Hey guys. I'm starting to get into the business side of photography just this year. I've already gotten a gig shooting houses for a real estate advertising company. And just last night I had an interview for an up and coming recording studio. They loved me at the interview and they love my work. Here's the deal. Their current photog. is really just not that great honestly. That's why they're interviewing. They're charging their clients $80/hour for a photo shoot and paying the photog. $35/hour from that. I told them that I thought the $35 is a little low but honestly I have no idea what to ask for. They said that if they had to raise the client's pricing to accomodate my cut they would. But I don't want to price myself out of the job either. What is a fair rate for me to ask for? Sorry this is so long. Thanks guys for any help!

Interesting. Go for what you think you can get. Portrait people around here get $100-200 per sitting (up to 2 hours roughly) around here, not including the prints. Try $100/60 rather than $80/35. Even $60/hour doesn't sound like a whole lot, unless it gonna be pretty steady work. What does the job entail exactly? How much time after that hour are you going to need to provide finished material?

they're going to be getting a pro makeup person too. They're trying to be a one stop shop studio. I think it's a great idea! Well I'd be doing shoots of their artists pretty much at whatever location we (myself, owner, artists) choose. Then I will have to do some post processing work as well. And the pp would vary depending on what type of look they're going for, etc.

Check out locals in your area - see what their rates are. You want to be competitive, not bargain basement.

Well they're a new studio just starting out. Hell it's actually a home studio. But they are serious about it. Just new. I don't think they'd pay me $150/hr. Besides then they'd have to charge the artist like $200 to make any money.

That include my transport time and the time I pass behind the computer doing the post-processing of the photos.

I think $35 seems fair if they garanty you a minimum of 35-40h a week.

Probably once a week or every other week I'm guessing.

You could get $75.

The hourly thing does it count for processing time or just shooting on location????

just explain to them that this includes any post processing work you have to do (meaning you're charging for the time you're in the studio). And the post work is equivalent to the time you spend in the studio, if not a little more to create the finished product. Being a studio, they should understand this.

The other thing is you'll only be hired for 2 hour stints at a time. If it was a 10 hour gig, you could work with them on the price a little, but for short term jobs, you should charge a bit more.

Bottom line is if you charge them $100/hr on studio time, that should net you $50/hr for every hour you put into a job (post work, set up, travel to job (assuming it's local)), etc.

Of course, I'm the wrong guy to ask about this stuff...because I have no earthly idea!

to make a fair and accurate judgment on fees for this shoot.

Please answer the following:

1) Are studio lights being used or is this plain ambient or on camera flash?

2) Are you shooting digitally?

3) Are you retaining the rights to the photos (copyright)? Are the getting an unlimited license?

4) As per the above (#3), are you, too, free to use the images in any way?

5) What format are you shooting in? Delivering in? Medium format? 35mm? 35mm digi equiv? Delivering photographs? CD-ROM's? Placing on web site?

6) Does the studio AND the band have rights to the images?

7) Who controls the shoot? You, the band, the studio, etc?


All of the above effect pricing a ton.

To be honest, I personally wouldn't touch anything like this for near the sums requested by the studio or recommended. You have to look at all the money you have tied up in your gear, all the tiem you will spend at the shoot and post processing, etc.

You also have to consider the quality of the work you are giving them. Are you a true pro? Is your imagery that great?

The post makes it sound like you are just getting your feet wet and if you are just trying to get some experience, the recommended fees are likely fair.

When all is said and done, do NOTHING without a contract specifying that you retain the copyright and what uses they are licensing the photos (have the rights) to use them for, what hte payment is, when the payment is due, etc. Cover cancellations in the contract as well, and I'd make sure to control your own creative on the shoots. Nothing's worth having some yo-yo telling you do do things that simply won't work.

What if you shoot the next upcoming huge star and they own the rights to the photos? You could be out $100K or more over time.


Mike S

First off thanks Mike. Like I said the business side of photography is all new to me so I'll take any advice I can get!
I'll be shooting with ambient light/on camera flash. I'll be using my Canon 30d. You think my 50mm f/1.8 lens will work for the majority of the shots or should I get a wider angle lens? I really never thought about the rights to the photos. I'm not sure what their other photog was doing. I'll have to discuss it with them. I'll also have to figure out how they want the photos, ie. cds, website, etc. I'm pretty much going to control the shoot myself with input from the band and studio. Thanks again for any help Mike and everybody else!

Something with a "normal" fov on a cropped camera like the 28/1.8, Sigma 30/1.4, or a wide zoom like the 1x-50ish/2.8 crowd. Sounds like fun and a challenge.

The only other lens that I have is the sorry kit lens. I'll probably be buying a Sigma f/2.8 24-70mm from my uncle here soon. So I'll proabably just use that lens in the future.