I have a small store in a tourist town wanting to take one of my LF images and use it to fill a wall in their store with some text on the top of it. How do I even go about thinking about pricing for this? I haven't seen any online pricing that covers that type of scenario.
I have made MF prints up to 4'x5', and I've priced them at around $700, mounted on gatorboard. They were printed and mounted by a lab. I typically double the price that the lab charges me, as a starting point...
Since Jim doesn't allow pricing discussion here, you can call me to discuss, and I'll be happy to spend a few minutes to provide some pointers. Otherwise, research a balance point between tradeshow display and traditional decor use. This won't be on photo paper, so it won't have the same value. I recently sold one similar for four figures, but ya gotta realize, between scanning and production, depending on size, you or your client will spend between $700 - $1,000 just to have the thing made.
Thanks for the input. In this instance, I will simply be providing the image and the graphic artist will add text, have it printed and mounted on the wall. I've already had it drum scanned so that will save much of the cost on their end. I think the final image will be about 8 feet tall and 6 wide.
Put a lot of thought into the "multiplier" you use in calculating your prices. We've been at it a long time and have learned to use a multiplier (applied to the cost of print production) which contributes a share to our equipment replacement fund, our insurance, the mortgagea and expenses of our studio, our "salary" and our retirement fund. You still have to decide how much of a contribution you want to make to those funds per sale, but when looked at in those terms, a multiplier of 2x makes very paltry contributions to your future and well being. In fact, we use a 5x multiplier. You don't have to make a living from one sale, but each and every sale should contribute to your current and future well being, no matter how small.
You aren't incurring the printing costs in this sale (and can't use a multiplier for pricing calculations), so this is more like assessing a licensing fee. I'd consider the traffic in the store in setting your price, and the value to you in exposure over and above actual income. If they will allow you to prominently include your copyright and contact info in the display, then I'd negotiate lower rates in consideration of the "advertising" you garner from the project. If they don't want your info there, I'd sock it to them so you can make more substantial contributions to your other funds.
Posted by Walter Rowe on August 2, 2006 at 2:09 PM
It simply amazes me that so many who want to go into photography as a business don't think of photography in the most basic business terms.
Along the lines of my point, how could anyone post their shots to one of the "cheapie" sites for $3 or $4 per sale? Following our model that would mean something like 25 cents per sale to salary. Hmmm. If I want to hold up to my $25/hr standard, that would require 100 sales per hour, or roughly 1,000 sales a day, five days a week.
Discussion
9 repliesThanks!
I have made MF prints up to 4'x5', and I've priced them at around $700, mounted on gatorboard. They were printed and mounted by a lab. I typically double the price that the lab charges me, as a starting point...
Tim!
Put a lot of thought into the "multiplier" you use in calculating your prices. We've been at it a long time and have learned to use a multiplier (applied to the cost of print production) which contributes a share to our equipment replacement fund, our insurance, the mortgagea and expenses of our studio, our "salary" and our retirement fund. You still have to decide how much of a contribution you want to make to those funds per sale, but when looked at in those terms, a multiplier of 2x makes very paltry contributions to your future and well being. In fact, we use a 5x multiplier. You don't have to make a living from one sale, but each and every sale should contribute to your current and future well being, no matter how small.
You aren't incurring the printing costs in this sale (and can't use a multiplier for pricing calculations), so this is more like assessing a licensing fee. I'd consider the traffic in the store in setting your price, and the value to you in exposure over and above actual income. If they will allow you to prominently include your copyright and contact info in the display, then I'd negotiate lower rates in consideration of the "advertising" you garner from the project. If they don't want your info there, I'd sock it to them so you can make more substantial contributions to your other funds.
It simply amazes me that so many who want to go into photography as a business don't think of photography in the most basic business terms.
Along the lines of my point, how could anyone post their shots to one of the "cheapie" sites for $3 or $4 per sale? Following our model that would mean something like 25 cents per sale to salary. Hmmm. If I want to hold up to my $25/hr standard, that would require 100 sales per hour, or roughly 1,000 sales a day, five days a week.
Sheesh!