looking for pricing help

So,

I am starting my photography company and I will be doing small things such as

Portraits of singles and or couples.
Skateboarding/Sports photos of younger kids for their parents.

I will also be willing to go to family events or gatherings and shoot candids for people as well.

I will be handing out cards and all that soon and I am wondering how I should price things.


It will all be digital and I will be including all RAW and my edited versions of the pictures on a Flash drive that I supply for them.


I am wondering if I should just do:

packages like 25 pictures and the flash drive

or

charge per picture ( Cost will reflect each photo fully edited and the RAW picture with it) and a flat fee of $10 for the 2-4gb flash drive ( Wife works at bestbuy and gets very good deals on things like this)

Keep in mind, I am new, I am mainly shooting for experience, but I am a lot better than a lot of the people I see on craigslist or Modelmayhem charging for pictures.


I was thinking about calling all the places around here and get prices,then undercutting them all hah.

Only you can determine your pricing based on your costs of being in business. Asking anyone else to tell you what to charge is not the way to go.

I'm sorry to be blunt, but it's people like you who are making a "joke" out of the photography business. I understand you're new and want expereince, but you're logic is NOT the way to go about doing it. Calling other photographers/studios to get prices and undercutting them all is completely uncourteous and just flat out wrong ethically IMO. If you feel your work is good enough, then charge accordingly depending on your costs and your time. If you're trying to just gain experience and make your work better....maybe you shouldn't charge anything. By charging you give the perception that you actually know what you're doing...and if you don't then I don't beleive you should be charging in the first place.

Why on Earth would you give clients your RAW files? I don't know any self-respecting pro photog who will give clients their RAWs. Besides, unless the client knows how to use a RAW file they're completely useless to them! You do realize that Windows Photo Viewer won't read RAW files right? Your statement leads me to believe that you yourself don't understand what RAW files are and how they're used.

Charge what you will and give the clients what you will, but realize that if you're starting a company/business (like you claim to be) by charging rock bottom prices and offering clients damn near everything you won't be in business long. People will come to expect everything and a rock bottom price from you, and when you decide that you want to actually make a profit (that's the whole point of a business right?) and raise your prices you'll more than likely lose any clients you had and have to start ALL over.

I'm sorry maybe you are really asking a serious question but....
My gut feeling was this was made to start something (especially $10 2-4 gig files with RAW)
kinda hate ruining the business forum as majority of the people actually like to help one another.

I had to get this out.

If I'm wrong, to answer your question. it might be better to do a search as there are plenty of people starting the way you are doing right now and how you are trying to undercut the people around you.
Do you have a website perhaps?

rivas8409 wrote in post #16040465
I'm sorry to be blunt, but it's people like you who are making a "joke" out of the photography business. I understand you're new and want expereince, but you're logic is NOT the way to go about doing it. Calling other photographers/studios to get prices and undercutting them all is completely uncourteous and just flat out wrong ethically IMO. If you feel your work is good enough, then charge accordingly depending on your costs and your time. If you're trying to just gain experience and make your work better....maybe you shouldn't charge anything. By charging you give the perception that you actually know what you're doing...and if you don't then I don't beleive you should be charging in the first place.

Why on Earth would you give clients your RAW files? I don't know any self-respecting pro photog who will give clients their RAWs. Besides, unless the client knows how to use a RAW file they're completely useless to them! You do realize that Windows Photo Viewer won't read RAW files right? Your statement leads me to believe that you yourself don't understand what RAW files are and how they're used.

Charge what you will and give the clients what you will, but realize that if you're starting a company/business (like you claim to be) by charging rock bottom prices and offering clients damn near everything you won't be in business long. People will come to expect everything and a rock bottom price from you, and when you decide that you want to actually make a profit (that's the whole point of a business right?) and raise your prices you'll more than likely lose any clients you had and have to start ALL over.

Business is business.Getting prices from them is giving me a way to get a price of my own. My quality is also NOT professional so that is why I can undercut them.

I know exactly what a raw file is and supplying that to them is a courtesy and I don't see why it would matter. If they don't know what to do with it, then they can stick with the Jpeg file they will receive as well.

I shoot for free with some things I want to do, but if someone wants something done, I can charge them.

darksike wrote in post #16040497
I'm sorry maybe you are really asking a serious question but....
My gut feeling was this was made to start something (especially $10 2-4 gig files with RAW)
kinda hate ruining the business forum as majority of the people actually like to help one another.

I had to get this out.

If I'm wrong, to answer your question. it might be better to do a search as there are plenty of people starting the way you are doing right now and how you are trying to undercut the people around you.
Do you have a website perhaps?

yes I do have a website.

Nick Aufiero wrote in post #16040774
Getting prices from them is giving me a way to get a price of my own.

Actually it isn't. You don't know other peoples running costs etc nor their business structure. The minimum price you should charge is one which is economically viable for YOUR business. The maximum you can charge will be determined by what the market is prepared to pay for YOUR work/services.

Working out what you should charge based entirely on what others charge is foolish.

As for what general price bracket you are likely to fit in to you will need to tell people where you are based/service and link samples of your work for them to make an reasoned assessment. Without that I think you should charge $2.

Nick Aufiero wrote in post #16040774
Business is business.Getting prices from them is giving me a way to get a price of my own. My quality is also NOT professional so that is why I can undercut them.

I know exactly what a raw file is and supplying that to them is a courtesy and I don't see why it would matter. If they don't know what to do with it, then they can stick with the Jpeg file they will receive as well.

I shoot for free with some things I want to do, but if someone wants something done, I can charge them.

yes I do have a website.

And I think THAT says it all.... RAW files matter to a photographer.

While I agree that "business is business"...what you're doing is NOT business, it's completely asinine. It's becoming clear that you have little to no education in business, but if you do then maybe you should get your money back...or your parents Like has already been said, you can't base your price on what others charge because you don't know their costs. Keep your pricing search the way you're going and, like I said before, you won't be in "business" long.

Nick, You need to slow yourself down and learn the craft of portraiture. At the same time you also need to learn as much as you can about business and how to make a profit. Why not just offer "Complimentary" Sessions with one FREE 5X7 (your favorite) and then learn how to sell the rest at 5X7 size for only $10. You just might end up with a $50 or $100 sale. Once you feel your an average photographer with the skills you see from others in your area then consider hanging out a shingle and know all of your costs before pricing your work. The facts are most new business fail after a year or two and the main reasons are they don't know what their doing and they have no idea what profit is.

As a Professional Portrait Photographer I value myself, the talent I have and the time I've put into this industry. I make my profit by selling professional printed products, the best I can give to a client. I do sometimes sell images on a CD but usually it's to a business person who needs a business portrait for their business cards, website, etc. Babies, Children, HS Seniors, Families don't receive a CD of their images because I sell printed products that come from a professional lab. I live in a small rural area, have a retail studio in downtown and my doors are still open after 14 years. Right now I'm busy marketing to the new class of 2014 high school seniors. Ordering appt today at the studio. Tomorrow I will be photographing students at a dance studio and sales should be about $3000. It all takes time!!!!! And valuing yourself as a photographer/business person.

Nick Aufiero wrote in post #16040774
... My quality is also NOT professional so that is why I can undercut them.

If your quality is not professional, why are you charging anything? Do you really want non-professional images out there with your name attached to them? (even if you don't watermark them, people still know who they came from...)

IMO, the first step should be for you to learn to produce professional quality images. Only after you can accomplish that consistently should you consider charging.

With the business plan laid out here, your best bet to make money in photography is to sell your camera.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #16042813
With the business plan laid out here, your best bet to make money in photography is to sell your camera.

Yup.

You need to learn photography...if you had any self respect for yourself or your photography you wouldn't even consider just giving away RAW files.

Hey Nick, Your Frick'n welcomed!!!!

Nick Aufiero wrote in post #16040774
My quality is also NOT professional

I know I'm late to the party, but just wanted to chime in: If your quality isn't professional, then neither are you. Don't charge while you're below professional quality.