Fair Pricing

[Pure]

4" x 5"
4" x 6"
5" x 7"
6" x 9"
8" x 10"
8" x 12"
9" x 12"
10" x 13"
10" x 15"
11" x 14"
12" x 18"
16" x 20"
16" x 24"


I'm trying to find fair pricing for these size prints. I'm far from a pro, but my work isn't point and shoot. Being 18 is somewhat a disadvantage because I don't want to highball potential customers, or low ball myself. Not to mention I don't want to come across as arrogant by charging too much. All of these prints will be of theater/musical shows, not landscapes, etc.

 

[MBasile]

The first step to figuring out pricing is figuring out your cost. Are you going to be printing these at home, or having them printed professionally?

 

[Pure]

The first step to figuring out pricing is figuring out your cost. Are you going to be printing these at home, or having them printed professionally?

A lab, mpix.

 

[Big Mike]

One way to think about it is that you are selling an image...which is also to say that you are selling your hard work and expertise in capturing that image and creating the finished image.

So the size of the paper isn't really much of a factor....or maybe it shouldn't be.

Really, if it's only going to cost you a couple dollars more for an 8x10 than a 4x6...should they be $30 difference in price?

 

[Jim Gratiot]

I'm trying to find fair pricing for these size prints. I'm far from a pro, but my work isn't point and shoot. Being 18 is somewhat a disadvantage because I don't want to highball potential customers, or low ball myself. Not to mention I don't want to come across as arrogant by charging too much. All of these prints will be of theater/musical shows, not landscapes, etc.

First off, if you do it right, quoting a high price will come across as confident, not arrogant. Second, being 18 shouldn't be a disadvantage unless you let it. Although some people are naturally biased against younger photographers, a really good portfolio and a professional attitude is generally more important than your age.

As for pricing, I'd take a look at a dozen or so photography sites and see what they're charging for these types of prints. Take the average, and you'll get a pretty good sense of what the market will bear.

Good luck!

 

[atbawrps]

Are you selling paper or are you selling art?

 

[MBasile]

My pricing is as follows:
10x6.7 Petite Print (Paper)-34.49
16x10.7 Small Print (Paper)-35.99
23.9x16 Medium Print (Paper)-43.99
32x21.4 Large Print (Paper)-50.99
36x24.1 Grande Print (Paper)-75.99

The prints come from ImageKind.com. They aren't the cheapest, but I've used them before and like their quality. I took the price of the print and added $x for the smaller two sizes, $y for the Medium and Large, and $z for the Grande, increasing the mark up as I got to each higher category (this prevents the smaller prints form being relatively expensive).

 

[KmH]

4" x 5"
4" x 6"
5" x 7"
6" x 9"
8" x 10"
8" x 12"
9" x 12"
10" x 13"
10" x 15"
11" x 14"
12" x 18"
16" x 20"
16" x 24"


I'm trying to find fair pricing for these size prints. I'm far from a pro, but my work isn't point and shoot. Being 18 is somewhat a disadvantage because I don't want to highball potential customers, or low ball myself. Not to mention I don't want to come across as arrogant by charging too much. All of these prints will be of theater/musical shows, not landscapes, etc.

I wonder if you've given thought to how you will handle all the differing aspect ratios you have in your list of sizes.

How will you crop if a client wants a 5x7, an 8x10, and a 12x18 of the same image. That's 3 different aspect ratios.

I would drop all the sizes that are a 3:2 aspect ratio.

If you're willing to do a little reading visit www.ASMP.org (American Society of Media Photographers) because they have information that would help you determine what your pricing should be.

 

[msf]

4" x 5"
4" x 6"
5" x 7"
6" x 9"
8" x 10"
8" x 12"
9" x 12"
10" x 13"
10" x 15"
11" x 14"
12" x 18"
16" x 20"
16" x 24"

I would suggest have different combinations of sizes on an 8x10 sheet, instead of selling individual 4x6, etc. Dont forget 20x20, 20x24, 30x40, etc. And canvas.

How will you crop if a client wants a 5x7, an 8x10, and a 12x18 of the same image. That's 3 different aspect ratios.

I would drop all the sizes that are a 3:2 aspect ratio.

If you're willing to do a little reading visit www.ASMP.org (American Society of Media Photographers) because they have information that would help you determine what your pricing should be.

But 5x7 and 8x10 are some of the most popular sizes. Just leave room around the picture so you can drop different sizes. : )

The size I hate the most is wallet size, its very long compared to its width. With studio shots, I end up creating a top and bottom for it so I dont cut the subject off on the sides.

 

[KmH]

But 5x7 and 8x10 are some of the most popular sizes.

Yes they are, and neither are a 3:2 aspect ratio.

 

[musicaleCA]

People will assign value to your work based on how much they pay for it (to an extent). It's a bit of a backwards way of thinking, but when purchasing a product, we all make this cognitive error at some point. (Our brains are very bad at valuations of anything.) Hence, if done right, having a solid price that covers your costs and earns you a profit will not sound like arrogance, but confidence and professionalism. Make sure you account for all the time you put into the image, including travel time, prep time, planning, checking your equipment, your equipment costs themselves, time to import the images, data storage costs, data backup costs (your clients might lose the images and want them again), post-processing time, retouching, the time it will take to confirm and place the order, and any shipping costs involved (along with anything else you can think of that I just missed). Then figure-out how to charge your client while making a profit that is fair to both parties.

 

[msf]

But 5x7 and 8x10 are some of the most popular sizes.

Yes they are, and neither are a 3:2 aspect ratio.

Hmm, I must have read your post wrong, I read it as you should only offer sizes that are 3:2 ratio.

 

[Reegan]

Do you have a local department store? Dillard's does makeup and you only have to buy part of the product you liked! I have done it in the past for prom and have had friends do it for weddings! Hope this helps!


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[UUilliam]

what i would do is: find out how much it is going to cost for you to buy those certain sizes, find a printer (dealer) and stick with them, let them know you will be a frequent customer and try get the service as cheap as possible, add about 75% onto it, you get a 75% profit from every image you sell, but lower the percentage the dearer the image will cost... e.g. a printing service that will cost £10, you make £7.50 profit from, if it then costs £30, lower the percentage to about 60% meaning you make £18 profit from it and so on

 

[KmH]

what i would do is: find out how much it is going to cost for you to buy those certain sizes, find a printer (dealer) and stick with them, let them know you will be a frequent customer and try get the service as cheap as possible, add about 75% onto it, you get a 75% profit from every image you sell, but lower the percentage the dearer the image will cost... e.g. a printing service that will cost £10, you make £7.50 profit from, if it then costs £30, lower the percentage to about 60% meaning you make £18 profit from it and so on

Actually, you don't make a 75% profit because the cost of the print isn't the full extent of your operating costs.