So what is a reasonable amt to pay ....?

[canturn]

http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/7/391196.html?1154216288


look, more problems with clients and photographers.......


at this rate and this kind of works, seriously you are making a lost everytime you shoot. not only phyiscal lost (money) but emotional lost (negative clients) and stress (motivational lost).


I avoid clients like this seriously

This topic has been discussed to death. Yes, it's a free market out there, people can charge whatever price, accept whatever price, it goes on.

The kind of work your produce and how your price yourself will determine what sort of clients you attract. Take weddings as an example, we all know it's a market flooded with part-timers under-cutting each other. For example, one of my assistants laughed when she read that people can charge as low as $350-400 for a full day wedding (with prints) in the case of the thread that we see in Singaporebrides.com posted by Gilbert.

Drumma: we all learn from incidents like these. $400 is what I get from ang boa from my kind of clients and their parents, really. That's the kind of clients I'm working for now.

If you want to attract the pasar malam kind of clients, you can price yourself low, but remember, anyone can always be cheaper than you, short of doing it free.

 

[drumma]

This topic has been discussed to death. Yes, it's a free market out there, people can charge whatever price, accept whatever price, it goes on.

The kind of work your produce and how your price yourself will determine what sort of clients you attract. Take weddings as an example, we all know it's a market flooded with part-timers under-cutting each other. For example, one of my assistants laughed when she read that people can charge as low as $350-400 for a full day wedding (with prints) in the case of the thread that we see in Singaporebrides.com posted by Gilbert.

Drumma: we all learn from incidents like these. $400 is what I get from ang boa from my kind of clients and their parents, really. That's the kind of clients I'm working for now.

If you want to attract the pasar malam kind of clients, you can price yourself low, but remember, anyone can always be cheaper than you, short of doing it free.

lol.. u think i dun want to charge 2k per wedding? lol. but with 1-2 experiences, how to command that price? do give me advices, i'm all ears and willing to learn.
yes.. discussed to death. i have plans to increase my rates slowly, right?
i'm learning as i go along and great to have ppl telling me these.

 

[canturn]

lol.. u think i dun want to charge 2k per wedding? lol. but with 1-2 experiences, how to command that price? do give me advices, i'm all ears and willing to learn.
yes.. discussed to death. i have plans to increase my rates slowly, right?
i'm learning as i go along and great to have ppl telling me these.

For a start, just tag along a pro, don't shoot... I didn't have the guts to go solo until 9 months tagging along - it's a couple's big day and if there's anything goes wrong, let it be the main photographer's fault, not mine.

When I started doing full-time pro, I put a price tag at $1288 providing the same kind of prints, 300 x4R, the usual 'standard' stuffs and guess what? I get many phone calls from couples who want to meet up, but at the end would tell me they find someone cheaper or "more reasonably priced".

The easiest way to move yourself up the price ladder is to produce things that others can't, and keep evolving before everyone starts to copy or mass produce. Look at coffee table books now, it's so darn common and getting cheaper these days to print.

It took quite a bit of balls to charge high, really. I relooked at my portfolio and trashed quite a bit of it because they're beginning to look like the same old cliches - you know, the shots that everyone's doing?

Ask yourself, are you shooting the same old cheezy stuffs as everyone else is doing, are your doing the same kind of cliched DI? (one classic example is the hand colouring of flowers and rest of the pictures in B&W). Next question is, how can you produce shoots that the other pro can't. Don't just experiment your style with people's wedding, you have to produce some 'safe' shoots and angles and yet push the envelop and do something a little out of your comfort zone. Some time ago, I stopped shooting and just asked to tag along for a few of the weddings without my cam, and it did help a lot in shaping my vision and the direction I'm going.

So long you're willing to learn, considering you're 18, you have a long way to go. Even for myself, I'm still learning from each other in the industry. Many of the pros never regard each other as competitors and we do meet up for kopi or share our lobangs occasionally. You have Gilbert who've offered consultation for a cup of starbucks

 

[canturn]

anyway, the moment I saw the way they flip the album, I have decided not to shoot for them, even before the question pop out, it just simply wasting my time to meet them.

How the couple flip through your books is a good indication of interest, really.

Some can take 1 minute, some can take 15 minutes on the same book, some can flip through it a few times for half and hour. Just last week, a couple dropped by my place and I had 3 albums on the table. Couple can just spend 30 secs to flip through half an album, and ask me about price. Well, I was very upfront with them, quoted my rates, and first rhetorical question was, "how come so expensive one har?" Some of us have even met some wedding coordinator who've gone around like 12 photographers, just snooping around for pricing and not interest in your services at all.

After a while, you'll learn the art of sieving out the clients that you will never want to do business with. Doesn't mean we have to be arrogant like that Bak Kut Teh seller who didn't want to serve his food to some HK fella, but just be up front with them about your pricing, normally you'll scare the ones you don't want away

 

[catchlights]

How the couple flip through your books is a good indication of interest, really.

Some can take 1 minute, some can take 15 minutes on the same book, some can flip through it a few times for half and hour. Just last week, a couple dropped by my place and I had 3 albums on the table. Couple can just spend 30 secs to flip through half an album, and ask me about price. Well, I was very upfront with them, quoted my rates, and first rhetorical question was, "how come so expensive one har?" Some of us have even met some wedding coordinator who've gone around like 12 photographers, just snooping around for pricing and not interest in your services at all.

After a while, you'll learn the art of sieving out the clients that you will never want to do business with. Doesn't mean we have to be arrogant like that Bak Kut Teh seller who didn't want to serve his food to some HK fella, but just be up front with them about your pricing, normally you'll scare the ones you don't want away

yea, from my past experience, I will never be happy with this type of customers, from the day I accept their booking till the day I deliver their album, the worst part is, they will bring more people like them to me, and think that they are doing me a big favor. :faint:

 

[Sion]

Great! how come I never thought of that? thanks!!

I think I should put this "FIXED PRICE" words in all my price list too.

Also put big big "Ang Pao is compulsory and not below $200".

 

[catchlights]

Also put big big "Ang Pao is compulsory and not below $200".

"Ang Pao is compulsory" .... yes, agreed on this part, base on the meaning this ritual.

"not below $200"...... that is if they do practice giving tips base on 15% off the bill.

 

[dragos]

just priced whatever is reasonable to yourself....for me, it is going up gradually...now charging $80 to $90/hr depends on prints or no prints...which i still feel is low....but it is going up as i feel when i am of the level...

it all depends on the individual.

e.g, long time ago, i charge $25 per hr for tuition when others are charging $15/hr...when the parents ask, i told them..this is my rate...and i deliver...hahaha...at least the kid went from band 3 to band 1...whatever u call that



drumma, seriously, u shd command more than $400 plus...the market is there....dun worry too much...once u are there, u are there...it is like there are rolexes and swatches....

 

[cosycatus]

well starbucks or kopitiam is always a good start. my contacts in my webby.

wah..am i welcome??