Pet Portrait Pricing
Pricing is almost a taboo topic when it comes to photography, so much of what we do is behind the scenes and it’s few people’s favorite topic. Photographers learn to hide their prices from business coaches who rely on high volume sales, but often we operate in a low-volume environment. For example, I will only take on 30-50 clients each year because I invest about 30-40 hours per session and spend the rest of my time on business administrative functions.
Photography Session Fee
I have one price for private sessions, and most of that price turns into a product credit. This price is my filter and also protects my time. I set this price to filter out people who think that artists should work for free. I have spent thousands of hours gaining the experience and education to take the photos that I do and tens of thousands of dollars in the equipment that I use to do it. This equipment wears out over time and needs replacing. In addition, there is the costs and time invested in to running a business from web-hosting, gallery services, storefront, insurance, taxes, etc. This isn’t a hobby, this is a business. My deposit is a gentle reminder of that fact. It also puts enough money on the line that I can be reasonably confident the person will show up. I use a contract so that they know I will, too. That’s all that’s required up-front if you’re anywhere of reasonable driving distance from Washington DC.
The Payment
If you’ve done the math, you’ve probably noticed that 30-50 clients paying $550 a year is less than minimum wage in most places. This is where performance plays in. After our session, I will show you the gallery and you’ll have the choice of what, how big, and how many photos to order in what size. Ordering prints through my store is how you pay me. I do offer full-res digitals as an option, but the pricing pushes you towards getting the prints through me rather than taking those somewhere else. When you order through my store, I know you’ll get precisely what you want at a higher quality than you expect; they are that good. I don’t want you to end up with low-quality junk; you deserve stunning artwork, and your pet deserves to be displayed only on premium materials.
I want to deliver photos that are so stunning that you buy them all in the largest possible size in the most expensive materials. Clearly, this isn’t going to happen because that’s your choice. Despite not expecting you to purchase every photo, I edit them like you will. I cannot leave a stunning photo untouched.
Sales Experience
My average client will spend somewhere between $2500 and $5000 on prints. I don’t need to add-on fees. This is sufficient to maintain my business. I also don’t resort to “high-pressure” sales tactics because I spend so much time on our session that I genuinely care about you and your experience, and it’s easier for me to have repeat clients than find new ones. Like most photographers, I’m a bit of an introvert; I don’t want to find new customers; I want to keep working for the same people whenever possible. I also immediately fall in love with every animal that looks at me, so I truly wish to see them and their amazing pawrents again!
Transparency
Our relationship and your experience is the most important thing to me. While at the face of it, photography may appear as a product-based service, I’ve learned that it is more service-oriented. If there is anything that is unclear to you, just ask! Nothing is taboo to me. The best way to reach me is at my email: james@happypaws.photography. I look forward to hearing from you and meeting your fur-mily!
