Price for Prints?

[Amerino28]

I have a question, I'm not officially open for business and charging yet, but I have been asked to do a few sessions for extended family members. I do not have any prices set and was wondering what does everyone charge for prints? I use WHCC, and an 8x10 lustre print is $2.20. How much do you up your prices? I have seen an 8x10 go for as much as $30. Do you figure a certain percent of what the lab charges you? I really want to push them to purchase prints from me since I am already giving them a discount on the sitting fee, rather than giving them a discounted sitting fee and walk away with a CD of images. Thank you!! All help is appreciated!

 

[Big Mike]

This is one of the most commonly asked questions from people in your situation...and it's not a simple answer.

Firstly, you should figure out your business plan. What you have, where you are...and where you want to be. How much will it cost you to produce your product...and I don't just mean the $2.20. That is the 'cost of goods sold', but you couldn't have got to that print without your photo equipment, your computer equipment and software. Did you use a vehicle for this job? I assume your computer is in you residence (not to mention that you store your gear there)...so what does it cost to live there? (or at least the 'office' portion of it). What about heat (or probably in your case, cooling) for that space? Taxes, utilities etc?
What about direct business costs? If you are charging people, you probably need to be paying tax on that income. What about insurance?

And after all of that, what do you think that you (the photographer) should be getting paid for your work, skill & expertise?

Of course, after you figure out all the costs involved, you would need to estimate how many jobs/sales you would need to reach a certain goal, which would then allow you to calculate how much you need to charge. That's the hard part, especially if you are just getting started.

You should also consider if you want this to be a self sustaining business or something that is supplemented by another income. You may come to the conclusion that you'd need to charge $50 for an 8x10, just to sustain your business. And when you look at many of the successful portrait photographers, they probably charge at least that much.

But there is more to it than just deciding what you should charge for prints. Your whole pricing structure should be considered. For example, if you charge a hefty fee up front, then you don't have to make it up on the prints. But if you charge a lower amount for the sitting fee, then you will need to make it up on the back end. You said that you would rather sell prints that images on CD. That could be a good strategy, but it should be thought through. Many people today want digital files, and that would naturally negate your print sales. So if you did go that route, you would either need to charge a lot for the disc, or as an upfront fee. On one hand, if you are good at sales, then getting big print orders is a great way to go, but it will likely involve a lot more time & effort than just handing over a disc.

And of course, what works for one photographer, in one location...may not work for another. You'll likely need to tailor your strategy to the market segment that you cater to. And as part of your business plan, you may want to decide which market you want to (and can) target.

 

[TerryKylePhotography]

I second what Big Mike said, but I want to emphasize the "business plan". It has a lot to do with how you are going to creatively achieve the goals you have for your business. By goals I'm not just talking about cost vs. profit, but who is your audience and how do you plan to increase your marketability with them (it's amazing how much charging the right price plays into that).

 

[spacefuzz]

what do people of similar skill level charge in your area? Thats a good starting point.
Also if you add up cost of the print to you and double it, thats usually a decent place to start from.