epp_b
No longer a newbie, moving up!
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
- Messages
- 2,135
- Reaction score
- 12
- Location
- True North Cold and Freezing
- Website
- www.eppbphoto.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
This might be a lengthy post, so bear with me.
I do photography primarily for my own enjoyment (and I really do enjoy it). But, I also believe that my results are both artistically and technically proficient to where I can charge, at least, a reasonable sum of profit.
On more than one occasion, people have contacted me from my website with messages of praise and appreciation for my photos. Unfortunately, that tone takes a nose-dive any time they ask for prints, copies or what-have-you and money enters into the discussion, presumably because they were expecting something cheap or free. Either, they change their mind (ie.: sticker shock) or they begrudgingly accept; I never get the sense that they're happy.
I don't think my print prices are terribly high. This is what I've been working on for a preliminary pricelist:
- 4x6 @ $5
- 5x7 @ $10
- 8x10 @ $25
- 11x17 @ $40
- 13x18 @ $50
Then again, I live in rural shtick where some people think that paying real, actual money for a puppy is crazy. People really are cheap around here :er:
Either way, though, I end up feeling ... "unclean", somehow, like I've sacrificed my art for a profit. I fear that if I start charging money, I'll begin to forget about the art and, instead, focus too much on what people might be more interested in buying.
Any time I enter into a discussion with someone on whether or not I'll sell a photo and for how much, I end up hemming and hawing and, probably, sounding like a bit of a dick (when, really, that's not what I'm trying to do at all).
On the other hand, I don't want to just give everything way. I can appreciate and respect that working this hard (even though it's enjoyable work) and giving everything away reinforces the collective belief that photography is simple and worthless, and that it hurts working professionals.
On the (third?) hand, I don't want to be a selfish old hermit by keeping everything to myself.
My latest situation with this struggle is a recent drag racing event I shot on-track (the same event as I shot last year). There was no official arrangement like there was last year, but I had a verbal agreement, with one of the car club's higher ups, to get on the track again this year. It was a blast: 16 hours, over two days, in the searing heat getting pelted by bits of molten rubber. I got some of the best pictures of my life that weekend (you can judge them, for yourself, here, if you like) and conducted myself in a highly respectful and professional manner. No monetary pay was given to me for doing this; I'm pretty happy to have the opportunity.
Anyway, one of the participant members of the car club contacted me today, through my website, flat-out asking for copies with no indication that he expects to pay anything. I've replied to ask how he intends to use them, to which I was answered that he would like to make a large print.
I have a strong suspicion that I'll be promptly blown off if I try to sell him a print, instead of just giving him a full-resolution, non-watermarked copy of the file. I also suspect that he may try to pressure me into giving it away due to the club having let me on the track. I don't know... even though I enjoyed it, I think the 16 hours of hard work I gave to the club is worth something.
What do you make of all this?
I do photography primarily for my own enjoyment (and I really do enjoy it). But, I also believe that my results are both artistically and technically proficient to where I can charge, at least, a reasonable sum of profit.
On more than one occasion, people have contacted me from my website with messages of praise and appreciation for my photos. Unfortunately, that tone takes a nose-dive any time they ask for prints, copies or what-have-you and money enters into the discussion, presumably because they were expecting something cheap or free. Either, they change their mind (ie.: sticker shock) or they begrudgingly accept; I never get the sense that they're happy.
I don't think my print prices are terribly high. This is what I've been working on for a preliminary pricelist:
- 4x6 @ $5
- 5x7 @ $10
- 8x10 @ $25
- 11x17 @ $40
- 13x18 @ $50
Then again, I live in rural shtick where some people think that paying real, actual money for a puppy is crazy. People really are cheap around here :er:
Either way, though, I end up feeling ... "unclean", somehow, like I've sacrificed my art for a profit. I fear that if I start charging money, I'll begin to forget about the art and, instead, focus too much on what people might be more interested in buying.
Any time I enter into a discussion with someone on whether or not I'll sell a photo and for how much, I end up hemming and hawing and, probably, sounding like a bit of a dick (when, really, that's not what I'm trying to do at all).
On the other hand, I don't want to just give everything way. I can appreciate and respect that working this hard (even though it's enjoyable work) and giving everything away reinforces the collective belief that photography is simple and worthless, and that it hurts working professionals.
On the (third?) hand, I don't want to be a selfish old hermit by keeping everything to myself.
My latest situation with this struggle is a recent drag racing event I shot on-track (the same event as I shot last year). There was no official arrangement like there was last year, but I had a verbal agreement, with one of the car club's higher ups, to get on the track again this year. It was a blast: 16 hours, over two days, in the searing heat getting pelted by bits of molten rubber. I got some of the best pictures of my life that weekend (you can judge them, for yourself, here, if you like) and conducted myself in a highly respectful and professional manner. No monetary pay was given to me for doing this; I'm pretty happy to have the opportunity.
Anyway, one of the participant members of the car club contacted me today, through my website, flat-out asking for copies with no indication that he expects to pay anything. I've replied to ask how he intends to use them, to which I was answered that he would like to make a large print.
I have a strong suspicion that I'll be promptly blown off if I try to sell him a print, instead of just giving him a full-resolution, non-watermarked copy of the file. I also suspect that he may try to pressure me into giving it away due to the club having let me on the track. I don't know... even though I enjoyed it, I think the 16 hours of hard work I gave to the club is worth something.
What do you make of all this?