Your comments & thoughts please

Mark Humpage · 21 Nov 2005

I would appreciate some constructive feedback from fellow porker owners with regards a project I am currently pursuing. For those that don’t know, I am a weather photographer and have enjoyed much success with many clients such as Tate Modern, BBC, Jaguar, Olympus to name a few (more here
[u:0xDfKcUhuD]) I am considering branching out to include prestigious car photography. Not magazine work or the like but rather a more personal service. The idea came to me when a friend of mine, who owns a Maserati, asked me to produce a large format print of his cherished possession, mounted on board, to sit on his wall at home (next to the plasma!).

Having done this sort of thing many times with my weather work (on canvas) I decided to take up his offer. I must say the finished article took me by surprise as it looks superb. Here is what I am considering: - providing a personal service for prestige and classic car owners to produce a large format individual photo, mounted on board, canvas or framed. The final image is a whopping 1.5m wide and looks darn impressive on a wall.

-
I would travel to any desired location in the
UK
to clients household/premises

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Photograph in wide format (or any desired)

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Produce a large format image on board, canvas or framed mount.

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Arrange delivery of the final product to clients.

Now, I would appreciate some constructive feedback and open comments on pricing. Bearing in mind travel costs, large format printing costs alone this exercise does not come cheap. Add to this equipment and labour and you will appreciate how the costs add up. Mind I’m a firm believer in paying for quality! I was initially thinking of
the £399 range (depending on location) but really would like to hear from as many people as possible from the 911 forum. Would you consider spending this amount on such a product? Is it too expensive? Too cheap?

I really would appreciate ANY comments. Do not be afraid to speak your mind. If you think it’s a rip off please tell me! I know it’s probably hard without seeing the final product, but they really DO look good, and all comments are welcome.

Thanks

Mark Humpage

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Carrera · 21 Nov 2005

Sometimes it's good to have a really nice picture of your P&J on the wall but I'm not sur if I'd want (or allowed) to have a 1.5m wide picture on the wall though. I think the max size I'm allowed is prob about A3 size.

As far as cost, obviously to have it done as a personal service it'd be expensive. That's why I'd thought a group session in one of the outing might help reduce the cost and final price of the product. Put it this way, on one of my track days, I paid £30 for the CD of the photo, and the spent another £30 or so printing and framing my car (@8" wide) and now it sits in a corner where I can see it but not many people can so I don't appear too sad.

Good luck in your venture anyway.

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Tiptop Topcat · 21 Nov 2005

For the man that has everything (except a cherished number plate obviously), it may be an option but it strikes me as a lot of money to spend on a photograph of a car. Especially when I haven't got one of the better half!

1.5m wide is too big. Couldn't hang it in the office as I don't make a habit of telling business associates about my indulgences. Couldn't hang it at home because even my childrens photographs are only 20" x 10".

High margins or high turnover would seem to be the choice.

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Rodders · 21 Nov 2005

what if i were to get a proffesional photographer locally to do the donkey work of taking the pic?.......and sending it down to yourself for framing/production would that be an option at all?

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Tiptop Topcat · 21 Nov 2005

What's the USP?

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SimonK · 21 Nov 2005

Hello Mark, hows the car going?!

With regards to your business idea I think 1.5m is probably just too big. Same as Mick Ive had a small canvas done from a Bedford photo of the 911. Anything bigger would be too much I think.

I guess there simply isnt a proportionate cost reduction involved in doing something smaller? The canvas idea is a neat alternative to framing a print though I think.

Simon

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Maxy M · 21 Nov 2005

Doesn't really do it for me... Certainly not at big money.

But Butzi mentioned a group purchase. Now, a really special photo of P-car machinery at a 911uk.com get-together could be good, provided the price were right. And others were like-minded.

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Robertb · 21 Nov 2005

I'd have thought such a venture would involve minimum set-up costs, aside from the advertising.

I suppose there'd be no harm in offering such a service, and if someone went for it then good money. I'd say it is a low volume, high margin situation.

As said above though, I can't see the other half going for it to hang up in the sitting room, and I'm sure I would not be alone!

So your market is chaps with nice studies where they could put it on the wall... would look good. For that, the price is about right?

Why limit it to just cars, assuming 'people portraits' aren't your thing how about boats, houses, etc...

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Maxy M · 21 Nov 2005

Post a query and Robert will give you that carefully considered answer that you don't get from the rest of us. And it's for free! Prompt him a bit further and I'm sure he'll fix you a biz plan as well as a marketing/promotions strategy. :wink:

I think you're missing out on some serious income here Robert.

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Porsche · 21 Nov 2005

well I've got an 8mega-pixel digital SLR camera (perfect for large prints) , so can't be that hard expensive to print A4 or even A3 size ?

but a picture IMHO would be all the cars & drivers together in a proper group shot

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