guitarkid
TPF Noob!
Hey guys what's up? I started digital photo for weddings about 6 months ago. I was (and still am) doing video. Not many calls for video since there is not much money to market the biz so i decided to add photo since more people need that anyway. i do have about 8 weddings lined up for end of summer in photo which is cool. They are all small weddings, 3-4 hours. not much money to be made there but it's a start.
i'm not exactly sure what to charge with pricing all over the map with so many studios. I'm a good photographer (been doing it for about 15 years but never for money in weddings.) Right now i'm charging $120 per hour and if they book 8 hours with me i'm giving them all photos on CD as a promo, which ends this month. i also have online pic viewing / ordering setup as well and my prints are lower in price than most places. i might want to raise that to $150 per hour and give the cd after 8 hours of booking minimum.
last night i had a bride and her parents over. her dad was grilling me and asking, why so much for a photo album? they are from leathercraftsmen and made very well. (i have been told to charge 2X's - 3X's my cost on the album.) i told him depending on what album you choose it could be $900-$1500 for the album alone but i'm still in the process of setting up albums so i don't have an exact quote. do you guys have issues selling such nice albums that are pricey??
then the father pulls out some paperwork from other studios and asks me "how come this guy only charges $1200 and he gives us an album and 10 hours of photography that is digital!?" i told him i don't know what the books look like and i don't know what his work looks like. i felt like i was on the witness stand for an hour with this guy. as he left he asked if i would be against doing just a photo montage on the big screen of his daughter and future husband (since i do that as well.) i told him i am fine with that. but after thinking about it i won't......after the slaps in the face.....i'll just happen to be booked that day. it isn't worth the $300 i will make. i'm not one to turn down money but it just isn't worth it.
what is disturbing is that i have seen many photographers and their attitude is terrible at weddings and the couple is spending $2000 for mediocre work and that is WITHOUT an album or digital proofs on CD! not many studios want to offer that CD since it will affect their print sales. how are they charging so much for delivering nothing? and i'm the one who gets asked.....you mean we get nothing for the $960 we spend? you're getting me and my time and online proofing to order prints.
for some reason i don't feel right charging $1000 with nothing to give them. maybe i will create 2 packages, one with an album, around $2500 or so, one with just proofs on CD for $1800, and then just the hourly.
right now i'm just doing hourly and they can choose what they want as add-ons. i thought that would work. maybe not.
thoughts?
i'm not exactly sure what to charge with pricing all over the map with so many studios. I'm a good photographer (been doing it for about 15 years but never for money in weddings.) Right now i'm charging $120 per hour and if they book 8 hours with me i'm giving them all photos on CD as a promo, which ends this month. i also have online pic viewing / ordering setup as well and my prints are lower in price than most places. i might want to raise that to $150 per hour and give the cd after 8 hours of booking minimum.
last night i had a bride and her parents over. her dad was grilling me and asking, why so much for a photo album? they are from leathercraftsmen and made very well. (i have been told to charge 2X's - 3X's my cost on the album.) i told him depending on what album you choose it could be $900-$1500 for the album alone but i'm still in the process of setting up albums so i don't have an exact quote. do you guys have issues selling such nice albums that are pricey??
then the father pulls out some paperwork from other studios and asks me "how come this guy only charges $1200 and he gives us an album and 10 hours of photography that is digital!?" i told him i don't know what the books look like and i don't know what his work looks like. i felt like i was on the witness stand for an hour with this guy. as he left he asked if i would be against doing just a photo montage on the big screen of his daughter and future husband (since i do that as well.) i told him i am fine with that. but after thinking about it i won't......after the slaps in the face.....i'll just happen to be booked that day. it isn't worth the $300 i will make. i'm not one to turn down money but it just isn't worth it.
what is disturbing is that i have seen many photographers and their attitude is terrible at weddings and the couple is spending $2000 for mediocre work and that is WITHOUT an album or digital proofs on CD! not many studios want to offer that CD since it will affect their print sales. how are they charging so much for delivering nothing? and i'm the one who gets asked.....you mean we get nothing for the $960 we spend? you're getting me and my time and online proofing to order prints.
for some reason i don't feel right charging $1000 with nothing to give them. maybe i will create 2 packages, one with an album, around $2500 or so, one with just proofs on CD for $1800, and then just the hourly.
right now i'm just doing hourly and they can choose what they want as add-ons. i thought that would work. maybe not.
thoughts?