What to Charge?

To all wedding photographers out there;

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to charge a client?

the shooting time is 2PM to 10:30PM.

The ceremony starts at 4PM.

She wants approx. 60 images 8 x 10 to go into an album with no parent albums as this is her 2nd marriage.

She would also like a photo montage which will consist probably of family.

She did not know for certain at the time what picture she would want.

She also wants a CD of the images that are shot so she can print from it as she wants.

The bridal party will consists of her children and her fiance's children as this is his 2nd marriage.

This will be my first wedding as the main photographer( if she decides to use me)

I appreciate any and all suggestions.

Photoboy

$8K is common in our area, but you have to do a lot of post
processing and have a darn good album.

Since no one in these forums gives any definitive answers to questions like "what should I charge", I'm going to do it.

I charge $1000.00 to shoot a wedding, with no time limit. For this fee the couple receives all original photographs in 4x6 preview size in mini wedding albums (from C.R. Gibson), usually 360 (in the albums) plus. They also get one 11x14 wall portrait mounted, sprayed, and framed, and also to 8x10's m&s&framed. I also offer a free engagement and bridal sitting with 4x6 proofs (not all participate in this). That's it.

Any additional reprints or enlargements are offered ala-carte (no packages).

4x5 or 4x6 is $5.00

5x7 $10.00

8x10 $20.00

11x14 $60.00 mounted and sprayed

16x20 $100.00 mounted and sprayed

20x24 $150.00 mouinted and sprayed

I don't push wedding albums, but will quote a price if they are interested (I start at $600.00 for a decent album with sleeves and mats and 24 8x10 prints.).

I just started making CDRom's with full resolution files available of all photopgraphs for $250.00, bu I s[pecifically state that I will not guarantee the print quality whjen they take the files to whomever.

Not knowing where you are located I really couldn't ventuire a guess as to the going rates in your area, I can only offer what I do.

George Law
Images
Muskegon, MI

Sorry George Don't want to step on any toes here . . .but why sell yourself short???

I don't mind when inexperienced or even experienced cr@ppy photographers charge next to nothing for their wedding photography . .. that's all it's worth and the client knows they're getting what they paid for . . .but if your work is good. . . as I'm sure George's is . ..pricing yourself low is hurting you and the market in general.

What most beginning professionals fail to understand is that producing images is more than the cost of a lab . . .it's all the years of training, dues in professional organizations, equipment and equipment depreciation and on and on.

And something I learned the hard way . . .price yourself for the market you wish to attract. If you start in the middle . . .you can always go up . . .it's tougher to go down. Cheap brides aren't worth the trouble. And if you're providing unlimited coverage, $1000 is just rediculous

Lastly, when you consider there's an hour at the initial consultation, two hours for the engagement session, two hours for a bridal session, two hours to project each . . .then all day wedding coverage . . .another two days procesing all those images . . .get my drift?

For just starting out . . .$1495 would be a good starting point . . .but if you're planning to do this as a career . . .have several packages and get those prices up

Kind Regards
-Billie
--



Sometimes . . .when you least expect it . .. good things happen .
..BURMA SHAVE!!!!

Just use the standard 10-15% rule for the price in your area just to
get started. The sky is the limit after that.

Most couples are glad to think about 6 hrs @ $2500 for just the pros time. Prints
and albums etc are all extra.

Nice site Billie....

Seriously! I read many many posts here and always follow the photographer's links to their websites.... those who post their url's at least. Some work is just so so.... some work is just snapshots with the on camera flash.... but some work is extraordinary. I'm just watching some wedding dvd's now actually, and I'm amazed how good some shots are with very little equipment, shocked actually, so its obviously talent here.

So what I think it boils down to is how good your pics are. If you care to post a few, I'd be more then happy to give you my honest opinion. I'm sure that shooting one or two great pics can sometimes be lucky, so most of your pics have to be really good, but you get the idea. Also, you location definately has alot to do with what you can charge, but once again, the biggest factor will be how good you are.

Now keeping this in mind, I can understand how $1000 would be a good fee to cover 8 hours if you're average. But it sounds like this client wants lots of stuff thrown in. 60 8x10 images would cost easily another $1000, and that would be if you charged her only $16 per image. So I would say another $1500 is more like it. Then this montage.. that's even more work. And then wanting all the pics on cd so she can print? I see it included with expensive weddings cause the photographer already made his money and doesn't care so much for reprints and is therefore happy to give it away, but we are talking $4000 and over weddings.

Writing all this down actually makes me wonder how you could do it for any less then $2500. If you are just starting out and your pics are still more of the snapshot variety then maybe it would be a great gig at $2000, but if your pics are great, then $4000 isn't unreasonable. It sounds to me like this client wants to make it sound like she doesn't want much cause its her second wedding, but I think she wants more then most people want their first time around.

Kiran

I couldn't agree more, Kiran. Thanks for saying what I apparently couldn't get across

Kind Regards
-Billie
--



Sometimes . . .when you least expect it . .. good things happen .
..BURMA SHAVE!!!!

those are my fees. I am as good as most photographers in my area, better than many, and not as good as a few. Many charge more than I do, some charge less. There are some well established long time studios in my area and they charge a ton; they have several photographers on staff, are located in high rent areas and generally have a GREAT deal more overhead than I do and they need to cover those costs and put bread on the table. I know many of the photographers in my area; one in particular is developing his business as his second occupation (I suspect that he desires to be able to leave his day job) and is renting studio space at $3000.00 a month. That's a lot of money to recover. I, on the other hand, built my own studio (with my own two hands) on my own property (I have 21 acres).

Looking at what the original poster indicated this gig entails and applying my prices, I'd come in at around $2700.00 plus. That seems to be in the same ballpark as another poster suggested.

I realize my pricing is lower than some and know that it is higher than others. All of my equipment is paid for (and I do have a lot: I carry double of EVERYTHING to weddings, without touching anything in my studio) and I owe noone anything. I've retired from one career, I'm about to start collecting Social Security (which is actually going to limit how much I'll be allowed to earn without penalties). On an hourly basis I'm netting $30.00-$35.00 plus per: I just don't work 40 plus hours per week. I'm content with what I offer, what I charge, and what I earn. And when you are content, it just doesn't get much better.

George

I've gone through some rough times on this board where nobody would agree with me so thank's for the feedback. Its funny cause I'm really just getting into photography on a hopefully pro level now, but I think after reading all these boards forever that I already have the right mentality and having learned through other people's mistakes without having to make most of them myself will hopefully bring me to the top quickly.

I do have a question though. I was browsing your website (and yes... I do put you in the much much higher then average category!!!) and noticed that as wonderful as your images are, they are obviously quite heavily post processed. I guess not in the way that it would have taken alot of time, but definately color, contrast, vingettes and all that jazz. In fact, what most photographers don't realize is how important post processing is. I'm really analyzing the good vs. ordinary pics and am picking up the definate tell tale signs. Composition and post processing are easily 2/3rds of the final image.

Anyway... so my question is how do you present the proofs to the clients? Do you work on just about every image or would you only do a few as an example? Going through 500 images would be quite time consuming of course, but its once they have all been brushed up that your work truly shows.

Kiran

Thanks for your kind words, Kiran . . .the first step is a good image to begin with . . .ie: exposure, composition, etc. I shoot everything in RAW and can do much of the post processing before it's ever brought into Photoshop.

For portrait work, in a session that might be 100 to 150 images . . .I'll choose approx, 35-50 images to show the client . . .and those ARE worked.

As for weddings, the clients don't see everything taken . . .just the best of what's done. And of those . . .everything's in "presentation form" . . .clients don't see anything that's not atleast presentable . . .color, contrast, etc

Kind Regards
-Billie

--



http://billiesportraits.com/index_new.html

Sometimes . . .when you least expect it . .. good things happen .
..BURMA SHAVE!!!!

If as you say, you are better than most photographers in your area, why devalue what THEY do by undercutting the market?

If your work is good . . . people will be willing to pay for it. If your pricing yourself cheap . . .you'll only get the price shoppers . . .my time is worth more than that . . .and $1000 to do a wedding which when all is said and done would take me about 40 hours . . . . would not be close to enough

Kind Regards
-Billie
--



http://billiesportraits.com/index_new.html

Sometimes . . .when you least expect it . .. good things happen .
..BURMA SHAVE!!!!