cherylynne1
No longer a newbie, moving up!
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2015
- Messages
- 663
- Reaction score
- 254
- Website
- www.flickr.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Okay, I've run into a problem recently and I'm hoping to get some advice on how to proceed...
I'm not at a point yet where I can charge, and I'm okay with that. But I still want to study and learn as much as I can and be the best photographer I can be.
Recently, a friend approached me and asked if I could do family pictures for her because she liked the pictures I take of my own kids and hasn't been happy in the past with the professional photographer she hired. She offered to pay, and I declined. I took the pictures, and they loved them.
Then some other friends saw that I took the pictures and asked me to do theirs as well, then another, then another. Pretty soon I have every weekend for two months filled. It's overwhelming, but I'm learning a lot.
Here's the problem:
A few days ago, I ran across a local photographer's Facebook page. When I looked at her albums, I saw the pictures of the first family. Then I saw pictures of the second, and the third. In fact, all but one of the families had previously gone to this other photographer and appear to have paid between $100-250 for family photos, multiple times. Some go back as far as 4 years.
I can see in some cases why they were upset...I don't think the quality of some of the photos, particularly the older ones, are worth that much. However, her current work is not bad and probably better than my own.
The problem is that I feel like I've stolen her clients out from under her. I'm offering a comparable, though slightly inferior product for free, and she can't compete. I feel incredibly guilty about it. I'm not trying to undermine her or anything, but I'm really excited to have this opportunity to learn with so many different families.
I'm not really sure what to do. I could stop taking pictures of other people and just practice on my own family until I'm ready to charge, but I feel it's such good practice to work with people I'm less familiar with. I could keep doing what I'm doing and not worry about her, but I really feel so bad about it. It feels like I'm literally stealing money. Or I could start charging before I'm ready, but then I feel like I'm scamming my friends out of money just so I can practice on them.
I'd really appreciate any advice about this!! Thank you!
I'm not at a point yet where I can charge, and I'm okay with that. But I still want to study and learn as much as I can and be the best photographer I can be.
Recently, a friend approached me and asked if I could do family pictures for her because she liked the pictures I take of my own kids and hasn't been happy in the past with the professional photographer she hired. She offered to pay, and I declined. I took the pictures, and they loved them.
Then some other friends saw that I took the pictures and asked me to do theirs as well, then another, then another. Pretty soon I have every weekend for two months filled. It's overwhelming, but I'm learning a lot.
Here's the problem:
A few days ago, I ran across a local photographer's Facebook page. When I looked at her albums, I saw the pictures of the first family. Then I saw pictures of the second, and the third. In fact, all but one of the families had previously gone to this other photographer and appear to have paid between $100-250 for family photos, multiple times. Some go back as far as 4 years.
I can see in some cases why they were upset...I don't think the quality of some of the photos, particularly the older ones, are worth that much. However, her current work is not bad and probably better than my own.
The problem is that I feel like I've stolen her clients out from under her. I'm offering a comparable, though slightly inferior product for free, and she can't compete. I feel incredibly guilty about it. I'm not trying to undermine her or anything, but I'm really excited to have this opportunity to learn with so many different families.
I'm not really sure what to do. I could stop taking pictures of other people and just practice on my own family until I'm ready to charge, but I feel it's such good practice to work with people I'm less familiar with. I could keep doing what I'm doing and not worry about her, but I really feel so bad about it. It feels like I'm literally stealing money. Or I could start charging before I'm ready, but then I feel like I'm scamming my friends out of money just so I can practice on them.
I'd really appreciate any advice about this!! Thank you!