Portrait Photography Pricing

[curtis Cunningham]

I'm in discussions with a local band about doing some photography for them, both now for promotional purposes, and down the road when they're into their next album production cycle.

In a normal situation (meaning individual or family portraiture), I'd have my session fee and print prices, but in the case of this band, prints are pretty much of no use to them. So that leads me to consider a pricing scheme that involves digital images.

I haven't done much pricing involving digital images, and so I'm a little unsure as to the best way to go about doing it. I have a general session fee which includes an hour of my time and a $40 credit towards purchase of a print or digital image. This covers one image which is fine, but I know the band I'm talking to is going to want more than one digital image.

The only thing I can think of at the moment is to offer a reduced price on what I would charge for an individual digital image(s) if there's a minimum purchase of $XXX of prints. But like I said earlier I'm not confident they'd have much use for physical prints.

SO, if there's any photogs out there who have any thoughts on the matter I'd welcome any insight you can share.

Thanks.

[Tom]

It is a corporate use, so you charge for your time, and then you charge a license rate for each desired use. So website, posters, disc cover, etc are all different uses.

Foto Quote is the industry standard for licensing pricing for these types of things.

If you are giving them unlimited use, your price is going to be probably more than they want to spend.

[d2creative]

And they are also not likely to want to pay for limited use.

[StevenGWebb]

There's a (broke) band born every minute and an indy label willing to burn CDs in every major city. Most of these bands wanting promo pictures or CD covers aren't highly professional business people or highly successful musicians. Take care that they aren't looking for a photographer who wants nothing more than to have the ego stroked by getting photo credits today, and a promise of a real paying job later (when the band actually gets real paying gigs).

Steve