mark_jacoby___raleigh__nc

<p>Hi,<br>

I have been asked to put together a proposal to shoot team and player pcitures for a youth basketball league. Several hundred kids.<br>

They use this as a fund raiser and I understand the practice is that the photographer pays a set percentage to the league based on total sales.<br>

Does anyone have any experience to share as to how much is a reasonable amount? 10% or 15%<br>

Thanks in advance!<br>

Mark</p>

 

I never claimed to be the best photographer in town and am sure any number of non-pros have better equipment and

take better pictures. One advantage I may have is that I KNOW weddings. I often have shot more weddings than the

minister has officiated. I know where to be to get the best shots and I can anticipate what is going to happen

next. I'm not smarter - I've just done it more.

 

As I said I may not be the best photographer but I can tell a great Wedding Day Story!

Hi, You can buy basic black proof boxes from michelcompany.com and a nice cd/dvd box can be purchased from Art Leather.

$50-$60 per hour shooting. 1/2 that for travel time.

I agree with Katie 100%. We have been with Davids for the past 18 months and got a lot of business and I have nothing but good things to say about the people and the program. It gave our business a great leads list each month and put our cards, etc in the hands of hundreds of brides each month.

 

Granted it is expensive ($350) per month but it was worth it to build some business quickly. I think we have raised our prices to the point where we are not as attractive to thier clients so we are winding up our contract with Davids now.

 

We are now getting some good referals from those Davids brides and word of mouth is working for us. If you expect to book a couple of extra weddings per month it can be worth the investment.

I suggest the PPA. You may also find a state chaper as well. Our NC chapter holds an annual convention with seminars presented by well known experts from around the country. A worthwhile investment and a great way to network with your peers.

1. Part time. Can't give up benefits of day job just yet!

 

2. Shot a relatives wedding & loved it

 

3. 30 is goal 14 booked so far

 

4. $2,500 is about normal

Thanks for the ideas. I am inclined to do the reprint (it's done at one of our local pro labs on Sommerset paper thus the $85)and if I do I'll ask for the old one back!

I have not seen this problem discussed and would appreciate your opinion.

 

We did a wedding portrait for a bride a few weeks ago and she was slow picking

her final image and so we had a tight deadline to get it ready in time for her

wedding day.

 

Here in the South it is common to display a bridal portrait at the wedding

reception typically in the foyer of the reception hall. The bride asked if we

could deliver the portrait to the reception venue the day before the wedding.

We did and the venue manager insisted upon inspecting it and gave us a signed

receipt.

 

The bride & groom both loved it. I assume after the reception her family took

it home. The bride called after the honeymoon and says she just noticed

a "black smudge" and wants us to look at it when she comes in to look at her

proofs.

 

Now we are happy with every aspect of the transaction with her and I don't

think she would try and cheat us in any way but I foresee her wanting a no

cost replacement. We are 100% positive we delivered the portrait in perfect

condition and don't see that we are responsible for damage after delivery to

the venue manager.

 

A major consideration is that she works for the school system and has already

spoken highly of us and we just booked another wedding on her referral. The

replacement print will cost $85 (mounted 16x20). My options are tell her no,

offer to split the cost or replace at no charge.

 

My initial reaction is to let her know we delivered in perfect condition but

pay for the replacement out of good will.

 

What are your thoughts?

I agree with Meg. Ask them to credit you but regardless feel flattered they like your images so much.

 

By the way, it's not like they are promoting a photography biz based on your images.

zoom zoom zoom. and my 85 nikkor

I use the CB Jr on my S2 and have no problems. I mount it with the handle to the left so I can actually use the shutter button.

 

I like it a lot.

I started one for the studio a while back and update it at the end of each week. As a rule I post an image and try to make some comment regarding the image or some element of wedding photography.

 

Sometimes I just post an image. Sometimes I will make some personal comment but as a rule its just about our studio. People tell me they enjoy reading it and I enjoy posting to it. It takes 5 minutes.

I used my S2 with a SB800 mounted directly on the camera. Just took a few snapshots (shadows and all)<div></div>

Lord help me if potential clients read some things I put in here!

Like Kari, I tend to think the best of people. She probably means well but is is in overload mode.

 

You do need to let her know that if it is not paid prior to the wedding you will be spending your day watching football on tv or whatever normal people do on weekends.

Other than the formals we are pretty much hands off. The only real exception is the cake cutting. Some couples want to turn their backs on the guests to cut the cake and we always suggest they stand where they can be seen and photographed.

Thanks for the lnk to the reviews William. I hope the battery life will be good enough to allow a dozen 1 gig cards to download. If so it will work fine for a wedding. I'll have to test downlaoding a full card to see how long it takes.

 

By the way I bought it on sale at Office Max.

I just bought a portable storage device: Photo Bank made by Smartdisk. It is a

40gig handheld. You insert your memory card in a slot and press the Go button

and it will copy your image files. I like the idea of having an instant back-

up without having to have a laptop. It is small enough to wear on your belt.

 

In theory when your card is full, you pop it in the device and let it download

while you continue shooting with a fresh card. It does not erase your cards so

you walk away from a wedding with two complete copies of the wedding.

 

I bought it for $100 and have tested it at home and it seems to work fine.

Anyone have any hands on experience with this?<div></div>

If the show is well attended they will be moving by your table like cattle. Make sure you have something to hand out so they will remember your name.

As Nadine said, the senior officer will pop the bride with the flat side of the sword and say, "Welcome to the Army Mrs xxx"

 

I suggest you call the firehouse and ask what is traditional so you will know exactly what to expect. It should be fun & make for fun pics.

I bought the Sigma 50-150 as soon as it came out and am very pleased with it but keep in mind I am doing wedding work with it. It is great for shooting down the aisle and across a reception hall. It is fast enough, sharp enough and whisper quiet. But it is not lightweight at over 2 pounds especialy if you are shooting with a flash mounted on a bracket. But I do not hesitate to recommend it for all it's good qualities.

 

Since you are doing more portrait work, have you considered picking up a Nikon 85mm 1.8? It is a great focal length for flattering portraits - head & shoulders or 3/4 length. I love mine!

Sarah, for every jerk on this forum there are 99 good guys willing to share. There is a ton of great stuff in the archives but sometimes you need to ask a question on your own.

 

I've been at this for a while and I learned something new from Kari's answer. So, thanks for asking your question & keep them coming.

Most we speak with say they want PJ or "candid" style. Some even give us examples taken from bridal mags. We try to show them a wide variety of images & let them show us what they like & dislike.

Our contract has a section which grants ok to use images for display in studio and on website, etc. We however can not sell an image. E-mail me and I'll send you a copy of the contract for your review.