i know it depends on experience and quality of work but i just want to know how much to start as a minimum for basic photo shoots. sorry if this topic has been discussed before.

If it involves studio lights, it's waaaaay more money.

I'd say no matter what you are doing, minimum $150.

With off camera lights, minimum $250

Both per hour.

No matter what you do, if your stuff is good enough to sell, nothing, EVER, less than $100 per hour.

Our firm is recognized and has large, commercial clients, but we charge from $4000-$16,000 per day, on average. This includes eight hours of work, in general, assistants, make up artist (when needed). Catering is not our bill, but the agency or clients. All travel, equipment rental, gear purchases, etc are also agency or client expenses.

When I work by the hour, there is a $750 minimum for hour one, than $250-$400 per hour on average, plus all expenses. This is for non-studio stuff.

Studio stuff is generally so specific, we estimate and spec it custom every time.

Mike S

I charge a $75 (sitting fee) plus the price of the prints. I just had a shoot and made $400 profit! All my stuff is basically freelance as well. I don't have a studio, just shoot on location wherever that may be.

Was to make the products avaialble as easy as possible for my clients.

Charge for the shoot $225 to $250 and then charge for the prints. The shooting fee includes a 4X6 a 5X7 and an 8X10 of clients choice. They always end up buying more as do their relatives.

Smugmug takes a cut of the profit, but 15% of the margin I set is well worth the hassle factor considering this is not my day job just a side venture.

to most clients, as we want to collect and move on to the next project. We simply don't have time to be printing files for most clients.

If you can get the same amount of money up front (or more), and not have to follow up with the client and print, etc, why not go for it?

For a guy like zqk, if he can get $400 to 800 up front, and turn over the digital files, why waste his time printing?

Mike S

the higher fee up front for unlimited access?

For example:

$250 fee + $500 in prints


or


$750 up front?


If you know what the client will spend (and we generally do), it' best to give them two numbers and let them choose.

I am paying my wedding photographer for all images up front.

Mike S

same theory works at all price points.


$100 sitting fee + 400 prints or $500 up front and turn over the files.


Etc.


Cheers,

Mike S

you should pay your wedding photog the minimum he needs to hand over the full res images, then print them yourself. I did that for ours and saved a ton, especially on albums. A tiny bit of snooping and I tracked down the service he uses for his albums and set up an account. Got all my duplicate albums for cost.

any links?

<ul><li><a href="http://asukabook.com/bf-bookbound-ex.html">http://asukabook.com/bf-bookbound-ex.html</a</li></ul>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/noeltykay/2259942590/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2025/2259942590_71b06b3251.jpg" alt="SMUG :)" /></a>

j/k, impressive. How many were prints vs digi dl's?

I shoot a bunch of child/baby/lifestyle stuff. $250 to shoot. Then set pricing for prints. I also shoot events and get anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to shoot and then sell images. The only exception I have regarding giving the images away is if it is a charity type event. I am shooting one on Saturday and I am getting $500 but I am giving the images away for the company that hired me as well as any of the participants. I always explain to the customer up front my shooting fee and the cost per print. I've shot a couple of weddings but I am done with weddings...to much of a PITA. Private parties for a friend who is an event coordinator is my idea of events...they pay well and some of her clients have "**** you" money and it is nice when you shoot an image of such a client and his whole family and he decides he wants a bunch of 20 X 30's to give each family member as a gift.