How much investment info do you give out?

[Overread]

I've always felt that someone who does not state a price on their website/opening price for their services is the kind of person who not only has a very very good portfolio, but who has also spent a lot of years building up both a client and advertising base for themselves. To the point where they are a service in demand for the prestige of having them rather than just for their services.

To that end I kind of view it as a tactic for someone who has already established themselves fairly well within their chosen market; they've had the clients, built the user base, got their name out there and done it all in the right circles so that the people that generally hunt them out are capable of paying the fees.

To start out like that without the foundations set, I think, would require a lot of investment in marketing directly to your key target customers as well as a longer period of lack of business building up your client base.



As said whilst many photographers would like to be hire on the strength of their work, the real world has budget limits, and whilst a good salesman can push those limits in a sale, there will still be barriers. The person doing a budget wedding and needing a $500 is a waste of a time trying to sell to if you're base rate is $2000. Similarly a lot of people are likely to tab browse you site - they;ll search for photographers and first thing after your shots is going to be price, heck at the start price is probably what they weed out first. Lose those that are too expensive to consider (no matter how good) and lose those that don't give them any hints and then focus on the ones that do

[TPF Sponsor]

[Bossy]

Are you saying that you've never seen a photo that has value to you?

I like the idea that what I'm doing has value, intrinsic or otherwise. I sell myself as a photographer and my images as my product as an investment, because to me, its what it is. You can spend money on a less educated Joe with a dslr, or you can spend more, and invest, in the education and equipment and eye that I have.
Note, I say this as someone who isn't quite working yet! And I apparently think a lot of myself.

[Christie Photo]

Wow... seems to be a "button." Had me re-reading my post to see if I used the word.

Pricing for photographers is a bit of challenge when it's the first question asked. Most of us here have answered the phone to be asked, "How much is an 8x10?" So, since WE know that we're not selling 8x10s, but rather the image on the 8x10, we avoid discussing specific pricing as a way to start a conversation.

We want to communicate the benefit of Economy... the VALUE for money spent (not price).

Investment? Can that mean "value received for money spent?"

-Pete

[tirediron]

Oh sure... way to come in and be the wise old voice of reason Pete! (But yeah, you're right, the [mis-]use of the word really pushes my buttons!)

[KmH]

It don't know how it isn't an investment. I can put $200 towards my hair and have it have to be redone in a couple months or I can put it towards a photo session with someone whose talent I appreciate (much like my stylist talent who I appreciate) and have something that lasts longer. But I also don't view an investment as something that only has monetary value. I *invest* myself into my children every day. I don't expect to get any money back for that.

It's weasel wording to call a price for a service and product an investment - and it certainly isn't in the same category as one's effort for children.

Amen brother!

It's weasel wording to call a price for a service and product an investment

[Bossy]

Oh well if you say it in bold and large letters it must be true

I'm the most amazing photographer in the world!

(did it work?)

[Balmiesgirl]

My personal experience is that when people looked at my site and saw my work they ASSUMED I would be too expensive... Then when I began listing a starting price for my packages my bookings went up a lot.

[The_Traveler]

Oh well if you say it in bold and large letters it must be true

I'm the most amazing photographer in the world!

(did it work?)

Unfortunately not

[ArtByQJ]

As an economic major I can tell you that price (investment economically isinfact the incorrect word unless these photos begin to grow in value) in this instance serves two functions. While you are concerned with attracting clients also be concerned with your allocation of time and resources. You can set your price in order to signal to the market that you are looking for a certain kind of clientele.

We do this as a consumer price can signal quality (now i can't speak to your quality but I think you know what i'm speaking of) I have a rule where I don't eat seafood that falls below a certain price because I believe it has a higher quality (slippery slope I know especially in today's world price and quality ideally would be equitable but often are not) but this is the idea behind the price. Sometimes you set the price to say to the market what you want, with that being said... I would vote for posting the price I think Christie_Photo fence argument sums it up.

[lapequesalsera]

Ok, that's very good information, thank you guys and I will post my prices, I'm not doing any mix and match, packages or a lot choices, I'm basically doing session fees and a la carte prints.... Did you see how I didn't say session fee investment amount? Lol just kidding.

[MLeeK]

IMO-it really doesn't matter. You are going to get price shoppers no matter what you do and you aren't going to up-sell a Wal Mart client come hell or high water. I am all for whatever frame of thought works for you. I kind of like the session pricing starting at $xxx.xx