How did you "Start up?"

[rachel_dault]

<p>When you were first building your portfolio/business did you offer free sessions? What were your beginning prices and more importantly, what kind of packages did you offer? Were photos and digital copies all lumped in with the session fee, or did you piece it out? Did you have clients pay for the session in advance, at the time of the session, or when they got their photos?<br /><br />I've been doing some free sessions for friends and family, and feel like I'm portfolio is starting to look well rounded enough that I need to stop offering them for free. The problem is, I don't know what kind of packages to offer. I had been giving my friends all their pictures on a disc, but I obviously don't want to keep that up.</p>

[tonybynum]

i've never shoot for free . . . when i was shooting portraits i would charge a sitting fee then earn my

money through selling prints . . . that's one way to do it . . . there are lots of great books on this subject,

and tons of online help . . starting with this video, it's the best short video about the money side of a

photography business . . . http://www.adorama.com/alc/article/13277

[Ian Taylor]

<p>I did lots of free work to get going. For me it was the answer as I was able to build up a pretty huge portfolio very quickly, rather than waiting around for clients. It also gave the option of picking and choosing what I wanted to do for no fee. <br>

I have been a full time shooter for eight years. I give all my clients a certain number of files based on the package. You can check out the kind of work I do <a href="http://www.facebook.com/IanTaylorPhotography/photos_albums">here</a>. </p>