thumbtack
May 13, 2015 14:09:22 #
brian43053
Loc: Buffalo, NY
Any hoggers here have experience with the website "thumbtack" Any thoughts good or bad? Is it legit?
May 13, 2015 18:08:58 #
brian43053 wrote:
Any hoggers here have experience with the website "thumbtack" Any thoughts good or bad? Is it legit?
Never heard of it. Sorry.
May 14, 2015 09:04:51 #
Thumbtack is legit, but in my experience, the bid system gets expensive and to have real success, you must have someone monitoring the site at all times. The people that make money seem to hover and grab all the bids on the high-dollar jobs.
Many customers are also very non-committal re: time and budget, so the bidding process is really a guessing game.
It's probably a great service for a building contractor where the potential earnings make the bid costs easier to absorb.
I quit them some time ago.
Many customers are also very non-committal re: time and budget, so the bidding process is really a guessing game.
It's probably a great service for a building contractor where the potential earnings make the bid costs easier to absorb.
I quit them some time ago.
May 14, 2015 09:11:45 #
brian43053
Loc: Buffalo, NY
j.collinst wrote:
Thumbtack is legit, but in my experience, the bid ... (show quote)
Thanx for the input
May 14, 2015 21:51:46 #
It attracts cheap clients and bottom-feeder photographers. I have communicated with them several times that the system drives clients to the worst section of the industry - but they know better.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
May 15, 2015 11:20:48 #
I know people who swear by them, and also people who swear "at" them. I think a lot of it is how much competition for the bids there are, and from what I've heard, there seem to be a lot of bogus requests for bids, and you get stuck paying for those. Who knows, it could be some Craigslist photographer posting requests for a photographer, just to cost you money. I wouldn't doubt that it happens.
That being said, I'm fairly well established, so I just can't see paying to bid.
That being said, I'm fairly well established, so I just can't see paying to bid.
May 15, 2015 11:32:41 #
brian43053
Loc: Buffalo, NY
CaptainC wrote:
It attracts cheap clients and bottom-feeder photographers. I have communicated with them several times that the system drives clients to the worst section of the industry - but they know better.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
WOW - from your view I guess it's not a place to try to start a photo business. Any ideas on how to generate some business?
May 15, 2015 12:23:25 #
brian43053 wrote:
WOW - from your view I guess it's not a place to try to start a photo business. Any ideas on how to generate some business?
If you are just getting started, maybe cheap clients are better than none. Competition now is SO tough. It is an industry with the lowest barriers to entry - anyone can buy a consumer-level camera and call themselves a professional and they all are after the same clients.
Maybe to you, getting $100 seems like a good deal for three hours of shooting and another three hours of processing and travel time and mileage and spending $25.00 on printing costs. That is your call.
May 15, 2015 12:38:16 #
brian43053
Loc: Buffalo, NY
CaptainC wrote:
If you are just getting started, maybe cheap clients are better than none. Competition now is SO tough. It is an industry with the lowest barriers to entry - anyone can buy a consumer-level camera and call themselves a professional and they all are after the same clients.
Maybe to you, getting $100 seems like a good deal for three hours of shooting and another three hours of processing and travel time and mileage and spending $25.00 on printing costs. That is your call.
Maybe to you, getting $100 seems like a good deal for three hours of shooting and another three hours of processing and travel time and mileage and spending $25.00 on printing costs. That is your call.
not trying to argue with you - but when you first started did you get top $$? I've done some head shots & portraits and neither of them took 3 hours to do or 3 hours to edit. If you're spending 3 hours to shoot & then another 3 hours to edit a portrait or head shot then you ain't a very good shooter!!
May 15, 2015 13:15:36 #
j.collinst wrote:
Thumbtack is legit, but in my experience, the bid ... (show quote)
Agree with everything you said here,j. I'm still with them but am VERY particular about what I bid on. I've probably broken even over the two years I've been with them - maybe a little ahead. I've spent over $1200 on bids during that time. And yes, NEVER enough information to make an accurate bid and by the time you ask the client a question and get an answer they've already received their quota of 5 bids. I don't use it much anymore.
May 15, 2015 13:18:58 #
CaptainC wrote:
It attracts cheap clients and bottom-feeder photographers. I have communicated with them several times that the system drives clients to the worst section of the industry - but they know better.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
The system makes people think one can get professional family portraits for the $100-$200 range. Well, you can, but it will be crap.
I use them and do not consider myself a "bottom-feeder" photographer, Capt. C, but I give them something in their price range and tell them exactly what they'll get for that and then try to upsell later since most do not even KNOW what they want anyway. I ignore Thumbtack's admonishment to quote the complete price because that's impossible to do when even the client does not know their final end result.
May 15, 2015 13:51:32 #
brian43053 wrote:
not trying to argue with you - but when you first started did you get top $$? I've done some head shots & portraits and neither of them took 3 hours to do or 3 hours to edit. If you're spending 3 hours to shoot & then another 3 hours to edit a portrait or head shot then you ain't a very good shooter!!
:roll: I would suggest you go to Cliff's web page before you make a comment about not being a very good shooter. To most of us who appreciate his help, "Them's fightin' words"
Cliff commands top dollar, because he does take the time to make art out of his images, he doesn't "take pictures" he creates art. I, for one, am VERY glad he is here.
May 15, 2015 14:01:32 #
bkyser wrote:
:roll: I would suggest you go to Cliff's web page before you make a comment about not being a very good shooter. To most of us who appreciate his help, "Them's fightin' words"
Cliff commands top dollar, because he does take the time to make art out of his images, he doesn't "take pictures" he creates art. I, for one, am VERY glad he is here.
Cliff commands top dollar, because he does take the time to make art out of his images, he doesn't "take pictures" he creates art. I, for one, am VERY glad he is here.
Agreed! He does amazing work.
May 15, 2015 14:21:44 #
brian43053 wrote:
not trying to argue with you - but when you first started did you get top $$? I've done some head shots & portraits and neither of them took 3 hours to do or 3 hours to edit. If you're spending 3 hours to shoot & then another 3 hours to edit a portrait or head shot then you ain't a very good shooter!!
I'm sure our OP didn't consider what a questionable (stupid) comment he was about to make before he pushed the POST key...
May 15, 2015 14:41:52 #
brian43053
Loc: Buffalo, NY
donnahde wrote:
I use them and do not consider myself a "bottom-feeder" photographer, Capt. C, but I give them something in their price range and tell them exactly what they'll get for that and then try to upsell later since most do not even KNOW what they want anyway. I ignore Thumbtack's admonishment to quote the complete price because that's impossible to do when even the client does not know their final end result.
so in your opinion is it a good avenue for someone to get started with?
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