Prints vs. giving a CD

[NCrockett]

In this age of digital, I am struggling with how to simply charge for prints rather than give people a CD. The simple fact is- people know it isn't difficult to make a CD. I do mostly children's portraits and family photography. I don't have a website yet for people to view their photos, so they come to my home and we go through it together. That way, I can add vignettes, black and white, etc to their liking. However, I feel like I'm somehow ripping them off if I tell them a charge for each print.

It seems that if you go to a studio, you expect to have to pay for prints. When someone is working out of their home, the expectation is that you will put their pictures on a CD and let them make the prints. How do you handle this kind of request? Do you give people the option with two different rates? A minimal sitting fee, plus x amount for prints vs. a total fee that includes CD and the right to print?

 

[tirediron]

...give people the option with two different rates? A minimal sitting fee, plus x amount for prints vs. a total fee that includes CD and the right to print?

:thumbup:

 

[g-fi]

I think you're really cheating yourself if you give in to that feeling of having to give away a CD (and if you're not really charging for that CD and print rights, you're giving it away). A very successful wedding photographer in my area doesn't even offer a CD until you hit his $14,000 packages. Once you give away that CD, you give up all control over the quality of your prints.

I think it's one of the hardest lessons for photographers to learn as they become business people, that people pay for quality, and what they don't pay for, they don't respect or see as quality. You may feel like you are going to lose out on clients if you don't offer a CD with a basic package, but you're not. TRUST that nickel and dime clients will treat you like a nickel and dime photographer and be difficult. Don't get trapped into the fear that if you don't give a client the moon for free that they are not going to come back. The clients that will make you profitable as a photographer come back because they love your work and believe you are worth the money, the other ones *are not coming back anyway*. If a client questions why they are not getting a CD, a polite but firm "CDs are available with Packages X, Y and Z" is enough.

Now, along with that goes the unsaid stipulation- make sure your work is good enough to insure that your clients feel like their money is well spent with you.

 

[Sbuxo]

What if you have them sign a model release in which you specify no editing of the photograph(y) and such? Or does that not apply when they pay for their photos?

 

[DC-Photog]

Portraits: I never sell CDs for portrait sessions - only prints. You don't even need your own web site to do it. Get an account with Pictage or Smugmug. Upload to password-protected client galleries and give the client the link. Sit back and wait. You'll get the print sales.

Weddings: Yes, I sell the CD, but I charge for it in my package rates. I do include the engagement session portraits, which I also charge for on the CD. That is the only time a put portraits on a CD.

 

[NCrockett]

G-fi-

Thank you. You make some excellent points. Losing control over the quality of the print is a huge deal. What ends up on their wall is ultimately the representation of my work and if they print at wal-mart, the autocolor feature completely ruins the print.

I also like your advice on nickel and dime people. So true. I guess it's just having the confidence to make that leap and trust my ability. My work is good enough and I have spent 6 years learning and practicing. I need to find pricing that fits my ability and the value of my time.

As suggested by g-fi and tirediron, I think I will come up with pricing for both and give the CD price a significant boost.

I've never looked into pictage or smugmug. Sounds like a great alternative to having people come to my home. They can look at their leisure and take their time deciding their favorites.

Thanks!

 

[Robin Usagani]

For family pics.. really I have no use of their photos. I rather they have the digital files because it will be very important for them to preserve the memory. OK, so lets say you do 1 session, how much money earned do you hope to get per session from selling prints? I would take that number and price the CD for that much. YOu burn the CD, give it to them... let them print whatever however they want, DONE.

 

[Sbuxo]

Portraits: I never sell CDs for portrait sessions - only prints. You don't even need your own web site to do it. Get an account with Pictage or Smugmug. Upload to password-protected client galleries and give the client the link. Sit back and wait. You'll get the print sales.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[njw1224]

G-fi-

Thank you. You make some excellent points. Losing control over the quality of the print is a huge deal. What ends up on their wall is ultimately the representation of my work and if they print at wal-mart, the autocolor feature completely ruins the print.

You've made your own argument here! It's really a decision of whether you just want to sell your service (the disk) or your art (the prints). Would a painter ever scan their work and just sell the digital image, hell no. Why should a photographer give up control over the reproduction quality (and quantity) of their work? Event photography, such as a wedding, is a bit different, and most of us are selling image disks in one form or fashion for events. But portrait photography is largely still a pay-per-print type of delivery. So stick to your guns!

 

[Robert Pope]

Ditto to what most are saying.

If a bad print ends up in a client home none of their friends or family will think, "Gee that's a bad print." They will think, "That's a bad photographer." Not what you want.

I do provide disks but only with the top package and under the stipulation that they promise, promise to go to a professional lab. Most ask me to have them printed at my lab since they've already seen the amazing quality from their engagement photographs.

As soon as a client sees a SINGLE print from my pro lab I have never had anyone want to print their own. NEVER.

 

[DennyCrane]

The option also exists to lower the quality of the CD images so they're acceptable viewed on a PC or digital picture frame, but are not print quality. And you point out that they're not for printing. And I'd still charge dearly, since you lose control over the dissemination of your work.

 

[IgsEMT]

for my in-studio session, clients have an option to buy a cd or buy prints.

 

[Big Mike]

The option also exists to lower the quality of the CD images so they're acceptable viewed on a PC or digital picture frame, but are not print quality. And you point out that they're not for printing. And I'd still charge dearly, since you lose control over the dissemination of your work.

The problem with that, is that many people are fairly ignorant about digital images...size, resolution etc. Even if you tell them, some people will still try to print images if they have them.

In this age of digital, I am struggling with how to simply charge for prints rather than give people a CD. The simple fact is- people know it isn't difficult to make a CD. I do mostly children's portraits and family photography. I don't have a website yet for people to view their photos, so they come to my home and we go through it together. That way, I can add vignettes, black and white, etc to their liking. However, I feel like I'm somehow ripping them off if I tell them a charge for each print.

It seems that if you go to a studio, you expect to have to pay for prints. When someone is working out of their home, the expectation is that you will put their pictures on a CD and let them make the prints. How do you handle this kind of request? Do you give people the option with two different rates? A minimal sitting fee, plus x amount for prints vs. a total fee that includes CD and the right to print?

This is a common issue that many photographers have been struggling with for a while now. There doesn't seem to be a 'right' way to do it...some people are very successful doing it one way, and other people are very successful doing it another way.

You need to find what work for you...something that sells well and something that sits well with the values of you & your business.

 

[dubaifor]

The problem is that when people see unfinished work they´d remember you for that. You cannot edit 500 pictures, let them choose the ones they like best and then deliver only those finalized shots.
+971 50 896 80 42 - Francisco Fernandez - Dubai Photographer

 

[NCrockett]

So much to think about. There have been some good points made in this discussion. I am leaning toward working out packages that can include prints or a CD and charge accordingly. Digital has created some great opportunities, but also presented different challenges. Thank you everyone for your input.