Wedding photographer $99.00
Nov 20, 2016 12:03:38 #
This post has been running a lot in my local Craigs list.
I sent him a message asking him what I get.
He will shoot for 4 hours and then you get to buy
pictures and albums from him .( wouldnt give me a price for albums ) You can buy a disk with
pics, you pic which ones you like and he burns them for you. The more you pick the more it costs ( of course) .
He wouldnt give me a price on a disk either , said he had to meet with me.
He seemed like a sleeze to me ..
do you have anyone in your area charging $99 to shoot a wedding?
I sent him a message asking him what I get.
He will shoot for 4 hours and then you get to buy
pictures and albums from him .( wouldnt give me a price for albums ) You can buy a disk with
pics, you pic which ones you like and he burns them for you. The more you pick the more it costs ( of course) .
He wouldnt give me a price on a disk either , said he had to meet with me.
He seemed like a sleeze to me ..
do you have anyone in your area charging $99 to shoot a wedding?
Nov 20, 2016 21:04:12 #
jdubu
Loc: San Jose, CA
If you work really hard, you could do that too! Being a sleeze, I mean.
Not so hard to be a wedding photographer for $99, because you get what you pay for!
Not so hard to be a wedding photographer for $99, because you get what you pay for!
Nov 21, 2016 11:49:11 #
Wow! What a bargain! And another reason why I just don't do weddings anymore!
Nov 21, 2016 15:47:52 #
He is probably using the same strategy as the big box store photography packages. Low entry price for a session and a few pics, but using up sale techniques people leave spending several hundred dollars. I will leave that to the snake oil salesmen and the clientele that fall for it.
Nov 21, 2016 16:30:18 #
jdubu
Loc: San Jose, CA
jaysnave wrote:
He is probably using the same strategy as the big box store photography packages. Low entry price for a session and a few pics, but using up sale techniques people leave spending several hundred dollars. I will leave that to the snake oil salesmen and the clientele that fall for it.
At that price, he probably holds your photos hostage for the price he wants. I can imagine paying exorbitant prices and getting carp snapshots afterwards.
Nov 22, 2016 08:14:32 #
The interesting thing about pricing for weddings is that there seems to be multiple levels of pricing. All the way from FWAC (friend with a camera) for free to the high end $3k plus photographer who will bring several assistants, lighting, and a history of great results. Many levels in-between and there is a market for all of them. We need to do a good self assessment and seek the brides in our capability/pricing structure. My goal is to keep moving up the ladder in price as my photography improves and resist competing with bargain basement pricing. There is always going to be someone extremely cheap out there. After all everyone is a photographer now.
Nov 23, 2016 14:30:19 #
I think you have this shooter pegged. I'm guessing "most" people are also smart enough to realize that. Unfortunately, this kind of person prays on the uninformed, or uneducated (or a little of both)
I no longer advertise my prices on my website (ala Charles Lewis), because it forces people to actually call me and talk to me. Once I'm actually talking to them, I spell out exactly what they can expect to spend, based on what level of service they want.
One thing that I've done is "reverse priced" my packages from what most shoot and burn photographers do. My prices that include albums or photos, cost a lot less than just selling a disk. Most of the Craigslist photographers, want to just hand them the disk, and not "mess with" printing and album design. I don't say "no, I won't give a disk," I just make it more affordable to give them something they will actually use and enjoy, not a disk, but physical albums, and photos. I do offer "web resolution" copies that they can use for Facebook, but I still just refuse to hand a disk with several hundred (not thousands) of images, and let the poor couple try to sort through them. Sorting, editing, and arranging is part of what they are paying me for. If they'd rather not. It just doesn't hurt my feelings.
Just booked a wedding for May, where they were going to go with a Craigslist photographer for $300. I have been paid 50% down for a $1500 wedding, just because I took the time to talk to them, ask questions, LISTEN, and take the time to design a package that included everything they wanted, and nothing they didn't.
I no longer advertise my prices on my website (ala Charles Lewis), because it forces people to actually call me and talk to me. Once I'm actually talking to them, I spell out exactly what they can expect to spend, based on what level of service they want.
One thing that I've done is "reverse priced" my packages from what most shoot and burn photographers do. My prices that include albums or photos, cost a lot less than just selling a disk. Most of the Craigslist photographers, want to just hand them the disk, and not "mess with" printing and album design. I don't say "no, I won't give a disk," I just make it more affordable to give them something they will actually use and enjoy, not a disk, but physical albums, and photos. I do offer "web resolution" copies that they can use for Facebook, but I still just refuse to hand a disk with several hundred (not thousands) of images, and let the poor couple try to sort through them. Sorting, editing, and arranging is part of what they are paying me for. If they'd rather not. It just doesn't hurt my feelings.
Just booked a wedding for May, where they were going to go with a Craigslist photographer for $300. I have been paid 50% down for a $1500 wedding, just because I took the time to talk to them, ask questions, LISTEN, and take the time to design a package that included everything they wanted, and nothing they didn't.
Nov 24, 2016 06:57:04 #
Dec 29, 2016 10:19:05 #
I can't do a wedding for $1500, only so many weddings in a year you can do, I need to make a minimum for $2000 per wedding, living in California is just more expensive.
I do understand the possible logic of $99 ... he/she could be a decent photographer and is gambling on the fact that the work will speck for itself and the B&G will want to purchase pictures.
The issue for me is many times B&G's are broke after the wedding. Don't like the idea that they love a 100 shots and want to purchase but if they don't have the money your going to hear, "we want these 100, can you hold for us until we have the money."
I do understand the possible logic of $99 ... he/she could be a decent photographer and is gambling on the fact that the work will speck for itself and the B&G will want to purchase pictures.
The issue for me is many times B&G's are broke after the wedding. Don't like the idea that they love a 100 shots and want to purchase but if they don't have the money your going to hear, "we want these 100, can you hold for us until we have the money."
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.