Outdoor family session/Senior session, would love feedback please!

[dbull35]

I am fairly new to doing photography for the public (less than a year) and still don't charge a lot for my pictures. I would love some feedback on these to know whether or not they are really worth charging people for!

 

[dbull35]

Here are a few more. I would love your honest opinions on these please!!

 

[Derrel]

Why not charge? If you can get people to pay money for these, then you ought to be compensated. Some of these have some minor technical flaws, but hey...these are a lot better than MANY people are charging for. You've shown me enough to make me think you could/should start shooting for money.

 

[dbull35]

Derrel, I would love for you to point out the technical flaws for me so that I can learn to correct them

 

[jaxx419]

#3 is so fun and cute!

 

[ewick]

I would pay....not alot but I would pay. Start off asking for "tips" and once you get more confidant you can start charging. Research what you are going to be charging for and what you plan on turning over to the client. If you are just going to hand over a dvd and thats it than don't expect to get paid a lot.

 

[Derrel]

Derrel, I would love for you to point out the technical flaws for me so that I can learn to correct them

Mostly blown highlights and excessively compressed scene dynamic range; those are the two flaws I see in multiple shots. Perhaps a different, well-calibrated monitor and controlled work-location lighting would help even out your overall, total processing technical level. Like, on the redheaded senior girl, the shot where her head is touching the wall is excellent! But, the two others that follow, and especially the seated pose on the tailgate of the pickup, have less-than-good renderings of the scene and the subject...her hair is totally blown-out, and the shot is washed out in the tailgate shot...the last shot of her, leaning on the back of the truck, with the totes and the color-coordinating blue steel gate in the background is a GOOD, solid pose! VERY well-posed! Flattering to her, and it shows agriculture/cannery/orchard background with the totes, and the well-painted old truck is a classic and it coordinates with her dress! Buuuuut...the lighting is not handled as well as maybe it could be with say, a BIG reflector bumping up the face-side to closer to the background light's level, so the light doesn't blow out so much. Same with the little girl's cute sheepskin vest--blow-out from intense side/back-lighting. As I said, these are much better than MANY people are charging for these days.

 

[dbull35]

thank you so much! I am learning all of this on my own (and learning more every day!). It's all been trial and error, even with the editing. I work on my on and have never tried using reflectors. I guess it's time to try and figure that out huh?

 

[dbull35]

So I have one other question. Where is the cut off of pay/non pay? I mean what I am charging right now is $60 per session and for that price they will get the cd with all the images (including the edited ones) which is usually around 100 to 200 images. They also get the print release. I do offer prints to my customers but most of them really just want the cd. Is that too much for what I am doing? Are these worth more than that or am I just going about this completely all wrong??

 

[Tee]

Sweet Jesus, 100-200 with edited images on top of that is way too many. 10 images for $60 is plenty for that price.

 

[charlie76]

Pretty darn good photos!! WAY better than many people photographs I see on this forum. Possibly the only thing the photographer is lacking here...confidence in their skill!! Great job IMO

 

[jamesbjenkins]

So I have one other question. Where is the cut off of pay/non pay? I mean what I am charging right now is $60 per session and for that price they will get the cd with all the images (including the edited ones) which is usually around 100 to 200 images. They also get the print release. I do offer prints to my customers but most of them really just want the cd. Is that too much for what I am doing? Are these worth more than that or am I just going about this completely all wrong??

Only deliver your best. 100 images from a hour long portrait session is about 5x too many, IMO. 10 strong images would be my goal. I'm not going into price, or whether you be charging at all without your business ducks in a row. That's a dead horse I choose not to beat here.

These are nice images for a beginner! Keep learning and growing, and a few years from now, perhaps people will gladly pay 10x what you're asking now.

 

[dbull35]

Thank you everyone! That is something that I am lacking is confidence in my work! I am just always afraid they aren't good enough but I don't want to get over confident either!

 

[12sndsgood]

just supply your best images, don't send out your rejected photos. My analogy is writing a letter to someone. sometimes you write a letter you may edit it a few times and changes wording and sentance structure etc. to get the type of letter you like. you dont send out all the rough drafts with your finished letter. you just send your finished letter. they don't need to see the bad shots. the overexposed shots. They should only see the finished product.

As far as is $60 to much. Im wondering if your making any money at all. if its an hour or two session an hour or two editing, adding in costs, insurance, taxes your likely making under 10 bucks an hour.

 

[sm4him]

Derrel, I would love for you to point out the technical flaws for me so that I can learn to correct them

Mostly blown highlights and excessively compressed scene dynamic range; those are the two flaws I see in multiple shots. Perhaps a different, well-calibrated monitor and controlled work-location lighting would help even out your overall, total processing technical level. Like, on the redheaded senior girl, the shot where her head is touching the wall is excellent! But, the two others that follow, and especially the seated pose on the tailgate of the pickup, have less-than-good renderings of the scene and the subject...her hair is totally blown-out, and the shot is washed out in the tailgate shot...the last shot of her, leaning on the back of the truck, with the totes and the color-coordinating blue steel gate in the background is a GOOD, solid pose! VERY well-posed! Flattering to her, and it shows agriculture/cannery/orchard background with the totes, and the well-painted old truck is a classic and it coordinates with her dress! Buuuuut...the lighting is not handled as well as maybe it could be with say, a BIG reflector bumping up the face-side to closer to the background light's level, so the light doesn't blow out so much. Same with the little girl's cute sheepskin vest--blow-out from intense side/back-lighting. As I said, these are much better than MANY people are charging for these days.

I may not be a photography expert, but I do know a thing or two about redheads: THAT ain't RED hair! Just messin' with you.

OP: I'm no portrait photographer, but I know enough to know Derrel gives good advice.
Two other things: One, watch for accidentally cut-off limbs, like the hand of the NOT redheaded girl sitting in the truck. If you're going to cut off limbs, do some reading on where to cut them off so it's clearly intentional and doesn't just make them look amputated.
Second, if you're doing this for money--ANY amount of money--you really should have a business plan and know your CODB. There's been a ton of great advice and information posted on TPF about this, but the business aspect really IS critical if you're going to do it right, and not end up broke, in trouble with the IRS, or both. MLeek had an excellent post about this a couple of weeks or so ago; I'd provide the link here, but I'm using a Windows keyboard on a Mac computer, and so don't have the command button to copy the link from the pop-up box (but it means my employer is finally going to buy me a NEW Mac--WooHoo!!). Anyway, look it up!