Dreaded pricing ? on group shot.

[guitarbug]

I know everyone loves to hate this question! How much for a large group portrait ? I know there a lot of factors involved, but how about a a rough estimate for 25-30 people with 1 print and option to order more. I am open to all options and maybe some other people could benifit from this post. Thanks ahead of time!

[Howard Barlow]

More info, please. Is this an extended family? A business group? A team? What is it? What is the intended use? What has the client suggested their purchase will be? Details, man, details.

You have to protect yourself. 30 soccer team members? They want to buy 1 5x7 or 8x10, just the hi res file? You know what their plans are for that one, huh? Family for a 30x40, and add on orders? Too many variables to answer, yet.

A bunch of money, regardless, but details will help tune it in.

[guitarbug]

Originally Posted by Howard Barlow

More info, please. Is this an extended family? A business group? A team? What is it? What is the intended use? What has the client suggested their purchase will be? Details, man, details.

You have to protect yourself. 30 soccer team members? They want to buy 1 5x7 or 8x10, just the hi res file? You know what their plans are for that one, huh? Family for a 30x40, and add on orders? Too many variables to answer, yet.

A bunch of money, regardless, but details will help tune it in.

This is why I was afraid to ask this dreaded question, lol. I don't have a lot of those details but can get some and get back. Was just courious if anyone has done some of these and could narrow it down a bit, thanks!

[Craig]

Hey Chris. I charge by the hour for the shoot and then for the print on top of that. $95 per hour locally, $125 per hour in Greater Houston (minimum 1 hour). Print prices obviously are dependent on size. Thats the way I do all of my shoots. I don't charge more or less for the number of people in the shot. It could be 1 or 100. It doesn't matter to me (though more people usually means more time in order to get it done!)

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by Craig

I don't charge more or less for the number of people in the shot. It could be 1 or 100. It doesn't matter to me (though more people usually means more time in order to get it done!)

Chances are, it won't matter in this instance, either. However, it needs to be considered. On a small scale, and having photographed teams and school dances in the past, the typical thing was for all the friends to get in the picture, buy one 5x7, run to WM for copies.

I had a different plan.

Bunch a kids ran jumped in the group pic at a school dance. I told them it was $5 (1980) each to be in the pic.

"I don't want one. I just want to be in it."

"Too bad, pay or get out."

"Why would I pay to be in a picture I'm not going to buy?"

"Why would I photograph you, if you aren't going to buy?"

Adults wouldn't do such a thing, however. No, uh-uh. Not adults.

Then, again, we have different business models. I do nothing by the hour. I get paid well, before the camera is set up.

[guitarbug]

Originally Posted by Howard Barlow

Chances are, it won't matter in this instance, either. However, it needs to be considered. On a small scale, and having photographed teams and school dances in the past, the typical thing was for all the friends to get in the picture, buy one 5x7, run to WM for copies.

I had a different plan.

Bunch a kids ran jumped in the group pic at a school dance. I told them it was $5 (1980) each to be in the pic.

"I don't want one. I just want to be in it."

"Too bad, pay or get out."

"Why would I pay to be in a picture I'm not going to buy?"

"Why would I photograph you, if you aren't going to buy?"

Adults wouldn't do such a thing, however. No, uh-uh. Not adults.

Then, again, we have different business models. I do nothing by the hour. I get paid well, before the camera is set up.

Howard, thats to funny! "why would I photograph you if you aren't going to buy" lol.. I am a fast learner and I have become a lot tuffer on pricing or the "their friends of ours" deal. I don't mind the hourly rate in some cases though, it all depends on the situation I guess.

[guitarbug]

Originally Posted by Craig

Hey Chris. I charge by the hour for the shoot and then for the print on top of that. $95 per hour locally, $125 per hour in Greater Houston (minimum 1 hour). Print prices obviously are dependent on size. Thats the way I do all of my shoots. I don't charge more or less for the number of people in the shot. It could be 1 or 100. It doesn't matter to me (though more people usually means more time in order to get it done!)

Thanks Craig, this helps me to get an idea on how some may price this. This is what I am looking for, differn't opinions to help guide me to some starting point. Thanks!

[harley_jeff]

"Then, again, we have different business models. I do nothing by the hour. I get paid well, before the camera is set up."


I tend to quote jobs that pay me to pack my gear. I never count on making money from selling prints. I try to get paid for the shoot , and then IF someone buys prints, that's great.

[Craig]

"Too bad, pay or get out."

I'm not wrapped that tight. Too much other stuff in life to worry about. But like you say, we have different business models.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by harley_jeff

"Then, again, we have different business models. I do nothing by the hour. I get paid well, before the camera is set up."


I tend to quote jobs that pay me to pack my gear. I never count on making money from selling prints. I try to get paid for the shoot , and then IF someone buys prints, that's great.

That's one of the benefits of this type of business. Success is not a one note song. There are many different approaches one can take. The secret is to find the one that fits your ideas and personality. Just taking the original concept presented here, I would likely quuote $5-600 for the session and first print.

Of course, as I said before, it may vary, if it is a family, or a business group.

Originally Posted by Craig

"Too bad, pay or get out."

I'm not wrapped that tight. Too much other stuff in life to worry about. But like you say, we have different business models.

Well, like I said, that was in the early 80's, when I was photographing school dances. The kids made no secret their intention was to buy one 5x7 of the group, then go to WM for copies. If I was gonna play that game, it would have been more profitable to stay home.

These days, I'm strictly portraiture. Expensive for my area. No prolems with freeloaders at my rates. Of course, I would likely be cheap in Houston or Dallas.

The main thing is for peeps to decide what is right for them, and profitable, then beat the heck out of it.

[Outlaw]

I would charge for my time (whatever hourly rate you think you're worth) and then charge for the print separate. The type or size of group wouldn't matter to me. Minimum one hour charge, needless to say, even if I just take one group shot.

Just for my personality and style, I have found that the stress of complicated pricing structures for different shapes and sizes of photography jobs wasted my time, energy, and passion for photography. I spent more time worrying and haggling and negotiating and researching and rewriting my price designs than I did taking the dang picture. Hourly rate + scaled prices for prints works quickly and easily for me, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the work.

I went through the process of figuring out what all of my business numbers were and how they related (salary, overhead, cost of goods sold, etc.), came up with a solid hourly rate to cover all the bases, and then doubled it. Figured I couldn't go wrong like that.

Profits, and number of booked clients, are both at all-time highs.

I would try to find some additional sales opportunities in this job, such as taking orders then and there for copies of the image from the individuals. Even if the initial intent is just one big portrait for the family/business/group, the individuals are still a part of this group, and likely would like prints of their own.

Would it be a good shot to add to your advertising or web site? Make model releases a necessity for everyone to sign.

Do these people have individual families? Have business cards ready, perhaps offer discounted sessions to anyone who would like to book at the end of the shoot. After they see how fun and easy you are to work with, surely at least a few would be interested in a new photographer for their children or families.

Work it! Regardless of what you charge, there's plenty of money to be had on the other side of this job.

[guitarbug]

Thanks so much James! I like your thinking and its online what I have been doing lately. I will get this all figured out someday, lol.. Yea right, in this ever changing world we live in its hard to think past a month.