Struggling with my "competition"

[Destin]

So I'm trying to increase my senior photo sessions, and I thought that I was undercutting some photographers to a degree at $300-400/session.

There have been several other very new photographers advertising rates much lower, such as this one:

I know there isn't much I can do about it, and I know that she is essentially working for nothing and producing low quality work.

It's just frustrating, and I needed to vent to people who understand.

 

[Derrel]

$100, 2-hour sesh...Jeebers...one step up from "$50, All Photos on CD".

Are you sure those types of people are who you want to consider "your competition"? If so, it's a race to the bottom.

Unlimted clothes changes! Unlimted edited photos!

Does a session with Studio X come with dinner and two free movie passes too?

 

[Destin]

$100, 2-hour sesh...Jeebers...one step up from "$50, All Photos on CD".

Are you sure those types of people are who you want to consider "your competition"? If so, it's a race to the bottom.

Unlimted clothes changes! Unlimted edited photos!

Does a session with Studio X come with dinner and two free movie passes too?

I won't be trying to compete with them.

But I'm sure they will be stealing some of my potential clients.

This photographer is a Facebook wonder: natural light only, etc

 

[qmr55]

 

[tecboy]

People rather save $100 just to take pictures with their iPhone or p&s.

 

[tirediron]

...But I'm sure they will be stealing some of my potential clients. ...

The clients she is getting you don't want. People who pay those prices are often (usually?) not good clients. They want the lowest price, and will nit-pick over every single thing. I would even suggest raising your prices to put some more distance between people this and yourself.

 

[Gary A.]

Up your rates ... that will show the competition who the man is.

 

[Gary A.]

PS- In a more serious vein ... contact the school(s) and offer a discount/free rate for kids that cannot afford senior pictures. Not only are you giving something back, but you're also creating a ton of goodwill.

 

[pixmedic]

wow. I always thought WE were on the cheaper side at $250 for a 1 hour session and 5 edited photos...but dang.

honestly, I dont think your priceing is bad. you can only charge what the market will bear.
theres NO WAY for you to compete with someone practically giving away their time and work, so dont waste any time or effort even giving them any thought.

ultimately the people looking to spend 50-100 on photos are never going to pay your rates no matter how much they "like your work" because they do not
really understand or value the work. they are just looking for some photos to share online and they dont want to spend any real money on them. quality is well under price in terms of importance. I never cared about FB or CL photographers that did $30 "mini sessions" because they were never our competition.
I never saw one that had more than an entry level camera with kit lens. I never saw one that had strobes or flashes with modifers. I never saw one that had equipment and liability insurance. I would imagine that your FB photog there is no different, and just from the small pictures on their ad i can see that they dont know anything about lighting, fill or otherwise. some of the procedes from that $100 could at least go to purchasing a cheap reflector.

anyway.. my point is...unless you only want to charge $100 for your sessions those people arent your competition, nor are they taking any of your potential clients. admittidly they fill a niche for people that want some quick pictures done on the cheap, but they are not catering to anyone that is going to pay more than what they are charging.

there is a common misconception (what i believe is a misconception anyway) among photographers that if all those FB and CL photogs suddenly disappeared, then their "clients" would have to pay the "real photographers" rates. I call this a misconception because i believe that those people would never pay more than those FB rates anyway, they would just do without, like people do with many things they cant afford. people that cant afford expensive cars buy cheaper cars. people that cant afford expensive clothes buy cheaper clothes. people that cant afford expensive photographers go with cheaper photographers. its really that simple, and like everything else, you often (not always) get what you pay for.

 

[Designer]

ultimately the people looking to spend 50-100 on photos are never going to pay your rates no matter how much they "like your work" because they do not really understand or value the work.

I don't recall seeing any photographer engaged in educating his potential clients as to how to evaluate photographs and a photographer. A little teaching can go a long way, providing you capture someone's attention long enough to show them.

 

[pixmedic]

ultimately the people looking to spend 50-100 on photos are never going to pay your rates no matter how much they "like your work" because they do not really understand or value the work.

I don't recall seeing any photographer engaged in educating his potential clients as to how to evaluate photographs and a photographer. A little teaching can go a long way, providing you capture someone's attention long enough to show them.

not in this thread perhaps, but there have been in others.
i personally found it to be a fruitless effort. it could be that I just dont explain things very well, or that people comparing our package deals to $30 mini sessions with unlimited photos simply are not interested in paying our rates regardless of the quality difference. Location could also be a factor.
if the buyer only has $100 to spend, no amount of education is going to matter if they are unable to add to the budget.
a BMW 740 is a remarkabe piece of machinery, but no matter how much better i am shown it is, i cannot afford it.

 

[table1349]

ultimately the people looking to spend 50-100 on photos are never going to pay your rates no matter how much they "like your work" because they do not really understand or value the work.

I don't recall seeing any photographer engaged in educating his potential clients as to how to evaluate photographs and a photographer. A little teaching can go a long way, providing you capture someone's attention long enough to show them.

Wait, are you talking about high school seniors, you know, the kind that barely pay attention in a class they have to pass to graduate. And you want them to learn about photographs and photographers. If you figure out a way to do that you will be the first ever Nobel Price winner for education. You will also have more money than God.

 

[Designer]

Wait, are you talking about high school seniors, ..

No.

Their parents.

Also MOB, CEO, GP's, you know, the usual.

 

[Vtec44]

What are you doing differently than that low price photographer and how do you tell your clients about it?

I compete with photographers who are around $3k cheaper than me but I never have an issue with fully book every year in the past 3 years (30+ weddings a year). If people don't see the value and difference in what you do they will never pay for it.

 

[table1349]

Wait, are you talking about high school seniors, ..

No.

Their parents.

Also MOB, CEO, GP's, you know, the usual.

Okay, so your talking about the people that should know better, but don't care, because if they did society would not have such a nonchalant attitude about the overall declining expectations of photographers and the products they produce. Basically the Mediocrity is Fine group who have lowered their expectations to match their wallet.