MicrostockGroup
Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: charged on November 26, 2015, 15:16
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Does anyone know if there is any decent money that can be made in doing product photography for clients directly? And what would one charge that is typical for a medium size US city of 0.5 million? I'm thinking of branching out from stock photos. I've never tested the waters of photography outside of stock photos, so I'm not sure what to expect. I fear product photography is also low margin and low paying, like photography is in general. For stock photos, at least that is a one to many relationship. I would dread low margins on a one to one relationship.
EDIT: I did a google search after posting, and saw the earnings were very average. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/product-photographer-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm (https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/product-photographer-salary-SRCH_KO0,20.htm)
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Well, I went the other way from product photography to stock thinking it provided some artisitic freedom then discovered most stock photos are product photos at a fraction of the price.
I don’t think the size of the city has much to do with what you can charge: it’s more how difficult the subject is to shoot. There are some items where you are doing your client and yourself a favour by saying, do it yourself with a decent point and click. On the other hand, if you have to go underwater in scuba gear for ten minutes for each picture you can pass that charge on.
You have to think what your good photography is going to add to any product shoot. If it’s a used car, probably nothing. If it’s the factory where something is made, potentially lots. If you can differentiate the product from the client’s competitor then, again, lots.
‘What I can charge’ is the wrong way to think. You need to allow for your transportation and maybe hire costs and a reasonable allowance for your time (often as an economic opportunity cost weighed against what you would otherwise be doing) and quote that to the customer, If they won’t pay that they are either not worth bothering about or you should be doing something better with your time.