# How much would you charge for this?



## Boz Mon (Jan 12, 2011)

Heres the scoop, I'm by no means a pro photographer, I am simply a hobbyist.  I made a calendar to put up at work with several of my images, and one of the women who I work with got this crazy idea to pay me to come take some candid shots at her son's birthday party.  

I dont really know where to start on this one.  I'm fairly confident in my ability to get some quality shots of people at the party, but I was hoping I could get some good tips, and pointers from the actual pros on here, as well as an idea on where to start on a price for this seeing as how she insists that I get paid for doing this.

I'll be using my trusty (and only) Nikon D40 for this, with my Tamron 17-50 f/2.8.  I dont think the nifty 50 would work well seeing as how we are going to be inside.


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## GeorgieGirl (Jan 12, 2011)

Ask her what the range is that she thinks she wants to pay...you don't want to be in a conflict with workplace rules that you need to find out about and/or gossip in the workplace by suggesting its a conflict to use the workplace as a platform for you to promote your hobby. Things get turned around fast, espeically if after the photos she thinks you stink.

If her offer is a material amount then come back and chat it up. My guess is she is hoping you do it for free.


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## willis_927 (Jan 12, 2011)

How many people are going to be at this party? I Had a similar situation where I was asked to take pictures at a relatives daughters birthday. It was in a small community center, and there was about 50 people. Its not easy to get candid shots when there is that many people walking and running around. I managed to get a few decent ones, but it was tough to avoid a distracting background. Good luck!

Sorry, I see now you were looking for opinions from "pros", I am definately no pro, but theres my 2 cents anyways.


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## Boz Mon (Jan 12, 2011)

willis_927 said:


> Sorry, I see now you were looking for opinions from "pros", I am definately no pro, but theres my 2 cents anyways.



I really want opinions from everyone on this.  The kid is like 3 or 4 years old so there may be a lot of family and other little kids.  She isnt hoping I do it for free, she asked me what I would charge for this after she came up with the idea.


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## UUilliam (Jan 13, 2011)

Sounds like she has the OLMS (Overly loving mother syndrome)
I dont' understand "why" they would want a "pro" photographer at a kids birthday party...
Kids like to run around, go outside, they are hardly going to sit around for a photographer to take decent images...

Personally, in the nicest way possible, I would tell her to just use a compact...
It will probably get her the sort of photographs she is looking for...
I could understand if she wanted a private seating with her son for some portaits of him, but at a party? :S

All kids parties I have been to, they have been running riot and stuff...

I could be VERY wrong, I am just making assumptions here!
Also, I am not a pro either!!


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## Paul Ron (Jan 13, 2011)

Since you aren't a pro, charge her just for your time. 

Post your pics on one of those sites that lets you buy prints n make albums so she can customise her choices as she likes. This way she pays a company to make her prints n albums.

You got paid for your time (say $30/hr), she gets to choose her pics n make em into whatever she likes to fit her budget, everyone is happy.


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## Studio7Four (Jan 13, 2011)

UUilliam said:


> Sounds like she has the OLMS (Overly loving mother syndrome)
> I dont' understand "why" they would want a "pro" photographer at a kids birthday party...
> Kids like to run around, go outside, they are hardly going to sit around for a photographer to take decent images...
> 
> ...



Off the top of my head I can think of a number of reasons why she'd like someone else to be taking the pictures.  She might figure to be running around managing the party and not have time to take pictures.  Or she might just want to be in them for a change.  (As the guy with the camera in our family - won't call myself the photographer here to distinguish myself from any pros who may respond - I have a ton of shots of my daughter, a fair number of her and my wife, and very few of her and me.)

I would suggest discussing with her what she is looking for.  Does she want to document the event (try to get shots of everyone there, everything that happens)?  Or would she rather you stay focused (no pun intended) on her son and try for some real keepers of him and whoever he interacts with?

As for price, I agree with asking what she has in mind for a budget.  If you feel your time is worth that (don't forget to add in for editing time), why not do it?  If her budget is larger than you were expecting, don't feel like to you have to take it all if you honestly don't feel like your skills and experience warrant it.  You're also getting something intangible out of this, the experience of shooting a kid's birthday party.  Afterwards you'll either have a better idea of how to do it the next time or the realization that you never want to do it again.


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## KmH (Jan 13, 2011)

IIRC, the last kid's, single digit birthday party I shot was in 1982. :er: I was living in Arizona then, so I shot a lot of Quinceañeras. But, that's more like shooting a wedding.


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## fhlgallery (Jan 13, 2011)

It would be great fun taking pics of the people at a party. I do this at every wedding I go too. I try to get good candid shots of people, especially the young and elderly. 

I like what was stated, charge for your time. I think asking $30-50 per hour would be very reasonable. You could even give them a copy of all the pictures on a cd. From that they can take it home and do what they wish with the pictures, as far as printing goes.


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## Boz Mon (Jan 13, 2011)

Great ideas everyone.  I have some thinking to do on this one now.  I think she wants shots of family members together, kids etc.  Not just follow her kid around.  I will have to talk to her and get the specifics.  I'm pretty sure, no matter what I do, the photos are going to come out looking like snapshots, but maybe thats what she wants.  

If anyone has any more ideas/opinions of the situation, please keep them coming.


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## Derrel (Jan 13, 2011)

You know,many people who are not into photography have a VERY inflated opinion of the capabilities that reside inside of fancy cameras and lenses...they think that it is all about the CAMERA. They believe that a d-slr type camera, by itself, can take "good pictures". These people are not malicious, nor are they stupid, but simply ignorant of what role the camera plays and what role the photographer plays in achieving what they think of as "professional pictures". These people think a 70-300mm consumer zoom is a "wildlife lens"...they think the pop-up flash is "pro", and so on and so on.

If this type of person has seen some good, say landscape shots in a calendar you have shown, she might very well think you are equally proficient as a party or event photographer. It's hard to gauge WHAT,exactly, she thinks you can deliver. She might be very disappointed in the kind of work you can produce...and I'm basing this on experience, not on your abilities. So...tread carefully...


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## Boz Mon (Jan 13, 2011)

Derrel said:


> You know,many people who are not into photography have a VERY inflated opinion of the capabilities that reside inside of fancy cameras and lenses...they think that it is all about the CAMERA. They believe that a d-slr type camera, by itself, can take "good pictures". These people are not malicious, nor are they stupid, but simply ignorant of what role the camera plays and what role the photographer plays in achieving what they think of as "professional pictures". These people think a 70-300mm consumer zoom is a "wildlife lens"...they think the pop-up flash is "pro", and so on and so on.
> 
> If this type of person has seen some good, say landscape shots in a calendar you have shown, she might very well think you are equally proficient as a party or event photographer. It's hard to gauge WHAT,exactly, she thinks you can deliver. She might be very disappointed in the kind of work you can produce...and I'm basing this on experience, not on your abilities. So...tread carefully...




This is exactly how I feel about the situation.  In my defense, the calendar has some really nice shots of mine, but I dont really have that much confidence in shooting people.  Granted what I think looks crappy and badly composed, she may love just because of her, for lack of a better term, ignorance.


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## FattyMcJ (Jan 14, 2011)

Boz Mon said:


> what I think looks crappy and badly composed, she may love just because of her, for lack of a better term, ignorance.



I've found this to be amazingly true.  

Often, what I think are terrible photographs of someone for whatever reason, (but use them anyway due to sheer need for a number of choices written in a contract) are generally the photographs the clients purchase.  It never ceases to amaze me what some people like.


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## skieur (Jan 14, 2011)

Event photography takes particular skillsl and experience.  You need to be in the right camera location, be able to visually predict a possibly interesting shot before an action takes place, compose, frame and shoot quickly and if necessary keep shooting. 

Posed pictures look more like snapshots and whether posed or unposed, the rules of composition related to portraits still apply such as not amputating body parts at the joints when shooting, avoiding brain amputation, flattering the subject etc.

skieur


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## flightless_beaker (Jan 14, 2011)

Personally, i'd say charge for your time depending on how long it is. Doubt she's looking for prints or anything. I'd charge like 75 bucks if its for like 3 hours. That's just me though. I think she knows she's not getting a pro photographer and I doubt she is expecting pro results. I wouldn't put too much pressure on yourself. She probably wants good shots that are better than her point and shoot.


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