- Joined
- Mar 8, 2011
- Messages
- 25,160
- Reaction score
- 9,010
- Location
- Iowa
- Website
- pixels.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
You might realize that her raising her prices to match yours could be a Godsend.
Now if everybody in your town had the same pricing structure, the customers would be selecting their photographer based on a comparison of each person's portfolio.
This is basically the first step in the commoditization of the craft.
If one sets their prices based solely on what 'the other guys' are charging, then eventually everyone will have the same prices. We see this in the grocery, gasoline, building material and similar industries.
With no difference in price between you and everyone else, then you become a commodity. And you are viewed as interchangeable parts in the machine that is the trade. You're no better, no worse, no different than all the other cogs, wheels and gears.
Your only hope is that those who use your prices to set theirs will not comprehend the true expenses of being in business, thusly fail at it and move on. However, for every fauxtographer that fails (despite having a $600 camera and a Facespace page), there's 20 more that merrily take their place.
This is what we get when we make a low price more important than quality and service.