[quote=evandr]
marcomarks wrote:
Thom wrote:
But there will be a competitor who does a similar job for $1200, although he doesn't do it as well, takes less shots and his amateur wife is the second photog, and those who don't want to spend $1800 will hire him instead. That pertains to $900, $750, $500, and even lower package prices. I'm sure there are people still looking around to find $150 photographers and finding them. And then there are those looking for free...
A large percentage of people are still awed and amazed by a stunning photo though, especially very large vivid crisp ones, and those are the ones you can market yourself to with prices that may seem high from your perspective (knowing the costs involved) but high price can imply a quality that must be paid dearly for.
But there will be a competitor who does a similar ... (
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My sister, owner of Jolley Photography, is an internationally known master photographer (as is her husband) and does so well with her word-of-mouth clients that she does not even bother with weddings any more but when she did she commanded top money and always got it but she was/is worth it.
It is true that the economy is forcing many to settle for less than the best but there is plenty of top paying jobs for someone who works for the reputation to be sought after. As one increases their skill and reputation the fees will do likewise. If you start at the top of the pay range without paying your professional dues then that too will resonate throughout your clientel and you will crash and burn. That is why the best way to start in the wedding field is to become an apprentice to a good established pro and leartn all you can (it does not have to take a long time, a few months with a busy pro will do it for you if you are intent on learning), then, and only then, will you have the footing to venture out on your own, otherwise you better have exceptional natural skills because for you it is a crap shoot.
Above all be honest, tell the client that you are just starting out and if they want the very best and are willing to pay for it then they should look elsewhere and then have the names and contact info for one or two top professionals, reccommend them and they will return the favor to you with those who cannot afford them - being a professional photographer is a business so treat it like one. Don't ruin yourself thinking your all that when you are not!
quote=Thom But there will be a competitor who doe... (
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I don't think it's just the economy causing people to settle for less than the best... I think it's today's mindset of our society. Those who have money to burn DO still go for the best because they don't think about value as much as they think about stature, paying for the best available, and what people say about them and their possessions. They are also the ones you really want to attract as clients because they are the word-of-mouth people. Last I heard, world renowned photographer Gary Fong was charging $20,000 a day plus expenses for his services (and it's probably far more now that he doesn't really want to do it anymore) before a single print was created. He can and he does because of having that class of clientele.
But clients who do pretty well in life, but aren't wealthy, are looking for ways to shave corners to become wealthier instead of getting the very best. If it's not the very best but quite good, that's good enough to fool others into thinking it's the best - which is where Mr. Competitor comes in and undercuts the higher-priced photographic artists.
And then there is the growing segment of society looking for ways to get everything free or as cheap as possible in all socio-economic categories. I think this is a cancerous plague for the service and retail industries, headed up by Internet commerce, rather than a desperate need because of economy. Of course there are those who just can't afford things because of the economy but there's a big difference between can't and won't.
Having spent 40 years in retail, I've seen a huge change from a high percentage of people asking about the best brands they could possibly afford for their budget and determining how they would pay for it over a period of time, to a high percentage of people today looking for the cheapest Chinese clone they can find because they are now shopping with a short-term "commodity" mindset. This buyer lacks brand loyalty, country of origin loyalty, and doesn't take brand reputation or top quality into the equation.
There was the day when Goldstar, LG, and Samsung couldn't sell a microwave oven in the U.S. and they sat dusty on shelves. Then U.S. brands started putting their labels on the very same foreign ovens and importing instead of manufacturing - that was the beginning of the end for that industry. The public learned that fact and started buying from the foreign companies and bypassing the brand name middle-men. Then the brand names virtually vanished and Goldstar, LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Panasonic swept 100% of the market. Mom and Pop stores vanished because profit was so low they couldn't afford to pay the light bill. Best Buy flourished with bulk quantity purchasing power Mom and Pop couldn't get.
My most recent retail stint was in musical instruments for school band. Five to six years ago, most customers asked about U.S.-built instruments and wanted nothing less. They were 30% more expensive than Taiwanese units and 50% more expensive than Chinese units but they didn't care. They demanded an American brand, American Union made, and worth paying for as a long term investment that their grand kids could probably use two decades from now.
As of the last two years, the mindset of that same socioeconomic class of people was, "I'm not going to pay $865 for a $1200 [insert instrument]. Don't you have something cheaper? I can get a [insert instrument] on eBay for $179." It wasn't that they couldn't afford quality and U.S.-built, it's that they wouldn't. This same person goes home and has conversations with friends about how there aren't any U.S. jobs anymore as they cause the loss of American jobs.
The local retailer wanting to sell them a U.S.-built [insert instrument] for 30% to 40% off of the published and printed retail price (so he can make 10 to 15% gross profit before expenses) has become the devil incarnate, no better than the worst slick used car salesman with a pitchfork in hand, because he doesn't carry the $179 whatever that he makes $15 to $20 gross profit on. The eBay huckster makes $15 X 100 per week from his basement until he decides to carry cell phones instead, Mom & Pop music retailer vanishes forever.
Mom & Pop store is no longer your neighbor who dispenses services, honest advice, accessories, lessons, etc. to support the purchase you loyally made from the local store - at least until the $179 whatever comes via UPS and doesn't work at all. Then the instrument-shaped-object is taken to the local store for service - which is impossible because of lack of parts availability and parts made of materials that can't be soldered, etc. Then the local dealer is considered even more evil because he can't support the no-name crap purchase.
Times are changing fast, mindsets are changing fast, and either you have an edge that appeals to the wealthy and semi-wealthy or you battle with the "I want it free or as cheap as possible" growing segment of our society.
As we discussed in this forum a couple weeks ago, big vulgar watermarking is necessary today on all printed or Internet proofs you create or your clients will try to scan them and have reprints made so they don't have to buy from you. They don't even feel a twinge of guilt about ripping you off.