Comments?

[laynea24]

This is from a recent senior photo shoot. I did it for free.. Getting tired of doing so much work for free. I know this probably doesn't seem like a lot to some of you, but I've had 9 shoots this month. That's a lot to do for free! At what point did you all go ahead and write up a business plan, file for your business license, get insurance, speak with an attorney, and start charging for your services? Photography is hard work and I am willing to work hard at it.. It just takes up so much of my time to not be compensated.

C&C for the photo is welcome. Your opinions on what I wrote are welcome too.

 

[jowensphoto]

A solid portrait but not a striking portrait. I think some nice, warm reflected light would really help.

Something else important to keep in mind is, "How will I stand out?" The portrait above could have been taken by any retail studio. Finding your personal style, in all aspects of photography, is just as important as the financial and legal parts.

 

[tirediron]

The sooner the better; the more you do for free, the harder it is to stop doing work for free!

Agree with the above on the image.

 

[MLeeK]

You are headed to professional. Whether you are done with the free shoots or not get on that plan!!! It's not when you write it that you should be worried about. You can write it 5 days or 5 years before you go into business. It's when and how you IMPLEMENT it that you have to worry about. And once you have the plan? that worry will take care of itself!
Here are some posts for you... in order...

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ning-business-building-house.html#post2707594
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/304732-finding-your-codb-your-hourly-rate.html
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-its-not-answer-what-do-i-charge-for____.html
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-shop-talk/304649-how-blow-away-client.html


I forgot to add my favorite blog: www.amantofish.com
Todd and Jodie Reichman are pretty brilliant when it comes to business period. I'd LOVE to take their Sexy Business workshop some day, but their blog alone has taught me MUCH MUCH MUCH. I HIGHLY suggest you take the time to read from day one forward before or as you are designing your business plan. And read the comments on many of the posts. THere are some excellent discussions and they don't filter out those who don't believe the same as they do. They very professionally and courteously debate and discuss. He's popped in here a time or two because I am forever linking to them. They're really great people and beyond making a little money, they're just helpful-even to those of us who aren't paying the workshop fee... yet!

 

[laynea24]

Thanks everyone! I'll read all of those posts and the blog.

 

[janineh]

Have you got a website ready with a nice portfolio? You should have enough to get a good one together if you do so many for free. I'd say work out some prices and get all your things together (reg business, insurance etc) and go for it! Thats what I've done. I was sick of offering free sessions. I found ppl don't appreciate thing for free. Paying clients are so different. They pay and value your work. Work out your market and go for it! I have seen sooo many terribly bad photographers lately that charge money and ppl book them. You don't have to worry about it. Your work looks good! Yes, you will always get better and continue learning, but thats no reason not to charge now. And dont sell yourself too cheap, you will regret it later, bc it will be harder to change your prices later. You can offer mini sessions as a special...
Good luck!

 

[pixmedic2 1]

"setting up" the business is the easy part. tax ID, fictitious name if your using one, insurance. Liability insurance was the fastest, equipment insurance took a little longer since everything had to be itemized. its the "business plan" that can really drag out the whole process.
especially the "what to charge" question. you have to balance what you "want to charge", against what you "NEED to charge" and "what you CAN charge" (depending on what your client base will support) this is of course, assuming you have all the equipment taken care of already.

the "when" part is easy...when you get all of the above in order, your ready.

 

[Derrel]

zOMG girl..for free...NINE shoots in a month??? Whoa...time to start getting some kind of compensation...even if you were to be payed in $6.99 to $8.99, two-pound bricks of aged cheddar cheese for each shoot, you would now have cheese for a YEAR. I'm serious...and the cheese would get sharper,and better with each passing month...

Seriously...how long would NINE, two-pound bricks of aged cheddar cheese last you?

What if each shoot, you were payed with a fifth of quality booze? What if each of those shoots payed "even" fifty bucks?? You'd probably have gas money for two months...unless you're like, driving a Tahoe or something...

Stop the insanity! Go for the cheese! Go for the booze! Go for the fuel!

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

...and the cheese would get sharper,and better with each passing month...

This made me


:thumbup:

 

[Derrel]

...and the cheese would get sharper,and better with each passing month...

This made me


:thumbup:

The make THIS right near where I live....this stuff is da' bomb!!!! Seriously! Not kidding! This ain't no Kraft yellow cheese stuff...

TILLAMOOK ® VINTAGE WHITE SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE - (2 LB.) Baby Loaf ® Gift: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Sorry to derail the thread further, but...

Don't you find it funny, they can age cheese for years, but as soon as it goes in stores, it gets an expiration date?



Back to the OP...Absolutely! Get your ducks in a row and start getting compensated!

 

[jwbryson1]

Don't you find it funny, they can age cheese for years, but as soon as it goes in stores, it gets an expiration date?

I have had the same thought. I brought home some cheese from the store a few months ago and it was expired by about 4 weeks. My wife nearly lost her mind--this stuff is EXPIRED! I told her "honey, it's aged for 4 years before it makes it to the shelf."

It was delicious.

 

[Derrel]

I was using the brick-of-cheddar-cheese, and $50-for-gasoline examples as genuine, serious examples of receiving at least SOMETHING of worth in exchange for providing something of worth. I mean, my goodness...NINE free shoots in one single month? The bottle of booze per shoot example was more for fun...you can have a LOT of fun on a fifth!!! But, seriously...cheese is a common slang term in the USA for money...cheese....cheddar...go for the cheese...and if you actually got real, aged, cheddar cheese, well, then it would at the very least be a barter system exchange, and not simply you being exploited.

"I scratch your back, you give me a brick of cheese." Old saying. Maybe you've heard it?

 

[laynea24]

Thanks for giving me the push I needed!

 

[laynea24]

....but I don't drink beer and I only like very thin sliced cheese. Guess I'll be working for gas!