# My first job tomorrow... what should I be charging?



## rgower (Nov 11, 2009)

I have my first paying job tomorrow, but I have no idea what to charge.  The job was referred to me from a friend who does interior decorator work and overheard the business he was redecorating wanted some photos for their website.  They checked my website ( REID GOWER photofolio ) which I threw together using a flash template, and I got the job.  

The business is an independently owned (but fairly large and locally well known) funeral home.... So I come to you guys to ask a few questions.

Should I be charging per hour? One lump sum for the visit? Per photo? A combination of all? What should I be looking to charge?  I know you guys won't be able to say like, $103.78...... but anything ballpark would help since I've never done this before.  

Thanks for any input, I'll post results too!


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## Jeffro (Nov 11, 2009)

I think you should have thought about this before taking the job or atleast more than a day before?


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## rgower (Nov 11, 2009)

Probably.... does that make me ineligible for advice?


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## bell (Nov 11, 2009)

I always ask what's the client's budget before I go and start telling my fee. You would be suprised sometimes with the restults.

Cheers,

HB 

www.herabell.com


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## GeneralBenson (Nov 11, 2009)

This topic is so broad.  What are you doing, how long will it take, how do they want to use the images, what kind of rights do they want, how many images do they want...?  But I almost guarantee that you should be making a lot more than you think and more thant you'll probably ask for.  If it takes half a day, and they want royalty free rights to use in advertising and wed use, I'd tell $750 or something and see what they say.


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## ANDS! (Nov 11, 2009)

How could they hire you without knowing your rate?  As far as you know they might be expecting you to work for free!


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## Eco (Nov 11, 2009)

I would clear this up now and not in the morning.  There is really no way of figuring your cost not knowing your overhead, how much you like to make a hour and how many hours you plan on spending on the job + after doing PP.  

Let's say you want to make $50 an hour x 8 hours (a guess, 1 hour commute, 3 hours shooting, 2 hours for PP and another 2 hours submitting pictures to them).
$400 so far.

Some money needs to go into your business to cover expenses like you website, your lenses, your auto expenses getting to the job and other stuff...........add another $100.  Then your business needs to make money so @ a 20% margin you would need to add another $100.

$600 is your total?  

Be sure to post how you make out with the money thing.


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## IgsEMT (Nov 11, 2009)

As noted above, you definitely should have discussed the budget BEFORE booking the job but now here are my 3cents...
*BEWARE*: client might be expecting it for free, thus as you get there, or better yet RIGHT NOW call them up to confirm.
Charging by the hour - might make you seem that you are wasting your time and stretching/milking them.
Charging PER session, I think is more accurate. You can charge for 2hrs session and if go over, charger per hour (at least that is how I do on weddings, family portraits, etc).
I rarely ask client's budget since if they want me, and I RARELY book my own jobs, they got to me by referral thus already have a ball-park figure. Nonetheless, I do have the _lowest _price below which it isn't worth for me to go to work thus if bargaining (politically correct - customized packages) begins, I do have a little room that I'll go down to.
But again again again - _*CALL THE CLIENTS NOW TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE BOTH ON SAME $ PAGE!*_


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## PhotoXopher (Nov 11, 2009)

Wow


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## KmH (Nov 11, 2009)

rgower said:


> I have my first paying job tomorrow, but I have no idea what to charge. The job was referred to me from a friend who does interior decorator work and overheard the business he was redecorating wanted some photos for their website. They checked my website ( REID GOWER photofolio ) which I threw together using a flash template, and I got the job.
> 
> The business is an independently owned (but fairly large and locally well known) funeral home.... So I come to you guys to ask a few questions.
> 
> ...


You're undertaking your first venture into commercial photography. Most commercial photographers use software like fotoQuote Pro, from Cradoc, for determining the pricing and licensing for their images.

It is very different from making and selling portraits, which is retail photography.

A contract should be involved, for the protection of both parties.

At any rate:

You charge a creative fee and sell a limited time use license for the images.

Go here to the ASMP web site pricing guides and read the kicensing guide.


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## DennyCrane (Nov 11, 2009)

In photography, like in a lot of businesses, it's key to always remember the concept of "billable time". As mentioned, there's travel, there's the time shooting, there's time editing, presentation of a proof set, there's printing or posting the images, yada yada yada...

but we're at crunch time now... my best advice is to call some photgraphers in different towns and ask for a ballpark price for a similar job... and maybe charge less. TELL them you're giving a discount. This gives them the understanding that they would normally be paying more and adds value to the total deal. In return, ask for them to recommend you to other businesses.


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## Eco (Nov 12, 2009)

Op, how about an update!

How much did you quote them?

Did you get the job?

Details & don't be shy!


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## Flash Harry (Nov 13, 2009)

rgower said:


> I have my first paying job tomorrow, but I have no idea what to charge. The job was referred to me from a friend who does interior decorator work and overheard the business he was redecorating wanted some photos for their website. They checked my website ( REID GOWER photofolio ) which I threw together using a flash template, and I got the job.
> 
> The business is an independently owned (but fairly large and locally well known) funeral home.... So I come to you guys to ask a few questions.
> 
> ...


 
Just take a discount on one of their packages in an exchange deal, you will need this service one day. H


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