Christmas portraits

fredjclaus · September 25, 2010

Home Based photographers, I have a question for you. Most of us since we don't have the overhead of a studio can afford to charge less for our services. However we don't want to undercut ourselves. I see a lot of photographers charging $150.00 session fee which includes 1 print. I'm told that that one print should be an 11x14 since it won't fit on most home scanners. The trouble is my market won't support a $150.00 session fee. The studios around here charge much much less. More like $40 to $60 session fees.

What do you think of a $45.00 session fee which includes 1 11x14 print. Extra prints can be purchased from online proofs, but retouching to remove scars, birthmarks, and other such imprefections not the result of the photographer cost extra.

angevin1 · September 25, 2010

fredjclaus wrote: »

Home Based photographers, I have a question for you. Most of us since we don't have the overhead of a studio can afford to charge less for our services. However we don't want to undercut ourselves. I see a lot of photographers charging $150.00 session fee which includes 1 print. I'm told that that one print should be an 11x14 since it won't fit on most home scanners. The trouble is my market won't support a $150.00 session fee. The studios around here charge much much less. More like $40 to $60 session fees.

What do you think of a $45.00 session fee which includes 1 11x14 print. Extra prints can be purchased from online proofs, but retouching to remove scars, birthmarks, and other such imprefections not the result of the photographer cost extra.

Fred, Can I play Devils Advocate for a Moment?

I first visited your Website, and no-where did I see you were a portrait photographer.

Your Nav Bar:

Home
•
Events
•
Nature
•
Animal Images
•
Contact Me
•
Past Clients

So?? I don't see any mention of portraits.

However SEO...dood, you were the first one up there when I did a Google of photogs in Grand Island.

I think you are wrong about the session fees. I think your area will support more $$ than that. When I apply the stats from the Census for that area, I find it is a primo area! Close to Canada too.

The median income for your area beats mine by about x3.

And what I think about the session fees regarding $45 plus a print?

gees Fred....that seems awful cheap to me.....Is it really worth your time, and eq., and such to offer it so cheaply? If it is, then go for it. If not, improve your work, display only the top notch work and ask for more!

fredjclaus · September 25, 2010

Thanks Tom. No, I'm not a portrait photographer, but Event season is slow right now (Until Christmas) and many of my regulars asked if I can do portraits as well. I have in the past, and do have equipment for such, but I don't offer it yet.

I'm looking to get my website redone, but I haven't found a good designer to work with yet. Portraits will be up there when I have some good ones to post.

Rocketman766 · September 26, 2010

Fred, don't go cheap. I know what you mean about the area not supporting the sitting fees, but the area will support the fees. Every time I tell someone my sitting fee starts at $150, they don't bat an eye, and then sit down to schedule a time. Granted, I am NOT a portrait photographer, I shoot sports. Still, they don't balk at the fees. Also, these have all be people I know who have seen the amount of equipment I tote around to events and on a daily basis, so they know I have expenses and that I am not going to show up with a point and shoot... I don't claim to be a Buffalo expert, but I think you can get your asking amount. Have I done a ton of these portraits? No, and the few I have done know I am not a portrait photographer, and still pay the fee. Basically what I am saying is, don't go cheap.... let your quality and ability show them that they are getting a great deal and product for the price. good luck.
Lance.

Sam · September 26, 2010

fredjclaus wrote: »

Thanks Tom. No, I'm not a portrait photographer, but Event season is slow right now (Until Christmas) and many of my regulars asked if I can do portraits as well. I have in the past, and do have equipment for such, but I don't offer it yet.

I'm looking to get my website redone, but I haven't found a good designer to work with yet. Portraits will be up there when I have some good ones to post.

Fred,

I had a look at your web site and have some thoughts and comments. They are in no particular order.

Disclaimer..........this is not meant to be personal or harsh. :cry

Your site is not inviting or does it let anyone know what your objective is.

There are a lot of folks here who are SmugMug experts, and could redesign your web site.

I see personal, family galleries mixed in with events.

I see an event gallery in a nature category.

I see prices from cost to $12.95 for an 8X10, (pretty inexpensive) in event galleries that seem very simalar and are side by side? Your clients can see this as well.

I think if you want to offer portraits you need to have some portrait examples.

You really need a new photo of yourself.

Maybe for event photography you might want to consider using a few of the best in your portfolio and pass word protect the large number of photos in the complete gallery.

These are just some random thoughts that popped into my feable brain this morning.

Sam

denisegoldberg · September 26, 2010

I know you didn't ask for site feedback, but it appears from one of your comments above that you are planning to rework it. I also know that having a good presence on the web isn't necessarily going to drive traffic to your business - but if you have a web site you should expect potential clients to check it out prior to hiring you.

I agree with everything that Sam suggested.

Even if you feel you can't customize your site yourself, a few simple changes could make your site more professional looking, and a more professional site may steer more customers to you. Suggested changes include:

Replace your logo with either a new, crisp, image, or using text instead of an image. The image you are currently using is very dated looking.
Change to a cleaner theme. Change to display by categories, not by galleries - http://www.smugmug.com/help/arrange-albums.
Change to show your galleries 4-across by adding the code from # 10 in the ADVANCED Customization FAQ.

Are you aware that since you have originals enabled in your galleries that your photos are available for the taking at no cost? Yes, I know, you have right click protection enabled. That is a very poorly named feature. It is not protection at all, merely a quick stopping point on the way to free photos. See ORIGINALS = a gateway to free photos, & right click protection is NOT PROTECTION.

--- Denise

Art Scott · September 26, 2010

fredjclaus wrote: »

Home Based photographers, I have a question for you. Most of us since we don't have the overhead of a studio can afford to charge less for our services. However we don't want to undercut ourselves. I see a lot of photographers charging $150.00 session fee which includes 1 print. I'm told that that one print should be an 11x14 since it won't fit on most home scanners. The trouble is my market won't support a $150.00 session fee. The studios around here charge much much less. More like $40 to $60 session fees.

What do you think of a $45.00 session fee which includes 1 11x14 print. Extra prints can be purchased from online proofs, but retouching to remove scars, birthmarks, and other such imprefections not the result of the photographer cost extra.

Fred....if the Studios are charging as little as $60 for a sitting......that is way dirt cheap....and those studios can't be making enuff to sustain them selves by photos alone.....find a way to get a price sheet from the $60 studios and then you need to charge no less than $100 for the exact same product.....wil that drive them to the other studios probably not....it should bring the client to you...because if they see the other guys as undervalued (el cheapo = poorer quality) that should bring you business.....just be cause your studio is in your home doesn't mean you can charge less.....you still have utilities, taxes, repairs, necessities (studio and photo wise) and need profit to pay yur self a wage....so see it really is not any cheaper for you to work at home.....if you dedicate a certain space for studio then it becomes a tax deduction (talking FED tax here as I have no idea about state tx in NY)...other wise it is not deductible......Equipment costs are not any cheaper working from home...you still need an alarm system and also insurance....do not forget the insurance ..especially personal liabilty just incase someone trips over a power cable or a light stand and gets a scratch or broken finger nail.........you'd be surprised at what a chipped or broken finger nail can cost...not kidding here..........................

So you see all in all working from home is no less costly it simply is a convenience......so get your shite changed as you want it and open the floodgates to clients pockets and hopefully you will have a fantastic portrait season...........

Good luck......I apologize if there is a bunch of typos that means spell check missed and so did I.... :~}}

If you get bogged down with clients and do not have time to process the raws in Lightroom.....check out HappyFish.com........Karen and Chad are really great to work with and their prices are really good.....they will work with 1 file and up......price sheet says 0-200 start at 50¢ per file......and prices drop from their.....

Christmas portraits

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