Deciding how much to charge for a photo shoot can be a tough task. To help you negotiate the seemingly hazardous terrain of exchanging creativity for cash, we have rounded up some handy hints, tips and advice about charging for your photographic excellence.
From Amateur to Professional
Do not be scared to charge even if you don’t have formal training. An amateur is no less competent than a professional, and although an amateur photographer will not have had any professional training, they can be just as creative and talented as a professional photographer.
How to charge when you first start out
Before charging, build up a portfolio to showcase your skills – offer to do photo shoots for friends and family for free or to cover costs such as travel, film and processing if you are using it, storage onto CD and postage if applicable. From here you can start offering your services confidently at an introductory price to gauge your target market, for example offer a 20% discount off your ‘proper price’.
What is a proper price?
This is what the value of that service is in the industry; whilst you may be able to afford to snap away on a shoestring, that could devalue the service of professionals around you. Proper prices cover the costs involved in running a business such as premises, marketing, equipment, travel, etc as well as time on location and to process pictures after. This will invariably vary from place to place and also on the type of audience you are targeting.
Charging for time
Some photographers charge by the hour, day or half day, and often include the time it takes to process a set number of pictures, or save all of the pictures from the shoot to disc. Consider how much your time is worth per hour, and if you include the hours outside of the actual shoot will you be working on the images.
Charging for skill
Other photographers believe that it is not the time it takes to get the shot, it is the fact that the client will get the shot, or shots, and therefore they will charge according to their skill – fees which are easier to command if you are already established.
Charging for the photos
When not incorporated into the time spent on location, photographers make an additional charge to edit an agreed number of photos. This can be per image or for the number of hours it will take to edit the selection.
So… Gimme the figures!
It really does depend on where you live and the type of photography you are doing. Find out what the client wants and gauge what that job is worth in time and skill and expenses then do research in your area to get a better idea of the going rate. Below is a breakdown of how photographers I have known in the UK have decided to charge for a photo shoot and image processing, a benchmark I hope you find helpful.
Time taking photos: £50 - £100 per hour (about $75 - $150)
Processing Photos: £5 to £25 per image (about $7 - $40)
Wear and tear of equipment: £20 per shoot (about $30)
Travel costs and travel time: £1 per mile (about $0.75)
Other costs (cds, film, processing, postage): cost plus 25%
Top Tip
Remember that people are paying you not only for inherent talent and creativity, but also years of building up experience and learning to use the tools of the trade. Do not sell yourself short and always respect fellow photographers – especially those who earning a living with their camera.
It has been five years since I have had them done and this in in Toronto or Vancouver. I don't know what prices would be in other countries but I imagine they are close.