If you’re reading this post, I’m going to assume you’re relatively new to the photography business world. If that’s the case, let me welcome you warmly into what is sure to be a fun and rewarding ride! Now, let’s get down to business.
While taking all those photos will prove to be a blast, determining your pricing and photography packages is a more tedious aspect of the job. It is a necessity, though! You need to afford the food on your table (and those lattes…), after all.
Below you’ll find a few excerpts of information from BP4U’s “How To: Price When You’re Starting Out” guide.
Rule #1: Don’t Work for Free
Okay, so if you’ve never picked up a camera in your life, you’ll want to learn the ropes first. An easy way to gain experience — and bolster your portfolio — is to charge a minimal amount per session. Once you’ve got that experience, though, don’t ever work for free. And don’t cut yourself short, either.
When you’re starting out, roughly $75 to $100 for an hour of your time is fair. When you notice that your schedule’s filling up with clients, you can begin to charge more. Also re-evaluate your prices when you begin seeing a difference in the quality of your work.
Rule #2: Keep Packages Simple
You know how when you go to a restaurant and there are 12 pages on the menu and it takes you forever to decide what you want? And then after spending 30 minutes thumbing through it all, you’re not sure you made the right choice? That’s called being overwhelmed. Don’t overwhelm your potential clients!
Sticking with my restaurant theme: the best restaurants out there have the smallest menus. Not because they can’t whip up whatever they want in the kitchen, because they most certainly can. Their food is amazing because they focus on perfecting the few products they do have, though.
A good rule of thumb is to offer no more than three packages to your clients. This keeps things straight and to the point and won’t overwhelm them. It also helps you keep things organized.
Want more information on how to price various types of sessions (mini sessions, wedding, newborn, family, etc.) or how to create/price print packages? What about how long to make your sessions, when to raise your prices and what to give your clients based on what they’ve paid? Check out BP4U’s “How To: Price When You’re Starting Out” guide.
Includes:
- Giving away sessions for free?
- Don’t know how much to charge when you’re trying to break into photography and actually make money?
- Confused about how many images they should get, what they should get?
- How much are prints?
- How long is the session?
- I want to offer weddings, but I don’t even know where to start at?
- Do I have to include an album or the cd?
- Printing rights
- Travel charges
- Location charges
- Outfit changes
