# Business Photographers... Digital Files vs Prints?



## ababysean (Dec 8, 2010)

I am sure many of us are at that time when we are adjusting our rates for the new year.
 I am so torn on if I should offer digital files or just prints or both, and how they should be priced.
 I know the desire for the digital file, it is a digital world, actual prints are not so desirable anymore.
 But I almost feel like giving away the digital file is like a paint  artist giving away/selling his original art.  The digital file *should*  cost way more, it is the original, while the print is the reproduction.
 Opinions?  Suggestions?
 I through this out on Facebook and everyone seems to want that digital file to print themselves.


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## Blake.Oney (Dec 8, 2010)

I sell both to my clients. People want the digital files to put on facebook and show all their friends. Some want them to make prints. The digital files should cost more, but there's almost no way you can do that (at least in my area) because it's not a physical product. I have a set price for the digital files and I size them big enough to print an 8x10. So I price them enough to justify losing 8x10 and under sales(usually around $150, but I live in a very low income area).


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## ababysean (Dec 8, 2010)

Why can't you charge more for a digital file?  I can set the prices on my website, and digital files are one price vs prints.
I am thinking to offer low res files for facebook, cheaply.  I just feel icky knowing they can take that file to walgreens and get a crappy print and then when someone asks who took the picture there goes my name associated with that crappy print from walgreens special


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## mwcfarms (Dec 8, 2010)

ababysean said:


> Why can't you charge more for a digital file?  I can set the prices on my website, and digital files are one price vs prints.
> I am thinking to offer low res files for facebook, cheaply.  I just feel icky knowing they can take that file to walgreens and get a crappy print and then when someone asks who took the picture there goes my name associated with that crappy print from walgreens special



+1 I think that if your planning on doing this as a part-time business you have to look at it that way. Not too mention who your intended market is. Someone on here posted once that they will not give out CD for anything other than a wedding or e-session which is included in the larger ticket price. For family/portrait sessions no way. I think that is the way to go. Or like BigMike, I think its him. Charge a lot for that disc because once its is gone you have no control over where they get prints.

Just wanted to add you might lose the potential client over this but they might not be in your target market which isn't always a bad thing. 

And if your Derrel or KmH you might want to think about showing these proofs in your office/home on a large screen so people can see the impact a large print would have hanging over the sofa etc. I might be misquoting here but I am sure people will chime in if I have.


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## David Dvir (Dec 8, 2010)

For me, we never give out printed media.  All of my clients request digital media and so we charge based solely on the type of shoot.  If it's a corporate gig, usually by the hour, if it's an advert, then we charge by the number of final images to be used in the ad based on it's intended audience base.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Dec 8, 2010)

ababysean said:


> I am thinking to offer low res files for facebook, cheaply. I just feel icky knowing they can take that file to walgreens and get a crappy print and then when someone asks who took the picture there goes my name associated with that crappy print from walgreens special


 
Why? I mean why offer it.
It's your business. You make the rules. You control quality.


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## Robin Usagani (Dec 8, 2010)

Lets say you present your client 30-40 edited photos.  Set your self a goal on how much you want to make at the end for a 1.5 hr session.  Then set a packet to buy the whole high res files for that much.  You want to set it so that most people will go that route.  How much is it?  That is up to you.  Personally I dont care if they have the high res file.  I mean it is THEIR family photo.  It is not a scenery photo or something.  I rather they have them.


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## vtf (Dec 8, 2010)

My take on this is:
Giving a disc of images is just a step in the process from taking the appointment to selling the final prints. Charge for the work up to that point. If you offer prints its on top of that. 
Its not an either/or situation, its how far do the clients want to go in the process. You can entice them to go further by providing quality prints at affordable prices and giving a presentation to them to show how these prints will look.
Also remember you can give printing rights without gving up ownership, and still use them for marketing.


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## Big Mike (Dec 8, 2010)

Technically speaking, just because you give/sell them a digital file, does not mean that they are allowed to print it...many labs will actually refuse to print photos without a release, if they think they are 'professional' photos.  Of course, there are easy ways around this, and you would be relying on the client to be honest and maybe the lab workers to be vigilant.  

So when I sell digital files, I also include a print release, but I charge enough for it, that I make up what I think I might have made in print sales.  I am trying to increase my print sales by increasing the price of the digital files...but prints do tend to take more work on my part (going to and from the lab etc.)


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## RauschPhotography (Dec 8, 2010)

Big Mike said:


> Technically speaking, just because you give/sell them a digital file, does not mean that they are allowed to print it...many labs will actually refuse to print photos without a release, if they think they are 'professional' photos.  Of course, there are easy ways around this, and you would be relying on the client to be honest and maybe the lab workers to be vigilant.
> 
> So when I sell digital files, I also include a print release, but I charge enough for it, that I make up what I think I might have made in print sales.  I am trying to increase my print sales by increasing the price of the digital files...but prints do tend to take more work on my part (going to and from the lab etc.)



Very, very true. Also keep in mind, with the files themselves the client can edit over your hard work and make it look absolutely awful and cheap. I've seen it before, definitely not something I'd wish upon anyone else...


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## Big Mike (Dec 8, 2010)

Also, when you sell files, you loose control over the final product, even if they don't edit them.  They could print them on typewriter paper, with their $30 printer and hang them in their house...then tell people who the photographer was.  The key advantage of selling prints is that you keep control over the final product.

So when I so sell files, I try to educated the client about good labs vs cheap ones.


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## rks221 (Jan 12, 2011)

The whole thing about losing money on prints only matters if that is your business model. If you have a high "sitting fee" so that you are getting all the money you are looking to get from a session upfront then it doesn't matter. Clients don't want to see a sitting fee and then have to pay again for prints so I just get all the money in the beginning.


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## rks221 (Jan 12, 2011)

Also to clarify they do get full res images because I've already factored that in into setting my "sitting fee"


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## KmH (Jan 12, 2011)

It should be prints and digital files, not vs.


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## mwcfarms (Jan 12, 2011)

rks221 said:


> The whole thing about losing money on prints only matters if that is your business model. If you have a high "sitting fee" so that you are getting all the money you are looking to get from a session upfront then it doesn't matter. Clients don't want to see a sitting fee and then have to pay again for prints so I just get all the money in the beginning.



Sorry but this isn't common business practice for many photographers or even general business. The concept of up selling isn't a new one. That's what selling prints and the DVD is. Go into any walmart, sears, professional studios and they all utilize up selling marketing strategy. The end goal is generally to make more money. Most people won't pay a $500 sitting fee for family portraits but will pay $125 for a sitting fee and then another $100 on prints and even another $200 on that for a canvas for the wall.


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## JasonLambert (Jan 12, 2011)

> Why can't you charge more for a digital file? I can set the prices on my website, and digital files are one price vs prints.
> I am thinking to offer low res files for facebook, cheaply. I just feel icky knowing they can take that file to walgreens and get a crappy print and then when someone asks who took the picture there goes my name associated with that crappy print from walgreens special



I offer a low res CD for social media use. I figure that if a client want's to make a print at Walgreen's then they are going to do it no matter what. People are smart... ish. if you have the images on your site for them to look at and even with right click turned off they can still do a Print Screen. You give them prints and out comes the scanner and home printer. The only way you can truly protect your images is by not showing them to anyone. So if offering a low res CD get's you a $2000 wedding... Well... I say give it to them.


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## KmH (Jan 12, 2011)

Ultimately it's about salesmanship and selling:


> Selling is simply _educating people_ about the benefits of doing business with you.


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## SabrinaO (Jan 12, 2011)

JasonLambert said:


> > Why can't you charge more for a digital file? I can set the prices on my website, and digital files are one price vs prints.
> > *I am thinking to offer low res files for facebook, cheaply.* I just feel icky knowing they can take that file to walgreens and get a crappy print and then when someone asks who took the picture there goes my name associated with that crappy print from walgreens special
> 
> 
> I offer a low res CD for social media use. I figure that if a client want's to make a print at Walgreen's then they are going to do it no matter what. People are smart... ish. if you have the images on your site for them to look at and even with right click turned off they can still do a Print Screen. You give them prints and out comes the scanner and home printer. The only way you can truly protect your images is by not showing them to anyone. So if offering a low res CD get's you a $2000 wedding... Well... I say give it to them.



GREAT IDEA! But maybe not low res because if they post it on FB... they are advertising your services. Maybe just do web size so they cant print them, or watermark the photos that you put on CD.


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