digital files vs prints argument

I had a customer come into my studio to purchase graduation photos, we offer portrait packages which include all the common sized prints, we also offer an identical package of digital files on CD or emailed to the customer - we do not charge a sitting fee so basically we sell on spec. This particular customer ranted about how nobody wants prints anymore and in this digital age where everyone stores images on their cell phones or computers why do we even offer prints and why can't he purchase his images and have them emailed directly to him without purchasing a CD which he doesn't have a CD-reader for anyway? (we do offer the email service but he was beyond reasoning with). Though he had some valid points in this rapidly changing landscape of digital photography his big beef was why the CD of images was roughly the same cost as the print package - why aren't the files a whole lot cheaper since it costs us virtually nothing since we aren't making the prints? I tried to make the argument of overhead, rent and staff, copyright/intellectual property etc and that people do indeed want prints as that's mostly what we sell but does anyone out there have a response in regards to print vs jpeg costs?

Thank You.

I kind of see his point. Putting it on the CD means he will have to pay again to get it printed. IF anything you guys should be charging more for the prints, you are essentially giving them away for free now if I understand you correctly.

Pads, tablets, mini-ITX PC's don't have them.

May as well profit from the take-away,
change the business plan now at your own pace (not his obviously !)

--
Ron.
Volunteer, what could possibly go wrong ?

I'm not a pro photographer of any sort but I would say two things:

First, i would gently point out that the bulk of what he is paying for is all the owrk that went into taking the photos and editing them afterwards. That of course is the same, whether you hand over prints of a CD. I think many people really don't think this through, and just need it saying.

Second, once teh customer has the CD they can print as many copies as they like, whereas a person who buys a print package would have to pay more if they decided they wanted more prints later (and presumably prints from you are more expensive than prints ordered directly from a photolab).

Rednip77 said:

I had a customer come into my studio to purchase graduation photos, we offer portrait packages which include all the common sized prints, we also offer an identical package of digital files on CD or emailed to the customer - we do not charge a sitting fee so basically we sell on spec. This particular customer ranted about how nobody wants prints anymore and in this digital age where everyone stores images on their cell phones or computers why do we even offer prints and why can't he purchase his images and have them emailed directly to him without purchasing a CD which he doesn't have a CD-reader for anyway? (we do offer the email service but he was beyond reasoning with). Though he had some valid points in this rapidly changing landscape of digital photography his big beef was why the CD of images was roughly the same cost as the print package - why aren't the files a whole lot cheaper since it costs us virtually nothing since we aren't making the prints? I tried to make the argument of overhead, rent and staff, copyright/intellectual property etc and that people do indeed want prints as that's mostly what we sell but does anyone out there have a response in regards to print vs jpeg costs?

Thank You.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, your customer was right. CD's are an outdated media. Most new laptops don't even come with an optical drive.

Consider custom SD cards with your logo on them, and an online fileshare location.

You are providing a product. Prints or digital your price should be the same. Delivering photos still costs roughly the same. Your digital onky package could be 10% less due to no print costs.

You have to learn a way to relate this overall service has the same cost.

I've been delivering images to PR clients on inexpensive thumb drives for several years now. I make my money from the actual assignment and supply the thumb drive and rough edit the images for a modest fee.

Ask your client if he would rather pay a sitting fee instead.

As for offering a CD, I agree with other posters that the day of the CD (or DVD) has come and gone. You might want to offer as an option to a CD/DVD to deliver the photos on an SD card or thumb drive.

Rednip77 said:

I had a customer come into my studio to purchase graduation photos, we offer portrait packages which include all the common sized prints, we also offer an identical package of digital files on CD or emailed to the customer - we do not charge a sitting fee so basically we sell on spec. This particular customer ranted about how nobody wants prints anymore and in this digital age where everyone stores images on their cell phones or computers why do we even offer prints and why can't he purchase his images and have them emailed directly to him without purchasing a CD which he doesn't have a CD-reader for anyway? (we do offer the email service but he was beyond reasoning with). Though he had some valid points in this rapidly changing landscape of digital photography his big beef was why the CD of images was roughly the same cost as the print package - why aren't the files a whole lot cheaper since it costs us virtually nothing since we aren't making the prints? I tried to make the argument of overhead, rent and staff, copyright/intellectual property etc and that people do indeed want prints as that's mostly what we sell but does anyone out there have a response in regards to print vs jpeg costs?

Thank You.

Click to expand...

I think you are rather a nice guy trying to be reasonable to an unreasonable customer. You could say the price is for CD or email and if a customer wants, prints are added for free.

Good luck.

Business priority number 1) Customer is right

Business priority number 2) Be sensitive and aware of the competitive landscape and constraints.

IMHO if you walk into a Apple Store or Best Buy you'd be shocked at how many of the laptops don't have CD drives....

Almost all photography hosting sites; smugmug / zenfolio for example offer direct download. IMHO I would love a customer that takes his prints by internet. As to why the price should be the same, he is paying for your skills and has nothing to do with the media it comes on; hardcopy, CD, or bits thru the internet. Frankly you can turn this around and say I'll charge you extra for the CD or prints and give you the base price thru the internet.

Technology moves fast....

--
"Today's Pictures Are Tomorrow's Memories"

Sounds like you got a bad customer. There is a temptation to ignore him and move on, but maybe there are lessons here.

Commercial customers and other photographers understand the logic behind charging the same for CD and for prints, but most retail customers don't get it. You can try to explain it in terms of skill, labor and time, but I think you'll be ahead to change your system to something people will understand without explanation. In other words, charge more for prints.

If you want to do a digital files only package that's fine, but make your print packages more expensive to reflect the extra cost/value of the prints. Most of the retail photographers in my area do a package price that includes the session plus a specified number of processed and retouched files on Dropbox or email, then sell prints or print packages on top.

And as others have said, CDs are pretty much dead. Deliver on a thumb drive, by email or use a Dropbox type service.

Gato

Unfortunately, the customer is correct that print is no longer the preferred media to view pictures. I dispensed with CDs because most of my customers do not have CD readers. More frequently, they don't even have computers, so a USB drive is worthless to them too! I had to email images to people.

Instead of charging "per print", I charge "per image". Prints are offered as an "add on", but not the main product.... the emphasis is on the image being produced. If they ask, I tell the that I spend 2-3 hours per image (or more) in post to get the image perfect. You can add on the bits about staff and business overhead.

Sometimes the customer is just unreasonable.... or cheap. They can always go to a Walmart photo studio....

I sell prints only then I have control over the quality. Selling digital files is tacky inmop

GodSpeaks said:

Ask your client if he would rather pay a sitting fee instead.

As for offering a CD, I agree with other posters that the day of the CD (or DVD) has come and gone. You might want to offer as an option to a CD/DVD to deliver the photos on an SD card or thumb drive.

Click to expand...

DVD's and CD's are not going away anytime soon and are still viable.

should have spelled everything out before the job

PenPix said:

Unfortunately, the customer is correct that print is no longer the preferred media to view pictures. I dispensed with CDs because most of my customers do not have CD readers. More frequently, they don't even have computers, so a USB drive is worthless to them too! I had to email images to people.

Instead of charging "per print", I charge "per image". Prints are offered as an "add on", but not the main product.... the emphasis is on the image being produced. If they ask, I tell the that I spend 2-3 hours per image (or more) in post to get the image perfect. You can add on the bits about staff and business overhead.

Sometimes the customer is just unreasonable.... or cheap. They can always go to a Walmart photo studio....

Click to expand...

There is likely going to be a level though there customers just aren't worth chasing, makes me feel lucky I sell landscape photography where people do still want prints.

Most people do not care for prints nor wish to buy them. The primary motive for asking for digital is because that it is what the customer wants – not that they plan to run down the street to get them printed cheaper somewhere else. They don’t want prints.

First decide if you are a quirky prima donna “artist” or running a commercial business. If the latter applies, it doesn’t get any easier than the customer telling you exactly what they want. As for price (you could be Mario Testino or someone who just bought their first camera last week), charge what you wish. However, I‘ve seen examples of photographers charging higher for digital copies than prints (STUPID) and also the practice of charging differing prices for varying levels of resolution of digital prints (also STUPID).

You are selling an “image”. Offer your best work, fully edited and in a format that is suitable/requested by the client. Optical media (CDs and DVDs) are now dead.

Example 1, my son’s prep school has used the same photography company for decades – they have this odd & out-dated fascination with prints only. For the first year, I made a purchase only to have to subsequently go out to have it scanned professionally (class photo was too large for my own scanner at approx 10” x 30”). I spoke with the photography company to no avail, however have subsequently had the school (in collaboration with other parents) to cancel their relationship with the photography company and give the business to another firm with more modern business practices.

Example 2, my wife showed me an envelope from the nursery of our younger son just yesterday - the usual envelope of printed shots on spec with order form. There were actually a few really nice photos I would have purchased. I asked her if we could buy digital copies; she said no they only sell prints. My reply was “No; do not buy any”.

PhotoSenpai said:

Most people do not care for prints nor wish to buy them. The primary motive for asking for digital is because that it is what the customer wants – not that they plan to run down the street to get them printed cheaper somewhere else. They don’t want prints.

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. I will sell 500 edited and lab prints mounted in folders next week from a dance school shoot. because that's what the parents want.

PhotoSenpai said:

First decide if you are a quirky prima donna “artist” or running a commercial business. If the latter applies, it doesn’t get any easier than the customer telling you exactly what they want. As for price (you could be Mario Testino or someone who just bought their first camera last week), charge what you wish. However, I‘ve seen examples of photographers charging higher for digital copies than prints (STUPID) and also the practice of charging differing prices for varying levels of resolution of digital prints (also STUPID).

You are selling an “image”. Offer your best work, fully edited and in a format that is suitable/requested by the client. Optical media (CDs and DVDs) are now dead.

Example 1, my son’s prep school has used the same photography company for decades – they have this odd & out-dated fascination with prints only. For the first year, I made a purchase only to have to subsequently go out to have it scanned professionally (class photo was too large for my own scanner at approx 10” x 30”). I spoke with the photography company to no avail, however have subsequently had the school (in collaboration with other parents) to cancel their relationship with the photography company and give the business to another firm with more modern business practices.

Example 2, my wife showed me an envelope from the nursery of our younger son just yesterday - the usual envelope of printed shots on spec with order form. There were actually a few really nice photos I would have purchased. I asked her if we could buy digital copies; she said no they only sell prints. My reply was “No; do not buy any”.

Click to expand...

Give up selling photographs and open a fast food takeaway. Nobody will ask for digital food to be emailed to them.

That's great; give the customer what they want.

My point is with those that refuse to sell digital prints or oddly either only do so in addition to prints or at a price point higher than prints.

We're always seeing posters on this forum describing their business problems; why make it difficult on yourself.