Have you ever been asked this question by a client “Where do you get your pictures developed?” and you didn’t know what to say, read this post. I copied a thread from our NPB private member’s forum that I thought would benefit everyone that’s come across this awkward question.
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Topic: Printing labs & what to tell the customer…
Every once in a while someone asks me where I print my portraits. What should I tell them? I go to a local printing lab that a lot of professionals and amateurs use in Louisville. But I don’t want the customers thinking they’d just rather get a cd and take it to walmart and print it themself, especially since I’m not offering cd’s. Plus they can also see the price list for prints and although I don’t charge much yet, I still feel funny about that. But I also don’t want to sound like I’m trying to hide anything. So what’s the best answer?
Nikkia
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Nikkia – I get that same question once in a while too. I tell them I have them printed at a professional lab out of state (which I do). I use Black River Imaging most of the time, although I have used H&H too. If I’m in a real hurry I will use a lab here in town, but I never tell them where. They don’t need to know pricing.
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Nikkia, same here. Even when I used to local lab I didn’t tell them where I did it. They are aware there will be a mark-up but if they think I’m paying $2.00 for a 8×10 why is my mark-up $20.00?
I do explain to them there are local labs but mine are done out of town because I get a better product for them and I can actually show them the difference between local and H&H, which is who I use.
Carol
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Thanks girls! I actually thought as I was typing that question, gosh these people are gonna think I’m nuts! But you made me feel not at all nuts~ Glad I asked!
Nikkia
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I always think it is nice to get different opinions and hope one will work.
My son is a locksmith and will open a car door in 2 seconds and charge $25.00-50.00 and the owner will comment on the price versus the time it took and he says he will gladly relock it if they wish, they tell him no. Usually because they have called around and all the $20.00 places won’t show or that is only their day rate so they know there isn’t anyone available. Yes, my son used tools he bought (there are about 15 kinds of “slim jims” one doesn’t fit all models but he also goes to continuing ed classes and has to pay for his vehicle, gas, ins, etc.
Now we all have expenses, equipment to maintain, possible classes and other overhead and that has to be figured in with our prices. I remember one time when I was selling Tupperware a lady wouldn’t buy from me because S&H was $3.50 and we were no longer delivering to customers (now she would have been happy for me to deliver for free to her but it would have cost me gas, time and wear and tear on my car) and then she went to the next booth and bought a toy and did not hesitate to pay $8.50 for S&H because that was the way that company always had that policy.
Carol
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Wow my son is a Locksmith too- charges $65 and when not paid he has re-locked the car.
Does anyone question a doctors charge for looking at the x-rays that cost 50c No he charges for the 12 years plus of med school.
joe
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I tell people who ask me that i send them off to a lab in ______ depending what lab im useing ( i use 3 diff labs depending on what i am doing sports, portraits, etc…)
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I heard a story of a factory that had a million dollar machine that wouldn’t work properly. They had all the engineers and top dogs looking at it and no one knew what the problem was. Eventually they were told by someone that they should call this older gentleman that retired a few years back. So, they did. He came out there, looked at the machine, and put an “x” on a piece inside on one of the circuit boards with a black magic marker. He told them to replace that part he marked with a new one, and it would work just fine. So they did, and it worked perfectly. Saving the company millions in having to purchase new equipment, downtime, etc… When they received his bill, it was for $10,000. The top dogs were livid and asked him to send them an itemized bill. So he did, and here is what it said:
$1.00 – Black sharpie marker to put “x” on part
$9,999.00 – knowing where to put the “x”
If photography was easy, they wouldn’t be coming to you.
J
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I’m just starting portraits, but my sister is in the same mindset. she wants be to take photos of her step-daughters baby, wants them edited into Scott’s scale bg & the moon bg. But she doesn’t want to order through me, she wants to bring a CD for me to put them all on when I am done with the edits & she’ll print them on her “Good” Kodak printer. that way she’ll owe me nothing!
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Sounds like one heck of a good deal !!! NOT…
Have you take the portraits, have you edit them how she wants,
and then just give them to her on a CD so she can print all that she wants on her little home printer… and you get the big fat nothing for your effort and time…
I want one of those deals please
I presume you have enough sense to not go any where near it, at least under the terms you sister has for you.
Nolan
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Heavens NO! she may not talk to me, but I’m not doing all the work and giving her everything for nothing. Besides I don’t want one of my first sessions printed with a home printer.
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yeah it is amazing how people want something for nothing!!
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J, that was a great story you typed. I literally laughed at the itemized bill he sent the company. LOL I totally agree with the bill he sent!
I tell my clients the same – that I get all my prints through a professional lab out of state. We have pro labs here in Houston as well, but I don’t tell them who I go to. They don’t need to know all that. LOL
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OK…so the bottom line is people will be bold and ask some really BOLD questions. You as a business owner need to make sure you have your answers available on the spot. We’ve been asked this many times and always said a private lab. You shouldn’t have to answer personal business questions like were you get your taxes done and things like that…but you will. 
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18 Responses to “Re: Printing Labs & What To Tell The Customer…”
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This was a great blog with a question I have had for a while. Another snag I have gotten into is how do I have my people pick out their images after I download them. Do I have them pick out their favorite and then work on editing them? Or do I pick the best ones out and edit them then have the pick from the ones I worked on?
Thanks. Rerally appreciate the post. Never sure how to answer that question. Now I know.
I lost a client i had years ago, when she discovered a local lab i was using. At the time i charged her $15. for an 8×10. She saw that that lab charges $4.95 per print.
She couldn’t be made to understand i work for profit not FREE.
Joe M
We have an excellent Photolab here in Glasgow,Scotland and their results are outstanding.Folk think going too Walmart or Tesco to get their important prints done is ok but there is just no comparison in the results they get.Prices are ok and hope this price list will look ok remembering its in Pounds Sterling and VAT at 17.5% has to be added.
Quantity 10×8 10×10 A4 12×8 12×10 12×12 14×10 14×11 14×14 15×10 15×12
1–9 2.26 2.78 2.78 2.78 3.36 3.36 3.36 5.04 5.15 5.04 5.35
10–19 1.47 1.68 1.68 1.68 2.84 2.84 2.84 3.94 4.04 3.94 4.52
20–29 1.37 1.58 1.58 1.58 2.26 2.26 2.26 3.57 3.68 3.57 4.15
30–49 1.26 1.47 1.47 1.47 2.00 2.00 2.00 3.36 3.57 3.36 3.94
50–99 1.16 1.37 1.37 1.37 1.79 1.79 1.79 3.15 3.26 3.15 3.68
100+ 0.89 1.16 1.16 1.16 1.68 1.68 1.68 2.94 3.05 2.94 3.47
Wake up people – consumers are getting smarter all the time. Ever hear of the Internet? They know what things cost and can access services directly like book printing, and getting images on anything from a necktie to a t-shirt.
Some folks even have some skills. So what to do? Of course there is the difference in quality control – if they upload to Costco (which does make good prints) will they do it right – there are upload and processing settings which may not mean anything to the average person. And if something goes wrong you won’t be there to stand behind the prints. That’s one way to convince folks to buy prints through you – but this will be a harder and harder sell going forward.
It used to be that photographers were in the business of setting up/taking/processing and printing photographs. The printing has been made a lot easier and accessible. The taking has been made easier too with inexpensive digital cameras but you can’t buy skill and experience, and that is obvious.
Given the same processed file in the hands of a pro and in the hands of a novice – if the novice chooses the right printer (and online reviews help) – they will get a comparable product.
So one alternative is to offer a pricing model where you sell your time rather than prints. Charge for the production of the processed image file and deliver that. Of course you can’t be responsible for the print quality etc. But I am seeing more people that actually know what they are doing given a good quality file.
If you don’t offer this – it’s a sure bet that your competitor will. Be ready.
I just did a lovely boudoir shoot for a person that wanted to make a photo book for an anniversary gift to her husband. I delivered the files (processed and cropped) and she made the book. It’s actually a relief to not have to deal with the printing.
There was once a florist, who’s favorite customer called him and requested that he make for her the most beautiful, ribbon flower for her picture hat, that she would be wearing that day to her son’s wedding. When she arrived, she could not believe her eyes as he arranged the flower on her hat. She was very impressed! She asked him, “how much will that be”? “That will be $50.00″, he said. “50.00 for a piece of ribbon”, she yelled. As he patiently reached for the flower, carefully took it apart and handed her the strip of ribbon, he said, “in that case, it will be fifty cents.
I tell them I use several professional labs, depending on what I\\\’m printing as each lab does an excellent job in its specialty but no single lab does everything to my standards.
@Cindy – Pick only the ones you feel are worth printing. Don\’t do all of your post work on every image unless they order. Do one or two of your favorites (Artist\’s Picks) completely to show the difference. Only show stuff you\’d be proud for your name to be associated with – If you show them everything nine times out of ten they\’ll pick something dreadful to print.
I have had the same problems so I have put a statement on my website right here:
http://abstractlucidity.com/printcosts.html
I usually give the customer a CD of their photo’s unless they specifically want prints which I use a local lab. I safeguard myself by putting company name & details somewhere on the pics & a watermark across the sample pics & keep the originals. Most are happy to come back to me as nowhere will print their pics with the copyright notice.
joe,
x-rays truly do cost a bit more than 50c.
bob
I’d like to answer the question about the sister who wants you to work for free. My sister did this to me once too, I wasn’t sure how to answer the question she asked and I was fairly new at the time so I gave the photos to her on CD for free. After all was said and done, I didn’t feel good about the deal at all, the only thing that helped me mentally was that it was for my sister. We’ll recently I had my sister back in my studio and she wanted the same thing. I said to her that I am very sorry but I no longer give my work away for free. I charge $25.00 for my 8×10′s and if she would like them on CD I told her that I charge three times the price for a digital file of that size because I have to assume that the photo will be produced at least 3 times, this gave her three choices. One she could get the photos taken by me and order prints through me and pay $25/8×10, Two she could pay $75.00 for each 8×10 size digital file and then she can go to wal mart and print as many as she wants, or three, she can go somwhere else. I explained to her that just like every other business out there I am in it to make money too, I know she is my sister, but if I wasnt a photographer I can’t imagine her going to another professional and asking for free photos. People often undervalue creative professionals, and unless we put our foot down people will walk all over us. If all else fails, tell her that you’re sorry, but you will not take on a job from her if she’s not willing to pay you for your work. Sometimes you have to weigh out your own options, if it wont put food on your table or pay your bills but you’ll do it just because its your sister and in turn you may be putting time into a free job while turning down paid work simply because you now dont have the time for your paying client. I hope this helps. Don’t let anyone undervalue you, even if it is your own family. Good Luck
I’ve not had that problem yet, but now I know how to answer it! Thanks.
Most clients don’t realize the investment some of us have made up front to get into the business, other photog’s will be upgrading as their business grows,(camera’s, lighting etc.) as well as instructional materials to improve your photographic knowledge and skills. Add this to post work in your e-darkroom, if you do your own, and printing cost at your favorite lab plus your time…there’s where the $15.00-$20.00 price is warranted. Lab costs are only a portion of our costs to the consumer.
Cindy… in my opinion, your last question is the correct answer. I would select what “you think” are your best shots, remember there paying you! You don’t want to overwhelm your clients with a broad choice, keep it simple, you should have a feel for your best 3 or 4 shots taken during your shooting session. Never show the client all the photos taken if at all possible, you want them to think all of them were good. But we all know “some are better than others”. If the client asks for additional proofs here’s where I highly recommend some type of rating system to work with to make retrieving your next “tier” of photo’s easier and faster.
- This question has never come up for me. I have a statement on my website that says all images are printed at a professional lab and print quality is guaranteed. If someone were to ask me, I would tell them that and also tell them the lab is out of town.
- For Cindy: My method is simple. I sit down at my computer and go through each section of “like” pictures. I will take 4 shots in the same position with the heads tilted differently or their smiles are different, or eyes are different….but the pose is the same, the frame looks almost exact in all 4 shots. So, I look only at those 4 images and I decide which one I like the best. I copy it over to another folder. I repeat that step for all of the photos from the entire shoot. YOU have to be the one to narrow all of those down. It should never be left up to the client to go thought the files and sort the good, bad, and ugly photos :O) Good luck!
- My opinion differs a bit. But everyone has their own. If it were not for people sharing so opening like people do, I would not be where I am today. I am all about “pay it forward”. If a blood relative comes to me and asks me to do a shoot for them, I am all over it! (1) It gives me family photos that I get to keep!! (2) It makes my family have joy in their hearts and memories that will last forever (3) It increases my portfolio (they know they are going on my website and I am going to use them. – I have done my nieces senior ports, my sisters family pictures, and I volunteered to do those. I wasn’t asked.
- We have to remember that just because we are “professional photographers” doesn’t mean we can’t just take pictures like normal people. Just because we happen to take them better doesn’t mean ever single picture we take should cost someone money, esp our family. Just my opinion.
Hello:
I’m very new at this, can someone tell me what photo labs are you using? There were mentions of Wal-Mart and other labs, are you really using professional labs instead of your home printer?
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