“What should I charge for my work?” is a question freelance photographers have been asking for decades. Before Cradoc released the first fotoQuote in the early 1990’s there were no resources available to photographers that provided comprehensive pricing information. While organizations like the ASMP were working hard to support the industry, there was no central database of what photographers were charging for their work.
Cradoc Bagshaw, a freelance professional photographer and our founder, saw that need and undertook the task of gathering pricing information to create a comprehensive photography pricing tool for professional photographers to use to price their images and assignments. fotoQuote was born.
Cradoc shares why he created the programs on YouTube:
Since releasing the first fotoQuote program over 30 years ago the industry has evolved. It’s evolved a lot. And while much has changed, some things still remain true. Outside fotoQuote, there is no 1 single source of verifiable pricing available to photographers for them to confidently price their work.
That is not said to discredit any current sources of information available. It is simply a statement of fact.
Why is it so hard for photographers to price their work?
Gathering credible information that can be used to create an all-encompassing photography pricing guide is a lot of work. It takes patience, skill and trust. And, it takes a lot of time.
To create a trusted resource, you not only have to ask photographers to share their opinions (of which we all have a lot), you have to have to gather information on what has actually been paid from a wide variety of sources, not just from photographers. And, you have to ask for proof. In a competitive industry, this can be a tall task. Typically most photographers do not share their pricing and invoices with other photographers.
You’ve probably experienced it yourself. You ask a group of photographers what you should charge for your work and you’ll come up with a wide range of answers. Some will tell you what they have been paid for something similar. Some will tell you what they THINK they should be paid (but have never received). Some will give you advice based on seeing you as competition. And, some will give you advice based on what they overheard someone else say at an event.
Who, and what can you trust? There’s an element of truth to all of it, but how can you gather all of that information to make an informed decision on what YOU should quote?
Quote too high and you price yourself out of the project. Quote too low and you not only devalue your own work, you devalue the work of other professionals (which is never the intent).
That’s where we come in. Our fotoQuote pricing guide is built to reflect what is actually being paid. It always has been and it always will be. We gather all of the information available and provide it in one place to ensure you have all the information you need to confidently price your work.
While the current fotoQuote Pro 7 pricing information remains the industry standard, it’s time for us to update. We’re currently in the process of gathering information from a wide variety of sources, photographers and agencies around the world to update our photo pricing guide. We’re scouring online, reaching out to our users and affiliates, and connecting with our partner organizations to ensure that our upcoming release is a comprehensive look at what photographers are being paid for their work.
fotoQuote has been a trusted resource for over 30 years, and we’re working hard to maintain your trust for years to come.
If you’d like to participate in our pricing research, please contact us – support@cradocfotosoftware.com
