This is a damn good article, short, easy to digest and hopefully a wake up call.
Photography is a Luxury Business, Not a Discount Store
Photography is a Luxury Business, Not a Discount Store
Photography is a Luxury Business, Not a Discount Store
- Thread starter sjackal
- Start date
Agree but article itself is anti-climax by not give you full info and interested with reader joining their "mailing list". As much as love the article, I was left with less experience to give me a reason to join them.
I do recognize photography is a want (not necessarily Luxury)... Luxury is when you charge a price that put you in that segment. This will be a very different area.
Most people still can afford and need photography as there are many photographer charge lower then their cost, hence make them more than affordable, but of course, image quality is another issue that is debatable.
How difficult to say to clients that you don't give discount as you just want to be fair to every clients who uses your service and we need to be honest about this. No one want to pay more.
There will be clients who will say, I won't tell anyone else, but it's your honesty that is in question if you give that discount.
There are exception, but should be one that is valid enough for you to give discount. Refer to my post about the case study for how to handle it.
Regards,
Hart
I do recognize photography is a want (not necessarily Luxury)... Luxury is when you charge a price that put you in that segment. This will be a very different area.
Most people still can afford and need photography as there are many photographer charge lower then their cost, hence make them more than affordable, but of course, image quality is another issue that is debatable.
How difficult to say to clients that you don't give discount as you just want to be fair to every clients who uses your service and we need to be honest about this. No one want to pay more.
There will be clients who will say, I won't tell anyone else, but it's your honesty that is in question if you give that discount.
There are exception, but should be one that is valid enough for you to give discount. Refer to my post about the case study for how to handle it.
Regards,
Hart
it's not a luxury business... it's a profession... like doctors, accountants, lawyers, etc... one can self-medicate, do one's own accounts, represent oneself in court, but YMMV and it's sometimes better to get a professional to do it... a luxury is something that is nice to have but not strictly speaking necessary, a want rather than a need...
Interesting article... I tend to agree with the idea that photography is more akin to luxury as it is the about paying of the photographer for his skills and creativity in creating the atmosphere and the image that is unique for the client. A bit like artist paintings.. if u like it u will pay for it.
theRBK said:
I find photography more of a luxury business. Doctors, accountants and lawyers are necessary in the society, especially doctors. But hiring a photographer is more of whether one wants to or not. Life can still go on as usual without photographers, but of course not saying photographers are insignificant
there are many areas needs photographers, like photojournalist, forensic photography, commercial photography, industrial photography etc.....
but here are referring to consumers photography, which consumers are the end users of the photography products and services, most of the time, these services and products are not an essential item but just a want.
consumers are buying photography when the can afford to, not because they need it.
if the photographers fail to understand this, they can't add value to their services and products and make customers to buy from them at a premium price.
these photographers are selling their product and services like cheap toilet papers, as they think everybody need toilet paper and nobody will pay $5 for a roll of toilet paper, so they sell their toilet paper at 30cents a roll.
but here are referring to consumers photography, which consumers are the end users of the photography products and services, most of the time, these services and products are not an essential item but just a want.
consumers are buying photography when the can afford to, not because they need it.
if the photographers fail to understand this, they can't add value to their services and products and make customers to buy from them at a premium price.
these photographers are selling their product and services like cheap toilet papers, as they think everybody need toilet paper and nobody will pay $5 for a roll of toilet paper, so they sell their toilet paper at 30cents a roll.
Actually I think the main issue in Singapore, at least, is that many people have the purchasing power to get a DSLR and decent enough equipment for their hobby. As time goes by, they start thinking about earning some money on the side - but it is not their main source of income, so they don't really care about pricing it right. That leads to the 30 cents a roll syndrome, and that in turn, spills over to the professionals, some of whom will start pricing to generate a huge volume of sales (with less profit per sale).
Expensive not necessarily good, cheap also might not be bad, given the kiasu attitude of Singaporeans, many believe that they will be able to find a good hobbyist and save money while getting a decent quality of photographs for their treasured moments (e.g. wedding, family shots). Whether they succeed or not, is another thing altogether.
Agreed with the article and I like what Catchlights said.
Photography can be a luxury product or a commodity depending on what the photographer chose to be. Unfortunately many amatuers and new pros chose the latter. Resulting in too many amateurs becoming new pros and new pros becoming ex-pros.
The real pros stays because his selling a luxury product/service. But unknown to many behind that luxury price tags are porportionally high overheads too. Pros might charge a huge price, but his earning humbly really.
This is a difficult career. Most dont do it for money. Charging a luxury price, is merely staying in business and having a job that feeds the family and hopefully gave enough to retire. Rich photographers are already rich from other means.
Amateurs who charge toilet paper prices and then go on to bad mouth and bitch about how expensive the full time pros are, is in reality - doing themselves a disfavor and insulting their ownselves. For if a mediocre pro can sell his crappy service at $2000 and an amatuer can't sell his 'masterpiece sincere from the heart' service at $200; then where do the amatuer even stand? And don't hide behind the word 'I am amatuer only' for once you bring money into the equation you are judged like a pro and measured in dollars.
So, if you want to sell; don't sell toilet paper. Sell art. And price it right like art should be.
Photography can be a luxury product or a commodity depending on what the photographer chose to be. Unfortunately many amatuers and new pros chose the latter. Resulting in too many amateurs becoming new pros and new pros becoming ex-pros.
The real pros stays because his selling a luxury product/service. But unknown to many behind that luxury price tags are porportionally high overheads too. Pros might charge a huge price, but his earning humbly really.
This is a difficult career. Most dont do it for money. Charging a luxury price, is merely staying in business and having a job that feeds the family and hopefully gave enough to retire. Rich photographers are already rich from other means.
Amateurs who charge toilet paper prices and then go on to bad mouth and bitch about how expensive the full time pros are, is in reality - doing themselves a disfavor and insulting their ownselves. For if a mediocre pro can sell his crappy service at $2000 and an amatuer can't sell his 'masterpiece sincere from the heart' service at $200; then where do the amatuer even stand? And don't hide behind the word 'I am amatuer only' for once you bring money into the equation you are judged like a pro and measured in dollars.
So, if you want to sell; don't sell toilet paper. Sell art. And price it right like art should be.
Last edited:
Similar threads
