J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

The wife has paid for a photographer to take photos off our kids for my birthday, she took then the other night but didnt tell me what was going on so this morning she drives me to the studio and a lady goes through the photos digitally on a screen, about thirty displayed to a bit of Toploader, was very nice and the photos were pretty good, three little lads bouncing around grinning and generally looking like a Gap advert, they are pretty good looking kids (how the hell that happened I will never know) so it does make the photograpers job easier.

My wife got a voucher for this for 35 quid which included the photography, the consultation and a small basic print, which was damn good value, but

They were very proffesional but the lady's mood changed markedly when we said we will just have the basic print (10*8 inches), anything bigger would have cost hundreds of pounds, she was quoting like 300 for this, 600 for that. 600 quid for a single picture printed onto a sort of thick mouse mat for the wall, we have these at work for temporary displays and they get binned at the end, pictures of the more photogenic police officer, plodcopter and the like, surely they cant cost six hundred quid each ?

I can see what they are doing, get you going wih some nice pictures on a screen and then go in for the kill, people must spend thousands in there. The pictures on display werent the usual naff sepia toned things but really nice modern fresh designs which I suspect were done by putting the jpg's through filters in Photoshop or similar.

Anyone else been and done this ? it isnt a criticism of the outfit as the photos were good and the presentation spot on but to be honest these days with a decent digital camera, trial and error and a photo printer its nothing I couldnt have a stab at !

Poor Guy

pork chopper

IWatkins

Sounds fairly normal for this sort of outfit. They do make their money on prints made after the event.

You could easily recreate these in your own home with a good digital camera and a good printer. You just need some good lights and a nice backdrop.

Cheers

Ian

Toonman1

I hear this all the time... My classes are full of folk that've said it too. Some even stay and actually learn how to take photographs properly.

The Photographer concerned is entitled to charge what she wants. She has equipment to purchase (£40K in my case), premises to upkeep, materials to purchase, Vat and Income Tax (probably) to pay, and a living to make. You're not paying for the cost of the print, but her skills in producing an image to treasure. You're lucky her charges were in the £00s; I know Professional Photographers who charge £000s.

Why is it some folk are happy to pay £00s (or more) for a painting, but grudge doing it for a Photograph? It's one reason why in 20+ years, I never dealt with members of the Public - advertising/commercial work only for me. Wedding and Portrait customers can be a pain in the @rse.

For whatever reason Professional Photographers are much undervalued in the UK. Not so in Europe and the USA.

dba

Professional photographers have a habit of making the art of talking great photos look easy.I've been into photography for years and have some decent kit,but i still take crap photos

making your family album look better than most (about my standard!) aint the same

my sister who is skint asked me to do her wedding,and i shat myself.You watch a pro with a mf camera whizzing about and you always think "i could do that for a couple of grand"

dof,exposure,framing,compostion etc etc,I still haven't recoverd to be honest.These poeple deserve what they charge,its a skill that has been well earned imo

Toonman1

Thanks DBA.

Cheers

goonasuk

thing that gets me about these photo places they dont like revealing costs up front from my experience - not saying all are like this, maybe ive just been unlucky.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I am not denigrating the talent but it did come as a surprise to find out that a moderate sized photo of my kids was going to cost six hundred quid, I was thinking maybe 150/200 at the outside.

I do appreciate the costs involved in running an operation like that, somebody has to pay for the laminate floors and halogen lighting.

Toonman1

Well that's unfair if someone can't or won't let you know the costs upfront. Prices aren't difficult to calculate in most circumstances, particularly in Portraiture. I was always told to be proud of your fees.

Cheers

paulr

Its the way they try and "trap" you into buying the pics that is wrong,emotional blackmail.

Toonman1

How do they do that Paul? I know the Shopping Mall, so called photographers can do this, but they're sales people and not Professional Photographers.

If you check out their kit sometimes, you'll find the Aperture Ring's taped to F16 or whatever, the shutter speed's superglued to the Flash Synch speed, and the Studio Flash head(s) has/have string at the base of the stand, so they know how far away to place it/them for a correct exposure using the aforementioned settings. Cowboys (and girls...).

Cheers

paulr

By not telling you the price until AFTER the pics have been taken.

Toonman1

Surely anyone who enters into some form of business relationship with a company or individual, and doesn't know the costs involved, is either naive, very trusting, or very stupid...?

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

Erm... you can always ask the price. Anyone who won't tell you has something to hide.

Would you ask anyone else - say, a plumber or painter - to perform a service for you without a quote? What's so different?

*edit* Hi Mike - I meant to reply to Paul, looks like we're both looking for ways to pass the time

[Edited by AndyC_772 - 10/19/2003 10:07:09 PM]

Toonman1

Hi Andy!

I'm catching up on some marking and this is making a welcome break!

Cheers

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I'm just putting off going to bed - Monday morning is looming and you know how much I love my job

Can you suggest any reason NOT to buy a 1D to cheer myself up, now it's dropped to about the same price I paid for my D30 a couple of years ago? I have a feeling it's going to be one of those weeks...

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

ps. today's favourite photo:

Toonman1

The 10D maybe? Or how about the 1DS???

Cheers

PS Nice pic!

IWatkins

Andy,

I would really hold of on the 1D until they at least announce what it's replacement is. The price of the 1D can only come down.

Cheers

Ian

P.S. If we are posting photos, my favorite from this weekend:

frisby

Nice pic Ian, here's two of mine - though i just use a lowly Nikon CP5700







[Edited by frisby - 10/20/2003 11:07:16 AM]

JackClark

Ooo, pretty pictures. Here's one of mine, beaten up old Sony thing.