pricing photo for events

rogerchester

Can anyone help me me in pricing photos from a cheerleading events that i do. I see them at other events i have gone to and they seam very high in prices a 5x7 is $20.00. They seam to be selling them at that price. I shoot mostly cheerleading events contracted out to me so far the events have not needed any percentage or fees for shooting the events so my cost goes to me. I did have cheerleading origination contact me to shoot one for their big events but i passed it up they wanted $500.00 or 15% witch ever was higher.
any suggestions would be a big help.

Wiren

rogerchester wrote:

Can anyone help me me in pricing photos from a cheerleading events that i do. I see them at other events i have gone to and they seam very high in prices a 5x7 is $20.00. They seam to be selling them at that price. I shoot mostly cheerleading events contracted out to me so far the events have not needed any percentage or fees for shooting the events so my cost goes to me. I did have cheerleading origination contact me to shoot one for their big events but i passed it up they wanted $500.00 or 15% witch ever was higher.
any suggestions would be a big help.

If others in the area are making sales at those prices, go for that. You can be competitive with your services, but don't Wal-Mart the prices just to undercut any competition. Remember, a lot of those folks are putting food on their table and if you undercut the prices so as to lower the bar on how much folks pay for the moment they see their kids in action, you are not going to be well liked by the other photographers in your community. Don't burn any bridges that way.

I have never sold at events, but read about the issue often enough that I have picked up some sage advice. If you know what pricing is the "standard fare" and what customers are used to seeing/expect, sell for that. If you want to prove that you are better, sell yourself by quality and customer service. This will gain the respect of your peers/competition and hopefully in the future garner some referrals from others.

Like I say, I am not an expert about the issue, but I think that the advice I have read on the issue is good, YMMV.

rogerchester

Wiren wrote:

If others in the area are making sales at those prices, go for that. You can be competitive with your services, but don't Wal-Mart the prices just to undercut any competition. Remember, a lot of those folks are putting food on their table and if you undercut the prices so as to lower the bar on how much folks pay for the moment they see their kids in action, you are not going to be well liked by the other photographers in your community. Don't burn any bridges that way.

I have never sold at events, but read about the issue often enough that I have picked up some sage advice. If you know what pricing is the "standard fare" and what customers are used to seeing/expect, sell for that. If you want to prove that you are better, sell yourself by quality and customer service. This will gain the respect of your peers/competition and hopefully in the future garner some referrals from others.

Like I say, I am not an expert about the issue, but I think that the advice I have read on the issue is good, YMMV.

Thanks lee

I will bring my prices up. Photo to photo i think mine are just as good. I guess you get what you pay for. They are pay for the services not the photo. My freind told me that if shooting a event was easy for the everage person to shoot in bad lighting they would not need a event photographer. here is one of the shoots. Thank for your advice.

<a href="http://r-prescott.smugmug.com/World-Spirit-Federation-TN/prescotts-photography/7745006_GVumG/1/#500745245_yixco-A-LB"><img src="http://r-prescott.smugmug.com/World-Spirit-Federation-TN/prescotts-photography/IMG0150/500745245_yixco-S-1.jpg"></a&gt;

Wiren

rogerchester wrote:

Thanks lee

I will bring my prices up. Photo to photo i think mine are just as good. I guess you get what you pay for. They are pay for the services not the photo. My freind told me that if shooting a event was easy for the everage person to shoot in bad lighting they would not need a event photographer. here is one of the shoots. Thank for your advice.

Nice shot Roger, I think I saw that one on one of your other threads the other day. Your friend is correct, if the shots the customer get with their rebel XTi's and kit lens using their on cam flash were so good, they would not buy at the venue. I have a lot of parents at soccer games that shoot from the sidelines and tell me they don't need my shots, but after looking at them tell me how good mine are and buy from my site. Partly because they never download/fix their photo's and they don't know how to get the good shots (too lazy to care about learning for the most part). Some parents are too proud to admit their shots suck and choose not go buy being obstinate that they already got their shots on their nice dSLR, go figure.

Keep those prices up and offer excellent customer service, when a competitor can't make an event, your name may come up as an alternative due to the quality & customer service you consistantly provide.

Snowgirl

Wiren wrote:

Nice shot Roger, I think I saw that one on one of your other threads the other day. Your friend is correct, if the shots the customer get with their rebel XTi's and kit lens using their on cam flash were so good, they would not buy at the venue. I have a lot of parents at soccer games that shoot from the sidelines and tell me they don't need my shots, but after looking at them tell me how good mine are and buy from my site. Partly because they never download/fix their photo's and they don't know how to get the good shots (too lazy to care about learning for the most part). Some parents are too proud to admit their shots suck and choose not go buy being obstinate that they already got their shots on their nice dSLR, go figure.

Keep those prices up and offer excellent customer service, when a competitor can't make an event, your name may come up as an alternative due to the quality & customer service you consistantly provide.

And check out the similar discussion in Mind Your Own Business.