Pricing Scenario: Your Thoughts

[zepp]

What are your thoughts on this pricing scenario?

You’re away from your cell phone for a bit. When you return and check your messages, there are two calls placed within minutes of each other requesting you to call them ASAP.

It's a corporate client in the hospital industry calling requesting you come shoot a photo on location of an executive for a magazine cover. In the conversation you ask them if they have a copy of the magazine so you can get a feel for the layout. They are messaging the publisher online as you talk to them on the phone so you have to let them go for a bit. A few minutes later the corporate client calls and gives you the phone number of the lead graphics designer at the magazine. You touch base on the phone with the graphics person and they email you three previous issue covers.

You print them out to look over later, load your gear into the car, and drive downtown to the executive office. Upon your arrival you look the office over for a setting but you determine to go shoot at the hospital instead.

You shoot one setting outside quickly upon your arrival because dusk on the overcast day is bringing darkness fast. Then you move to the interior hauling in your lights, other equipment, and begin moving furniture. You shoot three interior locations on two different floors. Feeling you have enough shots, you go grab your laptop then sit and review the images with the client. After coming to an agreement over the image to use you go back down stairs and begin packing up all your equipment the security guard has be watching for you.

You've spent four hours with the client at two different locations although you only shot at one. You return to the office and do your touch up work on the image so you can deliver it first thing in the morning to the magazine. You’ve spent about two hours in post, initial, and final communication with the magazine to complete the job.

I have my own thoughts in mind as per pricing this job but I'd like to hear from other's that also do this type of work. What are your thoughts on pricing this? Its usage is going to be for an editorial trade magazine with a circulation of 72,000. Remember though that it's the corporate client you’re billing.

Any thoughts?

[fran reisner]

I'd bill them for a half day rate of say... $1500, $200 for digital retouching, and $500 for an archive and limited usage fee for that single image. Not too bad for less than a days work.

[zepp]

Thanks for your input Fran.

Best

[*Mike*]

I'll be watching this one... I'd really like to see more into the commercial side of things. I feel as though I'm largely pulling numbers out of the air when we have the occassional commercial shoot.

[fran reisner]

It's all a matter of bottom line. What is your time worth? I'd love to see an industry standard, but these days... it's a shootin' match. My thinking... if you can set yourself apart from the average "joe" (sorry Joe) than you should be able to know and name your price.

[cat herder]

I'm curious--did you set any expectation level with the client before you ever left your office?

Also a lot would have to do with the circulation of the magazine. I have Photoquote, if you want to give us some numbers, I can tell you what their range is.

[zepp]

Originally Posted by cat herder

I'm curious--did you set any expectation level with the client before you ever left your office?

Also a lot would have to do with the circulation of the magazine. I have Photoquote, if you want to give us some numbers, I can tell you what their range is.

A nationwide subscription only circulation of 72,000 is posted in my original post. The trade magazine is not available on the news stand.

There was really no time to discuss money nor did the client want to. They just wanted assurance in putting the job in my hands to finalize it's completion. This is a steady client.

Like I said in my original post, I have my own thoughts on billing this. I was curious how others might go about it. I feel more so than just looking up a number in Photoquote. and flying with it.

And yes, I am fully aware that beforehand negotiations are always best but in this case there truly was no time. They didn't call me shopping prices, they simply called me stating ASAP as in NOW!

[zepp]

For those interested, I posted the Modern Healthcare cover on my "Covers" page on my site.

http://www.zeppzone.com/covers