muhamaj Loc: newark, nj

A friend asked me to do his organization's dinner event where I will set up a stand and will be taking and printing out 4x6 color photos with the cardboard photo folders. My question is how much should I charge per print.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I was at a couple of events where a similar arrangement was done. The cost was between 15-20$ per print.

When one stops to consider the amount of work being done, after the initial setup, its pretty much button pushing and little actual labor.

Hopefully, you'll have quite a few folks at this event that want to purchase photos.
--Bob

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Well, no real numbers to provide, but I guess I'd factor in:
- Expected sales volume
- Cost of your time
- FICA and other payroll taxes
- Cost of the 4x6 print pages
- Cost of the ink
- Cost of the folders
- Cost of insurance, licenses, and other business operating costs
- Cost of depreciation on your printer
- Cost of depreciation on your camera and other gear
- Transportation
- Credit card surcharges
- Cost of sales taxes

If the result is too steep for the market, you probably shouldn't be doing it, unless this is being done strictly out of friendship!

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I think Costco charges $.13 for a 4X6.

canon Lee

Figure your costs, then decide how much you want to get for your time. Remember your time is the most important part. Consider drive time, set up time. It is easy to figure out your cost but difficult to price your own time. Do not do the event if you are not satisfied with how much you will clear. These events can cost a lot. There is never a guarantee of how many photos you will sell. Consider also left over materials.

firtree Loc: Florida, USA

The first thing I always ask myself is how much would I pay for a 4X6 print of anything in a cardboard folder. Sometimes selling a 'volume' of your product can net more profit than selling a few high priced ones, especially since you will probably be there for the entire event (time investment).

Dannj

$ 100 fee
$2 for photo/folder
or
make it a charity thing...charge enough to cover the cost of each photo/folder with balance going to a charity the organization supports

access to the bar

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

How can anyone answer such a vaguely worded question?

Where are the details?

The answer is...whatever you want to charge, that's what to charge.

Are you sure that you want to undertake something like this?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

:thumbup:

This is why event photography is seldom viable in the age where everyone owns a smart phone! "Dude, you want ten bucks for this $#!T??? I can shoot it fer free with my phone!"

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

...FREE access!

I like this approach.

bcrawf

Well, this is a lot. Besides sales tax, a good point is to consider how payment is made, since the credit card route nicks you. I was surprised to see "depreciation" listed, since that is recovered on your tax returns.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

While I'm not an accountant, there's two different issues here. The first is that you have to cover depreciation in order to be able to replace assets when they wear out. So, If a $1,000 camera body has a life of 100,000 actuations, and you take 20,000 in a year, then you've used up $200 of the value of that camera. If you don't factor depreciation into your costs, you're deceiving yourself on your profits. As far as taxes is concerned, you can use business expenses, including depreciation, as tax deductions. So, if you had $200 in depreciation, and if your marginal tax rate was, say, 30%, the $200 depreciation might net you a tax savings of $60. Tax deductions don't keep you whole with regard to business expenses.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Wise business owners set up depreciation savings accounts — and put money in them — equivalent to the depreciation allowance taken on their tax returns. The whole point of depreciation isn't to get a tax break, but to put money aside to replace aging, obsolete equipment. That's how the very best companies stay ahead of competitors... They are prepared to take advantage of whatever technological advances come down the 'pike.

Credit cards can be handled with an iPad or iPhone and a Square reader/Square account (or similar setup). Yes, there is a charge for the service, but individual sales average 12% to 20% higher when clients can pay with credit cards on the spot, rather than just cash. AND, you make more sales, period!

I think the point to be seen here is that if you do this, you can either plan to lose some money on it (consider it a donation), or attempt to make money on it (incurring the risk of loss due to insufficient sales and substantial expenses).

I worked for a school photography company for 33 years. In the 1980s and '90s, we used to make LOTS of money on Jr.-Sr. prom nights at high schools. We'd park a photographer or two there, with a formal setup and studio lighting. It was not uncommon to average $35 to $50 per PERSON, since we photographed and sold packages of prints to each individual, and to couples as well. Larger proms would yield (gross sales of) $10,000 or more.

Fast forward to the early 2000s... Digital cameras became available, and moms and dads everywhere were buying them. They began photographing the kids at home, before they went out to dinner. Our sales started sliding quickly towards the red zone. After a few years of iPhone and Android cameras getting good, our prom business was toast! Most of it was gone by 2012, when I left the lab.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Here's an idea! Sell them a DVD with a Digital image for $ 15 and let them get all the prints they want at costco @ $ .13! OR, perhaps, you could sell a 4x6 or 5 x7 for $ 20 and deliver it onsite! I normally make 5x7 prints on my Sony (no longer made) Dye Sub, and sell them for $ 10- $ 15, with say a $5 bump for additional copies. As Mr. Burk stated, this opportunity ain't what it used to be and I would, most likely, not make the equipment (printer) investment today. Best of luck!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

We had one of those Sony dye-sub printers at Herff Jones and used it at conventions. It was fast and reasonably low-cost to operate, if finicky. And you were right to charge $10 to $15... when you could still get it from enough people to make the trip worthwhile.