new address for my site; some new pics

ksmattfish · Mar 2, 2004

Netscape's free webspace was sucking, so now I'm trying out Netfirms.

I've added some non-portrait photos.

mattneedham.netfirms.com

Dew · Mar 2, 2004

you've got some great stuff over there .. the hubby and i were just talking about your work last night

... "you now that Ksmattfish, he does really good work."

and plus you're a diane arbus fan :wink:

vonnagy · Mar 2, 2004

nice to see some of your stuff online - one suggestion - i'd like to see MORE of it!!!

terri · Mar 2, 2004

Nice work, Matt...nice to see it all together like this! :thumbsup:

voodoocat · Mar 2, 2004

Great photos... but... comic sans as your font?!

ksmattfish · Mar 3, 2004

voodoocat said:
Great photos... but... comic sans as your font?!

All right, all right, how about...

VERDANA

voodoocat · Mar 3, 2004

ksmattfish said:
voodoocat said:

Great photos... but... comic sans as your font?!

Click to expand...

All right, all right, how about...

VERDANA

Much better

terri · Mar 4, 2004

I'm a little stunned that you're giving away the negatives for these prices. I appreciate the new thinking of even offering to sell them, but including them in any package in the $500 range just doesn't seem right. All that work.... :shock:

Just my two cents.

ksmattfish · Mar 4, 2004

Right now I need more biz, so my prices are low. When I get a larger client base my prices will rise.

If I'm shooting color, I'd rather just sell the negs. I do charge for them, it's calculated into the price, although I know it's cheap. Most of my color photography is at weddings. I'd rather just show up, do it, get paid, and get outta there. I still retain the rights to the photos; the family just has the right to make enlargements for family and friends.

I'd rather be doing 100% BW portrait work. When I'm shooting BW I usually keep the negs, and all the prints are hand printed by me. Weddings are good money though, and I just can't turn them down.

I think I just lost a wedding because I don't provide fancy, expensive photo albums. They loved my prints, but seemed surprised when I told them where they could buy their own $500 Pro Wedding album for $90. Oh well, I'm selling my services as a photographer, not a scrap booker.

photogoddess · Mar 7, 2004

Nice work Matt! I am so glad to hear that I am not the only one that HATES doing albums. While I will do an album if they really want it (and I charge appropriately) :twisted: I recommend to all my wedding clients that they do a Creative Memories album. Some brides really like the idea. I even hook them up with a Creative Memories consultant to buy their album supplies from. Those CM consultants even organize workshops that help them get the album done. My own wedding album was done this way so I have an example to show them. So far, I've only had to put together 1 album. Another idea is to make their album a coffee table book. Check out www.whiteglove.com. I haven't used them yet since I haven't done any weddings in a while but I have seen their stuff. Very nice!

havovubu · Mar 9, 2004

Matt I like many of your images. I really do love the upward view of the domed building (topeka.html). This view rarely works but somehow your image is very pleasing and is spot on! I would value your comments on my new website (it is a work in progress)

http://www.shutternutter.com

terri · Mar 12, 2004

I appreciate having to drum up the biz, but still... geez, we haven't done a wedding 10 years and right about the time we quit, we were charging around $750. We didn't do the "get in and get out" thing tho...we gave them a time we'd be there (ready or not) to shoot "before" portraits (usually 60-90 mins before the wedding, depending how large the party was), then stayed till captured what we perceived would be a good "last shot" for the preview book. We never sold big fancy 8x10 books, but we DID always put together a preview book for them and it was included in the price. That way we got to control what images went in there, and culled several. We had a few 'packages', tossing in a few 8x10s or 5x7s, I don't remember the exact specifics. But NEVER did we sell the negs, or even offer them. As far as books are concerned, I think people are lazy and want to have a book in hand even if it is just the preview book (4x5s). It also seems more professional to me, presentation-wise.

And with all due respect, it's nice to say you retain the rights to the photos but harder to control once you no longer retain the negatives. Of course they can get their own copies made digitally much easier now than they could 10 years ago, so.... :? I think overall weddings are just not worth it unless you can charge for what your time is worth. I would consider one in our area for no less than $1,500, and my husband won't consider one for ANY price. :wink:

markc · Mar 12, 2004

Oooh! Me likey! That's my kind of stuff, especially the kids. Great work!

There is such a thing as pricing yourself out of business by going too low. When people see low prices, they often think that you charge so little because you aren't good enough to make more.

A friend of mine was feeling a little overworked so he decided to raise his pricing. He ended up with more business than when he was cheaper.

When I started working with a gallery, they were going through a bit of a dry spell. I was a bit nervous that I had priced myself out of the market, since I was asking for more than anyone else there for a similar sized print. I ended up being the one to break the bad streak by selling a print.

Depending upon a client, there can be a certain mentality where they want to spend a lot. For them, it's a sign that they are getting quality work. A lot of people have a hard time determining this for themselves, so they have to use how much they paid as a gauge.

ksmattfish · Mar 12, 2004

Don't worry about me, guys. My photography pays me at least five times what my "day" job pays. My prices have been steadily rising over the past few years, and someday I will charge outrageous fees.