Highly Considering Smug Mug...but having a problem with the idea of SELLING!

I personally think you should try to sell. Making a few extra dollars on the side will always help.

BTW, even with friends and family, they will order via SmugMug just to save time.

I started a pro Smugmug account three weeks ago. I find it easy to use and you can set all your own rates. I took pictures at a very crowded event and got 3 orders, but I didn't care. It was a way for people to see the pictures. Set your prices lower. You don't have to charge $6 for a 4x6. For friends and family, charge less. I find most friends and family want the digital images anyway. Only Grandma wants the 5x7 of Johnny, but she probably can't order from the net anyway.

There is nothing wrong with being generous. I'd encourage it.

But, good grief, there's also nothing wrong with charging a little something to compensate you for your time, the wear and tear on your photo equipment, and for your talents and services.

Would you flip burgers at the local fast food restaurant 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year for no pay?

You have to eat, keep a roof over your head and put $4 a gallon gasoline in your car. You will have to replace your camera and lenses when they wear out. You have talents that are worth something to other people.

It's only fair that you receive some compensation, and I think you will find friends and family will be happy to support you, especially if you give them a bit of a discount off your "regular" rates, or a "better deal" than they could find elsewhere.

Take some business classes. There are plenty of real moral issues that need dealing with: CEO pay scales, outsourcing and layoffs, golden parachutes, corporate transparency, tax loopholes, government subsidy programs, and many more.

Charging a fair and reasonable price for your services and productivity is not a moral issue, it's a moral right, pehaps even an imperative for survival!

Over the years, many clients of mine have also become good friends. Should I stop charging them for my services when that happens?

If you don't eventually begin to charge for your services, you'll end up on welfare and just add to the tax burden that's already a pretty heavy load on the rest of us.

You will have plenty of opportunities to be generous throughout your life.

I just turned down payment on the use of several of my photos, donated their use to someone who regularly provides me access to photograph events and is quite supportive of my efforts, with PA announcements during the events, links from their website, credits and my URL in their newsletter, and more.

I also donate the use of my photos, time and sometimes a portion of my profits to certain non-profit organizations and my local church.

My friends and family have gotten use to paying for photos that I take. They understand that its my business and that my time and skills are valuable. I don't charge them the same as other customers, and I regularly give gifts of 12x18 prints, canvas', mugs, etc for presents on various holidays, birthdays, etc.

And yeah smugmug rocks.

jnick,

I was in the same boat and kept justifying my generosity as a way to build my portfolio. Eventually it became quite evident that people will take as much (and usually more!) as you have to give. For me, as a social worker, giving without the expectation of return was usual, and it took me a long time to establish a value on what I did. Just because I enjoyed it didn't mean that it didn't take time away from other aspects of my life and that it wasn't valuable. I'm not sure what advice I would give for your particular situation, I just wanted to let you know that there are other people that have been in your same boat and have found a way to bail out with out sinking! Best of luck.

jklinksi


ps- I just had a 'friend' ask me today why my print prices were so much higher than the print prices on smugmug front page after I spent 3.5 hours shooting a birthday party on location for FREE last weekend!!!! THE NERVE!!!!

Where is the 50% off coupon? I want smugmug pro but cost is an issue for me.

The one that worked for me was "Yahoo". However, I don't know if it's still active.

NSWESP wrote in post #5768843
Where is the 50% off coupon? I want smugmug pro but cost is an issue for me.

Use Flickr as the coupon code and receive 50% off first year.

eddarr wrote in post #5771693
Use Flickr as the coupon code and receive 50% off first year.

Thanks, Done it

Lots of good advise here so I'll go ahead and give my $.04 (inflation) worth.

Here’s how I do my SmugMug site. Family and VERY close friends get access to private (shared) galleries that have no mark up and have download capability. Yes, you do have to duplicate galleries but that’s really no big deal. They can either order the prints at cost or download the files and have them printed wherever.

All others get to pay.

This has worked out really well for me and I spend far less time dorking around printing or burning CD’s, trying to make everybody happy.

Like others here say, don’t expect to make a lot of coin if you’re just doing this as a hobby. I opened my account in Feb and have made a grand total of just over $400, which is a lot more than I would have made prior to opening a SmugMug account.

Good Luck.....