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What to Charge With A Different Twist

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Wingspar

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A fellow who owns a gas station in town is looking to apply for a "Reduced RV Visibility Signing. In other words, he needs to show that 300 feet before his property, the visibility of his station is reduced, causing people to not see his station in time, slow down, and decide to drive on. (Mostly motorhomes). In the application it states that 300 feet is approximately the length of 8 broken lines. This will allow him to place a sign advertising his business a certain distance from where he is to let people know that he is there.

The other day when I got tired of trying to get hold of him to look at it together, I took a tape measure, and measured 300 feet from his property, and took a photo from the left and right northbound lanes. Today I showed him the photos in poor resolution 5 x 7 B&W on regular paper from a non photo printer to see if it was what he was looking for before using up good paper and ink on my Epson 2200.

He decided he liked them, and wanted two copies of each photo in poor resolution in 4 x 6. It is to his advantage if there is not much detail in the photos. Well, this is backwards from what most of us in this forum strive for. But, he is the customer.

Now to what I am have a problem with. 300 feet is approximately the length of 8 broken lines as stated in the application. He counted the number of broken lines in the photo at 5, and wants me to move back further to 8 broken lines and re-take the photos. At least one set of broken lines is missing due to wear and construction. If I do what he asks, I would guess I would be close to 400 feet from his station.

Should I just move back, take the photos, and forget about the extra distance?

Originally I was just going to charge $15 per 8x10 photo, for a total of $60. Now, he wants a total of four 4 x 6 low resolution B&W photos that will cost nothing to print. How should I charge for these photos?

--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

 
the significant portion of my charges are for my time and expertise. printing and other consumables are just add-ins.

as for the distance, sounds like he wants the 300ft FOV -- i'd give it to him...dav
--
don't wait for technology -- it won't wait for you
 
Wingspar said:
Originally I was just going to charge $15 per 8x10 photo, for a
total of $60. Now, he wants a total of four 4 x 6 low resolution
B&W photos that will cost nothing to print. How should I charge
for these photos?

--
Click to expand...
$3 per print. And go to Starbucks and spend your profit on a venti double shot low carb extra hot mocha frapaccino half soy latte.
 
When you started this business, did you figure out what your hourly rate was going to be? Whatever your hourly rate was, you just exceeded whatever you could hope to earn from this gig by the amount of time wasted when you posted this thread.

Send him a bill for whatever your hourly rate is. Or, ask him how he would best settle?
Suggest one of the following:
A free tank of gas
a free oil change
a couple pounds of steak from the local butcher?
or
tire rotation w/ radiator flush/fill

And if he gets approval for the sign based on your pictures, maybe you get an extra tank of gas out of the deal.
Wingspar said:
A fellow who owns a gas station in town is looking to apply for a
"Reduced RV Visibility Signing. In other words, he needs to show
that 300 feet before his property, the visibility of his station is
reduced, causing people to not see his station in time, slow down,
and decide to drive on. (Mostly motorhomes). In the application
it states that 300 feet is approximately the length of 8 broken
lines. This will allow him to place a sign advertising his
business a certain distance from where he is to let people know
that he is there.

The other day when I got tired of trying to get hold of him to look
at it together, I took a tape measure, and measured 300 feet from
his property, and took a photo from the left and right northbound
lanes. Today I showed him the photos in poor resolution 5 x 7 B&W
on regular paper from a non photo printer to see if it was what he
was looking for before using up good paper and ink on my Epson 2200.

He decided he liked them, and wanted two copies of each photo in
poor resolution in 4 x 6. It is to his advantage if there is not
much detail in the photos. Well, this is backwards from what most
of us in this forum strive for. But, he is the customer.

Now to what I am have a problem with. 300 feet is approximately
the length of 8 broken lines as stated in the application. He
counted the number of broken lines in the photo at 5, and wants me
to move back further to 8 broken lines and re-take the photos. At
least one set of broken lines is missing due to wear and
construction. If I do what he asks, I would guess I would be close
to 400 feet from his station.

Should I just move back, take the photos, and forget about the
extra distance?

Originally I was just going to charge $15 per 8x10 photo, for a
total of $60. Now, he wants a total of four 4 x 6 low resolution
B&W photos that will cost nothing to print. How should I charge
for these photos?

--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

Click to expand...
--

' We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. '
  • George Orwell
 
dannv said:
the significant portion of my charges are for my time and
expertise. printing and other consumables are just add-ins.

as for the distance, sounds like he wants the 300ft FOV -- i'd give
it to him...dav
Click to expand...
I heard him say he needed a photo taken 300 feet from his business. That is what I did. The 300 feet FOV makes sense, but that’s not exactly what he told me he wanted, of course I could have misunderstood him. It’s not that big of a deal to go back and take it. I mean, I can walk to the spot in less than two minutes from my office at work, and another minute to walk to the gas station, so there isn’t a huge investment in time here. I think he’s trying to get off cheap, but if he pays for my time, and then 5 bucks for the photos, he may think my first offer of 4 sharp 8 x 10 color photos for $60 was a good deal compared to $75 for four 4 x 6 poor resolution B&W photos.

--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

 
hockeynut said:
When you started this business, did you figure out what your hourly
rate was going to be? Whatever your hourly rate was, you just
exceeded whatever you could hope to earn from this gig by the
amount of time wasted when you posted this thread.

Send him a bill for whatever your hourly rate is. Or, ask him how
he would best settle?
Suggest one of the following:
A free tank of gas
a free oil change
a couple pounds of steak from the local butcher?
or
tire rotation w/ radiator flush/fill

And if he gets approval for the sign based on your pictures, maybe
you get an extra tank of gas out of the deal.
Click to expand...
Well, to be honest, I haven’t technically started this business. Most of my work is covering sports for the local paper, and at the end of the season, sell prints to parents. My sports shooting is becoming well known in this town. The gas station owner’s wife is the girls high school volleyball coach, and that is how he contacted me. While I was putting my gear back in the bag after the last volleyball game. While I intend to make photography full time when I retire in two months, I really haven’t set things like hourly prices. I’ve read in the forums that $100 to $150 per hour is the norm, but I’m probably going to start off asking $75/hour, and feel guilty. I’m not a business person, so I’m probably treading on shaky ground. It’s a small town, and I want to take it easy and careful. Don’t want to charge too much so that I don’t get any business, and I don’t want to charge too little, so that people take advantage of me and my time.

I had thought about asking for a free tank of gas. I don’t trust other people to change my oil.

With so many people shooting with cheap P&S cameras, and printing on their HP printers, fewer and fewer people need professional photographers. I mean, for what this guy wants, a 2MP P&S will serve him well. One thing I can provide that I don’t think anyone else in this town can, and that’s Sports Illustrated quality sports photos, and parents eat that stuff up, but not enough for a guy to make a living on just that.
--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

 
Wingspar said:
MikeDitz said:
$3 per print. And go to Starbucks and spend your profit on a venti
double shot low carb extra hot mocha frapaccino half soy latte.
Click to expand...
Well, since the nearest Starbucks is several hundred miles from
here, I’d run out of gas before I got there.
--
Click to expand...
OK, then what about one of them little coffee huts that are in every other parking lot in Oregon?
 
MikeDitz said:
$3 per print. And go to Starbucks and spend your profit on a venti
double shot low carb extra hot mocha frapaccino half soy latte.
Click to expand...
Can you get one of those "animal style"? I really like having mine fried with the onions and mustard already on the patty.

--
I have more cameras and lenses than you.
 
hockeynut said:
' We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the
night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. '
  • George Orwell
Click to expand...
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand to post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
--
don't wait for technology -- it won't wait for you
 
This guy wants a poor resolution 300 foot distant view from 400 feet in very poor quality to prove that his business can't be seen in time to stop, so that he can get a permit to post a sign?

Where does ethics and bare honesty come into this?

W
Wingspar said:
--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

Click to expand...
--
Have Camera Will Travel
Kodak Brownie, Speed Graphic, +

'...let us run with patience and perseverance the race that is set before us.' -- Hebrews 12:1
 
Love the Double Double animal style....Tried the animal fries?

Teski
ThreadKilla said:
ThreadKilla said:
$3 per print. And go to Starbucks and spend your profit on a venti
double shot low carb extra hot mocha frapaccino half soy latte.
Click to expand...
Can you get one of those "animal style"? I really like having mine
fried with the onions and mustard already on the patty.

--
I have more cameras and lenses than you.
Click to expand...
 
Wingspar said:
With so many people shooting with cheap P&S cameras, and printing
on their HP printers, fewer and fewer people need professional
photographers. I mean, for what this guy wants, a 2MP P&S will
serve him well.
Click to expand...
But he doesn't want to do it himself. He'd rather pay you.

When I have the money, I pay people to clean my house. Yes, I can do it myself and yes, it doesn't take a lot of skill to do it, but I still end up paying $80 a shot (going rate in my area) because it's worth it to me not to have to do it myself.

This guy wants to pay you for your time (and you've already spent time taking pictures, talking to him, talking to us, and you're going to go back and take some more pictures which all adds up). He was going to pay $60 before and now you've spent even more time. I'd charge him the original $60 or equivalent in barter and be done with it.

Marie
 
:) you guys just lost 90% of the country.

not to mention the rest of the world (as if the election didn't do that already).

but, all in, i'd be a happier man if they'd start delivering animal style in 47 more states...dav

--
don't wait for technology -- it won't wait for you
 
Marie H. said:
Wingspar said:
With so many people shooting with cheap P&S cameras, and printing
on their HP printers, fewer and fewer people need professional
photographers. I mean, for what this guy wants, a 2MP P&S will
serve him well.
Click to expand...
But he doesn't want to do it himself. He'd rather pay you.

When I have the money, I pay people to clean my house. Yes, I can
do it myself and yes, it doesn't take a lot of skill to do it, but
I still end up paying $80 a shot (going rate in my area) because
it's worth it to me not to have to do it myself.

This guy wants to pay you for your time (and you've already spent
time taking pictures, talking to him, talking to us, and you're
going to go back and take some more pictures which all adds up). He
was going to pay $60 before and now you've spent even more time.
I'd charge him the original $60 or equivalent in barter and be done
with it.

Marie
Click to expand...
Actually, I think he's trying to get off cheap by going for the low resolution B&W photos, and expects to pay less. I haven't been back or re-done the shots yet. I'm sure he will take the approach that crummy resolution B&W photos should cost less. I just wonder how he will react to the fact that it doesn't change the amount of my time producing those crummy photos.

--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

 
MarkLe said:
to Gary:
300 must be 300 and not 400.

Mark
Click to expand...
I think he is wanting a FOV from 300 feet, not a photo taken from 300 feet, so if I have to back up a few feet, that's probably ok, as long as the photo doesn't show anything in it further back than 300 feet. When I look at it from that point of view, the photo taken from further back than 300 feet should be ok, or do I still need to rethink, or leave the photo as is.
--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

 
Asking the question about whether you should comply with his request to shoot a 300 feet shot from 400 feet seems to indicate you have some ethical difficulties with it.

If you do, I'd ask myself whether it's worth even bothering with, considering the money you're going to get for this. I'd pass.
Wingspar said:
A fellow who owns a gas station in town is looking to apply for a
"Reduced RV Visibility Signing. In other words, he needs to show
that 300 feet before his property, the visibility of his station is
reduced, causing people to not see his station in time, slow down,
and decide to drive on. (Mostly motorhomes). In the application
it states that 300 feet is approximately the length of 8 broken
lines. This will allow him to place a sign advertising his
business a certain distance from where he is to let people know
that he is there.

The other day when I got tired of trying to get hold of him to look
at it together, I took a tape measure, and measured 300 feet from
his property, and took a photo from the left and right northbound
lanes. Today I showed him the photos in poor resolution 5 x 7 B&W
on regular paper from a non photo printer to see if it was what he
was looking for before using up good paper and ink on my Epson 2200.

He decided he liked them, and wanted two copies of each photo in
poor resolution in 4 x 6. It is to his advantage if there is not
much detail in the photos. Well, this is backwards from what most
of us in this forum strive for. But, he is the customer.

Now to what I am have a problem with. 300 feet is approximately
the length of 8 broken lines as stated in the application. He
counted the number of broken lines in the photo at 5, and wants me
to move back further to 8 broken lines and re-take the photos. At
least one set of broken lines is missing due to wear and
construction. If I do what he asks, I would guess I would be close
to 400 feet from his station.

Should I just move back, take the photos, and forget about the
extra distance?

Originally I was just going to charge $15 per 8x10 photo, for a
total of $60. Now, he wants a total of four 4 x 6 low resolution
B&W photos that will cost nothing to print. How should I charge
for these photos?

--
Gary
Will Fly for Food
http://www.pbase.com/wingspar/nikon_d100

Click to expand...
--
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/view?id=11660
 
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