Hello everyone, its me, Isaiah, again! Lately people around school have been asking me to do there senior pictures. They ask me how much I'll charge and I usually tell them "If the pictures come out good I'll charge according to the amount of time I spent on them. It's free if the pictures come out bad." I just don't know if my pictures are good enough. Everyone says they like my pictures, but they've only seen my daily miscellaneous pictures that aren't portraits of people. I need more practice with portraiture. I've practiced with a friend and have gotten some nice photos, but these were only quick shots.
I don't have any other equipment besides my camera, and I never use the on camera flash. I only go off of natural light and I do enhancements in Lightroom and Photoshop. How can I achieve better quality pictures, and what if I screw up these people's photo shoots? Should I charge anyways? Or should I not charge at all? And how much should I charge? It really does take a lot of my time because I'm a busy student and I would like to have the extra money. What should I do? Thanks you for your help and consideration! :)
My first thought is... take and print some shots, 'tests' if you like, that people can see, then they know what they are in for. And if you do it and it takes time, I'd charge 'em! Can't offer you an idea of how much, sorry! But your time and energy is worth something. I only work with natural light too - I'm thinking of making a reflector board to bounce light off, from cardboard and tinfoil - high tech, I know! Good luck!
@spankyjane Thank you for your reply! I also made a reflector by putting cardboard on foil, but it didn't come out good because my foil was kind of crinkly and it bounces my light around and looked awkward, lol.
My niece had a fabulous photographer for her seniors years ago. The best two were: one, leaning back with one foot on a great old brick wall, and two, her big skirt flowing as she was leaning in the grass. All you need is some sun to practice with.....be creative! A mirror is a cheap way to reflect light. Google it as an option. Someone is bound to have a youtube video on it......@izayaa
@izayaa I've seen some of your portrait style shots and they are wonderful and definitely worth paying for. Don't sweat it... relax and trust your instincts because you have some talent!
@jsw0109 Thank you so much! That meant so much to me! Coming from a fellow photographer (and a good one at that) that really boosted my confidence! Thank you so much! :)
The shots in your album look great, so don't be afraid to charge something! You obviously have a lot of ability at processing them too, I'm sure your customers will be happy! There's lots of info if you Google Natural Light Portraits etc., in terms of making the most of natural light. The mirror is a good idea, or else a sheet of white cardboard or foam core or something similar; whatever you do, you want to bounce some light up under their chin to reduce the shadows.
i know what you mean about taking photos, use what you got its there not enough light take them somewhere else even outside, but give up easy keep pressing on Natural light is better, enjoy your self and take your time maybe you have put your camera on something but have fun and try it good luck
Right, I shoot portraits in natural light and here's whats in my camera bag:
50mm f1.8
50mm f1.4
35mm and 28mm and 18-55mm and 80-210mm but I only really use the 50mm sometimes.
off camera flash receivers x2 and a transmitter for on the hot shoe, this cost me about $25 on ebay.
a YN465 flash for on the camera cost me $70 on ebay
two old film flash guns to use off camera, cost me about $20 for the two off ebay. (lots of other film cameras cos I shoot film)
A reflector with 5 reversable sides, off ebay, its about 1.5 meters and cost $15 this is important.
You gotta keep practicing with your friends thats great experience, and you can offer to half the price of the pro shoots people have been offered, that way they get a good deal and you get some earnings. There's loads of youtube videos about using a reflector, using fill in flash outside and shooting senior portraits.
I don't have much experience with portraits but your deal with the people that if the photos come out bad then it's free of charge sounds good. I would research poses and ideas to make the shots more creative. People always look for something that goes beyond the ordinary senior shots of leaning against a wall or a tree. So, research some ideas. I saw one senior portrait of a girl in a meadow with a bunch of balloons in her hands and they were floating above her. It was beautiful. Sometimes the setting can make or break the shot. Shots in front of colored walls always seem to turn out well. So overall, make sure you do your homework on the internet and you'll be fine. Good luck...and I know you'll do great.
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I know that it has been discussed in the past, also. Have you done a search on this site?
50mm f1.8
50mm f1.4
35mm and 28mm and 18-55mm and 80-210mm but I only really use the 50mm sometimes.
off camera flash receivers x2 and a transmitter for on the hot shoe, this cost me about $25 on ebay.
a YN465 flash for on the camera cost me $70 on ebay
two old film flash guns to use off camera, cost me about $20 for the two off ebay. (lots of other film cameras cos I shoot film)
A reflector with 5 reversable sides, off ebay, its about 1.5 meters and cost $15 this is important.
You gotta keep practicing with your friends thats great experience, and you can offer to half the price of the pro shoots people have been offered, that way they get a good deal and you get some earnings. There's loads of youtube videos about using a reflector, using fill in flash outside and shooting senior portraits.
Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I really appreciate it! :)