preschool photo pricing?

Terri Walsh · Jun 9, 2009

I have been contacted to do preschool prints for next Fall and I have no idea what to charge?
80-90 students, 4 classes.
Obviously each students get a free 5x7 class photo, then I do individual shots and charge for them. Packages?
I think the last person did $10 a sheet (8x10 or 2-5x7...) I think I would do better if I did lets say 3 package options?

Any help or input would be great!
Thanks in advance!

Big Mike · Jun 10, 2009

I don't have pricing advice...but just thinking about organizing and shooting 80-90 Preschool aged kids is giving me a headache....good luck :lol:

Terri Walsh · Jun 10, 2009

lol I know eh?! But I do have a 3 year old of my own, hope I can handle it?! Hope its worth it too!

roxysmom · Jun 10, 2009

I have never photographed a pre-school but my son's pre-school sends home packages twice a year. The price in my opinion is crazy. It's 12.00 a sheet and we don't get anything free. As a parent I'd appreciate a lower price to order. Maybe you'd get more business that way and end up making a good amount. They send home a month ahead of time three background choices. I select which one so I know what to dress him in then I get the photos about 2 weeks later. I wish they had online ordering because printing out all the poses is a waste to me. Just my thoughts.

SpeedTrap · Jun 10, 2009

Try and get an account set up with Technicare in Calgary, You will want to use them for this type of work and they offer some packages.
So you would upload one image and they would print the package for you,
No need to order seprate prints, just the image and package number and you are done!

KmH · Jun 10, 2009

$10 a sheet.

Terri Walsh · Jun 11, 2009

Thanks so much!

kyen · Jun 12, 2009

I work at daycare and we have our photos done once a year for Infants to Junior Kindergarden and twice for Senior Kindergarden. If I remember correctly our photographer has several packages to choose from, they range from $45.00 for the GRAND packages (which includes all your sizes) to $15.00 for your single sizes ( 2- 5x7, 4 4x6ish etc) As staff we get one free pre set package which includes a class photo.

Hope this helps.

msf · Jun 12, 2009

roxysmom said:
I have never photographed a pre-school but my son's pre-school sends home packages twice a year. The price in my opinion is crazy. It's 12.00 a sheet and we don't get anything free. As a parent I'd appreciate a lower price to order. Maybe you'd get more business that way and end up making a good amount. They send home a month ahead of time three background choices. I select which one so I know what to dress him in then I get the photos about 2 weeks later. I wish they had online ordering because printing out all the poses is a waste to me. Just my thoughts.

You think $12 a sheet and nothing free is crazy? You would probably faint to see what some people on here charge for a single sheet then.

I believe $10 is minimum what anyone charges for a sheet, usually much more.

Terri Walsh said:
I have been contacted to do preschool prints for next Fall and I have no idea what to charge?
80-90 students, 4 classes.
Obviously each students get a free 5x7 class photo, then I do individual shots and charge for them. Packages?
I think the last person did $10 a sheet (8x10 or 2-5x7...) I think I would do better if I did lets say 3 package options?

Any help or input would be great!
Thanks in advance!

Figure out what your expenses are, equpment, software, prints, gas, figure in the time you will be there photographing, the time required to process the images to look their best, the time making the proof packages to send home with the kids, if you have a portable backdrop, its cost and time to setup, the time dealing with the lab, and gas again to drop the pictures off. Then go from there.

But also consider what your market can bear. If the average income is pretty low, then you probably cant charge top dollar. Unless its a private school.

Just for comparison, im in a pretty rural area, the average income is pretty low compared to the national one. For the hosted event I just did, I charged the following. $20 for one sheet, $35 for 3 sheets, $60 for 6 sheets and $85 for 9 sheets. And I limited each sheet to be one pose. I dont believe anyone complained about the prices or about the one per sheet rule. Thankfully most of the parents purchased the $60 and $85 packages, with only a couple buying the $35 one. But they did have more than one pose to choose from. I believe school pictures only give you one pose? You could try doing a couple more, but that would incrase your time drastically.

I did my home Church directory before that, and I offered a special price since they are like family. I cut the prices down 33%, and I dont believe one person complained about the prices. But some were confused why I couldnt offer multiple pictures per sheet, trying to get the most out of their money. Could be coincidence, or it could be the lower prices they expect more?

Also, dont be afraid to offer extra things, never know what they may buy. selecitve color, black and white, sepia, collages, canvas, etc.

Terri Walsh · Jun 13, 2009

Thanks - the last 2 posts were really helpful!!! I like the sounds of those package ideas (msf). I would assume packages like that works out much better than just $10 a sheet would.
And I do plan to offer extras, so easy to do, and I find my clients really like some of my photo effects now.

Ygrazi · Jun 18, 2009

Wow, this was really helpful! I just took a job for the upcoming school year, I will be doing from PreK-8th grade of a small private school (about 200 kids) Where would I be able to find those cute paper frames for the class picture and a wallet size portrait?

UUilliam · Jun 19, 2009

$10 per image!!
when i was at primary school ~(pre school)
they charged us £10 - £20 per image (thats like $6- $17 roughly)
but then my grandmum and aunts bought one each too so the photographer was making £40 per child (if they all got their aunts uncles and grand mums n dads to buy one)

Christie Photo · Jun 19, 2009

Ygrazi said:
Where would I be able to find those cute paper frames for the class picture and a wallet size portrait?

They're called Memory Mate mounts. Taprell Loomis make a BUNCH of 'em and sell though distributers.

-Pete

Christie Photo · Jun 19, 2009

BTW... when did we start selling "sheets?" I think it's important to use terminology that elevates our product and guard against words that diminish what we do.

Just a thought.

-Pete