STICKY: How to photograph a high school Senior

One from tonight, shes a Junior Model for my studio.

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GerryDavid wrote in post #14702174
Its my understanding you have to order $12 of 8x10's, $12 of 5x7's, $12 of 11x14's, etc. That you cant order $12 worth of mixed 8x10's, 5x7's, etc?

The only time you are limited is if you are ordering proofs. They are cheaper, but you have to order $12 of 4X5, $12 of 4X6, $12 of 5X7..etc.

However if you are only needing one 5X7 for a client. Go to the "Print Fulfillment - Lustre Paper" tab. You can order a single print and just pay for shipping. No minimum order. In that tab you are only able to order 11X14 or smaller. But If you really don't want to spend $12 that's the way you do it.

I use WHCC for most of my stuff. Especially the mounted prints.
I also use ACI for some of the other products such as wallet tins, license plate, etc.
(side note: ACI just wrapped up their National Children's Portrait Contest, and they called me today to tell me I took 2 - 1st place spots!! That results in $200 credit with ACI.....might be time to update samples!!!!)

congrats!

+1 for photobiz - it's easy, and you can change your plan at the drop of a hat. Since I went to in person sales I don't do too many on-line sales and therefore don't need as much room- I pay $25 a month for the site, and like $4 for the shoppong cart with no contract through Itransact although there is a percentage per transaction (NOTE TO SELF.. LOOK THAT PERCENTAGE UP..I can't remember off hand, but it's CHEAP)

bobbyz wrote in post #14704780
Mike - I went to the link to your site but when you click on ordering, other things, they all go to photobiz. Branding wise nice to have everything look like it coming from your main site, there shouldn't be mention of others site.

bobby if the branding is a problem you can (for an additional fee) have an unbranded website.

jmalonear wrote in post #14704980
I also use ACI for some of the other products such as wallet tins, license plate, etc.

(side note: ACI just wrapped up their National Children's Portrait Contest, and they called me today to tell me I took 2 - 1st place spots!! That results in $200 credit with ACI.....might be time to update samples!!!!)

WAY TO GO Jay!!!! that's GREAT!

Dave Jr wrote in post #14703813
Except that they take 15% of your net profit.

Only on Print Orders.

And the automation of everything is worth that in my mind.

A client can order the prints and you never need to touch anything...

A 15% charge on that is fair in my mind.

bobbyz wrote in post #14704784
Mark them up by atleast 25% so you don't care for the 15% fees.

Indeed...

Costs should always be passed on to the customer.

Anything that reduces my time is valuable in my mind as time is my biggest commodity.

All subjective of course, but I like someone else managing my backend systems so that I can concentrate on the photography.

Managing my own website took more time than I ever suspected.

I bought my website template from, and host with Bludomain. It only costs me $100 a year for Bludomain to host it. It's a great Flash site...easy to use (no code writing) and has a cart feature that I run through paypal. So, other than paypal fees...no percent of my picture sales goes to anyone but me. I've had it for 2 years and had zero problems/issues with it.

mtimber wrote in post #14705561
Indeed...

Costs should always be passed on to the customer.

Anything that reduces my time is valuable in my mind as time is my biggest commodity.

All subjective of course, but I like someone else managing my backend systems so that I can concentrate on the photography.

Managing my own website took more time than I ever suspected.

But its my way of thinking that you should keep your expenses down as much as possible, that way you have a greater profit margin.

a customer may only be interested in spending say $200, so if you raise your prices to cover new expenses they could either be scared away at the higher prices or buy less prints and your net profit after the new expenses would be less than otherwise.

what I am thinking of doing is raising the prices by 20% and explain that they can save that 20% if they order through me in person, but there is a minimum $100 order for an in person picture viewing.

GerryDavid wrote in post #14705967
But its my way of thinking that you should keep your expenses down as much as possible, that way you have a greater profit margin.

a customer may only be interested in spending say $200, so if you raise your prices to cover new expenses they could either be scared away at the higher prices or buy less prints and your net profit after the new expenses would be less than otherwise.

what I am thinking of doing is raising the prices by 20% and explain that they can save that 20% if they order through me in person, but there is a minimum $100 order for an in person picture viewing.

With photography being a "technician" type business, where your time is what you value, you have to weigh both factors.

Time + Money

And that is where companies like smugmug fit in.

They take a component of your workflow and manage it for you, so that you get time in exchange for them receiving money.

You are simply sub-contracting an element out, so that you can have the time that that element would tie up, back in your control.

And running your own website is not without cost.

The internet is changing constantly.

Smugmug handle all of those changes so that my product can appear on any platform, in any form of html and in any browser.

If Smugmug did not do that for me, I would have to do it myself (Time), or pay someone else to do it (Money).


So when considering your options, balance your "Time" needs which are usually quite demanding as a photographer against your "Money" needs.


A Technician style business has to figure out the correct balance between these two elements.

Mark

Mark, for cheaper stuff I think it is ok but for expensive stuff like big canvas I agree with Mike that 15% get too much. Say the print order is $1000, SM is taking $150 to process. Shipping, print costs are deducted separately. If you had your own cart you will be taking in that $150.

bobbyz wrote in post #14706224
Mark, for cheaper stuff I think it is ok but for expensive stuff like big canvas I agree with Mike that 15% get too much. Say the print order is $1000, SM is taking $150 to process. Shipping, print costs are deducted separately. If you had your own cart you will be taking in that $150.

With Smug, you can print it yourself at cost and then pass it on to the customer at retail.

So they are not taking 15% of the retail, but 15% of the cost price.

That is my understanding anyway...

I could be wrong.

But on the subject of running your own cart, you still have to pay all the hidden costs of running a cart, including CC fees etc.

So again, it is down to each individual to consider time over money and which is the highest priority in each business case.

mtimber wrote in post #14706358
With Smug, you can print it yourself at cost and then pass it on to the customer at retail.

So they are not taking 15% of the retail, but 15% of the cost price.

That is my understanding anyway...

I could be wrong.

But on the subject of running your own cart, you still have to pay all the hidden costs of running a cart, including CC fees etc.

So again, it is down to each individual to consider time over money and which is the highest priority in each business case.

What prices self fulfillment shows? I think if client sees say $100, SM will charge $15. If client sees $10, they not going to pay you $100 later.

I haven't been on SM for 5 yrs so don't remember exactly how it works.

mtimber wrote in post #14705554
Only on Print Orders.

Mark, I am not sure what you mean by this, but they charge the 15% on everything sold through their cart, print sales, canvas, gift items.

Bobby, the way it works is...

$100 retail less the base cost of prints (say $20), profit would be $80, but they take 15% of the $80, you get $68.00.

bobbyz wrote in post #14706380
What prices self fulfillment shows? I think if client sees say $100, SM will charge $15. If client sees $10, they not going to pay you $100 later.

I haven't been on SM for 5 yrs so don't remember exactly how it works.

I just ordered one of my own prints and did not get charged 15% of the retail price as far as I can see...

Dave Jr wrote in post #14706461
Mark, I am not sure what you mean by this, but they charge the 15% on everything sold through their cart, print sales, canvas, gift items.

You can order any print at base cost to them and the printer, without any markup applied Dave.

Mark