what should i charge for pictures??

[ekohl]

I am shooting action swimming shots for my kid's team- i posted pictures for sale 4x6 $3, 5x7 $5, 8x10 $7... i take orders via a photoreflect site so i can accept credit cards, so my net on photos is not much after i pay for paper and ink... fair pricing??

[Davidtxs]

fair to the parents lol the 4 x 6 isnt too bad but the 5 x 7 and 8 10 are too cheap in my humble opinionl, the question you have to ask yourself is, am I happy not making any money for my time and effort ?

[Digitalrebel11]

If you're not making much after making the prints, then you should probably charge more.

[ekohl]

that's trhe rub- some people have been claiming i am ripping people off- i am ready to shut it down and take pics of my own kids- i'll give it a week and send out an email- if that does not change attitudes, i'll pop a cold one and enjoy watching my kids and let people try and do it with the point and shoot cameras....

[Davidtxs]

at those prices you not rippin off anyone lol you might want to get hooked up with exposure manager where they print and ship to save you the trouble and ink and paper

[HotHolly]

You are charging less than Sears - you're not ripping anyone off. And no one said they had to buy anything. ;o)

[bondarnes]

I learned years ago that if at least a third of my clients aren't complaining about my prices then it's time to raise them. I like for them to complain a little and buy a lot.

[pippin]

ok, are you trying to make money?
how much time are you spending on this?
are you wanting to just cover costs?

my 5x7s run $15 typically, $25 for a 8x10. thats just my event stuff.

I see it this way, if people think my prices are low (which they are for around here) and they complain i'm ripping them off, i'll increase prices.

sometimes people see a value when the prices are higher.

then again, there is a walmart mentality.

edited to add - i'd forget the 4x6 prints.

[dbphotos]

I agree with most of the comments already made. I would double or triple the fees you are charging now (if they are high quality images) and sign up with a service that allows them to order them online and they are printed and shipped directly to the customer. Bottom line is if you hare shooting high quality with clear backgrounds, etc. then they will continue to buy from you because 90% of the parents won't get anything close in quality with a P&S. If its a hobby, give it to them for free, if you are trying to make money for photography, don't set your fees too low and they will come to expect it. Better to sell fewer prints at a higher profit margin than work yourself to death for $1-$2 per photo.

[bodynmotion]

Can I hear an " Amen" on David's response?

[AndrewCCM]

Amen.

I agree with much of what is said here. If you're wanting to make money at it.. then charge accordingly. If not, then give them away for free. Middle ground is a dead end that frustrates both parties.

Good luck!

[ekohl]

After reading the responses, i agree that i need to charge more and make real money, or just post them on snapfish and let people get them printed at Walgreens- the last thing i want to do is frustrate everybody...... i'll just request payment from everyone's cooler on Friday nights at the pool.... Thanks everybody!

[t-mark]

Hey, I don't think your twisting there arms to buy the photos. If they don't like your prices which I think are way low. They don't have to buy them.

[Daylon]

So what's good for online candids and event stuff? I'd much rather upload a few hundred and let them pick than worry about doing individual ones..

I've heard exposuremanager and photoreflect - any suggestions?

Sorry don't mean to hijack the thread..

D.

[Kathi]

Originally Posted by Daylon

So what's good for online candids and event stuff? I'd much rather upload a few hundred and let them pick than worry about doing individual ones..

I've heard exposuremanager and photoreflect - any suggestions?

Sorry don't mean to hijack the thread..

D.

MyKey can tell you more about them but www.collages.net is supposed to be really good. Robert and I have been checking into Exposure Manager for ours, but haven't made a decision between them and Collages.net yet (still doing our homework). For now, we are still taking the orders via the Internet - have our purchases set up with a PayPal shopping cart - and take them to the lab ourselves.