Hiring a photographer

[chuckey06]

Hello everyone,Im new to this forum and just want to start off by saying that its cool to have a such a useful resource like this!I am starting an event planning business that encompasses everything that has to do with weddings..We will do catering, cakes, entertainment, decor, flowers & photography...Now we pretty much have every part of the company figured out, except for the photography part...Heres my question: I found a photographer who has good work but not much experience...Now all Im looking for is for the photographer to take the pictures at the church, garden & reception and then edit them to be print ready, THats it....I dont need the pictures printed because I already have a print guy that can do that...So how much do you think I should pay him, $50 per hour, $60 per hour, $80 ???? Im totally clueless to how this works but am very excited to get into it...PLEASE HELPchuckey

 

[Azuth]

If he is as you say, good but inexperienced you may be able to get him cheap until he is experienced. When you say good though, you'd want him to be good at weddings, just taking a nice portrait is very different to the demands of a wedding.

The problem you face as I understand it, is that most photographers would charge a reasonably low flat fee, then a rate for the prints. You're really paying for the use of the print, not the time & materials involved in the actual printing.

I'd suggest if you're really running this as a business then work backwards. Get some local package rates for wedding photographers to guide your pricing. Then you have 3 costs, the photographer, the printer and your margin (profit). Deduct the printing costs and the amount of money you need/want to make, is whatever's left enough to pay the photographer?

Keep in mind that once he's established he may suddenly wonder why he's giving you great wedding shots for much less that he could make photographing other weddings...

 

[Azuth]

That or $350.00 per half day. Good luck with your endeavour, and please note I just plucked this figure from the air.

 

[Rob]

Hello everyone,Im new to this forum and just want to start off by saying that its cool to have a such a useful resource like this!I am starting an event planning business that encompasses everything that has to do with weddings..We will do catering, cakes, entertainment, decor, flowers & photography...Now we pretty much have every part of the company figured out, except for the photography part...Heres my question: I found a photographer who has good work but not much experience...Now all Im looking for is for the photographer to take the pictures at the church, garden & reception and then edit them to be print ready, THats it....I dont need the pictures printed because I already have a print guy that can do that...So how much do you think I should pay him, $50 per hour, $60 per hour, $80 ???? Im totally clueless to how this works but am very excited to get into it...PLEASE HELPchuckey

Pay the guy according to how much repeat business/profit there is. Work on a daily rate, not an hourly one, to prevent any nasty surprises. Make the daily rate firm, but fair.

I would personally be looking for about £500 per day to produce say a CD recording the event, all edited and lovely for your print man. I'm expensive though!! I would think in the region of $500 for a new, but good photographer would be fine.

Be absolutely clear on the post-production work. Some photographers may be able to take a great picture, but produce lousy PS'd images. You may want just the JPGs and get your print guy to work on them. Or possibly the opposite! Just bear it in mind.


Rob

 

[Alison]

If I've done my conversion from pounds to dollars right then I agree with Rob I charge $900 for 4 hours of coverage plus a CD with all edited images ready to print. It really depends on your location though. For NH I am on the low end of the price scale and recently increased my prices to be more competitive with the area photographers. In Boston you would pay at least twice that much and I would suspect that in the southern states it would be a bit less based on cost of living. Also, it sounds like the photographer would in essence be a contractor, i.e. that s/he would still have their own business and ability to book their own shoots? If so, then they probably have a set price in mind and you could go from there.

 

[Big Mike]

From what I've read about event/wedding planning...the planner does not necessarily 'hire' the photographer and pay them a wage. It's more like finding the right photographer as a 'sub-contractor'. In which case, you should get to know a few different pro photographers, their packages and their price ranges. Then you sell the clients on the photographer/package and then contract the photographer...and of course, take your cut of the money. You may even get a good rate from the pros because you would be the one doing the leg work with the clients.

This is probably what you had in mind...in which case, you price will come from what ever photographers you are in with. With your inexperienced one, maybe call around and see that others are charging.

 

[markc]

It think what Mike suggests is a good way to go. There is such a variety in photographic styles that you don't want to lock yourself into offering clients only one look.

 

[chuckey06]

Thanks everyone, you all brought out really good points!

It makes me realize how much research I still have to do in this area...my original idea was to sort of partner in the starting of this photography segment of the business, by providing the photographer with transportation, a good camera, good equipment, materials, and so I would just need him to take the pictures and therefore just pay for time on the job...I kinda liked the idea better because it would still be under "our" company and not a sub-contracted company...

But I guess there alot less headaches doing the sub-contracting..

Thanks everyone!!