So Zack Arias is coming to the UK

Flash In The Pan said:
It's going to be interesting to see how many takers he gets at that price, mind you he sold one ticket so far......
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He'd get more takers by dropping the price and increasing numbers IMO - instead of 15 places at £500, make it 50 places at £175 instead...far more palatable to our thrifty English purses...
Fifty's still a manageable number for a day's tuition...
 
Arkady said:
He'd get more takers by dropping the price and increasing numbers IMO - instead of 15 places at £500, make it 50 places at £175 instead...far more palatable to our thrifty English purses...
Fifty's still a manageable number for a day's tuition...
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If the plan is to be out shooting until "at least midnight" and I'd assume, out and about round Newcastle, then I don't think 50 would be all that manageable a number.....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
If the plan is to be out shooting until "at least midnight" and I'd assume, out and about round Newcastle, then I don't think 50 would be all that manageable a number.....
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You'd probably need that many just to run security if you're out in Newcastle after midnight. ;)
 
jamesoliverstone said:
Do you reckon he covers anything more than is on his one light DVD?
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I can't see how, there's really only so much you can do with "one light". At the Strobist seminar DH was saying he reckoned Arias had painted himself into a corner with the one-light concept.
 
No charge to go to the mixer and meet a few likeminded people.
If it is in an accessible location I might just attend. Anyone else keen?
 
I'd love to go, I'd buy the chap a brown ale.

I still follow his blog closely after all these years.
 
Hey y'all!

I was directed here by a few folks on Twitter. I just wanted to pop in and say that I agree with most of you, my workshop is on the expensive side. I'm the first to admit that.

The costs of doing this kind of thing requires it though. I ran this workshop for 3 years with barely turning a profit. The expenses to do this kind of thing is insane and that's with keeping expenses as low as I can keep them. I don't fly business class. I don't stay in swanky hotels, I try to avoid renting a car, etc.

If I sell all 30 seats in the UK that would be a gross revenue of $24,000. Not too shabby huh? Then come expenses...

Income tax - $3,000
Flights - $2,987
Hotels - $1,550
Studio rental - $1,200
Food for students - $1,000 (all meals provided)
Food for me & crew for the 9 days I'm there - $1,000
Mixers - $600
Crew - $1,000
Studio crew in Atlanta - $5,500 (big job in house I have to subcontract out while I'm gone)
Print materials - $900
Shipping/baggage - $500
Misc - $500

My hard cost expenses for the 9 days I'm in the UK - $19,737

Profit = $4,263

That's if all the seats sell. Most likely they will not. Let's say I sell out in London and only sell 10 seats in Newcastle - That's $20k. My expenses drop a bit but not a lot. Still have the same costs for flights, lodging, crew, rentals, etc.

That may mean a profit of $763 for 9 days in the UK give or take $500.

Keep in mind I have 4 kids to feed at home. That's a big grocery bill. :)

It's a risk I take because I really want to come to England and folks have requested a OneLight there for a long time. Honestly, I hope to just break even on this trip.

I could have more students at a lower cost but 15 is my max. Any more than that and the quality of the workshop suffers. I don't leave a workshop until everyone gets what they came for. My workshops generally run 16 hours+. The feedback I receive from past attendees is that I should be charging $1,000 to $1,200 for a seat.

We ran the numbers at $500 a seat and found I would lose money.

So... I know the price is steep but I want to make sure it is the best workshop experience it can be. I want to make sure that folks never ever ever ever feel like they got ripped off. Not a single complaint has ever been made and I work hard for that reputation. Also note that I do not accept sponsors for these because I want to maintain as much integrity as possible in an industry filled with crappy sponsored workshops.

And for Hobby's comment? He's busted my chops with that statement many times. :)

Please come out to a mixer. They are free and I'll buy you a pint! I can't wait to drink English beer on English soil!

Cheers,
Zack
 
Zack,
thanks for the explanation of costs etc. I for one have been wanting to go on the workshop for a couple of years now. Unfortunately this time I just cant afford it, it's not just the workshop costs, its travel, hotel bills etc. You will find if you are driving from London to Newcastle just how much fuel costs here :-(
I hope that you enjoy you time in the UK and I hope to make one of the mixers, probably Newcastle.
Cheers,
Mart
 
Hey Zack, welcome to England

I imagine your workshops are great and hope you have a fab time here.
zarias said:
Please come out to a mixer. They are free and I'll buy you a pint! I can't wait to drink English beer on English soil!
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That's an open invite to all at TP right ;) Don't get excited about English beer - if you like ales you should find a few, but we're not the mecca for good beer.

PS - get a new accountant :)
 
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Gutted I cant attend as he has been a hero of mine for some time now, cest la vie. I guess I must be a fool as I would pay this.....and trust me I aint rich.
 
I think you'll find there are a few people willing to shout you a pint or two Zack.

Would the format not work for more people at a lower cost? (which is likely to turn into a larger profit) - no-one would object to that if the pricing was a little more accessible

I am all for people making a profit as that often leads to them producing more informational videos and literature that benefits many people.

Hoping to get to the London mixer anyway.
 
Was all ready to go for this, but just can't afford it... if discounts become available I'd definitely be interested though.

I should be able to make it to the mixer assuming it's not intended to just be for the course attendees?!
 
Looks like the London gig is far more popular. Maybe two in London would sell?

However, London is easy to get to for most people in the UK, but accommodation can be a right b****r (after the not inconsiderable but probably worthwhile course costs). Newcastle is way out there in God knows where Northernland as the only other venue, and is a right pain to get to. I would have recommended Bristol/Manchester/Edinburgh to be a better alternative venue spread.

She would never allow me that sort of money for a course though. :...(

Is Newcastle Brown Ale even still brewed in Newcastle? Boddingtons moved out of Manchester, didn't they?
 
Looks as if the London one is all but sold out and a third of the Newcastle tickets have gone too, so :shrug:
 
Hopefully there is a comp to win this, as I would love to attend and Zack is a hero of mine, but cannot afford the workshop. To come to the mixer will cost me at least £100 (as will have to stop in London let alone getting there), but will at least push to do that, but I really would just like to thank the guy for being an inspiration to me as I discovered his blog when I first discovered photography and he has been a major influence on me, even if I just get to say hello to him with there being a lot of people there, plus a day in London shopping after will please my wife.
 
Kris said:
Is Newcastle Brown Ale even still brewed in Newcastle? Boddingtons moved out of Manchester, didn't they?
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Not since 2005.



As for the price, aren't people who are pro / semi-pro or freelance going to offset this and it's peripheral costs as a business expense anyway?

It's enhancing and developing a skill for the photographer, and that seems to be accepted as a legitimate expense if you're running a photography business....
 
JasonRS said:
Not since 2005.



As for the price, aren't people who are pro / semi-pro or freelance going to offset this and it's peripheral costs as a business expense anyway?

It's enhancing and developing a skill for the photographer, and that seems to be accepted as a legitimate expense if you're running a photography business....
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Ahem, have a little knowledge about this.

Apparently, if it's training, its not an allowable expense. If it's professional development, it is.

Eg, you can train to be a plumber (not allowable) but pay for your GasSafe registration and PD to maintain/enhance your skills (allowable).

Now, is this training or professional development? Hmmmm. Only the Inland Rev knows...
I'd claim it.
 
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JasonRS said:
Not since 2005.



As for the price, aren't people who are pro / semi-pro or freelance going to offset this and it's peripheral costs as a business expense anyway?

It's enhancing and developing a skill for the photographer, and that seems to be accepted as a legitimate expense if you're running a photography business....
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perfectly claimable but I've already got 12k + of tax to offset on turnover I don't have yet :(
 
Kris said:
Now, is this training or professional development? Hmmmm. Only the Inland Rev knows...
I'd claim it.
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Me too.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM42526.htm

"Provided it is incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade carried on by the individual at the time the training is undertaken, expenditure on training courses attended by the proprietor of a business (either as a sole trader, or in partnership with others) with the purpose of up-dating their skills and professional expertise is normally revenue expenditure, which is deductible from profits of the business."
 
I am sure Zack Arias is very good but 280 dollars incl post for the dvd is taking the p**s.
 
cost of making it ++ profit / expected print run is why its dear

if you sell 10 millioon copies its cheap if you sell a few hundred maybe a k then it needs to be dear
 
I think that a lot of you are missing the point with the numbers, the reason that they are kept low is to have the personal touch and the interaction with Zack.

How many of you who went to see Joe McNally goto have a pint with him and to spend the day with HIM rather than a room full of other blokes all watching him, you might as well have been watching it on TV.

The fact that you can say Zack, why is this not working and he can then explain it and show YOU.

I am going to have to have another look at my finances, because i really want to go on this.....

Mac
 
I agree that it's worth keeping the numbers down for a session. Zack runs a successful business, so fair play to whatever he can charge. That doesn't mean we have to like it though :) For example, why come all the way over here, with significant fixed costs involved, and spread those over 2 expensive workshops? I'd have thought 4 or 5 cheaper workshops would've been just as profitable for Zack, and more appreciated by his customers.

And why is Zack paying $3k income tax on something that's not making a big profit. And losing $5.5k on subcontracting out a big job while away seems like poor planning, that we have to pay for. But many people are prepared to pay the premium, so fair play.
 
Should really say coming to England due to the lack of courses in Scotland, Wales and NI.
 
POAH said:
Should really say coming to England due to the lack of courses in Scotland, Wales and NI.
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Not really, the UK is one country. If you were to go to New York, you could just say you were going to the US, despite only going to one state. Or should he say he's going to London and Newcastle, because of the lack of courses in other counties?
 
UK is made up of 4 countries not states like the US

Triggaaar said:
Not really, the UK is one country. If you were to go to New York, you could just say you were going to the US, despite only going to one state. Or should he say he's going to London and Newcastle, because of the lack of courses in other counties?
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We seem to be going OT, but the UK is recognised internationally as 1 country, not 4 (feel free to agree to disagree, or try reading up on it)

EDIT - re POAH post below - lets just agree to disagree (I thought I said that already) or start a new thread in appropriate category)
 
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Triggaaar said:
We seem to be going OT, but the UK is recognised internationally as 1 country, not 4 (feel free to agree to disagree, or try reading up on it)
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The act of union was the political unification of Scotland and England to be known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain in order to stablise the country. Similer to what the EU trys to do. The UK is made up of 4 countries which have the same. Scotland has its own parliment, laws, religious head of state, schooling etc etc etc.

Zack is going to England not the UK :rules:
 
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