Money, Money, Money, MONEYYY

[tirediron]

Eh eh, and 50 cents for each kilometer I do with my car

At European fuel prices, that sounds low to me.

 

[Emanuel M]

Its like 60 american cents for 0.6 miles.
My car is super economical
But I usually dont use my car - I go with the clients.

 

[Heather Koch]

...Right out of the start I can't justify charging hundreds of dollars, as I am still learning. I am by no means a full studio professional, but I am more than an amateur.

This is a "hobby" of mine as well. Which I hope to bring in more money in the future. I profit about the same $100 to $150 each session. $2 each digital file sounds appealing I may steal that!

I really doubt if you're profiting at all. Are you counting ALL of your expenses when you calculate that profit? Wear & tear on your gear, insurance, licenses, software, computer upgrades, vehicle insurance, fuel....

Well, of course I can't make back $1800 for the software plus $2500 for the equipment right away. All takes time and as I grow, so will my prices

 

[Heather Koch]

You need better equipment.
An FF body to deal with low light scenarios - Nikon D750, Nikon D610, Nikon D800/810 for example.
You need better lenses - a 24-70mm 2.8 + the 70-200mm 2.8 are imperative I guess (maybe the 70-200 f4 can also work). I would put something like a 85mm 1.4.
External flash if needed - lots and lots of SD cards - at least 3 16Gb (You never know when you will need more space).
Lots and lots of batteries fully charged (You dont have the time to recharge batteries at a wedding).
Also, a backup body (usually another FF camera - most wedding photographers have 2 of each camera).
My wedding photographers had 2 Canon 5D MKIII and 2 Canon 7D MKII (but they were 5 - 2 photographers, one man for video, an assistant and a drone pilot)...
The assistant also had a Nikon D5300 with a 35mm 1.8 (he was training).
You can try to rent these of course...
Let your friends know that you are not a professional, and that something can go wrong (or no so well).
Don't charge them 1800$ for god's sake

If you are going to use the D7100 and the sigma, you will need to use the flash on some occasions and you will probably need a tele - 70-300 VR from Nikon would not be so bad - but the best option is without a doubt one 70-200 2.8.

Cheers

Thank you! I appreciate your honesty. They definitely know my work and asked me because I would charge less (obviously). I can't afford to hire an assistant so my mother will be helping me...she has an art degree so she knows her way around creative situations. I could probably rent another lens for that day, probably the 70-200mm. And of course a bunch of batteries and sd cards are a must, I have those already. I do have a flash.
Now as a wedding photographer, I imagine its a very face paced event?

Despite all the alarm bells going off, we know you're going to do it LOL

I forgot where-abouts you are but I recall you might be around here.
If you need a 2nd shooter I've done a couple weddings and have ample equipment.
I mostly do it for fun .. which, sometimes weddings just aren't fun LOL
but being a 2nd, I can always have fun

With the pricing, be aware of the difference of printing photos at a higher quality printing place that will print it at your color calibration and not theirs (ie, walmart, costsco, meijers etc). Essentially, The cost differences of moving from a hobby to a profession, and higher expectations and quality.

It seems when people first get into this they price items based on the time of the photoshoot and nothing else. As long as you are aware of that and understand that.

Lets say the client doesn't want ANY actual prints and just wants all the digital files. What would you charge per file?

When I calculate my prices, I factor in my time at the session, editing hours and print prices, plus 50% to 85% increase on each print.

I will definitely keep you in mind when the time comes! The wedding is in April.

 

[Parker219]

After reviewing your flickr, based on your quality of photos and the fact that this is a friend, I would quote them $500.

Technically, you will not really make money but you can add the photos to your portfolio.
That gives them the choice between hiring someone with your quality for what will be the lowest quote and them hiring a professional wedding photographer for much more.

Just make sure that you have a contract in writing, so everyone is on the same page.

 

[Heather Koch]

After reviewing your flickr, based on your quality of photos and the fact that this is a friend, I would quote them $500.

Technically, you will not really make money but you can add the photos to your portfolio.
That gives them the choice between hiring someone with your quality for what will be the lowest quote and them hiring a professional wedding photographer for much more.

Just make sure that you have a contract in writing, so everyone is on the same page.

Thank you, I appreciate that!


As a professional photo lab, where do you guys go to purchase your prints? I don't like mpix, shutterfly, etc. All those I was very disappointed in.

 

[Emanuel M]

I did a Baptism and a communion for free.
I also did lots of birthdays with free full res images for the parents
It's good when we are learning - start from the very bottom and rise gradually...
As I told you, I'm not prepared for a wedding (not yet), but if a good friend asked me to do it I would certainly do it - but I might do it for free.
Or maybe charge him a symbolic value (100$ tops) - of course he would pay the prints and albums, but I would give him all the photos at full res.
It would be part of my wedding gift to them

Cheers

 

[tirediron]

...Well, of course I can't make back $1800 for the software plus $2500 for the equipment right away. All takes time and as I grow, so will my prices

No, of course not, but from each job, a percentage needs to go to each of those things.

 

[Heather Koch]

...Well, of course I can't make back $1800 for the software plus $2500 for the equipment right away. All takes time and as I grow, so will my prices

No, of course not, but from each job, a percentage needs to go to each of those things.

That is true...

So, here is what I have thus far:
-$20 an hour for my time (session/editing)
-$5 each digital file (full resolution)
-$5 to $125 for each print (paper, canvas, metal) OR should I come up with an EXACT percentage to up the price. So, say I pay $1 for a 4x6 and $8 for a 8x10, should I create a percentage to upcharge each print?
-Then 2% each client for equipment price? What would you recommend to charge to make up for my equipment costs?

 

[astroNikon]

Other than managing the clients expectations ..

You need to make sure that your price is based upon your costs (say driving costs, time, etc) and the effort you put into it.

If you look at AdoramaPIX.com ... I think that's a step up from the snapfish, shutterfly, meijer, walmart etc

Prints & Finishing Services: Pricing I think is a more high end one
there's several others I can't think of right now.

overall pricing-wise, For instance, on the higher end of wedding photography you have this type of involvement ==> Why I Can’t Shoot Your Wedding for Free {Part I of II}

but, of course, many newbies start out small.
One reason I don't think I'll ever 1st shoot. I don't have the time.
2nd shooting, is a lot easier.

 

[Heather Koch]

What about pro dpi?

 

[Scatterbrained]

After reviewing your flickr, based on your quality of photos and the fact that this is a friend, I would quote them $500.

Technically, you will not really make money but you can add the photos to your portfolio.
That gives them the choice between hiring someone with your quality for what will be the lowest quote and them hiring a professional wedding photographer for much more.

Just make sure that you have a contract in writing, so everyone is on the same page.

Thank you, I appreciate that!


As a professional photo lab, where do you guys go to purchase your prints? I don't like mpix, shutterfly, etc. All those I was very disappointed in.

ProDPI
BayPhoto

Are you editing on a calibrated monitor? Are you ensuring that you convert the image to the correct colorspace? Are you making sure the images colors are all within gamut before conversion?

 

[Heather Koch]

After reviewing your flickr, based on your quality of photos and the fact that this is a friend, I would quote them $500.

Technically, you will not really make money but you can add the photos to your portfolio.
That gives them the choice between hiring someone with your quality for what will be the lowest quote and them hiring a professional wedding photographer for much more.

Just make sure that you have a contract in writing, so everyone is on the same page.

Thank you, I appreciate that!


As a professional photo lab, where do you guys go to purchase your prints? I don't like mpix, shutterfly, etc. All those I was very disappointed in.

ProDPI
BayPhoto

Are you editing on a calibrated monitor? Are you ensuring that you convert the image to the correct colorspace? Are you making sure the images colors are all within gamut before conversion?

I use a macbook pro... lol

 

[Scatterbrained]

After reviewing your flickr, based on your quality of photos and the fact that this is a friend, I would quote them $500.

Technically, you will not really make money but you can add the photos to your portfolio.
That gives them the choice between hiring someone with your quality for what will be the lowest quote and them hiring a professional wedding photographer for much more.

Just make sure that you have a contract in writing, so everyone is on the same page.

Thank you, I appreciate that!


As a professional photo lab, where do you guys go to purchase your prints? I don't like mpix, shutterfly, etc. All those I was very disappointed in.

ProDPI
BayPhoto

Are you editing on a calibrated monitor? Are you ensuring that you convert the image to the correct colorspace? Are you making sure the images colors are all within gamut before conversion?

I use a macbook pro... lol

Which might be why you're not happy with the prints you're getting back.

 

[Dillard]

I don't mean to come across as rude, but I feel as if you are in over your head on this one.

As stated above, the clients may be wanting a lower cost photographer, and think they will get a great price by going with you, but will they truly be happy with the final product? Weddings are a "one and done". No re-do's, no second chances.

I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting a wedding with your current gear list, even if you rented the 70-200. I would want several fast primes, along with Fx bodies. There are many people out there that shoot with less, but most of those people second shoot.

Even more concerning than your gear list is the fact that you have never shot a wedding before. I would never lead shoot a wedding, especially without a second shooter, without numerous second shooting gigs under my belt. Weddings can be fast paced and hectic, and quite frankly, if you can't produce under stressful circumstance, you just aren't ready.