Images that clients select

[ChrisPerry]

One of the "five ways to fail as a professional photographer" is to find something that works and stick with it. One must continually evolve and try new things in image creation as well as sales.

We hate selling files, but clients don't mind buying them. I have two friends that shoot midget football. One is intent on selling prints, the other just wants money. $8 4x6 or $20 file? Seems they'll buy files over prints even at 2.5 times the cost of a print. Something to ponder. We hold the negatives dear because we feel that's where the value lies - they'll have to come back to us to buy a print.
Perhaps it's time to rethink that - find your intended average sale and if they exceed it by 20% they can have all the files on CD as a bonus. I know my customer want the files, but I'm not quite ready to give them up. Next year I think. the market is moving and I don't want to be left behind.


as to teh industry marketing that pros are the way to go - I know the album companies would be behind it and probably labs too - they're seeing their business erode as weekend warriors do more and more shoot and burn. Other industries do it - beef, milk, realtors, ASE (Car mechanics) and now the oil industry. Educate folks why they should hire a pro - have PPA/WPJA/and the rest join up for it.