Pricing restaurant photography is something most food photographers will struggle with at the start. In this video I discuss how much you can charge as well as some of the negotiation pit falls to avoid.
As a food photographer, I started out in the same way that many others before me had. The local independent cafe/restaurant/hotel was my first potential client. They were small enough to be easily approachable, I knew many of them (I am a big cafe fan) and I had no idea how to get in anywhere else. The problem was, I had no idea how much they would be willing to pay. Over the years I discovered that they were all so different in their needs, but also very similar in their budgets.
Though this is a common problem, it also seems a hard one to find answers upon, especially one with realistic numbers. Throughout the video I discuss the actual fees you can charge, but also look at some of the problems you will come up against when trying to negotiate a fee with a client who may not understand the value of your work. I also look at some of the key items you need sign off for before agreeing to do a photo shoot with an independent business.
Restaurant photography is at the beginning of most food photographers career paths. Although you probably wont make a long term living in this niche, it is certainly something worth doing to learn your craft and also to work on your business skills.
What have your experiences been with restaurant photography?
"How much for photos" I have heard this a million times lol
Haha always a fave of mine
I think pricing the photography is always difficult, but for me the price is always a total of several things: time for taking the pictures, time for editing them (also deoends on what exactly do I have to edit: sometimes a light color correction on Photoworks is enough and sometimes I have to make the whole photomontage thing!), the whole preparation efforts, etc. Another way is to research what average price in your area is and set the same.
Yeah, it also worth noting their should be a fee for your talent as well. Just because you are fast and efficient doesn’t mean you should lose out
Brilliant video.
My comment to new photographers enduring the adversity of low paying jobs and demanding clients is the difference in what the job is worth and what you are being paid is tuition in the school of hard knocks.
Painful lessons are those best learned.
Yeah its certainly part of the process going through this part of the industry.
What is your point?
Franchise operations are designed to (in theory) to offer the business organization, marketing and management assistance to those inexperienced in the field but possess access to financing.
This is not to say the business model is questionable but rather decisions on marketing are generally not left up to the local business.
As for their food photography..... sorry, not professional. It shows the customer what the food looks like but does little to subconsciously imprint the idea of quality food.
One is selling emotion as much as describing the product.