What to charge as Semi-Professional photographer?

<p>I have 6-1/2 years photography experience, an Associates Degree in Photography, and 7 wedding under my belt (along with maternity, family, newborn, etc...). My question/problem is that many of my weddings have been for family and friends, and I have done these for free, or for a major discount. I would like to earn more for weddings and photo-shoots, but I do not know how much I should charge. Another small issue I have is bringing the subject of payment up; I always worry about them not being able to pay what I ask. </p>

<p>My price list that I have settled on for now:<br>

Wedding Package 1: $750<br />Includes- Bridals, engagements, wedding day coverage (5hrs), cd of edited images, canvas 16x20<br /><br />Wedding Package 2: $650<br />Includes- Engagements, wedding day coverage (3 hrs), cd of edited images<br /><br />Wedding Package 3: $550<br />Includes- wedding day coverage (3 hrs), cd of edited images<br /><br />Maternity + Newborn: $300<br />Just maternity: $175<br />Just newborn: $175<br /><br />Family pictures: $150<br />Reunion pictures- 25 people: $175 ($25 for each individual family)</p>

It's very difficult to advise any photographer how to charge. There are so many variables involved. If what you proposed is

how you feel you have to structure your work than do it and test the market as such. You also are not really advertising a

full-day type coverage which could easily be $1750+

 

I was making more than $750 in 1998.

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<p>"I would like to earn more for weddings and photo-shoots"</p>

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<p>Is this a business question?</p>

<p>If this is a business question then, I think that you should break down and take a detailed look at each Package. Let’s take the most expensive package as an example (I assume US$):</p>

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<p>“Wedding Package 1: $750<br /> Includes- Bridals, engagements, wedding day coverage (5hrs), cd of edited images, canvas 16x20”</p>

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<p><strong>Anticipated hours of work for this package –</strong><br /> <strong>Travel to and from venue:</strong> 30mins each way (times three one each for: Bridal Portraiture / Engagement Portraiture / Wedding Day.) total 3 hrs<br /> <strong>Shooting Time</strong>: 1hour each for Bridal Portraiture and Engagement Portraiture plus five hours at the Wedding – total 7 hours<br /> <strong>Culling Editing and Photo-finishing Time:</strong> (at exceptionally efficient rate, use same a shooting time) Total 7 hours.<br /> <strong>Other time directly involved</strong> with Prospect interview and Customer Liaison and Planning: (modest assumption) 2 hrs per Wedding.<br /> <strong>Fiddling and wasted time per Wedding</strong> (e.g. taking files to print shop; collecting canvas; telephone calls; recharging batteries; checking camera gear; packing camera bag; answering emails etc (modest assumption) 2hrs per Wedding</p>

<p><strong>(Some of the) Real Costs Per Wedding:</strong><br /> 1. Depreciation / Monies put aside for replacement gear (modest assumption assuming only 12 Weddings per year): $50 (which means you have $600 per year to spend on new gear per year, but the more weddings you do the more money you will have to spend on new gear)</p>

<p>2. Petrol, car maintenance, telephone, and all incidental costs attributed to each Wedding ((modest assumption) $50.</p>

<p>3. Insurances & other Associated Business fees : (modest assumption assuming only 12 Weddings per year) $60 (i.e. assuming a comprehensive insurance policy can be got for about $600 p.a. and there is $120 p.a. for other business expenses, for example a lawyer proof reading your contract)<br /> <br /> <strong>Total (some of) REAL COSTS per wedding: $160</strong></p>

<p><strong>Client GROSS PAYMENT - $750.00</strong></p>

<p><strong>NETT EARNINGS (before income tax) per Wedding Package 1: $590 </strong><br /> (note the real costs do not vary that much depending upon what package the Client chooses, BUT we are assuming that the Client will always choose the MOST EXPENSIVE Package<br /> <br /> <strong>GRAND TOTAL hours worked per each Wedding Package 1: 21 hours.</strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Rate of earnings per hour (before income tax): $28.00</strong></p>

<p>***</p>

<p><strong>THIS IS AN IMPORTANT BIT -</strong><br>

Note that there are many assumption that I have made – and I have made them deliberately on the side of THE MOST EFFICIENCY: for example you NEED to know how long it will ACTUALLY take you to do the culling editing and photo-finishing of all those shots for Wedding Package 1. And also, for example, $600 p.a. is not very much money to allocate to new gear and or repairs.</p>

<p>Another for example - <strong>IF it takes you 24hrs to do the culling editing and photo-finishing</strong> of all those shots, then <strong>your rate of earnings (before income tax) becomes about $15.50 per hour.</strong><br /> <br /> And if it takes you 36 hours in culling editing and photofinishing each Wedding; and 5 hours per wedding of Client Relations; and 4 hours of fiddling and other time – <strong>then your earnings (before income tax) are then about: $10.70 per hour </strong> <br /> <br /> <br /> Similarly you need to know EXACTLY how much the: insurance, petrol, legal, accounting, incidentals and etc, will cost you.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>We live in a market economy. You should charge what the market could bear. Meaning, you should charge as much as you can while still having just as much work as you want (or need).</p>

<p>Do you have lots of work? Then you need to charge more because obviously people are willing to pay you for what you offer.<br>

Not enough work? Then you are priced to high in relationship to the perceived value of your work or you are not reaching your potential clients.</p>

<p>What WW is writing about above is production costs. That is mostly irrelevant when considering how much you can charge because your clients don't really care what it costs you. They care about what they are going to pay in relationship to what they perceive the value to be. And that is what your prices should reflect.</p>

<p>Productions costs are interesting to another degree however and that is that it is possible that the price the market (your clients) are willing to pay for what you offer is below your productions costs. In the long term that doesn't work. That is when you need to lower your production costs, change your products or when that is not possible, stop doing that kind of work. Many people have stopped doing wedding work and any other kind of photography work because the price the market was willing to pay was below the production cost.</p>

<p>Good marketing will make the perceived value of your services or products higher. Then you can charge more. Good marketing will also allow you to reach more potential customers. That means that even if you are priced higher and the percent of potential customers willing to pay what you want is less you can still attract enough clients since you more people in shear numbers will consider your services.</p>

<p>So what you should charge can't be expressed in numbers. It is something you need to figure out by analyzing your market, your gut feeling and finally trial and error.</p>

<p>If I was semi-pro I would be concerned with over-delivering on every job to build my reputation. Charge what the market dictates, there are too many unknown factors to comment on your pricing. </p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>“What WW is writing about above is production costs. That is mostly irrelevant when considering how much you can charge because your clients don't really care what it costs you. They care about what they are going to pay in relationship to what they perceive the value to be. And that is what your prices should reflect.”</p>

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<p>and</p>

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<p>"If I was semi-pro I would be concerned with over-delivering on every job to build my reputation. Charge what the market dictates"</p>

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<p>Yes. I agree with both comments.</p>

<p>For clarity, it appeared to me that the OP has two different questions:<br>

<em><strong>“What to charge as Semi-Professional photographer?” </strong></em>(the title of the thread)<br>

And<br>

<em><strong>“I would like to earn more for weddings and photo-shoots”</strong></em></p>

<p>I chose to address only the second.</p>

<p>WW</p>

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<p>I would like to earn more for weddings and photo-shoots, but I do not know how much I should charge.</p>

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<p>I would encourage you to first put together a portfolio of the best quality work you have. You may want to try to set a style, but it may be too soon for that - for now, simply put together a portfolio of your best work.</p>

<p>Then I would shop around, as if you were a local bride to be, looking for a wedding photog. Check out their portfolios, look at their prices, take notes - especially compare their work to yours. Some people struggle to look at their own work objectively, but part of becoming a professional is learning the ability to do so. Of course many photogs don't post prices, and some merely a range. <br>

So feel free to call and ask - especially about package deals that are broadly similar to your offerings (though yours seem a bit limited to me). If asked for details, you can simply generalize truthfully. You are trying to figure out how much they charge so that you can compare them to other photogs in the area and get a general idea of the costs.</p>

<p>Then, compare and contrast your results. Specifically, try to match your portfolio to a few who's are broadly similar in quality. You can see how much they charge, and that should give you a general idea of what the market will bear in your area. I would caution you to average the prices - and if you can find more, you will have a better idea.</p>

<p>You have used the term 'semi-professional photographer' in error IMO. For as long as you are shooting a wedding, you are a consummate professional. Since this is the only aspect of you or your life that matters to your clients, and they are<em> paying</em> for this service. You may only do it part time - or 'semi-professionally' but you won't be pointing that out to clients, so don't think in those terms. Your 'life status' does not change what you do for them, nor what they should expect. So price accordingly.</p>

<p>WW's advice is excellent for comparing your 'fee' to your 'earnings' - something which is often completely overlooked.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Assuming that you have absolutely NO overhead costs and don't pay taxes, you'd have to photograph 69.3 weddings a year to make 52K. Realistically, half of whatever you're making will be gone for overhead and taxes so you'll be shooting about 140 weddings a year to make a that 52K.<br>

Your pricing strategy has a bundle of flaws - people who are looking for a wedding photographer for under 1000 Dollars generally aren't looking for a gallery wrap so be prepared for the "how much is the package without the wrap" discussion.<br>

<br />Unless it's an elopement, a 3 hour wedding day coverage is unrealistic. As is 5 hour coverage unless it's a small wedding with everything from getting ready to the reception is taking place at the same location - you'll find yourself running out of time, rushed and, having to ask the couple to speed things up and either a) ask for overtime (which should be covered in your contract) or b) staying unpaid (secretly wanting to kick yourself for what is essentially unpaid work at that point). <br>

Clients not being able to pay what you ask is none of your concern just as it isn't Ferrari's concern that I am not able to afford what they're offering.<br>

Lastly - do you want to do this full time or just a an added part-time income - this will also greatly affecting your pricing strategy.</p>

<p>First, what do you mean by "Semi-Pro"? <br /><br />Does that mean your images are half of what a "pro" would create? Or that you are only "pro" part of the time? <br /><br />If your images are "pro" quality... if you conduct yourself while on the job in a "pro" manner, if your equipment and skills are "pro"... then you should charge "pro" prices, regardless of how many hours per week/month/year you work at "pro" endeavors.<br /><br />On the other hand... If your images are not half the quality of what a "pro" would produce, then I suggest you stop charging for your work at all and stop marketing yourself as "pro" to *<em>any</em>* degree. <br /><br />In either case, you should certainly not be offering "pro" services at the prices you indicated here, no matter <em>what</em> your level of expertise, or whatever percentage of your annual gross income is derived from photography. <br /><em>If</em> your images are only "semi-pro" in quality, you should not be photographing events as significant and important as a wedding. <br /><br />Do good work, charge realistic prices and don't bill according to how *<em>often</em>* you do it, bill according to how *<em>well</em>* you do it... t</p>

<p><a href="https://nppa.org/calculator">Look at this </a>and fill in the blanks... it will only take a few minutes.<br /><br />At the rates you are considering, you will not be making any money. You will be effectively paying your clients/friends/relations to photograph their weddings. By charging those kind of fees, you're not making profit, you're just going into debt a little slower than if you weren't charging them at all.<br /><br />You need to decide if wedding photography for you, is a hobby... or a business. And you'll also need to consciously decide if your hobby (if that's the way you decide to go) should include putting local wedding photographers out of business... t<br /><br />(P.S. I am <em>not</em> a wedding photographer)</p>

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<p>Semi-Pro"?</p>

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<p>I hazard a guess that Meagan considers her quality of work to be professional, but she is not a full time professional photog (she has another day job). Isn't this what most people mean by semi-pro?</p>

<p>Part time is not synonymous with cheap. If you shoot like a pro, bill like a pro. Don't act like your gainfully employed self is subsidizing your part time self. Your day job pays for your hobbies, not for your second profession. If "Semi Pro" actually means "part time professional", then it should be a money making venture, not a break-even hobby... t</p>

<p>What does your work look like? If it's the same or better than your competition you should charge the "market rate", if you still have more to learn and your images don't meet critical exposure, composition and color balance, charge what you can get...</p>

<p>Hi Meg, let's just look at your initial question:</p>

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<p>"My question/problem is that many of my weddings have been for family and friends, and I have done these for free, or for a major discount. I would like to earn more for weddings and photo-shoots, but I do not know how much I should charge. Another small issue I have is bringing the subject of payment up; I always worry about them not being able to pay what I ask."</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Of course you can "earn" more by not shooting for free or for a big discount. However, "earn more" and "making a profit" are two entirely different subjects. So is shooting for strangers verses friends and family.<br>

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Pro or semi pro is not relevant … clients paying you to photograph their wedding are contracting you for, and expecting, professional services. <br>

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You've not indicated where you are doing business. Is it a small community or a metro area? Cost of doing business and cost of living can differ greatly between the two. What people expect to pay is the main issue. Also, we do not know what you consider "earning more".<br>

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Also note that it is becoming more and more difficult to meet client expectations regardless of the price range. Client expectations have altered greatly in the past few years and it now either requires extremely sophisticated shooting techniques to separate yourself from the cell-phone paparazzi and Rebel toting uncle Bobs … or delivering tonnage really fast for instant social media exposure for the clients. It is the middle ground shooters that are dying on the vine .<br>

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- Marc<br>

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