handling payments for photos?

Dew

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our little photography biz is starting to pick up ... we do actors/models headshots for a fee ... my question is, how do u organize payment? .. do they pay half at the time of the shoot and the other half after pick-up? ... 100% up front? ...

i dont like for them to sit over my shoulder and wait for their photos while im working on them.
 
I say upfront. That way they can't order 100 prints and never pick them up. So, a sitting fee on the first visit. Then at the proofing stage, they will pay for any prints they want to order.

They pick up the prints, or you mail them to them.

First visit
client pays for sitting fee, goes home

Second visit
Client comes to proof pics, can order as many pics
as they want. Pay now.

Third
You mail or give them their order.
 
I agree, collect upfront. It's amazing how many people will order an item, decide they made a mistake, and just never show up to buy it.
A couple of big orders wasted could make a big dent in your operating capital.
 
Absolutely up front. My rule is to collect before I even start shooting, although I usually bend this to right after I shoot for portrait sittings.

At weddings I like to be paid pretty much as soon as I show up; it can be hard to track down the person responsible for paying after an 8 hour party.
 
All the points people have said does make sense. :0).

What does everyone charge for the different picture sizes? From 4X6 to 12X18 or larger? :0).

Does anyone offer online purchasing? And if so what methods of payment do you offer? I think paypal is best known but maybe not the best service. But the client needs to be a paypal member and not everyone is, im not, yet. :0). Then there are online credit card based companies like www.digibuy.com where the person just needs a credit card and digibuy sends you a notice when its been approved and your account has been credited, for a fee of 13.9%, which seems a bit high but im not sure what the credit card companies charge you directly for you to get an account with them to accept credit card's.

And Dew, ever done any portrait pictures of any actor/actresses that we may know of? :0) Being in a big city that is known to have actors and famous people in it does have its perks. :0) Here royalty visits once in a long while, and the odd celebrity is near by, but ive never seen one, cept for Leslie Neilson at a one man play.
 
thanks for all the info .... we do have paypal ..

no, we havent photographed any body famous yet :p ... some small time actors (they do plays, modeling, lots of writers, singers/performers) ... i have seen a few "famous" people walking down the street, but most times u have to do a second look, cause they look like train wrecks :lol: and people dont pay attention to them...

NYC (amongst a lot of other places im sure) is a good oppurtunity for the arts .. u just have to be persistent.

i'll be photographing a kid (in studio) for the first time today (he's 4) ... so im hoping he can stay still for an hour :lol:
 
IMO, 100% up front is not reasonable. Do you pay for film development or dry cleaning before you pick it up? What about the plumber, painter, and handyman? You may give a deposit, but not 100%. The customer holding back payment is the only way they have to insure that the work is done right. Nothing personal
 
Interesting discussion. I've done it both ways. If you can make it seem painless, it's MUCH better to get it up front and move on. I think most of us want the client to be satisfied and will not shrug off a complaint, regardless of payment. If anything, I'd try harder, not let it become a battle. But I appreciate that point of view, yes.

Worst is dealing with casual friends or acquaintances. Right now I'm in the hole because a client wanted an 11x17 restoration and I agreed, working in the cost of the EXPENSIVE paper into the quote. Didn't collect anything, just did the job. It still looks lovely 6 weeks later; she has yet to pick it up and I've already paid the cost of the paper. She's made 2 appointments to come pick it up and cancelled both. I'm beyond annoyed and if she wants anything more (I still have faith she'll come get it eventually because I have her original), we WILL have a different arrangement. It's easier to smile at people who don't owe you money. :D

But - that's just her. So it's a tough assessment and I haven't done this long enough to get a feel.
 

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