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Rip Off
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This post stems from a recent conversation that I got involved in about a week ago with three Ladies who didn’t know that I was a photographer.
They started talking about School Communion portraits and what a waste of time they where, it went something like this.I wouldn’t get them done they are a rip off , 25 euros for a 10×8.. Yes your rite the photographers are never any good , then what do you think was asked of me.. Well 25 euros seems reasonable don’t you think??
No its not they make far to much money…. I blame the schools for the price don’t they have to give some money to them…..
After all I have a camera and a printer I can do it myself…… and it dosnt cost me that to do it….
Well it went on and on like that for a while, basically running down the photographers and the idea of paying one.
What the hell is going on with people these well dressed women would not think twice on spending 25 euro on say a lip stick I would imagine . Yet recoil in disgust at the thought of giving a professional photographer 25 euro for a portrait truly with some people we are engaged in a race to the bottom.
Now balance the above with this two Saturdays ago seemed like it was another Communion day that would pass with just one to do (has anyone else noticed a decline in Communion portraits) went did it had a laugh got what I wanted.. Then they asked can you do more. More I said ,
yes some family shots and granma /grandad bro/ sister ( with nothing else to do for the day I smiled inside and outside) well it ended up being a good day got 3 times as much money as was expected for the day.
Its funny how people place value on somethings and other people have no value for them at all maybe, if school photographers charged more .. people would value them more just an ending thought.
Funny you should mention photographs and communion. My eldest had his first communion on Sunday. He was doing the reading when the offertory procession was on and my wife was to present the teacher with a bouquet of flowers. Nice things to remember, you’d think.
But no – the priest announced at the start of the ceremony that no photography was allowed. The ceremony was being videoed and if you wanted a record of the day you can buy this. €30 for a video…so now I can nail a tape, or DVD to the wall for all to see. I don’t blame the school as it is a well knit school where teachers and parents as well as students are on first name terms and fund raising is important but they do see the expence of the day as being burdonsome enough. It seems like the priest decided that video outweighed the need for us “happy snappers” who might want to record the occasion.
Anyway, yeah photographers – greedy sods. Them with there big cameras, when I have an 8 meggy pixel camera and printer from Aldi. :roll:If I were to be perfectly honest…
I’ve often passed the local photographer’s shop in town here and looked in and seen the 50 communion photos.
All the same thing repeated 50 times… Mammy, Daddy, Child and Priest, same spot, same pose.
There’s nothing amazing about the photos. They are just records of a moment in time.
Personally… I wouldn’t pay €25 for something bog standard like this when I know I could do it myself and produce better results and variations.
Granted… I know a little about photography… and I’d be far more comfortable doing my own thing. Probably not a fair view taking this into consideration… but I would always be of the opinion if you can do it yourself, and you’re happy to do it yourself, then why pay someone else?
J
I suppose we all do the “communion/prostitution” circuit at some time. Turn up at the church, drum up business, peddle your wares. I always felt it was a little like street prostitution and I just could not continue doing it. I only do them now by appointment at my Studio. That way I have customers that want me to do their portraits and come to me because they want to – not because I am at the church and I “tempted” them or that they know me and feel they can’t pass me out.
To me €25 for a communion portrait is cheap when you see the utter waste of money that is spent within the communion industry. After all, the only surviver in the public domain a month later is the photograph – really ……… the drink and food have been recycled, the clothes are put away, probably never to be seen again (You could never be seen in the same outfit twice !!!). The only evidence of the bouncing castle is the damage to the lawn. The local gossip is “who were the gobs***es that had that stupid limo with the blacked out windows at the First Communion ……. more money than sense ! ” and then you hear the words “Rip Off – €25 for a 10×8 ! “…………… all I can say is that when it comes to the time of spending the €25 for the 10×8 the “rip off” has well and truly taken place and the proceeds are banked.
At my wedding last Saturday the bride was telling me that some of her relations had split loyalties on the day as her cusin’s child was making 1st. communion. She also said that the communion was costing €11,500,00 !!!! ……….. crazy or what!
Now whats €25.00 extra !There are many, many ordinary genuine, down to earth folk out there but there are also those who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Some good points there Gerry.
But lets not forget the single mother’s who’ve been saving for weeks if not months for their child’s communion day, or the families taking home minimum wage and struggling to pay their mortgage and bills. €25 is a lot of money to them.
I was recently out kicking ball with the kids on the street when the ice cream van pulled up. Every kid barr one darted to their parents for cash to buy ice cream… I asked the one chap left why he didn’t go down for money and he said “my mam is saving for my communion on Saturday so told us we can’t have ice cream as she needs to save the money”… a single mother with 3 boys. If she arranged for the brother, father, uncle.. whoever it might be to pop down with the digital compact on Communion Day and decided to pass over the €25 pro fee then more power to her.
I think that if someone is perfectly happy doing something themselves… then let them on with it. The results might be brutal in your eyes or my eyes but maybe in their eyes it’s perfectly acceptable and that’s what counts.
Life is about choices.
J
She also said that the communion was costing €11,500,00 !!!! ……….. crazy or what!
Now whats €25.00 extraI agree I wouldnt even do a 10×8 for 25 euros Id send them to pixiefoto or the local passport photo booth which might be better for their needs , after all we would not want people to have to visit their local credit union for a loan just for a portrait especially since they are after going to the expence of everything else especially that 30 euro video which will never be watched again. sometimes i really wonder..
I dont have problems with people doing for themselves, after all i paint my own house , built my own studio, print my own work, but i do not complain about the price the local painter charges, nor the local builder, nor the local printers.
I just do for myself what i can.Gerry i think the days of communion/prostitution” are done away with, the idea of going to the church on the day makes the hairs on my neck stand up. besides who wants to see the Father with a bigger lens than you have .
speaking of bigger lens. my son recently won their football league and after they where looking for a pic to be taken i had my simple ( small) lens with me the guy next to me had a big lens.
Who do you think their coach asked to take the pic. you just gotta laugh
Sometimes I really wonder too… that people should get on with what they are doing and not worry themselves about how some people choose to live their life, how much money people can afford to spend, how some people think, how some people attribute value to goods and services, how some people make choices etc.
Just because you don’t care to complain about the price of things doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t or can’t. Of course they can. Look at cost of petrol and diesel, look at the cost of parking in Dublin, look at the cost of the toll bridge on the M50, look at the cost of a bag of chips, look at the cost of a pint, look at the cost of 20 fags, look at the cost of a Lee’s filter holder, the cost of renting a house in Dublin, the cost of buying a house in Dublin, Stamp Duty, Child Care fees… and on and on.
Most people on this forum should be able to manage a good communion portrait-
even some of the professionals-However, its not a particularly arduous job,
certainly not requiring the stamina needed to get through a wedding, for example-People will always complain about money, and decide something isn’t worth it,
particularly when they can get an enthusiast to do it for nothing-The production line communion picture that I got as a kid, 3s and sixpence, I think,
still exists to mock me-
and who knows, maybe when these kids are my age,
the inkjet communion portrait might be a little bit of nostalgia to look back on too-If the market doesn’t accept the prices, move on-
plenty more things that can be photographed…either that, or increase your prices…
j
after all we would not want people to have to visit their local credit union for a loan just for a portrait
A little respect for those less fortunate than others might not go astray either… would love to know how some of the locals in your town would feel towards you if they read this. You reckon that everyone can stretch their finances to satisfy your sulking demands?
J
nfl-fan wrote:
after all we would not want people to have to visit their local credit union for a loan just for a portrait
A little respect for those less fortunate than others might not go astray either… would love to know how some of the locals in your town would feel towards you if they read this. You reckon that everyone can stretch their finances to satisfy your sulking demands?
J
This is a photography BUSINESS section bleeding hearts section is elsewhere
Lets keep to the subject of photography folks. No-one is trying to insult anyone…
Thanks
Can’t help but sense the hypocrisy here… you’re a Business Man/Woman coming in here moaning about people moaning. You are complaining about potential customers, people who live in your area… potentially your bread and butter.
Why not take that valuable feedback that you’ve been given first hand and put it to good use (larger corporations actually pay for this type of feedback).
Times are changing… people have their own cameras, pc’s and printers… printing services are everywhere… rather than come in here with your blinkers on why not look at how the market is changing and see can you adapt your business accordingly.
Seems to me it’s you who is looking for a bleeding hearts section… somewhere to take refuge from what is a modernising and changing market place… looking for a pat on the back… “you’re right, they don’t have a clue, customers are ignorant, the should have no quabble coughing up”. You don’t seem interested in addressing the facts presented to you head on with eyes wide open.
I wonder did you go to any effort to market you wares via the school prior to the communion event? Give out leaflets with pricing info, package details, options contact details etc. Selling yourself and letting the product speak for itself.
nfl-fan wrote:
Can’t help but sense the hypocrisy here… you’re a Business Man/Woman coming in here moaning about people moaning. You are complaining about potential customers, people who live in your area… potentially your bread and butter.
Why not take that valuable feedback that you’ve been given first hand and put it to good use (larger corporations actually pay for this type of feedback).
Times are changing… people have their own cameras, pc’s and printers… printing services are everywhere… rather than come in here with your blinkers on why not look at how the market is changing and see can you adapt your business accordingly.
Seems to me it’s you who is looking for a bleeding hearts section… somewhere to take refuge from what is a modernising and changing market place… looking for a pat on the back… “you’re right, they don’t have a clue, customers are ignorant, the should have no quabble coughing up”. You don’t seem interested in addressing the facts presented to you head on with eyes wide open.
I wonder did you go to any effort to market you wares via the school prior to the communion event? Give out leaflets with pricing info, package details, options contact details etc. Selling yourself and letting the product speak for itself.
it seems ur an idiot and did not read or mis read the first post i was not and do not try and flog my work to any schools it not my part of a huge market. you have a chip on shoulders prehaps.. if so chip away you seem to mis under stand the simple fact that professioanl photographers good or bad press the shutter to make money end of story , while you press it for what ever reason.
like an earlier post about someone looking for some photos where a deceased man used to walk for some cards for family and friends , hope that guy charged as much as he can and got it . thats the difference between pressing the shutter for fun and pressing it to pay the bills which you have no concept ofLOL… I may well be an idiot. Such is life… the cards it dealt me.
Very un-professional behaviour coming in here moaning about people from your locality in this manner… your potential clientel. You talk about €€€ being the bottom line… yet you show little or no respect for certain people in your community where the €€€ come from.
But if that’s how you choose to run your business… then leave on your blinkers and keep trotting… and maybe “one day you’ll wake up and say hey I’m a professional photographer” where the attributes that define “professional” go beyond just making money.
pixelmadness wrote:
it seems ur an idiot and did not read or mis read the first post i was not and do not try and flog my work to any schools it not my part of a huge market
Well said.
It seems that you have come a long way since you first post in the introductions section only four months ago-
I seriously doubt that you have the temperament to photograph children,
based on what and how you have written here-
You remind me of when going to the photographer was like going to a dentist-j
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