acchang@midway.uchicago.edu (semiramide) wrote:
Hi Andrew,

There is only one fair way to charge for your service and that's by
the job. If the job calls for you to cover a conference or meeting,
determine how much coverage is wanted (how long and how much film) and
just what is required in the way of photography.

If you give up the negatives, you must charge more, a lot more.
Negatives represent a substantial income to someone who gets called on
for reprints or layouts. You may want to calculate your loss if you
surrender your negatives and add that to the total job cost.
>
If some one says, "By the way, since you are here we need portraits of
three of our executives or the main speaker or whatever." This was not
part of the original contract (you will have a contract that spells
out what is to be done). You determine at that point what you will
charge extra and get a separate contract for that work.

Since this happens to you often, you might have a price already
figured out for the extra work. You should be ready. Don't look at it
as the customer does (you're already here so...). Consider what you
would charge for that work as an original assignment. The only item
you saved is the travel time. Everything else is the same.

In fact, why not ask, when you sign the original contract, if there
will be any additional pictures that someone else will want. Contact
that person and get a seperate contract for that work.

If the program involves several speakers, you may want to contact the
public relations department in their companies and get an order to
cover their talk as well. Informal group pictures are always wanted.
Particulary if there are VIPs at the meeting. You should make
arrangements with the VIP to be photographed with the principle people
in the group. Suggest this to your contact and get in in the order.

Note: Be sure the person requesting the additional work is authorized
to spend the money. Very often a person will step into the situation
and take over. They have no authority, but you don't know that. You
can have work refused by your main customer because it wasn't
authorized. Be sure to get signed orders for ALL work.

By making arranements in advance, you avoid the situation where
someone says, "Take this picture," and you have no order for it.

As to price, you have to know just what you are going to do and how
much time they require. You also have to know what your competition
charges for similar work, so your prices can be slightly higher, but
not too much higher.

If everyone else charges by the hour, figure out how much a typical
job will cost you. Add your profit and overhead costs and there you
have it. Don't go cheap on profit and overhead. You can loan your
money to a bank and get a good return with no risk. As for overhead,
charge as if you had a studio, even if you don't. It's important that
you understand that there is some cost in operating your business.

Things have to be replaced, cameras, accessories, automobiles and a
host of other items such as you light and heating bill. Don't cut
yourself short here.

The biggest problem most people starting out in any business have is
not charging enough. They think that if they charge less, they will
get more business. Not true!!

I never did so well in Photography as when I raised my rates.
Everytime I did it, I lost a group of crummy customers who bitched
about everything and found a new group who were very satisfied with my
services. You do have to know what your market will carry. AND, you
do have to build a reputation for quality, service and reliability.

One time a potential customer said, "Well, your contract seems high,
but if that's what you charge, you must be worth it. I was and got a
lot of business from this gentleman.

Large corporations will not do business with you if your rate is
$10.00 per hour. They start to get interested when you charge $50.00
and really interested when you can charge $100.00 and up. $250.00 an
hour is not too much if you produce what the customer wants and he
understands the value of your skills and education.

I won't even tell you what the top photographers in New Youk get.
They do drive expensive cars and live on Long Island.

I quoted you hourly rates here. These are for calculation only.
Never quote an hourly rate. ALWAYS quote the job. If the customer
want's to pick the numbers apart, don't let him/her. Smile and say, I
have calculate a fair price for my work and that's what it is.

Do that and there will be no stopping you.

Regards,

Don Terp
dterp@intrlink.com

Hi there,

>I've got a question for all you pros out there: how do you figure out what
>to charge?

>I've been taking photos for only two years now, but I've been lucky to get
>some clients. Most of my work is editorial, but once in awhile, I'm
>called aside to do a quick portrait or something. Because the work just
>isn't very constant, I haven't really determined an efficient pricing
>system yet. But as far as I understand it, most photogs charge by the day
>or half-day, plus expenses and then a charge for prints. Unfortunately, I
>can't just arbitrarily make up a day rate, and the books I've read usually
>suggest figuring out a day rate by some obtuse formula determined by your
>annual expenses. But I'm just starting, and photography doesn't pay all
>my bills (yet!) ;) .

>Can anyone out there give me an idea what they charge per day, half-day on
>editorial assignments? Is it different for an amateur? Do you charge
>more if you need to set up lighting? Do you charge more if the assignment
>is more difficult-- subject is a pain, you have to jump through multiple
>hoops, light sucks and you have to do something creative, etc. What if
>the clients pulls you aside for just a few minutes and asks you to shoot a
>few portraits-- say it only takes less than ten minutes-- should this be
>additional? How much should prints go for? Should more difficult prints
>cost more than easy ones?

>Also-- How do you determine how much film to shoot? (For example- I shoot
>alot of academic conferences-- there's not exactly one definite "peak of
>action" I'm looking for-- it's mostly filler shots for their annual report
>or something.)

>Thanks!

>andrew chang
>acchang@midway.uchicago.edu