"Do you have any deals..."

[imagemaker46]

I stopped setting fees but cater to each situation based on the budgets of each client that comes to me. I don't give work away, but in this day and age of photography, being able to adjust fees may be the only way to keep a business alive. I'd rather have the money in my pocket, than let someone else get it. The opportunities for repeat business also comes into play.

 

[Derrel]

Yes...you need to take a retainer, not a deposit. A deposit is refundable. A retainer is not. Get this in your services contract.

$100 for a 25 minute, five pose mini-session might seem low-end, but there are MANY jobs where $100/hr or $200/hr payment before taxes simply does not exist.

And in today's actual market...a person can find a "new pro" who will shoot images for $40-$50. Today for people who just want "something", the Craigslist type shooters are sooooooo plentiful that $100 for a mini-session is actually DOUBLE the prevailing rate. Sure, it's not your best package, but it is what many people can afford, and what they want.

If you shoot enough $100/25 minute sessions in a week, it starts to add up.

 

[kathyt]

Time is the biggest thing to consider. In a crowded metro area, drive times to and from can easily turn a "30-minute" mini-session into a one-hour there, one-hour back deal that takes, actually, three full hours! ACK!!!!!!!!

One thing I have noticed low-end mini-session shooters doing is scheduling multiple mini-sessions at one good outdoor location. Combining even two short sessions at one location, back-to-back, can cut the effects of drive times down quite a bit, and lessens logistical hassles too. Two, 30-minute sessions, back-to-back at $100 each is $200/hr. Of course, the final part is to be able to pose, shoot, and process the images VERY quickly. And by very quickly, I mean 30-40 seconds per image. The way the modern, higher-volume portrait and event pros do it. Not slaving over images, but creating images that are done right, in-camera.Finding and or creating/modifying the light, at the scene, is what the best shooters do. You simply can not take shots that need "heroic" or even level 8 rescue processing and make any profit if youi have to spend 10 minuites per image at the computer.

You cannot "perfect" each and every image down to the last fine detail at these kind of prices. You will need to start with fundamentally good lighting and excellent posing. The way old-time professionals did it.

If you're going to shoot this low-end stuff, you simply can not spend a lot of time perfecting sub-par or "needs-work-to-make-it-work" images. This is the way shot-on-film used to work: you lighted the images right, from the start. It's a different mind-set.

$100, 25 minutes shooting maximum, five poses, one CD. ONE person, one location, one clothes change, each additional person $35. That pricing is actually almost double what I see around here from these mini-session new pro's.

Yes! This makes for a very profitable afternoon if you have your scheduling in order. I use my babysitter as my assistant and she loves it. I do these whenever I get a lot of clients that want in around the same time and then I can knock them out in one day. This is great for children's sessions and quick family sessions. I don't really offer children or family sessions anymore, but I still need to accommodate my previous clients.

 

[KmH]

Salesmanship

Qualifying Customers - The Key to Successful Sales For Your Service Business
?a Man to Fish? ? Photography is a luxury?
What Are the Five Types of Customer Segmentation? | Chron.com
Sales Objections are Sales Opportunities

Business management

The Real Business of Photography
Photography Business Secrets: The Savvy Photographer's Guide to Sales, Marketing, and More
Profitable Photography: Start and Run a Money-Making Business

 

[tirediron]

I factor a modest discount into my pricing strategy. If it's not asked about, I don't volunteer, but if someone does, I will find a reason to offer 10% or an extra print or something like that. It often doesn't take a lot; many people just want to feel that they're getting something more than everyone else.

 

[nycphotography]

I factor a modest discount into my pricing strategy. If it's not asked about, I don't volunteer, but if someone does, I will find a reason to offer 10% or an extra print or something like that. It often doesn't take a lot; many people just want to feel that they're getting something more than everyone else.

This ^^^

 

[cgipson1]

If you can't cover your costs and leave enough profit at $50 an hour, you need to rethink your business plan. So for $100 she gets 2 hours of your time. That can be 1 hour shooting and 1 hour post. Or it can be 2 hours shooting and then hand her a DVD.

The entire time, you can be talking about all the things you COULD do for her. Book. Prints. Galleries. Styling and hair and makeup. With examples laying around that she can pick up and hold and look at.

Most people will end up spending more than their budget, once they see what they can get and they decide they want it.

You take the sessions knowing that you have the opportunity to sell much more. And that "selling more" is the real trick in business. Every business. ;-)

Really? I would consider $50.00 and hour outrageously cheap, bare bones minimum! $50 an hour is what I expect the total noob-PROs to start at... although the work is seldom worth it. Jess is better than most

 

[nycphotography]

If you can't cover your costs and leave enough profit at $50 an hour, you need to rethink your business plan. So for $100 she gets 2 hours of your time. That can be 1 hour shooting and 1 hour post. Or it can be 2 hours shooting and then hand her a DVD.

The entire time, you can be talking about all the things you COULD do for her. Book. Prints. Galleries. Styling and hair and makeup. With examples laying around that she can pick up and hold and look at.

Most people will end up spending more than their budget, once they see what they can get and they decide they want it.

You take the sessions knowing that you have the opportunity to sell much more. And that "selling more" is the real trick in business. Every business. ;-)

Really? I would consider $50.00 and hour outrageously cheap, bare bones minimum! $50 an hour is what I expect the total noob-PROs to start at... although the work is seldom worth it. Jess is better than most of them...

Really.

If you have all your hours sold and you either have to ration supply or reduce demand, or if you want to free up some more of your personal time, then sure, raise the price.

But if you aren't selling the time you have (as per the OP who "needs the the business"), and you can't make a reasonable profit @ $50 an hour, then yes, you definitely have problem with your business plan (failure to control overhead).

 

[cgipson1]

If you can't cover your costs and leave enough profit at $50 an hour, you need to rethink your business plan. So for $100 she gets 2 hours of your time. That can be 1 hour shooting and 1 hour post. Or it can be 2 hours shooting and then hand her a DVD.

The entire time, you can be talking about all the things you COULD do for her. Book. Prints. Galleries. Styling and hair and makeup. With examples laying around that she can pick up and hold and look at.

Most people will end up spending more than their budget, once they see what they can get and they decide they want it.

You take the sessions knowing that you have the opportunity to sell much more. And that "selling more" is the real trick in business. Every business. ;-)

Really? I would consider $50.00 and hour outrageously cheap, bare bones minimum! $50 an hour is what I expect the total noob-PROs to start at... although the work is seldom worth it. Jess is better than most of them...

Really.

If you have all your hours sold and you either have to ration supply or reduce demand, or if you want to free up some more of your personal time, then sure, raise the price.

But if you aren't selling the time you have (as per the OP who "needs the the business"), and you can't make a reasonable profit @ $50 an hour, then yes, you definitely have problem with your business plan (failure to control overhead).

I guess that depends on what one considered to be a reasonable profit... doesn't it? Obviously we have different ideas there! When I do pick up my camera for pay, I have no problem charging significantly more than that... that may not be the case for you and others...

 

[amolitor]

You guys can't even sort out whether you're talking about shooting hours or total hours, so this could go on for a while.

 

[tirediron]

You guys can't even sort out whether you're talking about shooting hours or total hours, so this could go on for a while.

It could, but I'm willing to bet it won't! :waiting:

 

[jwbryson1]

For $100? All I can do is hang up the phone, cuz I'm already losing money.

Exactly. This would be my response. I would do NOTHING for $100. $100? What a ridiculous "client." Stop selling yourself short on foolish requests like that.

 

[cgipson1]

You guys can't even sort out whether you're talking about shooting hours or total hours, so this could go on for a while.

He doesn't shoot full time... neither do I. And based on his former post.... I assume he means $50 per hour to be all encompassing (no extra charges for post, travel, etc).

I write software. Last 10 years for a hedge fund, but previously for clinical drug studies and wholesale distribution.

I also do real estate, renovating distressed properties for rent on my weekends and vacations.

Not much time for photography lately!

Obviously photography is not a large part of his income.... nor is it mine (since I don't actively seek it out... and still turn down jobs) But $50 an hour? That is noob money.. go out of business money... basically for those that are "still learning, so I don't charge much" types

 

[tirediron]

For $100? All I can do is hang up the phone, cuz I'm already losing money.

Exactly. This would be my response. I would do NOTHING for $100. $100? What a ridiculous "client." Stop selling yourself short on foolish requests like that.

Why is it ridiculous? Does the average person necessarily know typical rates for good quality photography? From their perspective, it's 45-60 minutes, and all they get is a CD, and you walk away with $100; they don't (except for the few who run businesses of their own) stop to think about all of the associated costs. One of the things I do is explain to people why prices are as high as they are. I explain that the camera and lens I'm using are worth more than a lot of used cars, that insurance and advertising is expensive, as is the continuing education I partake in so that I can deliver the best quality product to them. I also explain that there's lots of time involved in preparing for the shoot (cleaning and prepping gear, sweeping the studio, etc), post-production time, etc. I find that once you lay it out, most people are rather more understanding, and when you toss in a "I understand your budget's tight, but because I think everyone should have nice family photos, I'll do your package for ~10% less, and I'll allow you a clothing change"... once people understand and then on top of that, feel like they're getting a little something extra (which in reality costs me almost nothing) they tend to be much more receptive to the price.

 

[amolitor]

Are you saying that $100 isn't a bit on the low side, or are you saying that you are pretty successful at talking clients up from a $100 budget to something a little more workable?