Photographying 140 headshots in 2 days. and pricing

[daniel_beatty]

<p>I recently had a meeting with a company that wants to hire me as a their architecture photographer. I used to be a portrait/ family photographer but am re branding and focusing on architecture/ real estate. They wanted me to shoot some of their built projects to which I agreed, but they threw in a caveat. They want to hire me first to photograph the head shots of the whole company. 140 people. Soon.<br>

Im a little shell shocked by the number of people I would be shooting in such a short period of time. I'm used to spending 1-2 hours shooting 1-5 people. Im NOT used to shooting that many people in 1-2 days. (maybe 3 days?)<br>

<br />I'm also unsure as to how to price this. I thought about offering a bulk discount but managing that many people will require at least 1 assistant (which I don't have yet) possibly 2. This increases my cost, not decreases them. This company would be a good resource for me because I already have a relations hip with these people and they've already said they would recommend me to other firms should the photo be good.<br>

<br />I will be shooting on location, so I have to pick a spot that wont disturb the companies work, but also get good light, power outlets for strobes, background, etc etc.</p>

<p>So my questions are <br>

How do I price this? <br>

How do I manage and shoot this many people?</p>

<p>thank you!</p>

 

[MichaelChang]

<p>Hi Daniel, although not quite the same as your mandate, <a href="/search/?cx=006577976762569540560%3A1n8vmghdzjw&cof=FORID%3A11&ie=UTF-8&section=all&q=school+yearbook+photography&filter=0&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&sa=Search">school yearbook photography</a> has many similarities which you can peruse in the provided link where all of these issues are discussed in-depth. </p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Given that it's their time crunch that introduces some of the challenge, perhaps there are a couple of administrative people in the company that can be assigned to help you herd those cats? <br /><br />If you've gotta do it in two days, that's you working for 9 hours with a one-hour break, doing each person in about 5 minutes. It's doable, if someone else is doing ALL of the get-the-names-down stuff, making sure there are always three people lined up, and having everyone go down a get-pretty checklist before they sit. <br /><br />You'll have to choose a lighting style that lends itself to very little fiddling (like no tight hair lights, that sort of thing). That's definitely assembly line work, and the most important thing is getting everybody's expectations in line with reality. No 10-take glamour opportunities, folks. Did you blink? Nope? You're done! Next! If you can talk 'em into three days that would really take the pressure off. <br /><br />Next question is: what are you being asked to deliver? Your best judgement of each person's portrait, handed over as a good quality JPG for the company to resize, print, publish, use however they like? If you're delivering one shot per head, that cuts down on your retouching. If they only intend these to be used as online avatars or small faces in a newsletter, etc., then your level of effort in post can drop down substantially. I'd make it easy on yourself and just charge for the time, as it's actually used. Two (or three) full days on location, and a couple full days of post. Don't know where you're located and what the local market will support. Here, I'd charge about $5k for that, <em>more if they provide the administrative help</em>. More if I have to pay an assistant. <br /><br />You're headed into a long relationship. Don't sabotage yourself by selling that big effort for too little. You'd be clawing your way back to real prices for years afterwards. </p>

[daniel_beatty]

<p>Thanks for the response, Michael. Im looking through School Year book links now. </p>

<p>The time management, people management and short timeline concern me the most. As I dont have an assistant, Im now in need of one. This job is going to really push my limits.</p>

<p> </p>

[daniel_beatty]

<p>Matt,<br>

I may suggest 3 days to open up my time and take some pressure off. In fact I dont think Ill take the job if its 2 days. Im unsure to when they need the exact shots finished. its to update their website but I dont think they have a hard deadline. <br /> Ill finding out today or Monday abou8t delivery. though. </p>

<p>When you said you'd charge 5k, do you propose a per person fee, a time fee or a job fee?<br>

thanks again!</p>

 

[Matt Laur]

<p>Daniel: I based that $5k figure on what I <em>think</em> I understand about the project as you've described it, and what level of effort I think would be involved. Basically, I'm making a guess about the number of hours of work involved (ALL of the hours) and then turning that into a whole-job number that they could take or leave, based on the job as it's currently described. <br /><br />It could be that they're being crafty and hoping that your hunger to get the recurring location/architecture work will make you offer to do a large and tedious head-shot job for less than what it's worth. Or, they could be perfectly reasonable, and be hoping that it's just easier to have a relationship with one service provider instead of two, and it's not really about trying to leverage the future work to get the immediate head shot project on the cheap.<br /><br />It's good to hear that this is about web site updates. Doesn't mean you should create and retain high-res images that could later be retouched if they need a larger print or different use, but your post production time will be much less burdensome if they can agree that you're only delivering (for example) 300x600 pixel JPGs (or whatever their web designer says is actually needed). Many sins are forgiven at lower resolutions, and you can skip a bunch of work if the deliverable project is indeed constrained that way. You can mention that higher-res, more meticulously retouched images can be individually requested later, under separate arrangements. </p>

[daniel_beatty]

<p>Matt,</p>

<p>I think you may be right about trying to be "Crafty" and trying get me at a discounted rate. Im willing to cut my rates a little but not bare bone. <br>

Im most concerned about the time management. 140 over 2 days seems almost impossible.<br>

SO let break this down, they have 125 in one office, 15 in another, so I can shoot each office on a different day. one time.<br>

they are open 8.5 hours in a day. If I get there, set up before they get there. Im looking at having 6 hours of shooting per day. I get his number by adding in a break (lunch) for me and the firm. setup and few hiccups with getting people there on time as well as any equipment adjustments.</p>

<p>so thats 125 in 12 hours = 10 people per hour. Thats crazy to me.</p>

<p>Does anyone else think this is reasonable.?<br>

If I make it 3 days, that would be<br>

125 pople in 18 hours = 7 an hour, which is better, but still fast for me. (approximately 8 minutes a person, with NO HICCUPS in people getting to my shooting area or equipment adjustments. )</p>

<p>can anyone comment on my time approximations? seems a bit difficult but doable in 3 days.<br>

2 days seems way to much in short period of time.</p>

<p>thank you!</p>

<p> </p>

[michaelmowery]

<p>10 per hour is realistic if they all are on the same floor. If they are waiting in a line (unrealistic) then you could possibly double that number. In any case your problem is the offices are not equally divided. Maybe you can talk them into having the 15 come over to the other office. 3 days looks like the best advice. $7K thats $50 per person which is very reasonable if you are good. In the scenario of a school photographer, they would want each person to purchase at least a $30 package in order to make it worth their while.</p>