Getting Paid for senior pictures

[hudsonp]

I've been approached by a lady at work to take her daughter's senior pictures. I've never been paid for a photography job, and i have a few questions.

What are my responsbilities to the government as far as reporting the income?

If i order the prints from an online printing service, can i legally charge more for them?



Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Alpha]

1) Most will turn a blind eye to shooting a senior portrait for some under-the-table cash. It's presumably a small amount, so you won't need a 1099. If your conscience bothers you that much, report it on your taxes.

2) You can legally charge whatever you like. If the government starts regulating the prices that photographers and other artists can charge, I'll be the first to complain about it.

And do yourself and this "client" a favor and purchase or rent a good flash/strobe if you don't already have one.

 

[hudsonp]

1) Most will turn a blind eye to shooting a senior portrait for some under-the-table cash. It's presumably a small amount, so you won't need a 1099. If your conscience bothers you that much, report it on your taxes.

2) You can legally charge whatever you like. If the government starts regulating the prices that photographers and other artists can charge, I'll be the first to complain about it.

And do yourself and this "client" a favor and purchase or rent a good flash/strobe if you don't already have one.

thanks Max!

 

[Jon, The Elder]

I handle the shoot as a separate enity. I outline what I will do for the customer, including a time window. I charge $xxx.00 with payment at the end of the session. I post the shots on my site (password protected) and they can buy from my standard order form. Oh, and watermark all of your proofs (it keeps 'honest' people honest).

 

[OttawaPhotog]

Is there a chance that someone could do a tutorial on Watermarking photos? I've done a few searches and didn't find anything that helped me out.

 

[Alpha]

Just create a new layer in PS, write some text, apply embossing filter to the text, and decrease opacity.

 

[DeadEye]

Charge exactly the same price you pay for the prints (no mark up) or it’s a sales tax issue, plus whatever for your service.

 

[DeepSpring]

He can charge w/e he wants for the prints I don't see there being a sales tax issue. He doesn't have to tell anyone the money he made.

 

[hudsonp]

FWIW, i'm not charging a ton of money and have asked this lady to not tell anyone what she is paying me because if she refers anyone to me, i'll charge them more. I'm doing it as more of a favor to her since she has helped me out in the past - the only "mark up" that i'm doing is really to cover for shipping and a little for my time (very little)