Pricing?

CapturedGallopPhoto · September 19, 2012

so I'm a new aspiring equine photographer wanting to start a business. I live the in Connecticut. I want to price everything accordingly so customers will still come back to me, and I can make a profit.

These are the services I'd want to offer. Idk if the pricing for them is off. Any feedback is welcome.
-Equine Related events (clinic, camps, show) no fee just customers ordered
-High School Seniors $300 includes session fee (what is a typical session fee go for?), cost of transportation, 1 1/2 - 2 hours of shooting on location, not including ordering of prints.
-Portrait Sessions $250 includes session fee, cost of transportation, 1 - 1 1/2 hour of shooting on location, not including ordering of prints.
-Remember Sessions $125 includes session fee, cost of transportation, 1 hour of shooting on location, not including ordering of prints.

Here are my packages:
Package 1 – $10.00

2 – 4×6″ photos
1 – 5×7″ photo

Package 2 – $20.00
2 – 4×6″ photos
2 – 5×7″ photos
1 – 8×10″ photo

Package 3 – $40.00
Wallets(8)
4 – 4×6″ photos
4 – 5×7″ photos
2 – 8×10″ photos

Package 4 – $50.00
6 – 4×6″ photos
6 – 5×7″ photos
4 – 8×10″ photos
Wallets (8)

A cd with images on it for $15
And a HD video that can be done with the photos for $35
A collage of pictures $25, and how big can the collages be?
Offering digital downloads

Thanks again for any feedback. Anything is appreciated

mercphoto · September 19, 2012

The CD price is way too cheap. Just speaking from an event standpoint I was able to sell CD's of cars at amatuer races and such for $60-75. Hi-res, edited, not SOOC. As far as the other prices go, I can only comment as a customer and not as a professional portrait photographer, but I find the combination of a relatively high sitting fee with extremely cheap print packages and CD price to be odd.

orljustin · September 20, 2012

CapturedGallopPhoto wrote: »

so I'm a new aspiring equine photographer wanting to start a business. I live the in Connecticut. I want to price everything accordingly so customers will still come back to me, and I can make a profit.

Since we don't know your expenses ( do you ? ), we don't know how much you need to charge to make a profit.

Art Scott · September 20, 2012

not trying to be an ass but your prices are way too low and looks more like packages for elementary school kids rather than young adults....my best advice is too google every photog in your local phone book,
see what they are charging and price accordingly...keep it to the norm....in my area no one is charging a sitting fee + prints...the days of shooting and printing off proofs, making an album and then taking orders
is gone...if people get a proof in their hand they won't come back...it is too easy to take to walmart, walgreen and get nice prints upto 1x14 and some cases 16x20 and of course all the wallets in the world for
cheap......I make a hardbound image wrap proof book for them to keep, each image has my signature imprinted on it, no question that is is a Professionally done ijmage and book...also the looks one will get
when trying to scan the book and get a print ....I made things easy on myself.....all my portrait work is priced the same....I amke no difference between a senior shoot and a family shoot or a generational
shoot....it is all portraits and it is all just time......try to make no more than 5 packages but be flexible and use units (1-8x10 is 1 unit) to get the client what they need...so you have a package that
has 6-8x10, 6-4x6/5x7, 1- 11x14, 1-16x20 and the cleint says we really don't tne 11x14... the 11x14 is = 1 1/2 units so offer them 1- 8x10 & 4x6 / 5x7 ...... a unit as I said before is = 1-8x16 or
2 4x6 / 5x7 or 8 wallet and on the larger sixe .... 11x14 = 1 1/2 units and 16x20 = 4 units ... .... I still strive to get the client what they need but in a way that I still make a decent profit ...
I will put a disk of the images in the back of the proofbook that are sized for social media use and I also put up Private galleries that cleints can share their password witrh family members
so they can order prints also .....

hope this helps at least a little.

JDub · September 20, 2012

Simple formula for calculating costs of shoots:
How much do I need to live per year DIVIDED BY how many shoots I'll do EQUALS how much each shoot needs to make me.

mercphoto · September 20, 2012

Check out the free Photography Business 101 PDF. Seriously. Part of it deals specifically with pricing and packages.

http://www.fundysoftware.com/educational-resources/

Pricing?

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