How should I price this?

[Karebear98]

I got an interesting request today. A girl wants me to do her maternity pictures, her other daughter's holiday pictures, and her new baby's first year...taking pictures every month for the first year.

I am not too concerned with the maternity or holiday pics as I would most likely shoot them at my regular rates. However, I have heard of baby's first year pics occurring every few months but not every month. I am not sure how to work that package. How would you price it or how do you think I should handle it?

Any advice on pricing and/or structuring a package/product of some sort would be greatly appreciated.

[reader0428]

Is she looking for a full session every month? That is a lot of portraits!

There's a lot to consider, but the bottom line is this - how much profit (minimum) do you want to make from each session? Once you have that figured out, build your session fee and minimum purchase (figuring in your cost of goods) per session accordingly. The amount of your labor is the same, whether it's one time or once per month. And the hope is that you will get busier over the next 12 months, and you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you're resenting a client because you gave her a killer deal due to shooting every month and she's taking up a spot that could be filled by a higher paying customer that would pay your full rate.

I personally don't do baby plans; I figure that if someone wants to hire me for the milestone months, they will. I'm not willing to do a big discount just to get 4 sessions on the books over the next 12 months.

[LadyShutterBug]

I would just suggest doing a very simple shoot for her at each month.

Full session at newborn & 1 yr, but the inbetweeners can be much shorter. She probably just wants to have a "first year" collection of prints at the end. If she wants to purchase lots of prints form each month, then more power to her...lol. in reality, it will probably become a chore to do pics EVERY month.

i don't package out the first year. i do a pay as you go system, that way there is no rock-hard-place scenario if people for some reason can't do a certain session. so many things can go wrong wtih pregnancy/infants, it's really counting chickens before they hatch to pay a whole year of pics in advance. i know it works for some, but it isn't the way i prefer to do things.

[bryanlindsey]

If a client is willing to put down cash for future services, why would you not take that? Especially if you are just starting out, you can use that $ to upgrade gear and potentially see immediate improvement in your quality.

[LadyShutterBug]

there are some caveats to taking lots of $$ upfront and spending it before services are rendered... especially when just starting out (especially for personal portraiture weddings are a little different). not something i'd jump headfirst into without some serious though and lots of confidence that you'll be very happy to deal with this person for an entire year.

it's hard to give money back when you've already spent it.

[Karebear98]

I am def. wanting to do it, no question about that...it's just making it worthwhile on my end without making it ridiculously expensive....she's a former JC Penny's customer if that tells you anything, although she has an idea of what I charge already. I do need to come up with something...just having a hard time deciding.

My thoughts were something simple with only a few images, to cut down on my time and thinking maybe some sort of Baby's 1st year album design. Charging a session fee each month, presenting a very small package and album??? Not sure yet.

[Tom]

Don't start small. Upselling is harder than downgrading. Show them something awesome that they would love, then make it hard for them to take it out of their package.

If you discount your sessions and show a small album with a couple prints, it will be nearly impossible to upgrade them to canvases, clusters, etc. If you show them how they can change their house around their child, you may win their heart. Selling is emotional. Presenting something very small keeps you from ever having a chance to sell very big.

Just because they WERE JC Penney's customers doesn't mean they can't find value in a better product. They may have just not known better. If you can give a greater value with better pictures, better vision and better products, you can sell them on greater things.

[Karebear98]

..I need to think big!

[TxTowman]

Go with your gut, you have met them and should have an idea how they are.

if you were to have lunch with her, would she suggest McDonald's or Olive Garden?

JMHO YMMV

good luck,
Sid

[FireHeart Photography]

I have two family picpaks that I sell - you can get a 6pak or 12pak... prices are based on shooting for 45 min - my session are normal 90 - they can not be used for birthday parties or other celebrations - cannot be booked during the weekend or hoidays - so it set up for my "off" time. They get up to 25 edited images and a cd for prints up to 8x10... they have been my best clients - ordering books from the shoots throughout the year and usually about 2-3k with of wall art.... go for it - it's a great way to have a client forever! Think big but realisticly... make sure you have the gear for babies and toddlers... requries lots of time for babies - at least 2 hours per shoot - but well worth it... good luck!

[reader0428]

Originally Posted by bryanlindsey

If a client is willing to put down cash for future services, why would you not take that? Especially if you are just starting out, you can use that $ to upgrade gear and potentially see immediate improvement in your quality.

Very true. I think it just depends on each individual's business. My business is part-time and my family is dependent on the income, but I also need to work smart. I don't have a studio location, so I would MUCH rather book four sessions a month with at least $1,000 in sales each (working toward that goal, not quite there yet) than 20 sessions that each buy $200. And for the few sessions that I shoot per month, I don't want to use one of them for someone who won't be paying my full rate, unless I have nothing else going on.

Good luck Kara! Let us know what you decide. ;)

[kayumangi]

Your scenario is quite similar to a photographer that I read about (I forgot his name) he was proposing a subscription based service for portrait photography.

The setup was, client's paid a fixed monthly fee for a year or something like that, and then all their photos were only made available via in-person proofing (no online galleries). If the client wanted some prints they met somewhere like a public library or starbucks and proofed via ipad or macbook (i forgot what he used).

Now what amount you set for the monthly fee is entirely up to you. My take is to make it easier for her to sign upfront and then push for the upsell since she won't be seeing anything online.