this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2023
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Photography

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A place to politely discuss the tools, technique and culture of photography.

This is not a good place to simply share cool photos/videos or promote your own work and projects, but rather a place to discuss photography as an art and post things that would be of interest to other photographers.

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Can't entice customers? (alien.top)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I'm very confident in my abilities as a photographer, and I think my prices are fair, yet I am just not able to lock in a solid confirmation from potential clients, they always slip away.

I'm a student photographer offering portraits at a University, so maybe it's college kid cash insecurity that is the problem, but then I wonder why they even bother to DM me in the first place?

I charge $10 a photo, minimum of $60 or 6 photos. From what I've heard that's about as undercut to the competition as I can go, and yet no one is interested?

I know for certain that the market for portraits exists at my Uni, as I walk past our front entrance with a rival photographer and graduate model everyday.

Reaching people has always been my weakspot. I feel like there is a network I don't exist in.

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[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

There's a thing as being too cheap.

If something was so far under the competition you start to question quality, especially on something you might not be able to qualify yourself.

Such as, at the moment we're quoting for an electrician for some work, I have a broad sense of what's involved but no the intricacies (otherwise I'd be doing it myself), one quoted $300 which is substantially lower than around $800 several others have quoted, so we're not even going to talk to them as it's so cheap we're not sure if they've misunderstood the requirement or just aren't very good and under-pricing to be selected.

So, similarly, if I was to see most photoshoots going around $500 for five pictures, and you're doing six for $60, I'm going to move on as that's just too cheap, I might enquire a little, see if I can explain the discrepancy, but ultimately, if I'm paying for it, I want quality and want to do it once.

If you're looking to build portfolio and charging less, try instead a local TFP group, you get to pad your portfolio and impress perspective clients and you gain experience, all of which you can then feel more confident charging market rate.