# Charging extra on weekend?



## ManhattanShutterBug (Dec 11, 2011)

Does anyone charge extra for weekend? I have a studio outside the home we are open mon to sat. But this question is more for home based studios. I had a client call to set up a shoot and asked if I charged extra for weekends because their last photographer did.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Dec 11, 2011)

Let supply and demand in your market dictate the price?


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## c.cloudwalker (Dec 11, 2011)

You're in the US where there are no weekends.

We've been teaching people for a while that thay can get anything they want at any time of day or night, which includes weekends. If you feel you can ask for extra money for working on the weekend, good for you. But, tbh, I doubt you can justify it.

Teach customers/clients bad habits and they learn them very fast. And it is that much harder to get them back on the right track


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## tirediron (Dec 11, 2011)

Since most non-commercial photography (By which I mean that done for private clients, weddings, family portraits, et cetera) is done either on weekends or after-hours, that would be a bit cheeky in my opinion.


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## c.cloudwalker (Dec 11, 2011)

^^^^^ That too :lmao:


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## ManhattanShutterBug (Dec 11, 2011)

I am not wanting to charge extra on weekends. I was just a little surprised when I herd that other photographer(s) did and was just curious if others did that and why as I have never herd of it before.


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## KmH (Dec 11, 2011)

And how long have you been in the retail photography business?


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## imagemaker46 (Dec 11, 2011)

Life of a professional anything, if you're needed to work 7 days a week, you work 7 days a week, especially if you're running your own business.


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## rub (Dec 11, 2011)

In this area portrait photographer often charge a premium for weekend shoots, or have a minimum package requirement. But that's mostly for the more expensive people who also shoot weddings. A $4000 wedding vs. a $400 portage session. Therefore they have minimums. 

If the client doesn't want to pay the premium, they shoot during the week.


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## ManhattanShutterBug (Dec 11, 2011)

KmH said:
			
		

> And how long have you been in the retail photography business?



What does that have to do with this thread? I have owned a studio for 9 years.


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## Rephargotohp (Dec 11, 2011)

It's not Unusual to charge extra for Weekend sessions, It an incentive for people to book during the week on days that you don't get as much business. People are always looking for a deal


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## imagemaker46 (Dec 11, 2011)

99% of what I shoot is on weekends, as a freelancer with my own business it's not me that dictates the hours, it's the jobs.  I don't turn down any work.  Many of my shoots will start on a Wednesday and run through Sundays.

If a photographer with a studio wants to set hours 9-5 Monday-Friday and can work that way, good for them, if they feel they want to charge more for a weekend shoot, that's great.  It's all about what works for the photographer and potential clients.


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## Todd_Reichman (Dec 11, 2011)

Your pricing can indicate what you want a client to do.  A lot of people will tell you that they can't make a weekday session until they find out it costs more, then they miraculously find some weekday time.

You get to choose how you run your business - you can dictate the terms or you can let your clients run your business and life.  I prefer to run my business, respectfully, of course.  I would absolutely charge more on weekends.  An egregious amount more.  I've primarily been a wedding photographer for many years and in the case of engagement sessions I'd tell them they could have a session on Wednesday or Thursday, which would you prefer?  If those don't work they can figure it out.  

I'm sure someone will accuse me of not being as successful as I could have been if I let my clients have what they want.  Maybe, but I'm pretty happy with the last 6 years worth of tax returns.  

Like I said, you get to decide how to run your business.

- trr

Todd Reichman
Reichman Photography
www.reichmanphoto.com
...a Man to Fish...
&#8230;a Man to Fish&#8230;


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## mwcfarms (Dec 11, 2011)

Holidays yes, weekends no. Thats me though.


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## Big Mike (Dec 12, 2011)

imagemaker46 said:


> 99% of what I shoot is on weekends, as a freelancer with my own business it's not me that dictates the hours, it's the jobs.  I don't turn down any work.  Many of my shoots will start on a Wednesday and run through Sundays.



But don't you wish you could dictate your own hours?  Don't you wish that you were in a position that you could turn down work...that you could pick and choose which jobs to do, which clients to work for?  



> Life of a professional anything, if you're needed to work 7 days a week, you work 7 days a week, especially if you're running your own business.


Doesn't sound like fun to me...or a recipe for long term success.  

----

I attended a photography/business seminar a few year ago.  Part of it was about setting goals and one of his goals was to work "24-7".  Twenty four hours a week, seven months a year.  The 'rest' of the time was to be spent with his family.

So with that as a goal, he showed us how to work backward from it.  If you want to work those hours, how much do you have to earn?  How much do you have to charge?  And so on.


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## fjrabon (Dec 12, 2011)

I know some photographers who do lots of weddings who give a discount for weekdays during business hours (when their time is at less of a premium), which I guess could also be looked at as charging extra for weekends.


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## imagemaker46 (Dec 12, 2011)

I shoot sports, most of the sports I shoot are on weekends, hockey goes every night of the week from Oct-Apr( not that I shoot every night)  I shoot alot of swimming and diving, most meets run from Wednesday or Thursday through Sunday night. I don't shoot weddings which I expect happen Sat-Sun for the most part, anyone running a commercial portrait studio that also does weddings takes what days off?

In my field I don't work every weekend, but now during hockey season, it's every weekend, and no it's not always enjoyable.  I have events where I would be working 14-21 days straight, and 15-18 hours per day, it's just the nature of shooting sports. 

I know guys that work 350 days a year, some only work 100, depends on the clients, depends on the attitude of the photographer, and it doesn't always depend on the money.  Some have families and some don't, I've always spent a great deal of time with my family.


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## c.cloudwalker (Dec 23, 2011)

Big Mike said:


> But don't you wish you could dictate your own hours?  Don't you wish that you were in a position that you could turn down work...that you could pick and choose which jobs to do, which clients to work for?
> 
> I'm sure most people would prefer to work less or at least more conventional hours but that is rarely the case with small businesses. Especially in today's world where everyone is trying to be cheaper then the next one, even if that is not the best business idea   You know when I was In the South where there are no alcohol sales on Sunday, I talked with the owners of the liquor stores where I bought my booze and they where all against the idea of Sunday sales. But not for religious reasons, they liked having the day off, lol.
> 
> ...



That's a fine way to look at things and more power to those who can do it. To be honest, I think more people could if they made the right choice: living simply rather than being greedy


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## Hereindallas (Dec 24, 2011)

ManhattanShutterBug said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That was my thought exactly.  It has nothing to do with the thread that I can see.


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