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website My Professional Website

OK, you posted that while I was adding my nickle-and-dime advice. :bag:

It's not a great idea to give the client all the pictures, unless you're taking so much care with each and every one that you never make any mistakes. If you're rattling off several dozen shots, some will have an eye closed or a weird drooping mouth or a fingertip in the wrong place. It's in nobody's interest for the client to see those - and definitely not in your interest for them to be sharing them as examples of the "hilarious" pictures you took.

So don't offer to hand over everything, and the phrase is no longer a problem coz you won't use it. :cool:

Despite what I wrote above about detailling every charge, that's for your internal business use and for invoicing purposes. On the website, you only need to display the whole package price and describe the key features. You can lay out a bit more detail about the complete package in a FAQ page if you want, but remember that most people will be coming to you for one, maybe two, really good portraits, so don't get carried away with advertising how many packets of ketchup come with the meal (to continue Nate's cheeseburger meal metaphor 🍔).

Maybe nickle and diming is the way to go, IDK. It's a lot to absorb.
If people are paying near $300 they're gonna want to know what they get out of it, I need to figure out what that is.

One thing though -- this whole idea of providing lower res images... kinda outdated.
AI upscaling is way better than olden times, if you give someone a lower res image they can just upscale it and peace out.
 
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Is this article ridiculous? Photographers keeping the rights and charging licensing fees for the headshot, and for a limited time, so you jack up the licensing fee later if it becomes a widespread image. It's a gat damned headshot! This article is strange lol.
 
Searching facebook groups and browsing other photo websites:

This guy worded it really well

Unlimited looks! You get 1 hour with me. Most people can get through 3-5 wardrobe changes in an hour.
🙂

Includes all images from shoot (color corrected) + 3 retouched images of your choice. Commercial headshots and theatrical headshots!
All for only $495.

He says "all images" so it sounds like there aren't any bad ones, but we all know he's just burying the bad ones lol, great way to phrase it.
This is much better than the worded i did.

Here's another photographers pricing
$275 1/hr headshot includes one retouched download.
$450 Portrait Photography 1.5hr session/3 High Res. retouched images/unlimited wardrobe changes/option to purchase additional photos.
$75 each additional picture.

This guy list his amenities... mine are actually better than his, I have two pinball machines in the lounge area. hah.
Specializing in high end.... [etc] ... Studio Rental - 4200 sf private studio with load in bay door, 2 restrooms, dressing room, lounge area, office and hair and makeup room.
 
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Is this article ridiculous? Photographers keeping the rights and charging licensing fees for the headshot, and for a limited time, so you jack up the licensing fee later if it becomes a widespread image. It's a gat damned headshot! This article is strange lol.
I have no idea.. I'm not even sure what I should put in a model release.
Kinda makes sense though, like if it were the 90s and I were taking a picture of cindy crawford.. I'd probably want to know where that image is gonna end up, and want a piece of the pie. You don't want to get tricked into taking a $7,000 magazine cover with a $1000 headshot fee.
 
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Well then maybe you will find that article useful. I have no idea either. 😂
I agree though, that levels of quality is dumb. Web quality, print quality, different prices. Silly. Give them the best quality, it costs you nothing so it's just a money grab button push thing. The rights, that's different. Yeah maybe you need to hold onto them as you are the original artist. 🤷‍♂️
 
Searching facebook groups and browsing other photo websites:

This guy worded it really well



He says "all images" so it sounds like there aren't any bad ones, but we all know he's just burying the bad ones lol, great way to phrase it.
This is much better than the worded i did.

Here's another photographers pricing


This guy list his amenities... mine are actually better than his, I have two pinball machines in the lounge area. hah.
I understand the word good implies there were bad ones, but all you have to really do is just asterisk the word all.

Includes all* images from shoot (color corrected) + 3 retouched images of your choice. Commercial headshots and theatrical headshots!
All for only $495.
*All images except mistakes/deletions, etc.

Or similar.
 
If people are paying near $300 they're gonna want to know what they get out of it, I need to figure out what that is.
Yup! :yes:

But you need to do that in collaboration with your target clientbase and taking account of the work involved on your part. Concentrate on getting this bit clear in your head before worrying too much about what phrases to use on the website, how much detail to display up-front, or how your landing page should look.

Also, don't try to make your first package proposal a one-size-fits all offer. Chances are the guy who comes to you in a suit and tie for a headshot for professional purposes won't need "unlimited wardrobe changes" so there's no value in that for him, and it might even create the impression that you're mostly interested in hyperactive serial online daters. On the other hand, the wannabe actress who's shopping around might see your offer of "all" photos and unlimited wardrobe changes, but decide that your $270 is too good to be true when the going rate is $495.

Let your sample photos sell the service on the landing page, keep the up-front package details to a minimum, and set things up so that you can add to, rather than change, your service and site content as you get feedback and enquiries from real-world customers.
 
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One thing though -- this whole idea of providing lower res images... kinda outdated.

In the last few years, I've twice been the user of a professional photographer, one in the context of a family event, the other as part of a get-this-old-guy-back-to-work incentive :bow:

Two different studios, two different countries, but in both cases the photographer provided only a limited set of what I referred to as low-res images. Sure still in the mega-pixel range and perfectly usable for most purposes, but it wasn't "all" the pics taken in either case, and it was more than enough from which to make a final selection.

This is another one of those situations where there's little advantage in trying to promote what's essentially a by-product of the shoot. You're selling high quality portraits, not an all-you-can-eat snapshot feast.
 
In the last few years, I've twice been the user of a professional photographer, one in the context of a family event, the other as part of a get-this-old-guy-back-to-work incentive :bow:

Two different studios, two different countries, but in both cases the photographer provided only a limited set of what I referred to as low-res images. Sure still in the mega-pixel range and perfectly usable for most purposes, but it wasn't "all" the pics taken in either case, and it was more than enough from which to make a final selection.

This is another one of those situations where there's little advantage in trying to promote what's essentially a by-product of the shoot. You're selling high quality portraits, not an all-you-can-eat snapshot feast.
If they gave you mega-pixel images, why bother to pay them? You've already got what you wanted.
If McDonalds gives me a burger, then says i have to pay them if I want the receipt, I'm just gonna walk out with my burger.

Shit I don't trust people at all when money is involved.

You're totally right about reducing the quantity.
I saw someone's headshot ad on facebook.. their ad had text in the middle, and like 24 different headshots piled around the text.

There were so many headshots, I couldn't appreciate a single one of them!! The advertisement sucked.
I think the idea of getting them ONE picture is good, that's what most people want, one really really good picture, then upsell them a 2nd.

If someone is a serial dater and wants 10 outfit changes, they can email me and ask me for a bulk deal or something.
Thanks this conversation has been illuminating. I changed the landing page to 1-pic at a time.
 
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