), and target clients who value quality.
Of course, if your work isn't any better than those who charge $50, your only option is to do what they do, and try and be the cheapest guy out there. But that is not a viable business long term.
Above all, don't moan that some people are dirt cheap and you have to lower your prices to compete with them. Rather, try and raise your quality to compete with the guys who are charging good money for a quality job, and go for the customers with money to spend. Once you are attracting customers who want quality, and are prepared to pay for it, you won't worry about the guys with a rebel and a kit lens stealing your business, any more than Rolls-Royce worries that Hyundai is taking their customers away.
