not charging enough?

[thenimirra]

wow...I just got a guest comment on my website with someone saying I wasn't charging enough for my work.

In order to prevent clients from having issues with crappy monitors that displayed my photos as too dark, I include 4 X 6 prints in my overall price to get around that. The guest commenter said I shouldn't do it?

What say you? I've been told by some I charge too much and now I'm being told I don't charge enough?

What should one charge? :shrug:

I'm more an amateur than a pro right now. I've just been able to secure some paying gigs, but I don't want to rip anybody off either.

[ColoradoSkier]

Charge what you are comfortable with, and do comparisons to make sure you are charging enough to be considered respectable.

[Tiffany]

Your listed rates are too low. Thought that when I first say them, but not my call, but since you asked...

Most of what I have seen is $150 for a portrait sitting fee, no included prints. That fee covers the shoot and the post processing of the best 8-10 photos from the sitting. Prints are then ordered from those.

I take pics of kids, I charge more just for the hassle of dealing with squirming kids. I also give kid shoots a bit more time to accomodate the squirms, crying, whatever.

Spend some time looking at sites of folks who take the same types of pictures as you and see what they are charging. Then go from there. But $100 for a 1-2 hour portrait session, post processing and prints is way low.

I look at it like this...I bill out at $125/hour for web development...because they are paying for my knowledge and skill in addition to the work I am doing. Photographers need to bill out the same way.

[Tiffany]

For example:

http://www.moonriverphotography.com/gallery/830860

[thenimirra]

Andy is a wonderful photographer and has been at it for years....but I can't see myself charging $500 or more unless I was doing a wedding.

[Tiffany]

I couldn't see myself charging less that $2500 for a wedding...minimum.

Again, charge what you feel YOUR work is worth. I personally think YOUR work is worth more than $100 an hour. If you don't then don't worry about pricing and do it for the joy of it.

This is a hard lesson that I had to learn in the web dev world. I was charging $50-$65 an hour and had work coming in hand over fist...then was contracted to do a job for a web shop in California and when I told the guy my rate he said sorry, that's too low for us. I was shocked. He then told me that they contract with folks who do good work and charge appropriately for it. If my work was only worth $65/hour then it wasn't the quality they were looking for. Harsh but true...They wanted to work with me so he suggested an appropriate rate of $125/hour and away we went. Funny thing thought, at $125/hour work has still been coming in hand over fist.

Think about it.

[thenimirra]

wow...that really puts things into perspective that someone was willing to tell you that and then work with you to give you a more appropriate amount!

I actually found out who posted that comment on my site...it was someone from the Digital Photo School online. Turns out this kid is just 14 yo and is taking pics and HE told me my prices were too low! Then he explained why. He blew me away. He said the quality of my work made him think I should charge a 25 percent deposit and $100 an hour after that!

This is definitely something I have to think about....my biggest concern is charging too much and not having the clients. But that could be because I've only been working with nonprofits of late and felt guilty about charging them too much when I know they don't get much money to start with. I've never made this kind of money before but it definitely makes you consider exactly how much time YOU think your time and work and effort is worth. It's as much a question about self-esteem as it is a financial one....

[Tiffany]

I know that kid. Takes great photos. I think we are all telling you that your work is way above what you are charging.

Here is what I do...it makes me feel better about things and keeps the money coming in: I do slightly above pro-bono work for non-profits. I charge them a nominal fee and do what I do. Non-profits get money, don't be fooled, but I just don't have to take their money to help out. But I also am selective in who I do work for and tend to only work for NPs that I would support anyway...so it's like my donation to the cause.

There are some kids that are just so easy to work with that, I feel bad charging the extra fee for the squirmy kids...so I don't. Or I give them a big 8x10 for free or something. It's my "business" so it's my call on what I charge people.

I have standard fees and I work from there. Sme people have kids that I don't even want to deal with, so I quote them a high fee so they will find someone else or go to Sears :)

[Jeffro600]

Ive done 3 photo shoots in the last year...one was senior pictures, one was a small, informal wedding and one was a car shoot. For them all, i charged a flat 150 dollars to come out, give a consultation and an hour of shooting time. After the first hour, it was 75 for each additional hour...except for the car shoot, i spent almost an extra two hours shooting...within 2-3 days, id deliver a CD with small(640x480), heavily watermarked pictures and let them pic and choose what they wanted and charged accordingly for prints. These prices are all based on averages...for big, formal settings, id probably charge twice that and usually ill tailor my costs according to the shoot but usually thats about what i charge.

I wont sell the digital images cuz hey, if i sell them the negatives, they can go make as many as they want for as cheap as they want and id be outta business!! I will sell them, but at a premium. I usually do a set of 8 wallets, 2 4x6's and a 8x10 for about 60 bucks on top of their consultation and hourly fees...their choices in the pictures and they can mix and match as they choose. Single photos are available too but since they are not packages, they arent nearly as good of a deal. Some of the prices people charge are just outrageous but i try to market myself more for the person whos looking for good, clean pictures but doesnt want to spend a small fortune.

[Tiffany]

Senior portraits....joy. I do recall back in ancient times, my parents dropping about $500 for mine. I can only imagine what the big studios are charging these days!!

My sons HS has a program that for $35 you can go to one of their selected photogs (gonna try to be on this list next year) and get your yearbook senior pic taken. No prints or anything, but it allows everyone to have a nice senior pic in the yearbook...even the families that can't afford the big packages (this is $2 million dollar houses area so I am scratching my head with this one).

Seeing that, I may approach some HS in a few not so wealthy areas and offer the same service.