On Dec 27, 2010, at 12:17 AM, Ken Waller wrote: > And John Shaw has said the best way to sell your images is to write stories & > use the images in the story.
That's how I sell images. But then I increase my profit by selling prints to people involved with the story. At least with the car editorial. Works for me. Paul > > Kenneth Waller > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christine Aguila" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Someone asked about prints of event photos > > >> When reading about photography as a business, knowing how to market and >> "work the phones" is often--and I mean very often--stated as 50% of the >> business. Skill in photography accounts for the other 50%. >> >> I have yet to read a book on the business of photography that hasn't >> stressed the point about working the phones and marketing. Cheers, Christine >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "paul stenquist" <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: Someone asked about prints of event photos >> >>> >>> On Dec 26, 2010, at 7:25 PM, John Sessoms wrote: >>> >>>> From: "Ken Waller" >>>> >>>>> Kenneth Waller >>>>> http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> From: "John Sessoms" <[email protected]> >>>>> Subject: RE: Someone asked about prints of event photos >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> > From: Larry Colen >>>>>> > >>>>>>> >> I got an email that someone had asked the event organizer about >>>>>>> >> prints of my photos from the dance workshop a couple of weeks >> >>>>>>> >> ago. >>>>>>> >> >>>>>>> >> In several years of doing photos at dance events, this is the >> >>>>>>> >> first >>>>>>> >> time that this has happened, and I've got no idea what, if >> >>>>>>> >> anything, >>>>>>> >> to charge beyond the cost of printing and shipping. >>>>>>> >> >>>>>> > >>>>>> > In the business portion of my classes it is recommended that the > >>>>>> > selling >>>>>> > price for prints should be at least 4 to 7 times your cost of the > >>>>>> > print >>>>>> > (where "cost of the print" includes what you have to pay for the > >>>>>> > print >>>>>> > itself, any matting and/or framing, packaging, shipping ...) in > >>>>>> > order to >>>>>> > recover your overhead costs. >>>>> Around here that would lead to some very costly prints, especially if you >>>>> don't do the mounting, matting & framing yourself. >>>>> >>>>> I generally charge twice my cost. >>>>> >>>>>> > >>>>>> > More if you actually want to make a profit. >>>>> So 4 to 7 times your cost doesn't make you any profit? That's a hellova >>>>> overhead. >>>> >>>> No shit. That's what I thought until they showed me the spread sheets & I >>>> saw all the little things you never think of as being costs. Even when you >>>> don't have a studio. >>>> >>>> The way it works out, your costs for a few small prints are larger than >>>> your costs for a lot of large prints. It's backward from what you'd think >>>> (from what I thought anyway). You need 7x costs to break even selling >>>> small prints, while you can charge less - 4x costs to break even if you're >>>> selling a lot of large prints. >>> >>> That's why I don't sell anything smaller than 5x7. And the minimum order of >>> 5 x 7s is four prints -- a full sheet of paper. >>> >>>> >>>> Seems like the real thrust of the lesson was you can't make enough money >>>> selling small prints because no one wants to pay as much as you need to >>>> charge to break even. >>>> >>>> I still don't really understand it that well. We don't get to our core >>>> business courses until the final semester next summer. But that's what >>>> it's all based on, photography as a *business*. That's why I'm going to >>>> school, so I can learn the business of photography. >>>> >>>> If you want to stay in business, you got to at least have more revenue >>>> than expenses. That's assuming you have another source of income to >>>> support yourself. If you don't have another source of income, you got to >>>> make a profit before you can pay yourself. >>>> >>>> In my case, I do already have a small "outside" income that covers my >>>> basic living expenses, so I can afford to take less profit & still have a >>>> good living from my photography business. I'm looking for about $2,000 a >>>> month in "income" == profit, and to get that I expect to have to generate >>>> about $8,000 - $10,000 a month in revenue. >>> >>> In this economy, you'll have to shoot two weddings a week in season, and >>> hijack several wedding parties on they're way to the church. >>> >>>> >>>> And because I'm more or less going to be a wedding photographer, I expect >>>> I'll have to work hard 6 months of the year to make the revenue $20k a >>>> month to balance the other half of they year when there's not many >>>> weddings taking place (i.e. $0.00 revenue). >>>> >>> >>>> Realistically I hope to start out generating $2000 a month revenue my >>>> first year, and to make $200+ a month "income" out of that. >>> >>> Realistically, you have to pray for a big turnaround, invest a lot in >>> marketing your services, and wow all the brides with your art. That doesn't >>> mean it can't be done. But it doesn't happen very often. >>> >>>> >>>> I can already take good pictures. >>> >>> You'll have to take fabulous pictures to make that plan work. >>> >>> >>>> What I'm getting from school is how to do that with maximum consistancy, >>>> i.e. 99+% "keepers" >>>> >>>> ... more than just "keepers" really, I want to consistently produce photos >>>> that will please a customer so they'll come back again and again or >>>> recommend me to friends & family ... and buy lots of big prints so I can >>>> still make a profit while selling at a lower percentage markup. >>>> >>>> Side note: If they buy the big prints, you can then afford to discount the >>>> smaller prints somewhat. It's when all they want is the small prints that >>>> you really have to jack your prices up to cover your costs. >>>> >>>> I expect to learn the business aspects necessary for me to earn a living >>>> from photography. Which in turn is a means to an end of being free to >>>> travel and take the photographs *I* want to take. >>>> >>>> Let my photography business support my photography hobby. >>> >>> That's a realistic goal. Good luck! >>> Paul > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
