Pricing Model

DavidS

I am trying to decide on a pricing model for parties and events. I am contemplating charging a fee to do the party and charging for the pictures in addition to this, or charging a higher fee for doing the party and giving them a full resolution CD of the event. If you do these type of functions, what is your pricing model.

Poseidon

I haven't done many, but I think this works for me, and the clients....

$150/hr, then you order the prints from a gallery (on Smugmug of course).

DavidS

Pricing for Parties and Events
Thanks Mike.

What are others doing? Do you charge a fee for the party and give them a CD or do you charge both for the party and the prints? I am really wrestling with this. I want to be compensated for my work, but I want to be fair as well. If I use the model of charging for the party and the prints more risk is involved. I would be charging less for the party than if I gave them the CD, so I stand to lose more if they don't buy many prints. On the other hand I stand to gain more if they buy a lot of prints. Do people buy many prints for birthdays, anniversaries etc.?

dangin

determing what your "worth" is can be very daunting task. it varies greatly depending on what you feel your expertise level is, your target market, your geographic area, etc...

i'm in the suburbs, about 45 mins out of chicago, just over the indiana border. for event photography, i do enough work in the chicago metro area that i can charge prices that are more in line with that area; $150/hour which gets them a CD with print resolution (1600x1200) images. i make my clients proof their images onine (via sm) before they get their final images on the DVD. almost always, the realize that the combination of my relatively low priced prints and the realization that managing dozens of print orders from their guests, they just direct them back to my site to place the orders. chalk it up to the lazy.

as for your question about do people buy many prints from parties? eh... it all depends. if the images are just of people sitting around a table stuffing their faces? likely not as many... i setup a backdrop and encourage people to come by and take group shots. people are a lot more apt to buy those prints. the bigger the group, the more reorders from that image.

DavidS

Thanks Daniel. Your post was helpful. I had considered charging for the event and giving the host a CD. I would then encouring her/him to direct their guests to my site for prints by offering them 15% of all print orders, after the first $100.00 in print orders, taken within a month of the event.

What width backdrop are you using for the group shots at your events?

dangin

typically i use a 10x12 muslin and 2 300ws strobes. i tell the couple that i need a 10x15 space w power. i'll steal 2 chairs for posing w old couples.

DavidS wrote:

Thanks Daniel. Your post was helpful. I had considered charging for the event and giving the host a CD. I would then encouring her/him to direct their guests to my site for prints by offering them 15% of all print orders, after the first $100.00 in print orders, taken within a month of the event.

What width backdrop are you using for the group shots at your events?

bham

DavidS wrote:

I am trying to decide on a pricing model for parties and events. I am contemplating charging a fee to do the party and charging for the pictures in addition to this, or charging a higher fee for doing the party and giving them a full resolution CD of the event. If you do these type of functions, what is your pricing model.

Can you be more specific on the events and or parties. And what major city is closest. The larger the city the higher the prices, just as rents and other wages are higher.

With one company we do $100 for 2 hours, we want the 2 busiest hours, if the event is still happening and we are still shooting we then will stay and shoot until it dies down. We hand out our cards that directs the guests to our site to view and order their images. For repeat customers that do multiple events with us (in a year) and have guests/members that order well, we will lower our shooting fee. This is for candids, not shots with backgrounds.

DavidS

bham wrote:

Can you be more specific on the events and or parties. And what major city is closest. The larger the city the higher the prices, just as rents and other wages are higher.

With one company we do $100 for 2 hours, we want the 2 busiest hours, if the event is still happening and we are still shooting we then will stay and shoot until it dies down. We hand out our cards that directs the guests to our site to view and order their images. For repeat customers that do multiple events with us (in a year) and have guests/members that order well, we will lower our shooting fee. This is for candids, not shots with backgrounds.

Thanks for your response. I am just getting started and not pursuing it too aggressively yet. I will probably be focusing on birthdays, graduations and other family events, but I am open to most types of parties and non-sporting events. The closest city is Raleigh North Carolina.

What is an average print order from one of your events?

How do you attract business?

Noelimages

Events
I've shot family and class reunions where individuals purchased portraits. Depending on the clients, I either print on location or let them know that they can recieve higher quality photos within a week if the they allow me to order from my photo lab. Getting $$ upfront. Generally, I asked for number of pre-orders around 25 at $20/order that covers the cost of my time for being there. If they cannot get the preorders I request $200 for my time and HOPE to make up the remainder in photo orders which so far this has not burned me. I then place the event and individual photos on SmugMug and sell them as well. If I meet my quota, I will give the event planner a CD of all the images.

For parties, I generally set an agreed upon fee and give the event planner an unedited CD if I'm allowed to sell the images that determines the fee. I find that the best motto is to get as much as you can upfront. Online sales have not been as profitable as face to face selling.