Why Photographers Can’t Compete On Price Alone?

Why Photographers Can’t Compete On Price Alone?

By William Lulow

I have written previously about how photographers cannot compete on price alone. A typical scenario might be that a prospective client calls several photographers with a job. She looks at several  photographers’ portfolios and they all contain images similar to what she has in mind. How does she choose amongst all the qualified talent?

She could choose the cheapest quote. If she thinks that that particular photographer is qualified to complete her project on time and within her budget, she might go with him or her. She will be aware that she has chosen the cheapest estimate and hope for the best, or, she might choose the highest quote, knowing that she has spent top dollar for her images. Or, she might choose a quote right in the middle. There is really no way to predict what might influence a prospective client about which photographer could best do the job.

Photographers usually rely on their portfolio of images to convince prospective clients of their ability to handle a particular assignment. If the photographer has many images similar to what the client wants, there is a good chance that he is qualified to handle the job and would get the assignment.

Obviously, there are clients who are looking to get their jobs shot for the cheapest price. Then, there are those who can always afford to pay the top price because they know they will get the top talent. And, there are a whole slew of clients who are just looking for the right “match” for their photographic needs. This always seems to me to be the way to go for most clients. It’s really about choosing the right photographer to do the job that you have in mind. If you need to select between several photographers who are equally talented and equipped to do the job, I think that it often comes down to the photographer’s personality, ability and willingness to work with a client, all else being equal. It’s also incumbent on the client to investigate prospective photographers. Find out a bit about them and the images they love to shoot. What they love is most often what they do best.

So, for prospective clients, it should be about trying to find someone who will listen to your instructions and who has the ability to translate those instructions to the two-dimensional medium of images. Remember, commercial photography is all about a meeting of the minds between photographer and client.

For the photographer, the client’s needs are obviously of primary concern. But there are clients who are not just looking for the cheapest price, but may also be looking to get the job done for less than they were originally quoted. The photographer risks having this quoting procedure turn into a slippery slope, because if a client is not willing to pay the quoted price, they may ask if the photographer can do it for less. And, if you’re a photographer who needs the business, you might be tempted to say “Okay, I’ll do it for a bit less.” But where does it end? If a quoted job is for a full day’s shooting and your rate is $1,500 say, what do you give up if you agree to do it for $1,000?  Or $750? After all, $750 is better than not getting the job. Right? Well, maybe not. The client may be able to find another photographer who will do the job for what he wants to pay! But, it may not be exactly the job he is looking for.

My advice is that if you are going to lower your fee, you also need to lower the amount of work you are willing to provide. If a client is not willing to pay $1,500 for your day, you can then say that you would be glad to do what you can in half-a-day for that $750. Or you might say that you will see if you can get the job done in a half-day and if extra time is needed to complete it, that can be prorated per hour. This way, it makes it seem as if the job won’t cost the client as much as they were initially thinking, and, you are not really lowering your fee. You are just reducing the time spent. But, it may seem more affordable to the client.

Photographers and other commercial artists need to set their fees based on what they think they are worth and what the job entails, plus any relevant expenses. All this has to be figured into a quote. But if you say casually, that you will do it for less than originally quoted, there has to be a good reason. And that should be based on less time, less for the money or condensing the requirements. The fee should not be lowered without a good and calculated reason. It should be justified.

The moral to this story is: there is always someone who will do the job for less. So, keep your fees where you set them. You can still be reasonable, especially if a client wants to work with you.