Educate Your Clients - Post Production After Photo Shoot

When clients such as wedding couples are pricing photographers, most don't realize the work that comes AFTER their event. A few months ago there was a discussion on the LinkedIn Group "Women In Photography" on the subject of pricing. There's a lot to learn from this.  Here are samples of some of my before post production and after photographs of a wedding I photographed in Central Park. You will see that without editing the images (first downloaded onto my computer) can be dark & flat.  One of the examples below shows the final cut, cropped and with more contrast. Don't you think this image looks much better?  Post production work takes time to accomplish the final product.

Here are excerpts from the LinkedIn Discussion:

Jennifer Carrillo

http://www.bellarosaphoto.com

"I have been in the wedding industry for 12 years and wedding photography is expensive, but rightfully so! When I first began, my prices ran around $1500, but time and costs were less (I shot film), and in the first 2 years I did not make much, but gained a ton of experience! After my 3rd year in business I was so busy, I had to raise my prices and have been around the same price ever since, doing quite well. Wedding Photography today is expensive, digital requires a lot of time and knowledge, film did not. Here is how I break down my expenses to my client and explain my fees:

1. You are paying for my experience and expertise, my creative eye and art
2. I may only shoot 8 hours on your wedding day, but there is at least 20-40 hours plus spent on the back end, backing up, editing, converting from RAW, and running actions to create those amazing final jpegs that are your proofs! I now outsource for this due to the fact that I am shooting too much to sit in front of a computer for hours on end, so there is an expense there.
3. I always have a 2nd professional shoot with me. They have a fee as well.
4. I also factor in all of the expenses of my equipment (wear and tear), travel (wear and tear on my car), processing (wear and tear on the computer) et...
5. I have to account for the expense of albums in their packages, reprints etc..."

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Posted by Linda Quinn

Quinn Photography

http://www.quinnphototampa.com/

 

WHERE DO YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY $$ GO?
Event Specific Investments:
Client Planning: 4+ hours
• Shot lists, schedule framework, questions, referrals, site recon and travel, any requested in-person follow-up consultations
Wedding Day: 5-8 hours
• 5-8 hours photography
• 2 hours setup, breakdown, packing, unpacking, light checks, local travel
Postproduction: 42 hours
• Initial Downloads, Edit, Burning: 2-5 hours
• Postproduction (minor retouch, color/density, file conversion) 37 hours
o Average 50-70 images per hour capture, 5-8-hour wedding = 250-560- images
Web Optimization/Burning or Upload for 250-560 Online Previews; CD ROM, Albums, DVD: 31+ hours + costs
• Album Consultation: 2 hours
• Album Design: 1 hour per page
• Album Manufacturer Quibbling & Consultations: 1 hour
• Client Layout Proofing, first revision 2+ hours
• Print Selection & Delivery to Printer 2 hours
• CD and/or DVD Slideshow: 4+ hours for 100 images, formatted and burned. Custom screen/label graphics, printing, materials, music synchronization.
Assistants (Wedding Day):
• $250-$400 per day, depending complexity and length of event.
82-85 Total Hours to Complete Wedding Photography Service