Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/12/13

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Subject: [Leica] Reality check on pricing
From: bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Tue Dec 13 12:14:17 2005

Chris - $250 is more than reasonable. And what kind of 'friend' starts
telling you there going to comparison shop for prices. You quoted a price -
stick to it. Let her go to the local portrait mill if that's what she wants.

Unlike other artists, photographers are saddled with the problem that
everyone owns a camera, and everyone who owns a camera is a "photographer."
So on the whole, people tend not to value photography. If she thinks $250 is
too much, ask her how much she'd pay to have a crappy portrait of her
daughter painted....;-)


On 12/13/05 2:28 PM, "Slobodan Dimitrov" <s.dimitrov@charter.net> wrote:

> A senior portrait means a package price.
> The price referent is what the school's selected photography service
> charges.
> Anything outside of that is a specialty shoot, with the corresponding
> price.
> Outside of family, use the ASMP pricing guide for everybody.
> You will find no happiness with friends and quasi-friends and their
> photo requests.
> 
> Slobodan Dimitrov
> Studio G-8,
> Angels Gate Cultural Center
> http://sdimitrovphoto.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Dec 13, 2005, at 10:03 AM, mcyclwritr@comcast.net wrote:
> 
>> I got a call from an almost-friend asking if I could shoot her
>> daughter's senior portrait. And muy pronto, to boot. "I'd be happy
>> to," I said.
>> 
>> Not knowing details on exact location, number of wardrobe changes,
>> etc., I quoted $250, which would include 4x6 proofs but not batches
>> of wallet-size photos or custom enlargements. Easily a half day,
>> counting schleppage.
>> 
>> "Would it be less if you shot fewer pictures?"
>> 
>> 'Huh?' thought I.
>> 
>> I explained the cost of proofs was incidental and the half-day I'd
>> put into a location shoot, etc., is where the cost would be.
>> 
>> She said she'd have to check with a local portrait mill to compare
>> pricing. I encouraged her to do so.
>> 
>> By the way, she "just loved" pix I shot at a baby shower, so
>> credible people photography is not an issue. Evidently, money is.
>> 
>> Frankly, I felt I'd have to apologize to my Leica and Canon kits
>> just for snatching them out of the safe to earn a near-chump-change
>> $250 fee.
>> 
>> I know many of you are superb photographers and have earned brand-
>> name status, so this probably isn't a fair question (apples and
>> oranges deal), but how would you have priced it?
>> 
>> -Chris Lawson
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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In reply to: Message from s.dimitrov at charter.net (Slobodan Dimitrov) ([Leica] Reality check on pricing)