Need advice for selling Digital Downloads

Im going to be taking some maternity photos and I have a my Zenfolio website set up. I have prices set up for selling individual photos but I have never done an actual shoot before where person was going to want a lot of photos. I see a lot of photographer just charging for the shoot and then selling like 20-30 photos on website using Digital Download for one set amount. I have never used DD. I don't know how or what to charge. When client uses DD they have to take some where to be developed right? I would hate to edit photos and have them take to Walmart for printing. Is putting a package together better way to go? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Have you been asked by a client to do a maternity shoot? If yes, IMO selling individual digital downloads is not the way to go. A set rate for digital delivery of a digital photos & printed pics would name sure you get paid at the end of the day.

Just completed photo shoot yesterday. I charged $200 for the location/session fee. Im trying to figure out how much to charge for pictures and the best way to deliver. I don't want to have to edit photos she isn't going to want to buy. Just looking for suggestions on best way to present and sell photos to client now. I have never charged for a photo shoot before. My pictures have always been sold individually.

britt777 wrote in post #18061945
Just completed photo shoot yesterday. I charged $200 for the location/session fee. Im trying to figure out how much to charge for pictures and the best way to deliver. I don't want to have to edit photos she isn't going to want to buy. Just looking for suggestions on best way to present and sell photos to client now. I have never charged for a photo shoot before. My pictures have always been sold individually.

I don't sell photos, but I do share. In that light, I may be out in left field here.

To my way of thinking, this is backwards. No way I'd ever let anyone see the whole shoot. Cull the crap. Select the best. Process those. Offer processed shots to client. In my case that would be: Tell my wife which folded to upload to FaceBook, or whatever she does with them.

Does she know you are going to charge extra for the digital images? What did you quote her for them, when you were getting the job?

I didn't quote her anything. This is a friend of my daughters. The only thing I told her was it would be $200 up front to shoot on location. We hadn't discussed the rest because I didn't have time. I wasn't going to tell her I wouldn't take the pictures. Thought I would have more time to research, but Im not coming up with much. The photographers that shoot local around me look like they all put images on cd or online for digital down load.

The problem I see coming up is that she is going to think that she is getting all the images for nothing after paying for the shoot.

Client expectations should always be handled up front. That way everyone knows what they are getting. Being that this is a "friends" type of situation, if she balks at paying extra for the images, I would let her have them and learn from the experience. But, I agree with what somebody said, above. You go through and cull out the bad ones. Process the very best images. Not the second best or just okay images, but the best of the shoot. Those are the images you show and sell (or give as the case may be).

In the future.... If everyone around you is doing all images on CD or placing them all online and selling digitals only.... Be different. Set yourself apart. Sell a great experience, as well as great wall art portraits. I mean big wall art, not 8x10's. Remember to factor in your cost of doing business, so your prices will keep you in business.

So, yeah. Client expectations up front. If she is willing to pay extra for them, great. If not, don't sweat it. Give them to her and learn to manage the expectations and deal with the business end, first.

I agree with the above. You have basically shot yourself in the foot by failing to properly agree a full price up front. I don't know how good a friend this person is but there is a good chance that when you tell them there is more to play they may (rightly) feel that you are pulling a bait n switch.

It is vital that you have a clear price/package agreed with the client before you shoot.

She very much knew she had to pay for the shoot and the images, she just wasn't worried about the price. All i am trying to get help with is how to sell her the images and for how much. Im not stupid, I don't work for nothing. I guess I just didn't make my question very clear. I am trying to set up my Zenfolio website. I need to know if I should use my lab and fulfill the order myself, charging for individual pictures or package prices. I was trying to stay away from digital download, because I don't want my work being printed at walmart. She has family that will be wanting to also purchase the pictures, so I just trying to figure out how much to CHARGE.

britt777 wrote in post #18063238
She very much knew she had to pay for the shoot and the images, she just wasn't worried about the price. All i am trying to get help with is how to sell her the images and for how much. Im not stupid, I don't work for nothing. I guess I just didn't make my question very clear. I am trying to set up my Zenfolio website. I need to know if I should use my lab and fulfill the order myself, charging for individual pictures or package prices. I was trying to stay away from digital download, because I don't want my work being printed at walmart. She has family that will be wanting to also purchase the pictures, so I just trying to figure out how much to CHARGE.

Asking how much to

kind of implies that you haven't spoken with her about charging for the files. When you made it clear you charged a session fee, but didn't know what to charge for the files, that reinforced the implication. Then, when you said you didn't quote her anything... well... yeah.

Once you give out the digital files, you lose all control over how your work is printed and displayed. You obviously know that. You also lose any residual value that the file had in reprints. So, given that you are giving up quite a bit... somewhere between $75 and $150 per file? Or somewhere between $7.50 and $15 per file? Or somewhere between 75¢ and $1.50 per file? What to charge at that point is very subjective to what you perceive as the lost value by giving away your "negative" files.

If you choose to sell her the digital files, I would just put them on a USB key and hand them over. There is no reason for Zenfolio to get a chunk of your sale if you and she are local to each other.