re: Official Photography Thread. ♥

Quoting Michael Westen:" Brandi's 10+ sessions in a month made me think of this. How many sessions is ideal for each of you in a month? And of each of those sessions, how much money do you aim to make?  "

I'd like to do 4-6 sessions per month and make a minimum of $1000 total investment per client. More would be great, but that's the minimum I'd like.

Quoting Chuck Finley.:" <blockquote><b>Quoting awesomebrandi:</b>" Haha yeah.. plus most of those require ... [snip!] ... that's more face time/drive time and time that someone has to watch Zaida."</blockquote> Wow. A lot of time and work."

Yes, although the proofing sessions are worth it, it just makes it overwhelming with so many to do lol. Plus then orders, album designs, etc. I need an assistant! lol

Quoting awesomebrandi:" I'd like to do 4-6 sessions per month and make a minimum of $1000 total investment per client. More would be great, but that's the minimum I'd like."

How close are you to that $1k per client mark? I don't think that's really attainable around here but TX, totally feasible!

Quoting Michael Westen:" How close are you to that $1k per client mark? I don't think that's really attainable around here but TX, totally feasible!"

Last few clients I've been making around $850 total investment so I'm getting there.

I was going to add part of the problem is my print prices are still too low. I am raising them again at the beginning of the year.

Quoting awesomebrandi:" Last few clients I've been making around $850 total investment so I'm getting there."

I'm hoping to get to $600+ soon but ultimately I want to be around $800+.

I'm close. When I actually have sessions I average around $500. Lol

Quoting Michael Westen:" I'm hoping to get to $600+ soon but ultimately I want to be around $800+. I'm close. When I actually have sessions I average around $500. Lol"

I know people who make like $2000+ per session.. lol.. that would be awesome. Although taxes would be painful. More painful than they are already.

Quoting awesomebrandi:" I was going to add part of the problem is my print prices are still too low. I am raising them again at the beginning of the year."

Good! Do you have print packages??

Quoting awesomebrandi:" I know people who make like $2000+ per session.. lol.. that would be awesome. Although taxes would be painful. More painful than they are already."

Gah I know!! Taxes suck.   Lol. And I don't even make that much at this yet!

Quoting Michael Westen:" Good! Do you have print packages??"

Yeah I have three packages and they are all combos of prints and digitals. I have mixed feelings on them so far. I have only ever sold the bottom one plus add ons.

Quoting Michael Westen:" Gah I know!! Taxes suck.   Lol. And I don't even make that much at this yet!"

Yes..   They are awful. The downside of having your own business is seeing exactly how much uncle sam gets. It's easy to gloss over that when someone else pays it for you as your employer. So it's like the clients think you're actually MAKING $250 when in fact.. hahaha.. no.

Quoting awesomebrandi:" Yeah I have three packages and they are all combos of prints and digitals. I have mixed feelings on them so far. I have only ever sold the bottom one plus add ons."

I don't do digital files at all. I actually never have. And so far, I only have had one person ask for a disc but then she decided I was too expensive anyway! Boo. Lol.

Quoting Michael Westen:" I don't do digital files at all. I actually never have. And so far, I only have had one person ask for a disc but then she decided I was too expensive anyway! Boo. Lol."

I used to sell a lot of disks when they were only $250 lol.. Yeah. Then I raised them to $750 and sold a few, and now they're at $1000 and nobody buys the whole disk. But a lot of people buy a few of them. I also offer 'Facebook files' that are watermarked web viewing files just for web use. Because I see that as marketing.

Quoting awesomebrandi:" Yes..   They are awful. The downside of having your own business is seeing exactly how much uncle sam ... [snip!] ... else pays it for you as your employer. So it's like the clients think you're actually MAKING $250 when in fact.. hahaha.. no."

You're only "making" like $170 of that (give or take) and you have already put tons of time into their session. I broke it down for a lady here recently. She took a 50% off session ($75) and still thought it was expensive. She was curious about where it all went. So I (politely) broke it down. Lol.

$25 automatically goes to Uncle Sam.
So we're down to $50.
I spent about an hour making that ad and advertising it everywhere.
I spent 3 hours on her session.
I spent 5 hours editing that session (mainly because my computer kept overheating)
Then I spent 2 hours between the half hour drive to and from her house and the hour with her for proofing.
15 minutes putting her order together, and an hour to deliver.

12 hours and 15 minutes for that session.

That's barely $4 an hour. Pathetic. That's why my session fee is what it is. Granted I made some from her print order but she only ordered $50 worth. So that's $8 worth. (Plus sales tax on the order which I obviously don't get to keep.)

Quoting awesomebrandi:" I used to sell a lot of disks when they were only $250 lol.. Yeah. Then I raised them to $750 and sold ... [snip!] ... them. I also offer 'Facebook files' that are watermarked web viewing files just for web use. Because I see that as marketing."

Right now I basically give them the facebook files. They can't really do anything with them. I just require that they tag my page. And the WM is usually touching their face so they can't really clone it off. Lol.

I "offer" digital files but I make them kinda unreachable. For me, you have to buy a print package to even be able to get them, and then they are $50 a piece sized to 8X10. I pretty much try to steer people away from them unless it's a newborn.