pricing for a model portfolio

[sam_ellis]

<p>I'm looking for assistance in pricing model portfolio shots. I have an inquiry for a family portrait and she wants to do some shots of her daughter to start a portfolio. Generally, I charge a sitting fee with prints extra, no digital copies.<br>

I'm thinking I should do them seperately and charge seperately. Should I charge the same as the family portrait? I see a lot of trade for cd, but I don't want to do that. I work for money.<br>

Thanks,<br />Sam</p>

[976photo]

<p>I would probably charge seperately, it's two different shoots so treat it that way. If they want to put together a portfolio, I'm not sure how they plan on doing it but they'll probably want a CD of the images. I'm doing trade for CD work right now, but it's because I need the images to use in my portfolio also. If you don't need to build your own port with these images, then by all means charge for it. It'll depend on the number of pics that you end up putting on the CD, and if you edit them or not.</p>

<p>10 final pics? 20 final pics? 40 final pics? You should decide on that first, then come up with an appropiate price. Remember for a portfolio they'll want to use the best of the best to showcase their daughter. There's no need for them to have all 80 pics if that's what you took during the session. (I bring that up because they may not know this and you should explain it to them so they understand, after all it's your work that's going to be displayed too)</p>

<p>They also don't want to use a lot of the pics with the same outfit in it. Wardrobe changes and only select a few of the best pics from each outfit change.</p>

<p>You might also want to put not just the full-size versions on the CD, but also make a web-size version of the final images complete with your watermark on it, lest they decide to post your full-size images on their Facebook page.</p>

[denniswms]

<p>You omit the age of the daughter, location/market, and what area of modeling we are discussing.<br>

Commercial work is different but fashion agencies are only really interested in seeing basic polaroid style images. Any more than that can be a complete waste of time and resources. If the client already has representation and you have been approved by the model's booker to provide test shots, two or three looks generating 4 pages of usable images is considered normal output.<br>

For a commercial portfolio 10-15 images from several different sources showing a range of fully styled commercial oriented looks is reasonable. Unfortunately with commercial modeling the expense comes before/without knowing if an agency will even want you. <br>

Pricing is completely random in this industry. There are people who charge 800 for a single headshot and people who charge 3 or 4 hundred for three looks. Do you provide the stylist, hair, makeup? Will your images in a model's port generate jobs or just be shooting experience for the model? Are you positioning yourself as a hired gun or will you only shoot those with actual potential? Layers within layers, wheels within wheels. Fashion is complicated - perception is often more relevant- especially if the photographer has a great track record- than a random wonderful image. <br>

There are also well known respected photographers who a shoot with will guarantee a one on one interview with major agency bookers, and/ or interviews with major clients. Unfortunately for the industry there are also scads of photographers who will say anything to any drone to get hired to shoot useless images that will never see the light of day. And they do not care.</p>