When deciding how to price yourself . . . ask yourself a few of these things :
How much is your cost?
Be sure to factor in camera equipment, insurance, taxes, photo software (if you use it), props, etc
How many hours per week do you spend on photography whether shooting, editing, or learning?
How much do you currently charge? How much do you think you are making hourly when you factor in the time you spend and your expenses?
You may love what you do, but at some point when there is no return on the investment of your money, resources, time, it will burn you out and that passion with doing something you love begins to fizzle.
So many photographers give away their time and walk away with a loss at the end of the year. Let's start this year by asking these questions, re-evaluating your pricing and what YOU are worth...I guarantee you are worth more than you give yourself credit for, so do not sell yourself short.
If you are portfolio building, then STILL ask yourself these questions and figure a goal of what you want to make. You can portfolio build at a discount rate while clients see your set prices, so they know that when your "special" is up, there isn't a shock factor with prices.
Also, take into consideration that when you price yourself higher, you find more clients that value your work rather than just looking for another deal.
Let's make 2017 a good year, set your goals, and make them happen!
3 comments
I recently just raised my prices as I have been portfolio building for what seems like forever and expanding my horizons as I am mainly a horse racing photographer. I recently look a portrait workshop and it gave me a new appreciation for my own work and that I truly am a talented individual who is good and has a valuable skill set to offer my clients. I love this piece!
I have been taking most of my pictures with my 16 MP cell and just trying to use the best lighting I can find and using the phones filters. I had the good fortune to be one of the few people among family and friends with a phone that can do this. So my skills began to improve long before I upgraded. When I decided to go for it and bought my camera and began to work on my portfolio, I saw it that I had no credibility yet as an actual pro and I need to build it. People bring their professional wedding pictures to the store I work at a lot and they look amazing and my photos still don’t fully come out as well. I do value my work but I meet a lot of brides who are upset because they paid a lot of money and their pictures are blurry, dark, and just look awful for some reason. I need the work, so I am doing mine for nothing. I have contracts and a water mark, and my domain name established. I have done 6 shoots, and I will hopefully be doing my nieces wedding, engagement, and glamour shots in the spring. I’m doing it for nothing with the hopes that I will be charging if I’m happy with my work and feel like it worth the trouble. I do value my work but I can’t charge knowing my work will look like the next guy with a cell phone. But I do like the part of the article that tells me that I probably should be accepting a little pay while building. I may consider this.
I can relate to this post completely. For two years I have been running on fumes with my passion slowly starting to fizzle due to running into jobs where I feel my work is under valued. So many people want something for nothing, I think they forget that photography is a job, though it’s something fun todo it’s not like we are pulling out our cell phones and taking pictures, we’ve invested time, money and education on learning the skills we need to be a good photographer. I’ve just run into those who don’t see or understand that and trying to explain it doesn’t change my out come. Also family members or extended family members are the worst, they think they don’t have to treat you like a real photographer because they know you and you’ll do all the birthday parties and anniversaries or even wedding for free or at a major discounted price.
It’s disheartening honestly, I have always love photography, but I’ve gotten to the point where doing it for other people has made me resentful and a little bitter. I hate feeling that way but I just haven’t gotten the right clients that value the work that I put in.
Thanks for your post though this does help and makes me know I am not alone in the struggle.