i would imagine there's a difference between charging for the occational job and running an editing business. if you called a professional, it would probably cost several hundred dollars.

Here's some people that do simple slideshows and what they charge:

This one charges $1.50 a photo and extra, of course for the output media:
Home Video Center

This one charges a little less per photo:
Video Memories

I just did a similar thing with pictures of my sister and her family and liked doing it so much I started thinking maybe I could turn it into a business. That's why I did a search to see what others were charging.

I uasuall charge per photo, plus a set up cost, plus extras for audio, transistions .
Things to bear in mind, friends can be expecting a lot for a little, are the photos and music copyright'ed

Jimco,

My dad always told me "When dealing with friends or relatives, either charge them full price or give it to them for free."

If you give it to them free, they will feel like they owe you a favor, if you charge them full price, you aren't out anything. But if you charge them half price, they won't feel like you did them a favor and you are out by half.

Kirk

Kirk,

Your dad had it right. Truly, words of wisdom.

I had a friend's family that did sports photography back when I played college soccer. He did photos of all the team and since he was my friend I expected a good deal. His quote:

"If you can't make money off your friends and family, who can you make money off of?"

Dangled his participles but knew his economics.

Jimco,

I do slide shows as a side business and charge $100 for the first 60 pictures, with a $2.25 for each additional picture.

I agree, do it for nothing or get a fair price for your time. As I am sure you are aware it can take some of time, which is a rare commodity now days.

Chad

Charge $20-25 per hour, since you're an amateur. Only charge for the time it takes to do it, not for the time it takes to figure it out, or for mistakes. It'll make you better, quickly.

I just have no idea! My wife told me she was thinking about $20, but you know, she's INSANE!

Jim,
At least she had an idea.

Tor

Apart from the the very valuable support this forum has "supplied" me with, this particular thread has got me reeeally going. I loved the anecdotes - I'm going to use them in my business - "If you can't make money off friends and family...." very good! Hmmmm.... read on.....

Is the "approach" made by "you" - "Hey, I'd really like to do....." that's your position. My response would be "Okay go ahead!" - meaning -YOU want to do something because YOU want to do it. Now 'cos YOU want to do it that's up to you! Yes?

We are all aware of the forces of marketing - my advise, don't kick against it! Use it -it's a language that is so far a part of our Western culture that if someone DOES something for nothing - LET 'EM!

Here's my point - We are all driven/work on a needs basis. I need food - I eat [sometimes - often - too much! ]; I'm cold - I wanna get warm; and yes I'm @:%$£ ; So I'll do something about it - Yes?

Potential "Clents/Customers" are the same - forget this at your peril! The finished "product" may not be latching onto the "needs" structure - yet! Just 'cos I/you have a great idea and we can find our way around VV does not mean, automatically, a meeting of the supply of a means to meet a need in that client - yes?

A better mousetrap is not what it is about. It may be if you buy one you get the second one at half price - this meets the "financial" need of getting something for less; supplying "extras" - replacement mousetrap springs as part of the intial deal - again something for nothing; having multi-coloured moustraps - supplies the need to be innovative and "Of-the-New". I could go on, but I feel if you got this far you will be getting my drift here. Yes?

Our "need" to pitch our price correctly is OUR need - it isn't the potential clients problem. Their "need" could be one of a gazillion reasons - each client has its own issues of "needs" and how they go about meeting them.

My wish to spend time in writing this is one of a recognition "need" from you all; getting my own marketing "house" in order is improving my own knowledge base "need", this equates with some form of primal survival "need"; hopefully getting some feedback on my ideas with a potential global audience - again my "need" to be part of a larger society - yes? Again I could go on - but here in lies some of the clues to make an approach to our clients.

Soooo.... What's the "Pitch" - I am very serious about this. Presently I percieve there is a mismatch in "Supply" and "Need" - something like, "What do I charge - if anything!" - This is classic. The cart before the horse syndrome. Forget it! well don't forget it, just be very aware of it. But don't let it blind you to the needs structure I explained above. Maybe have your potential client visit your house and show them a "promo" explaining - subtly - what they will get BASED on some of their posible needs - Ahem! It goes something like this:

Clip 1: A very, very short example of what you can do - maybe a holiday, a marriage event, a trip to the zoo, a barmitzvah, a birthday party - all created using photos - yes?

Clip 2: [Spike Jones music in background] Dialogue could be: "You know the scene! If you are anything like me you'll have million photos - All in different packets [dramatic zoom-in onto a mass of messy photos and photo wallets spread around on the living room floor - Cut to you holding your head and shaking it with the "screechy" sound from one of Hitchcock's movies - make-up your own sound to get away from the copyright issue - cut to your partner wagging his or her finger at you - humour is good!] [diag continues] spread around the house" - "When ARE you getting these photos organised? When?!?! When - that's what I'd like to know" - Cut to you thinking, light bulb appears above your head - "I know! I'll get ACME Photo-To-Movie service to produce a valuable moving, loving, beautiful, accessible and organised VHS/DVD/VCD of our day at the zoo done for her/his birthday - Hmmm I wish I'd thought of this before" - Cutaway to divorce courts, kids being removed by local authority, car being reproed, you as a tramp - yes? Maybe this last part "Down-And-Out-In Chicago/LA/London" - should be before the "light-bulb" sequence - yes?

Clip3: Cheesy, softish focus, around-the-table view of Mom dishing-out apple pie - and all smiling DIRECTLY to camera - dissolve into a truly beautiful scene of a part of the some of your masterpiece. Diag. "Oh, was I ever lucky to choose ACME MY-Photo-ToMovie" DIAG by rich brown voice - If you can afford Barry White/Marlon Brando/Orson Welles (oops! he's not with us any more) for the voice over all the better saying, "Choose ACME MY-Photo-To-Video..... you know it makes sense" Sound fx of applause - dissolve to your information and invitation for potential customers to make use of the following options..... [THE END]

If yer wanna know what they "the following options" could be.... you can email me "Grazie" 'cos now I would start to charge! Yuck yuck yuck!

Anyway, I think you've got the picture - literally!

I offer this [clue here as well!] not to poke fun, BUT more as an offering to this very important discussion. Know your audience, be clear about what you could be offering, marry this up against your potential/clients needs and be straight with them - yes?

Just as a final note on marketing. I make and sell my own ceramics - been involved in this "ancient craft" for 32 years now. I've had several studios and one high street shop for 15 years. Okay ... - I discovered that although I make beautiful things and people would loved to come in and browse and touch and feel the work, I wanted to "improve" my turnover - yes? Yes I know, increase in t/o doesn't necessarily mean an increase in profit - but stay with me on this one! I realised that more often than not "buyers" - that's a potential customer turned into someone who has made a buying decision - bought my stuff for many and varied reasons. Not necessarily because I thought I am a good potter - yes? They bought my ceramics becasue they "have-to" get a wedding present - NEED! They "have-to" get a birthday present - NEED! They like my pottery because it looks good in thier home or kitchen and reflects well on their choice of artwork - NEED for recognition - this is a biggy!

Soooo... what did I do with this information? I spent money on the cheapest and most cost-effective cost-to-reach item I've ever done. I made up a sign saying "We make Wedding Presents" and, you guessed it, "We make Birthday Presents" - D'yer know what? I had previous clients coming in and saying - "Oh I didn't know you did this!" DOAH! It was as if I'd given them "permission" to think in this way. For me it meant a very recognizable increase in t/o AND a spreading of the word of the SERVICE I was provding that is meeting a "need". Was it ever thus.

Phew - apologies for being so long winded - but I wanted to share this with y'll - If any or some of this has been of value - think of me and good luck!

Best regards

Grazie

I think charging by the picture is best. This places the cost in the client’s hands. They can give you more or less pictures and adjust their cost accordingly. If you charge by the hour you’ll have to give them an estimate of how many hours and then argue later about how many hours it actually took. Charging by the picture eliminates all this. It’s also fair for you because less pictures means less time and more pictures means more time for you. So your time should be covered by this method.

I have seen people charge between $2-$4 per picture. I think $2 is more than fair. I would charge extra for touching up old pictures if you’re good at it. I would add at least $0.50 a picture for touchup. Get a copy of Paintshop Pro (there is a free downloadable trial). It has a color fade restore option that does wonders on old faded color photos. You won’t believe what it can do. Brings them right back to new condition.

Set a standard for how many titles and charge extra for anything over that set amount. $5 per extra title is fair. Then set a price on the output. Include one videotape and charge extra for each copy because it will take you extra to produce them.

~jr

Video Memories charges $2.50 per photo. I have been studying this market and I have found a couple of people doing it for $1.00-$1.50 per photo. I think that is too cheap. However technology will make it easier to view photos on computer and TV so I believe the main competition in price will come from the same type of technology we use. The digital DIY revolution is a double edge sword.

jack