# Price per photo



## acparsons (May 24, 2014)

Hello All,


   I was contacted by a company that wants some freelance work. Looks like it's for medical tourism(Korea has a huge medical tourism industry).They are asking me how much I charge per photo. They would architecture/photos of the things around a hospital. Suggestions would be appreciated.

                    Thank you!


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## Light Guru (May 24, 2014)

Charge by the hour not by the photo! 

If you charge by the photo and say it took you 5 hours to photograph the location and 5 hours of post work on all the images and then they only decide to buy one, well you don't even break even.


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## KmH (May 24, 2014)

You not only should be paid for your pre process, travel, shoot, post process time and your talent, you should also charge for use licensing.
Use licensing can be thought of as a copyright rental fee. The longer the period of time and the broader the scope of the usage the more costly the use licencing fee.
Licensing Guide | American Society of Media Photographers

I have no idea what copyright laws are like in Korea, but here in the US you would be an independent contractor and you would own the image copyrights.

My minimum time charge for commercial work was my half-day rate ($1100).
My creative fee charge varied by shoot requirements.
A commercial client was billed on a line item basis for any additional costs of the shoot like equipment rental, parking, permits, etc.


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## manaheim (May 24, 2014)

I would run away from this, personally.  Too many different things to worry about, and what if they don't pay you? It's a very real possibility.


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## pixmedic (May 24, 2014)

price per photo? Easy.


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## KmH (May 24, 2014)

The company knows that if they were to hire an established and experienced professional photographer it would cost them quite a bit more then if they hire an inexperienced, just starting out, pretty much clueless as to how the commercial photography market works, photographer.



> When an inexperienced business person does business with experienced business people, the inexperienced business person usually gets some expensive experience.


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## manaheim (May 24, 2014)

That quote is dead on.  I know from personal experience.


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## Steve5D (May 24, 2014)

manaheim said:


> Too many different things to worry about, and what if they don't pay you? It's a very real possibility.



Then it would stand to reason that they wouldn't get the photographs, which would kind of fly in the face of why they contacted him in the first place...


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## table1349 (May 24, 2014)

Something to consider for future business.  Piece work is always low cost, low pay usually with a large amount of headaches. They only way you profit is to do a very large amount of acceptable pieces in a very short time.

Hourly rate for shoot plus use costs pay the bills, and you make a profit.  Plus you would not believe how much more accommodating institutions can be when they are paying for your time.  Time is money and if they waste yours it costs them money.


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## manaheim (May 24, 2014)

Steve5D said:


> manaheim said:
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> > Too many different things to worry about, and what if they don't pay you? It's a very real possibility.
> ...



No offense to the OP at all, but anyone who asks the question "how much should they pay per photograph", is likely going to be naïve enough in these affairs to make several key mistakes. It is reasonable to believe the OP will wind up in a situation where the pictures are in the possession of the hiring party and he has either not been paid, or the payment has somehow "bounced".

It is also possible that the hiring party plans to play this game, and may NOT succeed with the OP, because he is smarter than the average bear, and asks for advice now and again. The hiring party may simply be playing the same odds as "Nigerian Princes with $10M who just need some help cashing a check."

Simple truth in life... if someone is trying it, odds are it means it worked at least once.


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## table1349 (May 24, 2014)

If you are ever considering piece work you need to know all the details upfront and be working with someone you know and trust.  

I have only done one piece work job.  Friend of mine owns a company that produces circuit boards for all kinds of applications.  He needed 1/2 dozen very detailed shots of parts of a particular circuit board.  I didn't have the lens necessary for what he wanted.  Long story short.  He bought an MPE-65 lens for the shoot.  Took about an hour total time to shoot and process for his use.  

My pay....I got to keep the MPE-65.  We were both happy.


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## Steve5D (May 24, 2014)

manaheim said:


> Steve5D said:
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Well, maybe you're able to divine more than the average bear, but I don't see where the company in question is "trying" anything.

They asked a simple question: How much the OP charges per picture.

That can easily be answered without assuming that doom and gloom is to follow...


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## manaheim (May 24, 2014)

Steve5D said:


> manaheim said:
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I have an idea. Why don't you just allow me to have my opinion.


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## acparsons (May 24, 2014)

Honestly,

    I like traveling to take photos. Even if I do not get paid, it's fun. Plus the areas that I would travel to are some of the best for street photography. Thanks for helping me decide on a price.


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## manaheim (May 24, 2014)

That's cool.  You can't lose then, as long as you're ok with the potential (even if slim) that the client doesn't come through.

Good luck.  Looking forward to seeing the shots.


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## Steve5D (May 25, 2014)

manaheim said:


> Steve5D said:
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Hey, have at it. I've read my post over several times. Nowhere have I said you shouldn't have your opinion.

Or did I miss where I made such a suggestion?

My point, and it's really inarguable, is that the question could easily be answered without that opinion, regardless of how learned it may be, as it doesn't address the question being asked in the OP...


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## manaheim (May 25, 2014)

Steve,  that's your opinion,  and I disagree with it. While I respect your right to also have your opinion,  I must also recognize that your opinion attempts to strip my rights of having my own. 

My suggestion... If you feel the need to stick to the topic... Is to keep your OWN commentary on topic,  and lead by example.


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## Steve5D (May 25, 2014)

manaheim said:


> Steve,  that's your opinion,  and I disagree with it. While I respect your right to also have your opinion,  I must also recognize that your opinion attempts to strip my rights of having my own.



Again, please point out where I've attempted to do that.

The OP asked, essentially, "How much do I charge?"

Your response was, essentially, "I would run away from this".

Nowhere in your response do you address an actual amount which should be charged. Instead, you floated some idea that he would shoot and never get paid because you believe he's inexperienced. 

Again, that never addressed the question of "How much?". _That _was the simple point I was making.

I think it's probably fair to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Frankly, I've never agreed to a paid shoot and not been paid upon  delivery at the latest. _Ever_. Even when I was just starting out...


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## tirediron (May 25, 2014)

As the OP has indicated he's happy with the responses already received, I think we can say we're done here.


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