Calling All Wedding Photographers

[chrisburke]

Hey Guys and Gals,

Is it standard to provide a disk of high resolution images with your wedding packages? I've recently started using smugmug to sell my pictures, and I started thinking "if I give someone a disk with their images, they can just go print them for way cheaper, and I make no profit on that"... do you guys give a disk, do you charge for a disk, or, is it not an option at all?

 

[Rachelsne]

not a wedding photog, but I believe if you give them a high res disk the package charge for the wedding is alot higher

 

[JerryPH]

As part of a package, yes... and the price would include the time I spent PPing. Do *NOT* give them any pictures that are not processed and at their very best.

I used to see this as a bad thing... but the good business people will look at this as just another product to get more profit with in conjunction to prints and the time paid shooting.

 

[Double H]

As part of a package, yes... and the price would include the time I spent PPing. Do *NOT* give them any pictures that are not processed and at their very best.

I used to see this as a bad thing... but the good business people will look at this as just another product to get more profit with in conjunction to prints and the time paid shooting.

I charge more upfront and then give a disc with only edited images. I really don't like dealing with printing packages, it's a real pain in the butt, and takes too much time.

 

[chrisburke]

thanks jerry, i knew i could count on you for good advice on this. I think what i will do is give the disk as part of the package, but also put the photos (always PP'd) in a smugmug gallery... I will tell the client that they can take their disk to a walmart or where ever to get them printed and enlarged, but also ensure them that the quality they are getting through my gallery is much higher, and I will show the difference between a kiosk print and a smugmug print (they sent me sample print outs)

i guess that leads me to another question... do you print out pictures for the client? i.e. when you hand them the disk, do you also give them say 200 4x6's (for example) and if you do, do you get these printed in a quality lab, or do you just use a kiosk?

 

[JerryPH]

I really don't like dealing with printing packages, it's a real pain in the butt, and takes too much time.

I'll answer Chris' question and comment here at the same time. Did you know that its not THAT much harder to learn how to make good prints or albums for the clients?

To not offer the option of printing for the client, in today's market as it is in this point in time, you are effectively cutting your profits by at least 40-50% or more.

That's quite a chunk of money you are tossing out the window just because you think it is a pain in the butt... lol.

Places like Forbeyon, MPIX or any of a 100 other places, let you design albums online and the more successful wedding photographers are doing the online gallery option thingie to offer an additional choice to let the client pick out more pictures to purchase on top of the rest of the package.

Are you including the choice of an album in your packages? If you are not... you should, that's lost profit (yet again) if you are not!

A photography business is about making money #1, and taking pictures is at spot #100 on the list of priorities and importance!

 

[rub]

I am just getting atarted in the biz, but here is how I have structred things.

3 different packages
1) no prints, no disk, just images online and they can order as they wish
2) with 1 set of 4x6 prints, a few enlargements, online for ordering additional prints
3) with 2 sets of 4x6 prints, lots of enlargements, large canvas, online for more prints

Albums are additional.

I do not have a package with the disk, but it can be ordered. Right now, my high res disks start at $100 (for a portrait session) and much more for weddings.

My prints all come from my local lab. Pricing is ok - works out to be the same as most online after you factor in the shipping.

 

[K_Pugh]

I do offer discs with the final PP'd high resolution images, but they don't come cheap! I also offer discs with 'screen' resolution images (1280x1024 max.) with a small watermark on them (in the corner) which wouldn't be great for printing really, but again still a charge.

I tend to use Jorgensen photo albums, can be expensive but they're great quality! Design on the computer, really easy, clients can see exactly how it would look.. no problem.

Might start offering normal photo albums for the more budget conscious but i don't know yet.. see how it goes.

I need to learn all this business stuff, too!

 

[STICKMAN]

This is a great topic, with out stepping on your thread can we also say for all types of sales not just wedding. I shoot emergency services fires etc and have many folks ask for pictures. i am over giving things away and want to start charging.

 

[Johnboy2978]

I've only shot 3 weddings so far, but I offer a disk at a little more than a print package to re-coop some of the lost revenue from print sales. Honestly, I would prefer doing it all by CD, b/c at this point it's just one extra hassle I don't need. Of the 3 I've shot, only one wanted prints. The process for me is the same in either case. That is, I will hand edit 100 of their favorites. If they wanted prints, I crop the image to the specified size, but save the original in it's edited state before the crop so that I can easily go back and make different sizes if needed. In the case of digital, I usually put 3 copies of each edited image on disk, one of the full size image, one in the crop that I would use, and the third is a 600x800 72dpi to email to others.
The main drawback to the digital is the fear that they will go the cheap route and try and make their prints on a home printer or send them to Wallie world. Then you have the potential of some really nice images that look like crap b/c of the printing.

 

[Double H]

I'll answer Chris' question and comment here at the same time. Did you know that its not THAT much harder to learn how to make good prints or albums for the clients?

To not offer the option of printing for the client, in today's market as it is in this point in time, you are effectively cutting your profits by at least 40-50% or more.

Oh, I am very aware of all of this. And I do offer it, but not as part of the main part of what I am selling. I know how to make good, color-correct, high-end prints, and I tell them this. I can tack on quite a bit when offering these options as extras.

 

[orly_zailer]

It is a standard to provide a disk of high resolution images with a wedding package in Israel... hope it helps...

 

[ksmattfish]

My wedding and portrait sessions include a DVD with the fully processed, ready to print (C-prints or silver gelatin prints from a photo lab), high res files, and a set of 4x6 prints. I retain copyright to all of the photos. My clients and their family and friends have my permission to reproduce the photos for personal enjoyment. Any commercial or other than private use must be negotiated.

It's a standard part of my packages for weddings and non-commercial portrait sessions so I don't consider it an extra charge. Clients can make their own albums, or pay me to do it. When I get a decent ink jet printer and figure out how to use it I probably will offer large fine art prints on paper/materials that are less commonly available at labs.

One of the common concerns I hear from photogs is that clients may get poor quality prints from econo-labs. I include a set of 4x6 prints from a lab I recommend, and I also give the clients a list of my recommendations. They can go anywhere they want, but if they get bad prints they know it's the lab, and not my files. There are numerous, good quality but inexpensive online services. Many people are surprised to find out how close Mpix prices are to Walmart's.