Dump my work at predatory pricing??? You are accusing me of destroying an industry? !!!! I offer $3 LOW RES DOWNLOADS along with $10-$20 Hi Res versions ! I ALSO sell $3 FACEBOOK PICS if the customer wants them!!! What do YOU charge for 1mp pics???? Please.. do share!!???? I'd love to hear it! Merc(and you) bash me for prices but yet he charges $10 for the same hi res version that I do!!! You gonna bash his prices too? Well, are ya? You wouldn't dare since he is in the same club. Would ya? It is HILARIOUS that you try to pass it off that I sell all my images at $3. FAIL!!!!!!!!!! :lol4
I just layed out my prices for all to see and all you can come back with is BS about my $3 low quality bargain images and predatory pricing??? Wow. Look at Merc's pricing and then mine. Get back to me after you bash him for "predatory pricing" since he is cheaper than me in some cases. This thread isn't even about someone's pricing structure but here you guys are bashing away!!!! It started a couple posts in.... simply because people can't understand what they are reading.... or are worried about the free market.
Also, I wasn't shooting a few years ago when the pro priced himself out of the events. He was the ONLY photographer at the time!!! NO ONE COULD AFFORD HIM! What the heck do YOU know about it anyway? No one had enough money to buy his product... therefore he didn't make any money! I clearly stated that NO ONE did that him but himself. Go back and reread!!!! HEre you are basically accusing me and people like me of being at fault with predatory pricing. It really is almost unbelievable how pathetic it is. For being "pros" some of you clearly don't understand marketing or sales and I surely would never take your advice after reading the BS some of you just typed. You can't even focus, stay the point, and your reading comprehension is horrible!
If you guys can't stay the point or have a clue.... don't bother posting. It isn't about someone's pricing, recouping business costs, or price fixing. Make another thread if you want to talk about unrelated subjects such as pricing structure or price fixing. It's a new age and competition is fierce. Competition is GREAT in the FREE MARKET. I love it! Lots of the "old"guys are just letting out their frustration in my thread. How "professional" of them. You guys sell at whatever prices you want and I'll do the same. Have a meeting with your mates.... set some prices. I DON'T CARE. Do what YOU gotta do. I'll do what I gotta do to sell images..... and I'll do it..... with the customer in mind. Sound familiar? That's what some were preaching before they did a 180.
On a closing note.....it is extremely ignorant to assume I don't understand marketing and business. The simple fact that some of you keep talking about $3 images just shows you are here to argue and spin things and make it appear a certain way. Let me be clear AGAIN since no one seems to understand. My hi Res images are $10-$20... NOT $3. You wanna buy one? Maybe your child does but he only has $3 from his allowance. That's ok.... I have something for him as well since he can't afford my Hi Res images. Pretty cool how that works, huh? THAT is good business. Everyone goes home with something.... except the people who price themselves out of a sale that is! Or the ones who price fix and then act like that is the moral thing to do for the "community". Get real!!! You gotta cheat to make money? What about your quality work selling itself? Price fixing is shady and illegal in some cases! I want no part of THAT "community". That is a dying breed. I'd be grumpy too if I were part of that old school marketing! I offer FAIR pricing to my customers..... PERIOD. FAIR PRICING. FAIR PRICING. FAIR PRICING. FAIR PRICING. Something wrong with FAIR PRICING? According to some of you there is! I don't sell cheap or use "predatory pricing" like you WANT TO make it out to be. Guess what I use? FAIR PRICING!!!!! Fair for the customer and fair for my business! It's called marketing and I OBVIOUSLY don't need any of you to tell me how to run my side business. Besides, we all know you are too busy selling over priced images to have any free time for this. I have seen SOME of the so called pros work on here and some of it is really not any better than alot of newbies who are learning how to use their DSLR and are charging FAIR PRICES. It's a wonderful thing but of course the price fixers will cry all day and night about competition. It is CLEARLY showing in this thread. Anyway, this is my last post in this thread. Only a small handful of guys were competent enough to follow along and stay on point. The rest just wanted to have fun, join a witchhunt while COMPLETELY changing the subject, some wanted to spread their golden wings although ignorantly... and some just had to let out frustrations because they have competition these days. To them and anyone else wanting to join the fun...I say ... thanks for crapping on a very simple question. Have fun in here, attackers! You'll have to find someone else to bash, accuse of destroying an industry, or call arrogant because they stand up to your ulterior, clueless, and manipulating motives. I asked one simple question but only a few good people were smart enough to field or understand it it. How pathetic!
Sorry...
I'm not sure why you are so bitter or angry... but for me, there is no difference in $3 or $20. But if it's working for you, that's great.
You can get angry at me all you like... but to say I don't get it or I'm in the club or crapping on a very simple question is not true. I believe I posted reasonable answers and comments.
I certainly didn't use modicoms that imply I'm giving you the finger. What's up with that?
How much do I sell a 1mp file for? Annual web usage or electronic presentation for a 640x480 image will run between $480 and $700 per year. As I stated earlier, a full res image can run anywhere from $1750 annually to $7500 - depending on how it is going to be used. I sell licensed usage... I don't release copyrights.
Why don't you do a little research into my background? Maybe I know what I'm talking about.
I didn't call you names. I didn't attack you. If you are going to respond to me, I'd appreciate if you did it in a civilized manner. If that's a problem for you, then I'd ask that you don't bother responding.
Thanks and good luck with your business and shooting.
I've just read this entire thread from beginning to end. There were some great answers here from members I've read great advice from in the past, and some members I'm not familiar with, representing both sides that I was already aware of (and had already put some into practice). There were some viewpoints that were new for me too. I consider myself pretty "new" in photography and I'm not a professional photographer, so I always appreciate any insights from those more experienced and fellow newbies braver than I (as I'm not good enough to be giving out advice). For the insights here, I thank you.
However, the other thing that stood out -- and I couldn't ignore -- was the incredibly hostile tone that the thread evolved into (even someone using the "giving the finger" emoticon, and name-calling?? For such a topic, among photographers? ). I'm extremely disappointed in that (I'd even invited friends to DGrin to check out). Don;t get me wrong... I don't expect "Kumbaya" and back-slapping in forums all the time, but... wow... This thread could have remained civil. Call me sensitive, but despite there being some great advice and viewpoints on here, this is the first time I've ever actually regretted reading a particular thread on this forum.
IN GENERAL, IT IS MUCH EASIER THESE DAYS FOR AN AVERAGE JOE TO BUY A DSLR AND QUICKLY LEARN HOW TO TAKE PRO QUALITY PHOTOS.
I haven't read every post in this thread (cuz I'm lazy), so forgive me if I've missed something, but...
Judging by your avatar and your professed specialty, I assume that you also ride? Or is that an erroneous assumption? IF you do ride, then I'd suggest to you that photography is like riding. Getting on an R1 may allow an average Joe to ride faster than on say, a Ninja 250, but will he really get around a track faster? Most likely, he'd kill himself faster, no?
It's not the machine; it's the man (or woman) that makes the real difference.
My point is that with a pro DSLR, sure, there's the potential for taking better photographs, but the average Joe still ain't gonna get real quality without seasoned experience and knowledge.
AAAaaarrrrrgh! I feel like Charlie Brown being fed up looking for simple answers in threads like this.
To the OP, your question was not simple as it was a "Pandora's Box" like question.
To some others that posted here... great lines... I hope I remember to quote you or to learn of the original source to quote from. I will definitely be hoping to learn more from JT.
To the OP and others, I have shot pictures with a DSLR I would never have been able to afford to shoot with a film camera nor would have tried. So a DSLR is a great tool, just like the English language (King's language for you Brits o'er there). So, now that you know some English you can continue to blather on in length to get your point across or learn to write better to try to be as concise and eloquent as possible to convey your point. I like to blather on but I know which one I prefer to read.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have 11 more forum threads to read tonight looking for a simple answer to my "Pandora's Box" like question. Hopefully, I find the answer, if not I hope the thread I'll start will be received with a bit more positive tone than some comments I've read here.
I read the whole first page before I realized this thread was two years old -.-
I'm totally with ImageX on the whole price-fixing thing though. Honestly, if you're worried about your price getting undercut by a competitor, then you're selling a commodity. You don't want to be in the business of selling commodities.
First I don't think after reading most of this...that ImageX really didn't come out to understand, but to be understood. The assumption is that they are pricing themselves out of a sale. How do you know? It is only based on what YOU are willing to pay for their photos, not the person for which they are intended. Why do Rembrandts and Van goghs go for millions? It's art in it purest. The moment you pull the trigger...it is your art and you are in charge of what its value is. If I choose to charge more for digital copies than prints then that is what I value that piece for. My business model is that if you want digital files, you are going to pay more for it. Once that digital file is out of my hands I have no control over it and I want to make sure I get something for it. I just started to offer downloads (not too high) and still don't like the idea. But that's just me.
Comments
Sorry...
I'm not sure why you are so bitter or angry... but for me, there is no difference in $3 or $20. But if it's working for you, that's great.
You can get angry at me all you like... but to say I don't get it or I'm in the club or crapping on a very simple question is not true. I believe I posted reasonable answers and comments.
I certainly didn't use modicoms that imply I'm giving you the finger. What's up with that?
How much do I sell a 1mp file for? Annual web usage or electronic presentation for a 640x480 image will run between $480 and $700 per year. As I stated earlier, a full res image can run anywhere from $1750 annually to $7500 - depending on how it is going to be used. I sell licensed usage... I don't release copyrights.
Why don't you do a little research into my background? Maybe I know what I'm talking about.
I didn't call you names. I didn't attack you. If you are going to respond to me, I'd appreciate if you did it in a civilized manner. If that's a problem for you, then I'd ask that you don't bother responding.
Thanks and good luck with your business and shooting.
JT
However, the other thing that stood out -- and I couldn't ignore -- was the incredibly hostile tone that the thread evolved into (even someone using the "giving the finger" emoticon, and name-calling?? For such a topic, among photographers?
Film/TV Stills Photography
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." ~ Henry J. Kaiser
Judging by your avatar and your professed specialty, I assume that you also ride? Or is that an erroneous assumption? IF you do ride, then I'd suggest to you that photography is like riding. Getting on an R1 may allow an average Joe to ride faster than on say, a Ninja 250, but will he really get around a track faster? Most likely, he'd kill himself faster, no?
It's not the machine; it's the man (or woman) that makes the real difference.
My point is that with a pro DSLR, sure, there's the potential for taking better photographs, but the average Joe still ain't gonna get real quality without seasoned experience and knowledge.
To the OP, your question was not simple as it was a "Pandora's Box" like question.
To some others that posted here... great lines... I hope I remember to quote you or to learn of the original source to quote from. I will definitely be hoping to learn more from JT.
To the OP and others, I have shot pictures with a DSLR I would never have been able to afford to shoot with a film camera nor would have tried. So a DSLR is a great tool, just like the English language (King's language for you Brits o'er there). So, now that you know some English you can continue to blather on in length to get your point across or learn to write better to try to be as concise and eloquent as possible to convey your point. I like to blather on but I know which one I prefer to read.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have 11 more forum threads to read tonight looking for a simple answer to my "Pandora's Box" like question. Hopefully, I find the answer, if not I hope the thread I'll start will be received with a bit more positive tone than some comments I've read here.
I'm totally with ImageX on the whole price-fixing thing though. Honestly, if you're worried about your price getting undercut by a competitor, then you're selling a commodity. You don't want to be in the business of selling commodities.
I meant that it's silly when photographer A complains about cheaper photographer B devaluing the work of photographer A.