Prices for Prints

pkae1989 · Aug 23, 2011

A lady asked to buy some prints from me today and a CD. She said she almost had a heart attack when she saw that an 8x10 was 15.00. I guess she will really have a heart attack when I tell her the CD is $200, I just cannot afford to give a CD away for a low price or even free! What are your prices for prints and do you have any special packages?

joealcantar · Aug 23, 2011

Are these landscapes/scenics , portraits?

pkae1989 · Aug 23, 2011

It was a shoot for a family.

Railphotog · Aug 23, 2011

$15.00? Jeese I was charging that much for 8 by 10's twenty years ago. She must just be a cheapskate. When I sold them I needed to take the negs to the lab, then make a second trip to pick up the enlargement. Then deliver it or make arrangements to have it picke up - all for $15.00? I think they cost me around $5.50 then, but I can get digital ones at Costco for under $2.00 these days.

KmH · Aug 23, 2011

My prices wouldn't be of much guidance for you because I market to a different socio-economic group, and probably have a much higher CODB.

However, I can say that I mark up desktop size prints quite a bit more than I markup wall size prints, because people order more desk size prints. My markup is a function of my cost-of-doing-business (CODB) and my cost of goods sold (COGS). CODB is all of your non-reimbursed business expenses, plus your salary (which includes your retirement fund payments)

Some use a formula based on the square inches a print has. An 8x10 has 80 square inches. As an example, lets say you determine your CODB boils down to $0.30 per square inch for your business. On that basis you charge $24 for an 8x10.

If you don't know what your CODB/COGS you have no way to know for sure that your business is profitable, or not.

Here is an online CODB calculator: NPPA: Cost of Doing Business Calculator

manaheim · Aug 23, 2011

j28 · Aug 24, 2011

I have a $500 minimum print order before they can purchase the CD for $250. I am in a low cost of living area.

CCericola · Aug 24, 2011

pkae1989 said:
A lady asked to buy some prints from me today and a CD. She said she almost had a heart attack when she saw that an 8x10 was 15.00. I guess she will really have a heart attack when I tell her the CD is $200, I just cannot afford to give a CD away for a low price or even free! What are your prices for prints and do you have any special packages?

Your pricing isn't unreasonable. An 8x10 from the average mall studio like the picture people is $20 and there is no option to buy a cd. Sounds like she is just looking for a bargain. If she doesn't want to pay your prices then she doesn't want the pictures that bad.

That said, are they pictures of her and her family or your own artwork? If it is pictures you took of her why did she not know before hand what your prices were?

Do you have any profit from the sitting fee that you could give her a 1 time only discount?

You have a business to run, bills to pay. Don't let people devalue your work.

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum

INphotog · Aug 25, 2011

I feel like I'm always dealing with the price issue. I got my LLC this last January and gradually I've been increasing pricing. Currently my 8x10 is selling for $12 and I purchase them myself for 1.99. I have noticed I have a lot of ppl purchasing wallets, 4x6's and 5x7's so that's where I did my most recent increase. My pricing is right there on my website so they are well aware of what my prices are before they even have the session. I've been told my prices are wayyyyyy too low and I need to bump them considerably but I can tell you that if I did that, going from $12 to....say $65, my clientele would say....see ya! Sure they think I do great work, but with the economy the way it is and being in a low income town myself, it's just going going to happen. I still end up with orders anywhere from $300-$800 so I'll take it. It's a side job for me and I'm okay with that (for now lol). But what you've asked, is what I think will happen to me one of these days. But when it comes down to it, if they want the print, they will pay the price. And if they don't like that amount, then go to a smaller size....or just pay the money

My CD (for 20 edited photos) is $250 and I rarely get people getting it, which is fine with me because I would rather purchase the prints myself. Maybe I'm just weird like that....but I'm just starting and seems like I might have a lil similar price range so I thought I'd comment....and that I feel you

But don't take offense and stick to your guns. You change something for this one, others will expect it with them

lisa_13 · Aug 29, 2011

CCericola said:
pkae1989 said:

A lady asked to buy some prints from me today and a CD. She said she almost had a heart attack when she saw that an 8x10 was 15.00. I guess she will really have a heart attack when I tell her the CD is $200, I just cannot afford to give a CD away for a low price or even free! What are your prices for prints and do you have any special packages?

Click to expand...

Your pricing isn't unreasonable. An 8x10 from the average mall studio like the picture people is $20 and there is no option to buy a cd. Sounds like she is just looking for a bargain. If she doesn't want to pay your prices then she doesn't want the pictures that bad.

That said, are they pictures of her and her family or your own artwork? If it is pictures you took of her why did she not know before hand what your prices were?

Do you have any profit from the sitting fee that you could give her a 1 time only discount?

You have a business to run, bills to pay. Don't let people devalue your work.

Sent from my iPad using PhotoForum

8x10's are $18 and full res CD's (with about 12 images) are $150 from Picture People. From my time working there (shoot me, I know, I was a broke college student desperate for a steady paying job) I think I sold two CD's ever. AND nobody wanted to pay $18 for one picture. People are so cheap.

CCericola · Aug 29, 2011

I worked there during christmas breaks. The first season I was there a dog peed on the white muslin hanging up off to the side. I went to take it down and got yelled at by my manager. She said it wasn't that bad and we needed to get shoots done. It smelled so bad in that tiny studio. That manager didn't last long and us part timers referred to them as The Picture Nazis.

Good times, good times

IgsEMT · Aug 29, 2011

That sounds so familiar

here are to answers that I give 1 is mine and 2nd I burrowed from another photog.
1. When u go to a restaurant with ur family and leave about $70 there, in 3 hrs that dinner is in the sewer. But artwork u purchased will be in your walls for wayyy more then 3 hrs.
2. I'll give you a 8x10 sheet of paper for free, even throw in 2 5x7s there. But u aren't paying for paper, you are paying for experience it took to create this artwork of your family.
#1 seems to brake the ice and ease ppl

(it's copyrighted so reference me, when using it). LoL
Good luck