LETS HAVE SOME TALK ON PRICING…
Salam,
Rakan-rakan yang dihormati. Artikel ‘LETS HAVE SOME TALK ON PRICING’ ini adalah sebuah artikel yang saya tulis agak lama dahulu dan telah disiarkan dalam beberapa laman web dan forum tempatan. Artikel ini adalah artikel yang saya kira paling kontroversi yang pernah saya tulis. Saya siarkan kembali artikel ini kerana saya masih mendapat banyak pertanyaan mengenai CARA MELETAK HARGA. Tulisan ini ditulis dalam Bahasa Inggeris rojak 
Tapi, isinya lebih sedap dari rojak Harap anda dapat manfaat dari artikel ini. Selamat membaca!
LETS HAVE SOME TALK ON PRICING…
By Hasnuddin Abu Samah
http://www.adan.biz
http://www.fototeacher.com
By the way, please excuse my English, I’m just an uneducated Malay guy trying to catch up with some other successful English speaking berabuk guys.
Many of you might agree with me that, wedding photographers now have a strong demand in the market. You also might agree that, the price to pay for a good wedding photographer is really expensive. But, usually, if you really shop around, you can get cheaper price from an unexperience part time photographer. But, you can even get a really good price cut from a photography company. So, what is the problem?
The problem is:
For the customer: With the low price, the photographer will cut a lot of ‘unremarkable’ cost in order to make a little profit. So, you will get a less quality of service or material.
While the problem for the photographer is: You get less profit in that particular job and you have a good chance to make no profit at all at the end of the year! Then, without any profit, how could you invest in a good equipment, improve your product and even survive for the next year?
I have one good story to share with you. It’s about my conversation with a young and unexperience video cameraman. I really feel sad for him…
I met this guy at a wedding. While waiting for the bride, I have a chat with him. It goes like:
Me: Berapa awak charge untuk shoot video kahwin ni?
That guy: RM 350
Me: Kalau dengan editing sekali, berapa charge?
That guy: Itu sekali dengan editing lah
Me: ( Terkejut. Terdiam sekejap…) Murah jugak tu…
That guy: Boleh lah..
Me: Semalam, masa nikah, awak shoot jugak?
That guy: Ya
Me: Berapa charge untuk shooting semalam?
That guy: Sekali lah tu. RM 350 untuk 2 hari termasuk editing. Saya bagi 3 VCD.
Me: ( Terkejut lebih besar. Terdiam lebih lama…) 2 hari shoot tu maksimum berapa jam?
That guy: Tak kisahlah. Pagi sampai malam pun saya kira sama jugak – RM 350.
And this is the best part…
Me: Boleh untung ke?
That guy: Mesti la untung. Saya charge RM 350.
kereta RM 10. Semua kos saya RM 28 je. Saya untung RM 300 lebih. Saya kerja
seminggu pun tak dapat sebanyak tu.
Me: ( Dah nak keluar api atas kepala ) Awak tak kira ke kos lain.
elektrik, kepakaran dan sebagainya?
That guy:( Tak faham )
Then, in a very short period of time, I explain back to him what and how he should charge. He don’t know what I’m talking about. I can’t help any further. I hope, by this time, that guy already discover what I’m trying to say.
If you also still can’t figure out what I’m trying to say, let me explain in details here:
Ok, we know the material cost for that guy is RM 28. Now let add other cost that poor guy had miss out.
Let assume that this guy’s fee is RM 10 per hour ( THAT IS REALLY CHEAP!) and lets have a look how much time did he spent for the job.
First, meet the client to discuss about the job ( 1 hour ) – RM 10
To shoot for nikah, he spend 1 hour to travel from his house to the location – RM 10
Then, he shoot the nikah, he spend 6 hours to cover that event – RM 60
The next day, he travel 1 hour again to the job location – RM – 10
Then, he spent another 6 hours to shoot the video – RM 60
After the shooting completed, he do the editing. It tooks about 12 hours – RM 120
Lastly, he send the VCD and meet the client. He spent another 1 hour – RM 10
TOTAL COST FOR TIME SPENT = RM 280.00
MATERIAL COST = RM 28.00
TOTAL = RM 308.00 ……..waiiiittt…we’re not done yet!
There IS another cost to add. YESSSS…..THIS GUY’S CAMERA AND EDITING MACHINE.
Do you think this video equipment is free?
The video camera + editing PC cost about RM 6,000 ( This is the cheap one )
Do you think this video equipment no need to be maintained?
The video equipment will break down from time to time. Need to repair. Regularly, need to
service the camera. Need to upgrade the PC.
Do you think this video equipment will last forever?
One video camera will considered as OUTDATED in 2 years.
So, how much is the cost for his camera for 1 day use. I don’t want to go into detail on asset depriciation calculation here. Let put it simple. Usually, people will rent out their camera for RM 100 per day ( That is the cheapest!) and usually, people will charge RM 100 per day also for rental of editing facilities ( That is also the cheapest!) Yes, even though you use your won equipment, lets treat it as if you have to rent it, or easier to say, the client have to rent the camera equipment with your shooting service.
So, lets add another cost for this guy:
2 days camera rental @ RM 100 per day X 2 days = RM 200.00
1 day editing rental @ RM 100 per day X 1 day = RM 100.00
TOTAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL COST = RM 300.00
OK, OK, I’m panic already. Lets add all the cost:
Material = RM 28.00 ( heheh…very cheap )
Time = RM 280.00 ( Opppss.. )
Equipment = RM 300.00 ( Huh!!! )
TOTAL = RM 608.00
Actually there is another cost, but I’m already afraid to count. Because, every time this guy do a video shooting job, he don’t get any profit ( Not even a single cent ). He actually PAY his client RM 258.00 for giving him a professional & tidious job! Wonderful!
I’ve been in this business for the past 10 years. 7 years as a freelance. 3 years with a proper business setup ( with staff, office, asset etc.) The transition from a photographer to an entrepreneur takes a lot of effort. I need to learn a lot of thing about business ( Marketing, PR, Branding, Publicity, Sales, Pricing, Production Management, Training, Finance, Account, HR, Admin and a lots more ) It’s not easy. Now I know why so few Malay people succeed in business. It is because:
1) It is so tough and the risk is so high.
2) We need to learn a lot of thing about business. It’s not in our culture yet. We need to learn from a scratch.
3) Malay businessmen is too ‘generous’. We don’t really put a deep thought on what we should spend our money for and we feel too afraid to put a PRICE for our service.
Yes, our people is not really ready yet to pay for a service. That is why photographers have to compliment their service with an album and etc. That is why a doctor has to ‘cover up’ their service charge by giving the patient some not so useful medicine.
In a short note, here is what a photographer should charge for:
1) Expertise – time and money spent to master the skill
2) Shooting Time – time is money.
3) Equipment – charge like if you have to rent it from others
4) Post production time – per hour rate X how much time spent to touch up the photo etc.
5) Material & cost – petrol, prints, album, CD etc.
6) Overhead cost – advertsing cost, building rental, telephone bill etc.
7) PROFIT – you need profit to grow
And…also keep in mind that:
Miscellaneous cost eg: mistake, client ask for re-edit, price increase in stock etc.
Also remember, you have to work on weekends when you should bring your family for a picnic and sometimes you even have to shoot on public holiday! You also have to work in odd hour. Think about it. You too should have a normal life. Don’t you like to charge a little bit extra just to compensate with your not so
To bridegroom to be:
Don’t worry about what I’m saying… If all the photographer charge properly, we all will get a very high quality wedding photography service. After all, when a photographer give you a cheap price, there is high chance that he is cutting down the time and cost that I’ve mentioned above.
Thank you for reading. Please write to me if you have any comments.
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PERINGATAN:
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what about beginner photographer? can they charge like what you wrote?
Hi,
i just want to share my own opinion here. for the beginner, we can’t charge like the professional photographer…why???…
…because professional photographer:
#1.They have enough experience and knowledge which can deliver very good quality.
#2.They practice the professionalism for running the business..
#3.They used the good equipment that cost higher than beginner’s equipment.
…and etc.
For a beginner they need to charge with a reasonable price.
…but how to know the reasonable price for beginner photographer?…the answer is simple; we need get involve in this industry.we can ask from the experience photographer in this industry. Even, everybody can learn how to do the wedding photography costing in a course organized by Hasnuddin (www.fototeacher.com).
We can charge higher; but we must improve our knowledge and
and skills.
Don’t get me wrong.Just my own opinion.
Thank you.
*Abg Din, do correct me if i’m wrong.
What a hot topic. I would like to write some opinion here regarding mr hasnuddin article. I am one of the guy which planning to married this year. With the increasing price almost from all aspect like tol, petrol, weeding needs such as clothes and photgrapher price make me suffer if not much maybe effect my budget a little bit.
Next, if we sorted back what mr hasnuddin said he say phographer itself try to damage this industry which offer people with the cheap price. Then he said that it will be a loss for them because they all forget to calculate their time, equipment cost and many more. I agree all of their opinion when your are truely in this industry and deliver a quality services and product to the client which means the client will satisfy with what they invest. What i am not agree is what he said like all of the phographer can deliver all quality services to the client. He look like try to take advantage with the indemand weeding photgrapher by making the increasing price is a normal thing now a day. Common man, for me why the phographer he ask willing to take a cheaper price because he is a freelance which joint in this industry with some minimium skills and cost.
Why I said like that because it is based on my experience. I have a few people joint in this industry. What the do they used office tools such as camera, computer, printer and so on which means they are not need to spend in equipment cost. Then they go to the fotopages advertise a good examples of their work and offer standard price RM150 per rol and normally RM1000 per package but I always look client get very upset when they receive their weeding picture are not same like what their look in advertisement (Bad). I know not every photgrapher do like that but when this situation happend it will effect all photographer reputation even the medium they used like fotopages. What I am trying to say is why dont you all try to built association whithin your all and control this situation. Make sure you all have same quality of work among your association and satisfy the client need. After that it up to you to give your price.
Just my I cent opinion, Thank you.
Akmal, for beginners, they can charge lower price, but do not kill the market and kill themselves.
Thank for giving me great info.
Wahhh. Veryyy touchy subject, everybody wants to have their opinion heard.
For me, this topic begs the question, which came first – the chicken or the egg.
If you start out by having zero to minimum training, you should get some training and read more books. Spend time examining
why some pictures are good while others are OK or bad. Because properly trained photographers are not users of point ‘n’ shoot digital cameras.
These people (including me) spend time to get the correct technique and skills before we even advertise our services. I have seen RM400 photographers shooting a day 2 day event with a point ‘n’ shoot camera. Are his pictures all good compared
to photographers with proper DSLRs? Maybe yes, maybe no – art is subjective, what looks good to me and you, may look bad for the clients.
A better analogy would be: When you get under the knife in a surgery, which would you prefer: A trained surgeon with a full set surgery equipment in a clean room? Or, a yet to be trained junior medical student working on you in his college human biology lab?
Training is very important to anyone, in any industry. If you want
to be a working photographer for a news agency or a full-time
wedding specialist, you need to understand your equipment but more importantly, your art.
You need to understand the balance of safe shots and your art shots, you wide angles and your telephoto shots. You need to understand exposure, how to read the meter, the histogram, how to balance your shutter to aperture to film sensitivity rating (also popularly known as ISO).
But to be a business person, you must know how figure out your costs and profit margin.
1) How much time it’s going to cost you to shoot?
How much have you owed in business loans?
2) How many pictures?
3) How much time for post-production?
4) Mobile or use strobes through umbrellas?
5) How much should you charge for rental of equipment?
6) How much is your fee as a photographer?
7) How much do you need to live in per day or in a month?
9) How much is your profits?
10) When should you upgrade your equipments?
11) Do you have a back up camera?
12) How much is your tax per annum?
13) How much is your health insurance?
14) How much is your equipment insurance?
15) How much is your retirement going to cost you?
16) How much do you want to save for your retirement?
(picture this: 1000 dollars today is equivalent to 100 dollars 50 years ago, you should make adjustments for inflation)
The list of questions go on and on and a business person, you should have answers to this. Business means you have more time on your own and you’re working for yourself. Being generous doesn’t help you or your clients. Here’s the reason:
When you charge cheap, would you be happy to work for the client? The client will complain whether you charge cheap or at your well calculated prices. So why should you charge cheap? The temptation to charge RM400 per event/per day is strong. The clients will want to reduce their costs and you may negotiate, but try not kill your spirit in the process. If you charge cheap, you will kill your spirit. You friends will like you because you can shoot their wedding for RM400, but will they understand how much it’s costing you to do business? Will they help you monetarily when you business goes out?
But before you go out to advertise about your services, learn your business. You’ll be better for it.
The good news is, if you’re a dedicated student of photography, you can charge what the pros are charging when you get into your 2nd wedding season.
To Encik Hasnuddin:
I absolutely agree that the majority of photographers in this country aren’t setting the correct costing and profit margin. Wedding photographers need to have an association or a union
to set the best practices, costs and profit margin.
Quality of work is subjective. I was once asked by a client why the picture isn’t sharp (she was referring to the bokeh in the background) when all her brothers’ pictures are.
I had to spend a minutes talking to her explaining what a bokeh is, why it’s there and why her brothers pictures are all sharp (foreground to background sharpness). But in the end, she didn’t understand anything and I don’t expect her to.
I set my pictures at between 2.8 to 5.6 with the average aperture at 4 and between ISO 100 – 800, and I use bounced flash to fill the shadows or off camera flash for some creative shots.
Congratulations on setting up fototeacher, I don’t know what else you teach the new guys, but consider teaching about costing too. The market is about to burst with people charging too low.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Terima kasih Zafer di atas komen panjang lebar yang sungguh bernas.
i like this info