speaking of prices

[aar]

when you "Started out" how much did you charge for your photography services?
or if you are a "Weekender" how much is a reasonable price to charge clients without "devaluing" your work or the industry at the same time not charging too much as you are getting your feet wet?

im just curious.....what a good price would be to charge...i'm one of those weekenders...just don't know what a reasonable rate is......

thanks!

[Aric C. Hoek]

Could be a touchy issue, as you don't want to charge so little that you undermine the profession and hurt the general value of wedding photographers everywhere. But at the same time you need to get started.


That being said, I would sugest this. If you are truly just getting started and want to book up fast, charge 1750 for coverage, a DVD with images, and one session used for engagement or bridal. Albums, online gallery, and prints from sessions should all be additional and you should make an effort to sell each one. If you are able to sell each of these additional items you should be averaging in the neighborhood of 4k per client by the time you are done. Get booked up, then make the additional sales. If you add more onto the 1750 that what I have sugested then you are going to find yourself in some trouble.

Normally, when someone books you for a wedding you will have about six months before their wedding to try and sell them an album, book an additional session, and sell prints from that session.

If you do not sell the wedding album before the wedding, don't give up. Try again after the wedding, say three months so they have a bit of time to recover. If that doesn't work try again on their one year anniversary.

Book the dates, and then focus on increasing the average sale per customer.

Just my two cents.

[David Whatley]

Aric, on the DVD, would that be full Res images? If so, why would they have you print them??

[redqueenlady]

I dont know if full timers think I am reasonable either. I charge what I deam is fair for me and them. Who says that we weekends are not charging whats right?? I have been doing senior portraits and I charge $100 for a session which included 10 metallic prints. For $50 they can purchase a CD of all prints that I took. It takes about 1-2 hours for a shoot. I may not be charging enough but I feel comfortable with the prices and my customers love me and my work. For weddings well they start out at $600 - $1200 and I know that is probably below what the pro would charge. I havent seen or heard what is fair or not but I say to charge what you feel is good. I used to charge $60 for a shoot but I went up. I think as you feel more sure of what you are doing and you know what you want then you will know what to charge. that is MY perspective on it!

[Aric C. Hoek]

What one charges for an 8x10, versus a wedding, versus an executive protrait are all relative, and abstract. What really needs to be addressed at this point in your photograpic life is where you want to go. You are at a cross roads, possibly the first crossroads, and you want to know which road to travel down. At least I think that is what I am reading into this. I may be wrong.

In your original post you have exrpressed your understanding of the fact that there is a referral base out there, as well as the fact that you don't want to undermine yourself. That being said, if I were to get married again, there would be no way that I woud hire me! :) I couldn't afford me!

David is right. Why would anyone want to purchase images from me when I give the DVD? But all of my clients do purchase image online. My guess is that they are lazzy.

This could really end up turning into a long discussion, and being new here I am not sure that it has not taken place before this.

On that note.... cash flow is king, for a young or old business. Selling wedding albums vs online residule sales is no comparison. And if it ever does become an issue for me, then I know that I am not selling my wedding albums for enough.

I like higher end clientelle and I work towards that goal while making sure that I am booked all the time. Currently we are booke for june of 08.