Photography - pricing - how should it be done?

[CountryWolf07]

So I decided to do photography, and make some money out of it, because I need to make some income while I am in school. So what is the best way/advice/tips on that?

I just recently landed a unpaid internship to work with a small record label company here in Columbus, which I will be dealing with graphics/promotions/advertising, which is great, but wish it was a paid internship but I will get what I can get my hands on for experience!

So, I was wondering. With this photograph of Columbus' "Short North", it is framed. The images are crisp and very vivid/bold with colors. The frame cost me about 30 bucks. To run up the images, it cost me about 10 bucks. So, what would be the reasonable pricing, because I AM willing to sell this to someone who's interested.

http://xs224.xs.to/xs224/08095/cimg5209842.jpg

Obviously I would have different subjects to photograph, so, it won't only be the city area of Columbus.

Thanks!

[Catlady711]

I am NOT trying to be mean here. I've taken numerous advanced college photography classes, earned awards/ribbons/cash for my photos in contests and have researched into making photography my evental full time career. I've been 'practicing' for over 15 years. Not bragging just trying to let you know where I'm coming from here.

Anyways, you're NOT going to want to hear this but...

If you start selling your photography you're going to need to apply for a license to charge sales tax (depending on your states regulations). You'll then need to file income tax for your sales and report all earnings and pay taxes on that. Even if you're only doing it as a hobby/semi-professional you still have to charge sales tax and report it on your income tax. If you don't, that is tax evasion and has nasty penaties. All it takes is one person who writes off their purchase to you on their taxes for it to get traced back to you or one person with a gripe to report you as an illegal business. You would also need to keep very good records of sales income for the tax purposes.


http://www.photoattorney.com/2006_06_01_photoattorney_archive.html (very good but short article on taxes for photography sales)

http://www.ebsqart.com/artMagazine/za_238.htm (has some good tax advice including hobby status)

http://www.naturescapes.net/022006/hf0206.htm (more in depth article similar to the first link)

http://www.blogherald.com/2007/10/30/blogging-for-hobby-or-money/ (interesting article from a professional blogger, also includes and applies to photography as a business)


I'm not trying to discourage you from trying to make your hobby into a semi professional outing, I'm just trying to save you alot of heartache and trouble with the tax man over it.

If you're not wanting to make photography a career then my suggestion is take on an extra few hours at a fast food joint or somewhere you can make a few bucks for extra income.

It's a bit hard to see your framed pix because of the glare and reflections from the dead on camera flash. From what I can see, your pictures are nice 'snapshots'. I'm sure you love them or you wouldn't have went through the trouble of printing and framing them in such a manner. Keep it as a wall hanging in your home and a nice conversation piece for your family and friends to enjoy.

Here is a couple Flickr sites that have some excellent photos of cityscapes and a few of the Columbus area to give you some ideas on what's possible.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fusionpanda/sets/72157594190097061/

http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&q=cityscape&m=tags



If you really do want to do photography as a career (even part time) I'd highly recommend taking some photography classes and a few business classes. In the meantime join some photo groups (mpex and flickr groups come to mind) and ask for comments and critique for your pix to help you improve them. Enter some local photo contests (beware of those online or magazine contests they are usually just giving you peanuts for commercial use of your pix without further compensation which is big bucks in the pro business).

That's my advice for you since you asked openly for it. I've already let you know where I'm coming from in giving it, so feel free to take it or not at your leisure.

Either way I wish you the best with your internship and your schooling.

[CountryWolf07]

Wow. That's a lot to take in.

I think I'm not going to do it then, that's way too much work for me, and I do not have the time. I guess I will have to go find something else to make money. I absolutely DO NOT have time to work at a fast-food restaurant, because of the internship I just recently got, so, thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it. :) A little bit disappointed, but that's alright. That's just life. I had no idea you had to go through a lot of crap just to be able to sell pictures. Thanks again.

[Catlady711]

Wow. That's a lot to take in.

I think I'm not going to do it then, that's way too much work for me, and I do not have the time. I guess I will have to go find something else to make money. I absolutely DO NOT have time to work at a fast-food restaurant, because of the internship I just recently got, so, thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it. :) A little bit disappointed, but that's alright. That's just life. I had no idea you had to go through a lot of crap just to be able to sell pictures. Thanks again.


Yeah, no kidding. I had thought at one point doing landscape pix and selling them sounded great, until I started reasearching. Let alone the market is flooded and very few buyers for that type of work. I'm currently reorganizing my skills towards portrait photography as that seems to have a better market although it's a LOT more complicated even than landscape!

I hope you find something that will help you earn a bit more income without causing you to lose sleep working or cause your schoolwork to suffer.

Good luck.

[Giselle]

Let alone the market is flooded and very few buyers for that type of work. I'm currently reorganizing my skills towards portrait photography as that seems to have a better market although it's a LOT more complicated even than landscape!
Two words: Senior portraits. I've seen a lot of senior portraits and they don't even seem to require much artistic flair. You just need to catch the subject in a good light, and you've just earned a couple hundred ;)

I'm sure there's more to it, but I wouldn't hesitate to try to find a part time job with a respected photographer/photography group that does senior portraits.

ETA: Or you can go into pet photography, which I'm sure a bunch of folks on here are already doing or considering doing. It would be a wonderful way to hone your artistic abilities while earning small surplus income.

[Catlady711]

Two words: Senior portraits. I've seen a lot of senior portraits and they don't even seem to require much artistic flair. You just need to catch the subject in a good light, and you've just earned a couple hundred ;)

I'm sure there's more to it, but I wouldn't hesitate to try to find a part time job with a respected photographer/photography group that does senior portraits.

ETA: Or you can go into pet photography, which I'm sure a bunch of folks on here are already doing or considering doing. It would be a wonderful way to hone your artistic abilities while earning small surplus income.


I had already thought pet photography years ago, in my particular area though not much market for it unfortunately. I don't really want to move just to do pet pix.

Yes I've noticed senior portraits are the hot comodity right now. The ones I consider 'professional' though are highly artistically done with retouching though and I don't have a good enough program nor do I have alot of computer retouching skills yet.

That's part of my reorganizing of skills I'm working on. I'm eventually aiming to be a member of the PPA (professional photographers association) with at least a few merit credits behind me. I'm way behind since I had to switch up gears from landscape/nature which I've been doing for years before digital and internet was a common thing. Ahh the good old days of high quality film and a great rapport with the pro lab & camera store guys (real people not a faceless unknown on the internet), expensive but well worth the price. Didn't have to deal with memory cards, RAW, Photoshop, masks, layers, internet, websites etc.

Yes some people go out and earn a couple hundred on fairly simple portrait work. I'm aiming for a sustainable living of a higher standard that should pull in a $100,000 a year or more consistently AFTER expenses. The price range you're describing works out to less than minimum wage after expenses/time which is more like hobby status.

All I DO know for SURE is I'm not doing any weddings for any reason! I've already been asked by a bunch of people and they just don't seem to 'get it' that just because I can do a drop dead gorgeous landscape is not the same as a permenant memento of the most special day of someone's life! I don't have that type of equipment, I don't posess those particular skills, and I don't know how on earth the photogs that do that deal with the stress of everything involved. They're more than welcome to that part of it with my blessings, someone has to do it, but it won't be me!

Anyways I'm rambling so I'll stop now. lol