I normally don't write a lot of posts, this main purpose of my blog is to simply share my work. However, I felt a strong need to share my recent (nearly year long) struggle with developing my website and business to the point where I am (somewhat) satisfied. I thought maybe, if I shared some of my experiences up to this point, that it might save someone else a little time and research. This post will tell you a little bit about how I started, came up with pricing, and developed my website. I should also note, that while developing this business, I am full time Christian wife, mommy, and teacher. Yes, I work full time on top of this :)
Clients, feel free to read this post as well. This can give you a little insite as to why I went the route I did, why I offer what I do, and why my prices are what they are. I think it will also show you why I choose quality over quantity. Clients - thank you for helping me get this far!
Please comment and/or share your experiences below! :)
I started my business a little over a year ago. I have always loved photography, and I thought I was fairly decent at it. So when I got my "awesome" camera, (Sony a330 DSLR) I thought, "Hey, why not make a little extra cash on the side?" And so it began.....
It took me weeks to decide on a name. I didn't simply want to be "Elizabeth Watwood Photography". That was way over used! I finally decided on "Snapshots - Photography by Elizabeth". Simple, but still had my name in it somewhere.
Now that I had a name, the first thing I needed to do was set prices! Easy right? HA! No! That was, by far, the hardest thing I had to do. I began looking at other local photographers who did the same type of photography that I wanted to do. I have no studio. I needed to know what other, outdoor, locals were charging for their work. I live in a fairly small town that needs another photographer about as badly as we need another bank (can you hear the sarcasm?), so there's a lot of comparison here. I have noticed that, in my area, there is a wide WIDE range in pricing in options. That was a little shocking to me. I really thought everyone would be about the same. Some folks charged a flat, hourly rate and gave you a CD with print release as part of that rate. Others charged a sitting fee, then provided you with proofs. After that you (the client) had the option for prints and/or digital images.
For myself, just starting out, I opted to go with the first option. I thought, for the connivence of it, offering a simple hourly rate and giving the CD with be best for me. I also thought, given the fact that I work full time as a teacher, this would be easier for me with my job. After looking at other photogs who offer this, I noticed that most charged between $75-$100 per hour for this option. I wanted to offer competitive pricing, so I opted to go with an hourly rate of $50. This would include one hour of on location photos and my client's image CD with print release.
OK, so now I had (1) a name and (2) pricing. Next, I needed a website! The first thing I knew I had to do was develop a Facebook page. That was the easiest thing I've done. It connected right to my personal FB and I could easily share pictures between the two. That was also the quickest way to get my work out to my friends and family, who would be my first clients. I knew once I got some great shots of friends and family, I would tag them on FB and wa-la -people I'd never met would see my work. That was the best step I'd taken yet. Once I had one session, tagged that friend, and shared on FB, I was finally getting some business! Keep in mind, I'm still a full time teacher, so when I say "some business" I mean a few shoots a month at this point. But that's ok, because I really don't have time for more than that at this point.
I can't tell you exactly how much time had passed between the beginning of my business and the time I started feeling a little different about it. I read online somewhere (and I can't for the life of me remember where...) about a woman who had a small business. She took this business class and the first thing her instructor told her to do was raise her prices! I remember reading it and thinking, crazy! But the next thing made me think. The article suggested that by having such low pricing, she indicated she was not great at what she did. Many clients want great, not good. That really stuck home with me. I knew that with my photo biz, my prices were lowest. I had done that on purpose. But now, I had a small client base. Should I really up my prices? But then, if my clients knew how much time and effort really went into each shoot, each photo, each CD and print, would they mind? And if I upped the price, I would feel even more obligated to spend more time on each session.
So I began rethinking my business. A good friend, fellow coworker, and fellow photographer made several suggestions to me. One of the biggest was not to "give away" my work by giving a CD in every session. I struggled with that for a long time. But I finally decided she was right. That CD was my work. Period. Everything I did, all the time I put it, was there and I was simply giving it away.
I decided not to double my prices, but simply break things into categories. I would not longer give away my image CDs, but I would allow my clients to purchase them separately. They would also now have the options for prints.
At this point, I decided to keep my hourly rate the same ($50), because that was till less than most other photogs in my area. I decided that the CD would come to $25 + tax (yes, tax, because I finally broke down and got the business license and tax account). Prints I would find a good, inexpensive lab and go from there. I wanted my print prices to be competitive with the local drug store prices. I wanted to see my work in my clients homes and hands, not just on Facebook. Profit on prints is not huge for me, barely enough to cover the tax and shipping really. I just want to see it out there, you know?
This shift in my business was so tough for me, I was afraid I would lose clients to others. I was afraid I wouldn't get new business with the change in pricing. I was just afraid. But I did it. I prayed about it. And you know what, it worked! I haven't boomed, but I've gotten some new clients. The sweetest thing is singing those prints come it. It's amazing how wonderful a picture looks printed, and it's crazy how good it feels knowing you did that picture. I can't explain it. If you are a photographer who does not do prints, I highly recommend trying. You'll never go back.
Well, this post turned into way more than I expected! And it took me much longer to write than I thought. I will add another post shortly about how I developed my website, which labs I've used for printing, and who hosts my client access page. I've spent MONTHS researching those and I feel like, for my fellow photogs, I have some important info to share.
Thanks for reading about me! :)
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