Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
At 09:08 PM 22/02/99 -0800, Ted wrote:
>
>I starts to sink in when you hear the fees other photographers charge. A
>friend of mine who shoots magnificent "annual reports with a
>photojournalist available light style" told me what he charged. I just
>about fell off the chair and asked, "John what the hell do you do that I
>don't to warrant that kind of fee?"
>
>His response? " I try not to feel guilty when I give them the invoice!" And
>he smiled broadly! It hadn't occurred to me to even imagine asking the
>kind of fee he was asking, let alone getting it.
>
just as an aside,
I could not get any work in the oil industry out here until I tripled my day
rate to bring it closer to the NYC, Houston, Toronto shooters. (of course
there is NO WAY the local market could bear this) The Corps were used to
paying a certain rate and didn't believe they could get the same quality
from someone charging a third of the "GOING RATE".
They were sending guys (with assistants) up from New York at MANY thousands
of dollars per day.
WELL! I wasn't going to put up with this, needless to say. I jacked up the
rates and started marketing.
Those who know my oil industry work...know, IT WORKED!
"GOING RATE" is the working term here. What will the market bear and what
does it expect.... and can you deliver the goods.
>fast talkers. Then there are those photographers who do a very fine shoot
>but, can't sell ice cream on a 100 degree day in LA! They can't sell
>themselves worth a damn.
>
That's a marketing and business problem. You can have the best
pictures in the world but if you don't know what to do with it, all you got
is a nice picture for your wall.
Cold, cruel.... but that's business.
>I still have a hard time relating to selling a print for $500 to $1000
>dollars. Why? Heck It's only a piece of photographic paper! :) Now you
>know I'm a lousy business man and a poor photographer. :) Gee, that
>doesn't sound right! OK, I'm a lousy business man, but an OK photographer.:)
>
That's interesting, because I could NEVER see how to make a buck
SELLING PRINTS either. I think it is much more lucrative (and less labour)
to charge for your services, skills and time.
...although, there is a very good photographer here (Don Lane in case any of
you know him) who makes a very good living selling framed photos of scenic
Newfoundland to the tourist and gift market.
I could never figure that one out.
>
>C'mon, I've only been published since September 1950 and I'm a shy kinda
>guy when it comes to showing my work to folks in case they don't like it.
SHY? ...right, Ted. SHY always comes to mind when I think of you :^)
cheers,
Greg Locke E-Mail: locke@straylight.ca
St. John's, Newfoundland Tel: 709-576-2297
http://www.straylight.ca/locke
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
PictureDesk International http://www.picturedesk.org
Available at PressLink ONLINE http://online.presslink.com