streetmarty Loc: Brockton, Ma

Here ya go.

With the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sanders was determined to be available to play in every game of the series, even though Game 5 of the series would take place on a Sunday. In Game 4 of the series in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, with Atlanta up 2 games to 1, Sanders played and entered the game in a double switch in the seventh inning. Atlanta won the game to go up 3 games to 1.

Sanders then flew to Miami where he played for the Falcons in a day game against the Miami Dolphins.

Impressionist

Charging isn't a big problem. The danger comes in knowing what you are libel for. Releases that need to be signed, who owns images taken, and of course the IRS. There other issues that can come up that can take a bigger bite then is worth just shooting a event. The saying of no good deed goes unpunished comes to mind. Do check with a lawyer.

A professional should know what they are getting into and to avoid legal problems. Quality of course comes into question. Self regulation is to often a joke. We all know who in our fields we wouldn't let those close to us near but will stay silent otherwise.

If crazy enough to risk libility, do be outrageous in your charge. Have lawyer make ironclad contract. After all, William Shatner sold a kidney stone. Some one might pay and you can cover any legal aftermath.

planepics Loc: St. Louis burbs, but originally Chicago burbs

I was thinking at some point of volunteering to take a pic of something and donating it to a charity auction and see if anyone is willing to bid on it. That might make me decide to stay an amateur or take more classes at college, maybe get a degree and start selling stuff. I've had about a dozen of my plane pics published, mostly in a daily e-newsletter and one on an association's website as picture of the month. The only thing I've gotten from it are photo credits and a baseball cap - for a picture of the week. (I did get an autograph from the subject of the POTM, paid about $40 to have it framed, and is hanging on my wall). Actually last year the dispatcher offered me $10 for a pair of B/W prints I'd taken...maybe I should have accepted it, but thought that the work and materials were worth more.

clh3RD

For a long time I was an amateurish professional, since I was the company photographer with no other duties. I did hundreds of grip and grins before I learned enough to be able to relax just a little. Each shot was one of a kind, because I could never get the participants from around the world together again for a retake. My rear end was on the line for each and every grouping. I got the job because one day out of the blue my boss told me to go to 6th Ave. and Times Square to the big camera store upstairs and get a reliable rig. The salesman listened thoughtfully to the plight of a frightened beginner and sold me a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, thank God. This was 1965. It was ten years before I realized just how good that camera was and how lucky I was.

canon Lee

Hi... Getting paid for a shoot is a process. It depends on the quality of your work. Not knowing what type of "special event" you will be shooting, I need to ask what equipment do you have? What kind of a shoot is it? If you are just starting out, ( congratulations), then do it for free to gain experience. Do you have a PP program? If so, you can burn it to a disc, at very low cost. Your time at this point has no value, so don't charge for labor, just your cost for printing.
What is the extent of your experience? Can you produce professional quality? If you can then by all means, charge for your time. I would give you a "package " price if I knew what the shoot was and how long and what the client wants. Sounds to me, & I am not judging you, that you, like many other newbies, think shooting an event is easy and you feel you can earn a few extra bucks on the side.
Doing a shoot is mostly your time, since printing is not an issue. What is an issue is Travel time to the event/and back, parking fee, shoot time, post production time, delivery/mailing cost, consulting time, set up/take down time, & any time, a day or two before, you may go to the shoot to look it over.
I wouldn't do any printing but just burn hi res images to a disc. I hope I have been helpful, & encourage you to get into the business.
This is important: meet with the client and get a signed contract. Repeat: get a signed contract if you intend to get paid. Make sure both you and the client ( especially if it is a friend) fully understand the terms.

canon Lee

WHOOOOOO!!!! you are scaring the hell out of me.

Bill Houghton Loc: New York area

Kind of makes me chuckle. You gave good advise. I was talking to one of the members here. He had gone to a graduation, an event photographer was there, with his Point and Shoot, Printing out the photo's on his 100 dollar printer on Kodak paper, charging $10.00 a click. I doubt there was a contract, insurance or any quality control. I know there was no PP because I had to clean it up. LOL

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

Great Response!
:thumbup: :thumbup:

canon Lee

Yes I can see why you chuckled. I don't do venues like that. LOL Weddings, sports events etc do require a contract. There are shoots where a photographer is on his own & isn't dealing with a client but makes a buck by selling shots to anyone. I don't think the OP is doing that type of shoot, but I could be wrong. I don't gamble on my time by doing those type of hit or miss shoots, but am hired by a client, which needs a contract, to guarantee my time is well paid for. I don't consider doing Santa or Easter bunny at a mall, as a shoot. It is essential that a contract is made with a client. I am hired for the event, not trying to sell shots. With mom and pop having their iPHONEs I can't imagine competing with them LOL

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

Along with the caution that "No good deed goes unpunished", the poster might want to use the proper legal terms. I would think that the only way an event photographer could commit "libel" is if he let his mouth run faster than his brain; even then would he have "libility"??

mickeys Loc: Fort Wayne, IN

what he is asking is a price list for someone who hasn't charged for a photo shoot, in other words he's a amateur at pricing for the shoot

Al Bruton

Basicly you charge an hourly rate and a rate for post production time if you are going to provide finished images. This is usually the same as the hourly rate. Often the shooting rate is a 4 hour minimum.Then a rate for time and cost if you are going to provide finished prints. The rate you will sharge is up to you and how well you know who you are shooting for.

Remember, time is money

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Impossible to advise him without more information - type of event, his experience level, location, what type of photos are expected and how they will be used.

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

As I read many of the reply s to this post my mind started to fill with all the "ifs" that are involved here regarding the photographers skill level, confidence in producing dollar quality images 99.9% of the time
and willingness to step up from amateur to part time pro earning some $$$ while still keeping their "Day Job" - I know of many who fit this category - then there are the full fledged "pro Photographers who have bit the bullet and do nothing else besides photo with the sole intent of selling their time and photo skills, some make it some don't, just like in any other business venture.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Dances
Graduations
Sports Tournaments
Band Competitions
Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs
Quinceañeras
Etc. ad nauseam

Basically, it's an excuse for people to dress up and show off, where they want photos of themselves looking good!

Event Photography is a large segment of the Portrait and Social segment of professional photography. There are even whole professional associations dedicated to the field... Sports Photographers of America, a PMAI community, is one of them.