Chris Brogden wrote: HEAR! HEAR!
--
Are you reading this, Tanya? :)
There's more to setting a price than the value of the materials, or the rates set by others. I can buy and cook a pretty good steak for well under $10.00 CAN. I can buy a steak from a mediocre steak house for about $15.00-$20.00. A very good steak house will charge me around $30.00 for the same steak, and it will be worth it. If I go to a high-end restaurant that uses the best beef, I'll consider it a bargain if I only have to pay $40.00-$60.00.
Never be afraid to charge premium rates for premium services.
Some people in North America spend tens of thousands on a photographer. Part of the reason why they do that is that spending lots of money makes them feel *better* about their photographer and about the quality of the results.
Think about this. You need your roof reshingled, so you call a couple of companies. The first guy you call tells you the price. It's a lot of money, but he explains to you why he charges so much, what his philosophy is concerning quality work and materials, etc. Sounds good, but you call another company to get a competing quote. This time, the guy sounds insecure, almost apologetic about his price. When you ask him to repeat it, he drops several hundred dollars off it. You try to bring the conversation around to his work philosophy, work history, etc., but all he does is keep talking about his price and offering to lower it. Which company would you trust more to do quality work?
Here's one thing I've learned from years of sales: there are three kinds of buyers, but every kind wants to feel that they are buying high-quality merchandise. The vast majority of consumers are prepared to spend what they consider a fair bit on good products/services, but they want a good combination of low price and good product. They're the first type of consumer.
The second type is a minority. These buyers, by necessity or preference, are looking to spend as little as possible. They'll moan about Walmart's prices and try to haggle over every dollar. At the same time, they still expect their $100 p&s camera to produce superb pictures.
The third type is even more rare. These buyers have (and are willing to spend) enough money that cost really doesn't enter into their decision. They want the best product/service for their needs, whatever it happens to cost. If you're selling them a product, they don't care if you give them a discount. They'll thank you politely and accept it, but they would happily pay full price. If you're selling them an individualized service, as you are, then they expect to pay a premium price. If you try to discount your price, they may begin to doubt the quality of your work, or your suitability as a photographer. It's nothing personal, but they believe the old adage... you get what you pay for.
The other thing to remember is that he's not thinking in Aussie prices. He couldn't care less what the going rate is in Brisbane, or what most photographers Down Under charge. He wants you. If you happen to be the most expensive photographer in Australia, so much the better for him: he can feel that he's getting the highest-quality work possible, which he is. Wedding photography isn't like buying a camera; there are no set prices. Customers tend to assume that good wedding photographers charge a lot of money while lousy ones don't.
Your client has probably looked at a lot of photographers lately, and you came out on top as the highest quality one. He'll be expecting you to charge accordingly. When he says that you are the best wedding photographer for his needs, what he's also saying is that he's willing to pay you more than he's willing to pay any other photographer. He doesn't want some weekend warrior hack butchering his priceless wedding, and charging him a premium price is one way of ensuring that he never has to feel that way.
So... take whatever price the most expensive photographer there charges and double it. Or triple it. :) Then make sure to go above and beyond for him. Shoot more film than you've ever shot before. Try more creative stuff than you've ever tried, while still getting the money shots. Spring for premium albums. Make it a high-class event all the way. But charge him a lot of money, and do it with poise and confidence. If he balks, then he's really just the first type of consumer after all, and you can negotiate prices based on his expectations and budget. But if he really cares about the images more than the money, then he'll be happy to pay you what he'll see as a fair price for world-class photography.
And don't even start on the I'm-not-worthy speech. You do excellent work, Tanya, but more important than what I think or what you think is that *he* thinks you do excellent work. It doesn't matter if you hate it, or your neighbour thinks it could be better, or your neighbour's dog pisses over your photos when it sees them... the only thing that matters is that the client loves it. That's the only important factor in commercial photography. Period. Feel free to nitpick your own work and strive to improve, but don't let your perfectionism influence your pricing, because it doesn't make the smallest bit of difference to how your client sees your work.
They'll be enough clients looking to cut down your work and your prices... don't do it to yourself.
chris
-- graywolf http://graywolfphoto.com
"You might as well accept people as they are, you are not going to be able to change them anyway."
