What? 
Photogs, How Much Should I Be Charging?
Photogs, How Much Should I Be Charging? Normally, self-evaluations are always skewed to see yourself as better than you actually are. I'm not qualified to evaluate my own work, so I want you guys to tell me what you think it's worth for a photoshoot with me? I've been doing everything for free, but people keep telling me I should charge. Also, what should I invest in next?
My equipment:
-Canon T3i body with battery pack
-50mm F/1.8II
-24-70mm F4L IS
-70-200mm F/2.8L (non-IS)
-Cheap Tripod and Manfrotto monopod
-30" Gold/Silver reflector and a diffuser
-Some 3000K shop lights, if need be
-Lightroom 4
From a Graduation Photoshoot (some of these are not very HQ because the HQ ones are not on my computer right now)
This photo made it into a local fitness magazine
Monster clutches actually used my photos for their Twin Disk products
Photo for a local band
My equipment:
-Canon T3i body with battery pack
-50mm F/1.8II
-24-70mm F4L IS
-70-200mm F/2.8L (non-IS)
-Cheap Tripod and Manfrotto monopod
-30" Gold/Silver reflector and a diffuser
-Some 3000K shop lights, if need be
-Lightroom 4
From a Graduation Photoshoot (some of these are not very HQ because the HQ ones are not on my computer right now)
This photo made it into a local fitness magazine
Monster clutches actually used my photos for their Twin Disk products
Photo for a local band
Last edited by 409CISecondGen; May 24, 2013 at 11:33 AM.
I have been a full time (self employed) portrait studio photographer for 25+ years, when I was offering location portraits (outside of the side of my studio) I would charge $100 per hour. That didnt include any prints but I did include my image editing in with that, so if I did a shoot that took 3 hours, I charged $300.00 but I didnt charge the time it took me to edit the images.
But I found I was loosing money by leaving my retail studio to go do a location shoot. So now I dont do weddings or any kind of location shoots unless it really interests me. My situation is a little different because I have the retail studio expenses to consider.
Your editing and the images looks really good on your cars, on your portrait work you might need a little more tweeking on posing mainly on females. I would recommend turning the female body to the side some and bringing the head around back to the camera. You want to create an "S" curve with their body, and not show knees or up the up the skirt like in the one image you posted with the girl sitting at a table. Unless your shooting ****...
On every posed shot I take I do a head/shoulders, 3/4, and a full lenght, maybe moving a hand to the hip or something just to make it a little different. You will find some like close up some like 3/4, and some like full lenth and hopefully they like all 3.
If you want some samples to see for ideas on posing p.m. me your email and I will send you some. I have had a mid/high volume portrait studio in Austin for 12 years so I got 1000's and 1000's of images.....
But I found I was loosing money by leaving my retail studio to go do a location shoot. So now I dont do weddings or any kind of location shoots unless it really interests me. My situation is a little different because I have the retail studio expenses to consider.
Your editing and the images looks really good on your cars, on your portrait work you might need a little more tweeking on posing mainly on females. I would recommend turning the female body to the side some and bringing the head around back to the camera. You want to create an "S" curve with their body, and not show knees or up the up the skirt like in the one image you posted with the girl sitting at a table. Unless your shooting ****...
On every posed shot I take I do a head/shoulders, 3/4, and a full lenght, maybe moving a hand to the hip or something just to make it a little different. You will find some like close up some like 3/4, and some like full lenth and hopefully they like all 3.
If you want some samples to see for ideas on posing p.m. me your email and I will send you some. I have had a mid/high volume portrait studio in Austin for 12 years so I got 1000's and 1000's of images.....
I have been a full time (self employed) portrait studio photographer for 25+ years, when I was offering location portraits (outside of the side of my studio) I would charge $100 per hour. That didnt include any prints but I did include my image editing in with that, so if I did a shoot that took 3 hours, I charged $300.00 but I didnt charge the time it took me to edit the images.
But I found I was loosing money by leaving my retail studio to go do a location shoot. So now I dont do weddings or any kind of location shoots unless it really interests me. My situation is a little different because I have the retail studio expenses to consider.
Your editing and the images looks really good on your cars, on your portrait work you might need a little more tweeking on posing mainly on females. I would recommend turning the female body to the side some and bringing the head around back to the camera. You want to create an "S" curve with their body, and not show knees or up the up the skirt like in the one image you posted with the girl sitting at a table. Unless your shooting ****...
On every posed shot I take I do a head/shoulders, 3/4, and a full lenght, maybe moving a hand to the hip or something just to make it a little different. You will find some like close up some like 3/4, and some like full lenth and hopefully they like all 3.
If you want some samples to see for ideas on posing p.m. me your email and I will send you some. I have had a mid/high volume portrait studio in Austin for 12 years so I got 1000's and 1000's of images.....
But I found I was loosing money by leaving my retail studio to go do a location shoot. So now I dont do weddings or any kind of location shoots unless it really interests me. My situation is a little different because I have the retail studio expenses to consider.
Your editing and the images looks really good on your cars, on your portrait work you might need a little more tweeking on posing mainly on females. I would recommend turning the female body to the side some and bringing the head around back to the camera. You want to create an "S" curve with their body, and not show knees or up the up the skirt like in the one image you posted with the girl sitting at a table. Unless your shooting ****...
On every posed shot I take I do a head/shoulders, 3/4, and a full lenght, maybe moving a hand to the hip or something just to make it a little different. You will find some like close up some like 3/4, and some like full lenth and hopefully they like all 3.
If you want some samples to see for ideas on posing p.m. me your email and I will send you some. I have had a mid/high volume portrait studio in Austin for 12 years so I got 1000's and 1000's of images.....
I will PM you my E-mail. Thanks again.
Last edited by 409CISecondGen; May 24, 2013 at 05:43 PM.
My work is all commercial (catalog, advertising, etc.) and not retail (ie, portrait studio, weddings, etc.) so my rates are a bit higher than tonypaul to take licensing and crew into account. That said, I still do a lot of pro bono or discounted work for the right clients (ie, police departments, etc.). I also don't charge by the hour, only by project. For example, it makes no sense to penalize myself for being able to do something in 1 hour, when a less experienced person might do the same thing in 2 hours.
Your automotive shots look great, but your white balance on your portraits could use some work. They look a bit on the drab side on a few of them. You might also consider doing some post work for blemishes and skin. I would invest in some strobes, modifiers, and triggers instead of the shop lights.
Your automotive shots look great, but your white balance on your portraits could use some work. They look a bit on the drab side on a few of them. You might also consider doing some post work for blemishes and skin. I would invest in some strobes, modifiers, and triggers instead of the shop lights.
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Joined: Nov 2012
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looks and sounds like you are on your way. I think it is amazing how photographers 'specialize' in things like artists or models, etc. The only pro photographer I've hired, like many people, were wedding photographers. but cars....yea I could relate to that..or girls LOL
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You have some really nice photographs, especially the automotive ones, but to be completely honest, no disrespect intended, your photographs are not at a level of a professional paid photographer.
Not to say you couldn't or shouldn't post some of your photo's on a stock photography site.
May I suggest a site like www.photocamel.com They have a great mix of amateur photographers like myself, more advanced photographers like yourself, and plenty of full on pros. who provide honest constructive criticisms on how we can improve.
Not to say you couldn't or shouldn't post some of your photo's on a stock photography site.
May I suggest a site like www.photocamel.com They have a great mix of amateur photographers like myself, more advanced photographers like yourself, and plenty of full on pros. who provide honest constructive criticisms on how we can improve.
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But, it's hard to toss out a price for you as that depends on different factors.. how much do you feel your time is worth? how much time are you putting in for shooting and post-processing work? how many pics are you offering? Digital copies only, or prints as well? etc, etc...
I really appreciate everyone's criticism and compliments
I have a Mac pro with a cheap computer monitor, the monitor refuses to calibrate correctly and my attempts to use Mac's calibration program always end up terrible. If I had Windows the monitor's auto calibrate feature would work 
I keep thinking if I had a better monitor, lenses, body, flashes, real lights, etc. my photos would turn out better, but I also think that might just be a crutch.
I actually have been doing blemishes since I discovered the button in Lightroom
No offense taken, I totally get that and I haven't charged anyone a dime, but I've also turned down paid gigs because I didn't want to do them. I flatout told one of my couple friends they need to hire a real wedding photographer and I can be a second/third shooter if he's OK with it, but I didn't want to be the only one there. Its a hobby and I want to enjoy it, but I'm also in college and money never hurts, especially since before college I was used to having much more cash lol.
I've never actually done prints beyond my Art Photography class. 6 hours of taking photos and about 8 editing for the graduation shoot. I would take 10 photos before she said "OK, I like my face in that one." Not too mention the girls changed outfits 5 times. I took 442 photos after deleteing shaky and unusable ones and used 54 because they were all the same...
Sometimes I hate people.
I keep thinking if I had a better monitor, lenses, body, flashes, real lights, etc. my photos would turn out better, but I also think that might just be a crutch.
I actually have been doing blemishes since I discovered the button in Lightroom
But, it's hard to toss out a price for you as that depends on different factors.. how much do you feel your time is worth? how much time are you putting in for shooting and post-processing work? how many pics are you offering? Digital copies only, or prints as well? etc, etc...
Sometimes I hate people.
Last edited by 409CISecondGen; May 25, 2013 at 07:42 AM.
