First paying sessions

[OrionsByte]

If you have that many people lining up to have you take their pictures, I'd say it sounds like you're about to get a lot of practice. Treat it as such, and make sure your subjects are aware that that's what you're doing. But don't charge them. Heck, you should pay them for modeling for you.

If I were in your shoes, I would tell each of them I would gladly take some photos for them, but then I would recommend that they also find a studio or another photographer with more experience to take some as well, just to make sure they get some good prints.

So basically I'm saying take it as a learning opportunity, and not a revenue opportunity.

 

[Kofman13]

For once I am agreeing with your popcorn Bitter

 

[SamanthaLu]

Whoa... I am completely aware that the pictures I've posted are sh*t. I have yet to take a picture with an SLR and I had a girl asking me to take pictures of what SHE wanted. Thanks for all of the constructive criticism though! Those that understand I have no clue what I'm doing and have talked me through the basics thank you.

 

[SamanthaLu]

I'm very new to photography and I've only used my Olympus SP-55OUZ. I'm expecting my first SLR soon in the mail. A Nikon d90. 1st of all I really need any tips to this camera and main points and adjustments I should make to the settings. I have about 3 seniors wanting pictures made and one couple for engagement pictures. I always wanted to do this professionally but never thought I'd be into it this soon. What should I charge? Whats the average rate for seniors and engagement? I'll post a few pictures I took with my digital olympus. Thank you guys so much!

The technical part of photography is quite a bit more involved than many new photographers realize. It nowhere close to being rocket science but it's still stuff pro photographeers need to know.

If people will pay you for photos you have made of them, more power to you.

Where you're more likely to run into problems is on the business side of things.

Texas is one of the states where they give substantial monetary rewards to people for telling the state about illegal/un-licensed/un-registered businesses. Since Texas doesn't have income taxes they rely heavily on getting all the sales taxes due to them and illegal businesses don't send the state their cut.

So, when the state finds out about an illegal business, by whatever means, they estimate how much sales taxes are owed to them, add penalties and fines (ouch, big hurt) and send a big bill.

As far as rates to charge: There aren't really any average rates and senior packages are usually quite different than engagement packages. As an example seniors tend to want a lot more wallet size photos.

You need to charge enough to cover your non-reimbursed business expenses, your cost of goods sold, plus pay yourself a wage just to break even.
After that you have to add the profit margin you want to make.

Good luck with your new venture. Figure it will take 6 to 24 months to break even, depending on how much you know about running a business and how much capital ($$$$$'s) you have to start with.

Advice from a qualified accountant and an attorney would be helpful.

Of course for your legal protection you need liability and indemnity insurance, contracts, model and property releases, invoices, terms and conditions, a refund, no-show, reschedule policies, and all the other things paperwork and things needed for running a business.

Thank you this is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[supraman215]

Troll?

 

[Fedaykin]

I love this forum.

 

[gian133]

Whoa... I am completely aware that the pictures I've posted are sh*t. I have yet to take a picture with an SLR and I had a girl asking me to take pictures of what SHE wanted. Thanks for all of the constructive criticism though! Those that understand I have no clue what I'm doing and have talked me through the basics thank you.

Yeah...Why dont you just take in what people are trying to tell you.....Just because an SLR shows up on your door step dosen't mean your instantly fantastic.





That or as ^^^said......Troll?

 

[Ron Evers]

Poor girl, I think you folk let all the air out of her balloon.

Perhaps it would help to say the poses were totally unnatural & the building was on a slant.

 

[Robin Usagani]

Look.. this is what I strongly suggest:
1. Once you are done with the photo, put it on the internet with watermark on it.
2. If they like it, you keep the money
3. If they dont like it, give the money back to them

Come on guys, it is not like she is shooting a wedding where it cant be redone. I really thing you should do 100% moneyback policy.

 

[Ryan L]

Come on guys, it is not like she is shooting a wedding where it cant be redone. I really thing you should do 100% moneyback policy.

Yeah but the OP has never used an SLR! Is there some book I have been missing lately? "Poloroid to PRO in 7 days" I don't think a reshoot is what's going to be needed here. Practice, practice practice is.


I have a nerf football, but I have a official size leather one coming in the mail next week so I can go Pro...

 

[Morpheuss]

I love this forum.

BAHAHAHA!

ME TOO!!! :heart:

:cheers:

Im with u there

But in all seriousness. I would definately let these girls know you are just starting out and that you will take their picture for free and show them the pictures so they can decide if they want to buy them or not. and tell them you need to wait until you have a better camera at least even though they might still not be that great of pictures. I wouldn't advertise or anything eaither. I would just keep it as a hobby for now and just go from there.

 

[redtippmann]

Hey just shoot around for fun! And just shoot like crazy for a week or two and then come back here with 5 of your best frames and I am sure people will help you out. And +1 for looking at your manual, and I would even tape it to your camera so when your out and about you can figure out why your camera seemed to stop working (it could be the batteries).

 

[PerfectlyFlawed]

+1 on posting new images (with D90) and free sessions! Lol curiosity and suspense are killing me! Just because *we* don't "like" your pics--isnt the end of the world. Would you rather hear it sugar coated? Or *learn*... We're not the 'paying client'.
Good luck!

Hey! Where's MY popcorn? lol

 

[boomer mitra]

As the rest of the members have said, please try to learn more if you want to make this a business.

 

[KmH]

Free sessions is a huge mistake.