What to Charge Auto Dealer?

[folkxrock]

I have a client that is a large auto dealer owner that scheduled a photo session for his wife. The photos are to be used for a billboard campaign, but I think they also want to be able to use the images for future ads.
In addition, I think they are under the impress they are only going to have to pay for a normal Portrait Session and then they will be able to reuse the images for print, outdoor and all other advertising needs.

What and how should I charge for the images? We are in a small market approx. 125,000.

To make it worse, if the bill is too high, I think the client will just go down the street and get another studio to give them the prints with unlimited use.

I am just starting with commercial work - I do a large wedding and portrait business, so I am in uncharted waters at this moment.

Thanks

Brian Dewitt

[michaelnotar]

i charge $60 with a 600x800 pxl file (one file, retouched), if they want a full res file, 2400x3600, its an extra $200. i would be fine with that number if it was for me. these numbers should be digestable for them. perhaps do a few poses and end up getting $500-600 for half a days work, not bad...well worth it even considering their usage.

i'm in a small town too, 30-50,000. i just get an houly rate, plus expenses and computer work fees. clients cant wrap their heads around why a 4x5 crops differently than a 5x7/4x6 let alone licencing.

while these are things to overlook when working in a small market, i can live with them now, i am in year 2 of my biz, and still learning alot about biz eventhough i've been shooting for 10 yrs.

while i cant charge for usuage, i put the following on my invoice:
rights granted: unlimited uses for an unlimited time (and weither its on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis). photographer retains copyright to all images produced. images may be not be tranfered to a 3rd party without my permission. photographer's name and studio must accompany all editorial/non advertising reproductions.

this makes me seem more professional, and hopefully weeds out the people from coming back who think i'm out of my mind...

[folkxrock]

Originally Posted by michaelnotar

i charge $60 with a 600x800 pxl file (one file, retouched), if they want a full res file, 2400x3600, its an extra $200. i would be fine with that number if it was for me. these numbers should be digestable for them. perhaps do a few poses and end up getting $500-600 for half a days work, not bad...well worth it even considering their usage.

i'm in a small town too, 30-50,000. i just get an houly rate, plus expenses and computer work fees. clients cant wrap their heads around why a 4x5 crops differently than a 5x7/4x6 let alone licencing.

while these are things to overlook when working in a small market, i can live with them now, i am in year 2 of my biz, and still learning alot about biz eventhough i've been shooting for 10 yrs.

while i cant charge for usuage, i put the following on my invoice:
rights granted: unlimited uses for an unlimited time (and weither its on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis). photographer retains copyright to all images produced. images may be not be tranfered to a 3rd party without my permission. photographer's name and studio must accompany all editorial/non advertising reproductions.

this makes me seem more professional, and hopefully weeds out the people from coming back who think i'm out of my mind...

I have already completed the session. We ended up with about 130 images for the client to select the final image.
One part of me just wants to get paid and be done with it because this is a slow time of year - but a good friend of mine, who own several businesses, told me to stick to my guns and let them go down the street and rip off another photographer. AHHH!

[robert_baker]

Sometimes tough to do....but, sales is NEVER about money.....It is about perceived value...sure, we have to talk price all day long but what people really want is value. So, the goal is to speak to the value of your images and why the client should be top dollar for your stuff versus someone else. Car sales people know this best....but, I have a buddy who is a career car salesman and it astounds me how much he is trully driven to see how much he can negotiate even the simplest things. I used to think my friend was just a cheap bastard but, now know it is their environment. So, get in there and sell why you are worth it.