Forums > General Industry > How Do You Determine Your Value, and what you pay?
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Photographer

Aisbarika

Posts: 217

Washington, District of Columbia, US

This is a subject that fascinates me.
As a model, and as a photographer, how do you determine you charge and what you pay?

Nov 15 22 04:14 pm Link

Photographer

Shadow Dancer

Posts: 9781

Bellingham, Washington, US

As a general rule, if you are fully booked then you may be charging too little. That said, care must be taken to not push any solid long term customers away. Pricing adjustments should be incremental, reasonable and substantiated with a marketing presentation regarding higher costs. Play the long game, move slowly upward.

That rule does not "reverse" well since it's possible if you are not getting booked that your marketing falls short (or is non-existent), or that somebody else already has that slice of the pie well covered. Lowering your prices may well be a "race to the bottom", not a viable long-term strategy.

Prices will vary from market to market, there are too many reasons for that to go there on a forum like this. Do the research for the market you are targeting and be realistic. Accept that you might fail and have to start again from zero, it happens.

Nov 16 22 08:07 am Link

Photographer

Shadow Dancer

Posts: 9781

Bellingham, Washington, US

What you pay (assuming you are hiring models?) has to do with your perception of the value on offer and the payment requested by the model.

If you find that those align then you can move forward. If not then you can negotiate and see what happens.
As with presenting your own rates, the variables are many - too many to provide any sort of concise figures.

Something is either worth it or it isn't.

Nov 16 22 10:39 am Link

Photographer

Aisbarika

Posts: 217

Washington, District of Columbia, US

Shadow Dancer wrote:
What.... isn't.

Thanks for your responses. I was curious because I've been thinking about the concept of value, and what makes things valuable to a respective person, so this was just an interesting foray into the thought.

Nov 17 22 05:16 pm Link

Photographer

Shadow Dancer

Posts: 9781

Bellingham, Washington, US

Aisbarika wrote:

Thanks for your responses. I was curious because I've been thinking about the concept of value, and what makes things valuable to a respective person, so this was just an interesting foray into the thought.

The variables are truly endless, even just in the US.
You can establish a clientele, get pricing under control and start making a living if you work hard at it.
That may or may not last and it's impossible to even begin describing the reasons for change.
The only thing that never changes is that everything constantly changes. Except when it doesn't.

There will always be factors you do not have control over, always.

Nov 17 22 06:40 pm Link

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