Pricing on Home page

studio12c

I posted this question earlier today in response to a question posted by Lou Gonzales "Another pricing question"

I just noticed something on my site. At the bottom of the front page a line states Powered by Smugmug. When you click on Smugmug it kicks back to the Smugmug home page. On the home page is the menu selection for Pro Zone. When you click on Pro Zone it takes you to a page outlining the benifits and costing for a year. Also on the Pro Zone page is an example of pricing. The pricing for a 5 X 7 is .99 cents. Does this not indicate to your customers that you are charging 3000 % markup. How do you explain this to your customers???????????????

Andy

stinky Feet wrote:

IHow do you explain this to your customers???????????f????

Your customers know what a print costs them when they buy their own prints at a lab.

They are buying YOUR work, what YOU put on that paper.

You are a professional. They understand that.

Sheaf

I think people are generally aware that a 5x7 print doesn't normally cost $30. They are buying a work of art, not just the ink and paper.

studio12c

Andy wrote:

Your customers know what a print costs them when they buy their own prints at a lab.

They are buying YOUR work, what YOU put on that paper.

You are a professional. They understand that.

Thanks Andy:

I have found that everyone with a digital camera thinks they can take professional quality photographs. Most don't know the difference between an f-stop and a bus-stop. But they do know the cost of prints. When they see my prices their first response is, " I can get them cheaper at Walmart". My response, once I know their isn't going to be a sale is, Not these, they are mine." (I don't sell raw or high res files). Why can't you hide the cost for Pro Printing.
A photographer may be willing to part with the High res files to make a few bucks, rather then loose a customer. The person buying the files pays $149.00 to smugmug, prints the high res photos, 5x7 prints at .99 cents, rather then the $15.00 customer price. So that 20 photos at $15.00 = $300.00. Or 20 photos at .99 cents thats $19.80 plus $149.00 = $168.80. Even if the photographer sold the files for $100.00. It is still cheaper. I'm not talking about the nice sunset shots. I'm talking about wedding and portrait clients.

studio12c

Sheaf wrote:

I think people are generally aware that a 5x7 print doesn't normally cost $30. They are buying a work of art, not just the ink and paper.

Thanks Sheaf:

Thats exactly my point anyone looking at the Pro Zone knows the cost of the 5X7 is .99 cents. So what do you charge for a 5x7. Most pros that I know charge anywhere from $6.00 to $7.00 dollars for a 5x7. I have increased my sitting fee to cover the drop in the cost of the 5x7 print. It's only art when the customer loves it. I make images, for customers, to make money. I make art for myself to be creative.