Print Costs: Explained
I often hear about the competitions print prices being too high. Well I usually stand up for them as first we need to compare the same products. It is not merely a piece of paper you are purchasing. I know this is hard to understand. It took me a while to understand it. It's especially hard to understand that when Harold's offers $.19 4x6 prints and professional start anywhere from $10-$80 for the same size.
So I thought I would help you make sense of why and then maybe you would better understand the process of pricing. This is both for photographers and for my customers. As I think education is at the root of understanding. If you are a new photographer and are struggling with understanding the pricing give me a call and I'd be happy to help with the basics. I also offer private consultations.
Let's compare costs and services:
Harold's, Walmart and the like:
Employee pay: around $6 to $7 per hour (guessing)
Their material costs:
- Paper and the machines
Their process:
Kiosk for you to place your own order
They put the images in an envelope
They ring you up and you are forever gone.
AC Ellis Photography:
Employee pay: around $8 to $15 per hour
My material costs:
- The print from my lab, which by the way is on professional paper and costs me more, way more than you pay at Harold's
- The image is sprayed for protection
- Larger prints are mounted and textured
- Machines, computer to color correct and to order the prints
- Some photographers do even more than I do.
My process:
- Take order, either through our custom cart, in person, or over the phone.
- Enter the order into our accounting system
- Process the payment, sometime remind someone to pay who forgot to send it in. Reference credits in your collections etc.
- Pull image from achives
- Optimize and Retouch the image
- Order Image
- Receive order from lab, check order
- Package the order ( not just an envelope like these stores. Our packaging protects your images in transit)
- Mail or deliver the order: mailing means more packaging, delivering means more time.
- Follow up: We reprint it if you don't like something.
So basically you are not simply paying for a piece of paper, but the time and talent we use to make your image better. And we spend the time to make things right. Just like your time is worth something in your chosen career so is ours. If we only charged the hard cost of the item and never for our time we would not make any money and mind as well take a job elsewhere. Hope that makes sense.
However I do understand that costs can add up so I do offer your proof disks for sale or in wedding collections. Part of me doesn't like doing it as I would love you to have the best possible image printed and not merely your proof, but I also understand that many of you want that disk and I want to make you happy and of course the images are still great with out the pump.
And to show you the difference between a print from your proofs and our special touch here are some examples. Sometimes everything is done by hand and sometimes it's a combinations of plug-ins, actions and such. Some of our actions I have made and others I have purchased and use as is or modify. Your all beautiful anyway, but sometimes we need a little something to show us at our best. Of course you need to start with a good image.
This image is optimized by using the new kick ass Totally Rad Actions from the Boutwells. I went to their and the Coopers Anti-Workshop in Texas in Nov.
the proof:
the optimized image:
And here are some others:
before:
after:
before:
after:
before:
after Totally Rad Prettyizer:
after Totally Rad Technicolor Dream World:
after Totally Rad Prettyizer and Old Skool:
and I just have to show you this as I love the Totally Rad Action Old Skool!
retouched:
after Old Skool:
And if you've read this far and learned a little something, well leave a comment. Let me know you are learning and in recognition of customer appreciation season I'll send you a little or big something. All comments must be posted by 01.27.07.
So I thought I would help you make sense of why and then maybe you would better understand the process of pricing. This is both for photographers and for my customers. As I think education is at the root of understanding. If you are a new photographer and are struggling with understanding the pricing give me a call and I'd be happy to help with the basics. I also offer private consultations.
Let's compare costs and services:
Harold's, Walmart and the like:
Employee pay: around $6 to $7 per hour (guessing)
Their material costs:
- Paper and the machines
Their process:
Kiosk for you to place your own order
They put the images in an envelope
They ring you up and you are forever gone.
AC Ellis Photography:
Employee pay: around $8 to $15 per hour
My material costs:
- The print from my lab, which by the way is on professional paper and costs me more, way more than you pay at Harold's
- The image is sprayed for protection
- Larger prints are mounted and textured
- Machines, computer to color correct and to order the prints
- Some photographers do even more than I do.
My process:
- Take order, either through our custom cart, in person, or over the phone.
- Enter the order into our accounting system
- Process the payment, sometime remind someone to pay who forgot to send it in. Reference credits in your collections etc.
- Pull image from achives
- Optimize and Retouch the image
- Order Image
- Receive order from lab, check order
- Package the order ( not just an envelope like these stores. Our packaging protects your images in transit)
- Mail or deliver the order: mailing means more packaging, delivering means more time.
- Follow up: We reprint it if you don't like something.
So basically you are not simply paying for a piece of paper, but the time and talent we use to make your image better. And we spend the time to make things right. Just like your time is worth something in your chosen career so is ours. If we only charged the hard cost of the item and never for our time we would not make any money and mind as well take a job elsewhere. Hope that makes sense.
However I do understand that costs can add up so I do offer your proof disks for sale or in wedding collections. Part of me doesn't like doing it as I would love you to have the best possible image printed and not merely your proof, but I also understand that many of you want that disk and I want to make you happy and of course the images are still great with out the pump.
And to show you the difference between a print from your proofs and our special touch here are some examples. Sometimes everything is done by hand and sometimes it's a combinations of plug-ins, actions and such. Some of our actions I have made and others I have purchased and use as is or modify. Your all beautiful anyway, but sometimes we need a little something to show us at our best. Of course you need to start with a good image.
This image is optimized by using the new kick ass Totally Rad Actions from the Boutwells. I went to their and the Coopers Anti-Workshop in Texas in Nov.
the proof:
the optimized image:
And here are some others:
before:
after:
before:
after:
before:
after Totally Rad Prettyizer:
after Totally Rad Technicolor Dream World:
after Totally Rad Prettyizer and Old Skool:
and I just have to show you this as I love the Totally Rad Action Old Skool!
retouched:
after Old Skool:
And if you've read this far and learned a little something, well leave a comment. Let me know you are learning and in recognition of customer appreciation season I'll send you a little or big something. All comments must be posted by 01.27.07.
Labels: 2007 Archive, Photog Stuff
posted by Cory Ann at
6:47 AM
15 Comments:
The real cost of a producing a print goes far beyond direct labor and printing costs.
Businesses have what is known as "overhead". Basically those are the things that we have to pay even if they are no weddings pictures to take this weeekend. Rent, insurance, utilities, depreciation, bookkeeping, taxes, equipment and even continuing education are expenses that occur each and every month that have to be paid.
Not every photographer concerns themselves with being a good business person. The photographers who barely charge enough to cover their direct printing costs may not be around to photograph your wedding next summer. They may not have insurance or even a sales tax license.
The photographer who doesn't charge enough to cover his business costs not only is cheating himself of making a fair wage for his time and talent, he is putting his future and his customers' weddings at risk if he can't fullfill contracts because of financial mismangement or ignorance.
Mike of course is absolutely correct. I left most of that out as of course those other businesses need that as well. And my blog was already long and I didn't to lecture too much.
But yes for the photographers reading this keep in mind that Mike is absolutely correct. Like I said if you would like any assistance call. Contrary to popular belief we don't bit, we are competition but we do want to better the industry.
Cory Ann
You are right about it making a difference. You first have to start with a good image, but the printing process can make or break a picture. It might cost more but the final image will be so worth it. Looking at the picture online when you order it and looking at the print when it is finished, you can see that there is a process and it is much more than just printing a picture on paper. I can also tell you have been evolving in your printing technique from our engagement photos to the wedding photos. So thanks for continuing to put the effort into learning and fine tuning your art.
I love your "education" posts. They are always so interesting! I also really like your upfront honesty!
Very cool...
CA, I have to admit I didnt really thing there was a difference until you put them up against each other like that! You know that I always get my picts through you but now i know why! Are we still up for Feb or March for pictures? We are ready, the kids pictures are needing to be refreshed!
The retouched images look amazing. Very interesting....learn something new every day!
Holly
you're well worth the money...i wish we would've found you sooner!
I will have to admit, I have read your blog since last fall! This is the first time I've posted. I've found this site very interesting and viewed hundreds of amazing shots! It's one of the things I check every time I check my emails! Thanks a lot for getting me hooked :)
It is so cool to see the difference between the before and after's of the images. It's amazing to see the pictures side by side to compare. Thanks for "Educating" all of us about the step by steps that you go through for each and everyone of your clients! I am looking forward to you photographing Adam and me and I CANNOT wait to see the results! We appreciate your hard work and thanks again!
I read your blog everyday but this is the first time I've posted. You are so talented and I love that you are willing to share your techniques with us. Keep up the good work!!
Nice post Cory Ann! I'm going to have to come up with something like this for my clients, because yes, they compare prints to what they can get a costco!
Oh, and of course... Beautiful work!
Thank you everyone for your comments. Your feedback is very valuable to me.
Sara, I am always trying my best to continue to improve. Glad you are noticing.
Amber, Happy to share, honest almost to fault. Keep reading more to come on the education front.
Jessica, You just make me laugh!
Holly, me too.
Tracey, I hear that a lot! Thank you.
Krista, Happy to hook you. Now drop me an e-mail and introduce yourself!
Jacie, I'm excited to shoot you two also. See you next month.
Lori, Yeah another lurker finally came out and posted. Thank you, you need to introduce yourself too. Happy to share.
And Jennifer, borrow what you need from mine if you want. Education is so important. Hey how's the wedding planning going?
CA
You may be a little more costly but you are well worth it. I love the photos you took for us!! Everyone who sees them loves them as well. Thanks for educating us.
It is amazing what a difference the "professional touch" has on a picture. I really apprecited your honesty and found this information to be very educational!! I am VERY anxious to see our pictures, so far I LOVE what I have seen on the blog!
You have great educational posts. I've already learned several things from your blog today and this one was super. It'll be something that I store in the back of my head for future reference. I appreciate you doing the comparison. Even aspiring photographers sometimes need to see why a $150 add-on to PhotoShop is worth it. Thanks!
-Alissa
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