how much do i charge?

[Nix]

so a lady i know is having a huge family get-together and wants a photographer. She has seen my skills many times and wants to use me as the photographer. she said that she wants to know how much i want to do it... i dont know how much i should charge? im not a pro, but im not half bad either. any ideas?

 

[jstuedle]

Set an hourly rate you feel you are worth, estimate the time you will spend and charge accordingly.

 

[Jon, The Elder]

Johns answer is a good basic premise to start with.

You mention your skills and not being 'half bad'. Now comes the business part.
I charge for the actual shoot, payable at the end of the session. Have a detailed written list of the type and details of what to shoot. Work up an hourly or day rate ($200-$250 for an 8 hour day).
Treat your files and or prints as a seperate item. Make provisions for viewing proofs and ordering prints. Printing on-site is an option but may require additional person to assist.

You don't give your location in your profile, so it is had to tell what area of the planet you are on. Pricing is sometimes affected by this.

Go to my site and print out my order form. You can use this as an example for pricing structure.

 

[JIP]

Charge enough that with whatever expenses you incur you will be making money but not so much that if the fact that you are "not a pro but not half bad" comes out the person does not think they paid professional prices for "not a pro".