Mikeazz Loc: I live in Northport, NY

In the last few weeks I have met and spoken with several professional photographers, who do real estate photography, portraits, and headshots. It was interesting to learn how their rates varied. One of the photographers was based in Florida, and one was from California. The other two were based on Long Island, and the New York City area.

I'm curious to learn what other professional photographers are charging in different areas of the United States, and in other countries.

I understand if you don't want to post on this page, but you can PM me, instead.

Thanks and Happy Mother's Day.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

We've had a lot of questions here about how much to charge. You want to charge enough to make money, but not so much to scare customers away.

JimmyTB

I am definitely not a professional photographer but I do own my own business. Pricing is one of the most difficult things. I think the OP is on the right track surveying as many as possible. And remembering an affordable rate in Manhattan will break the bank in West Virginia. Many businesses are extremely local in acceptable pricing.

I would also say based on personal experience, if you start too low in price it is very difficult to adjust upwards

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Too open ended. Why not define a specific scope of work and ask for cost estimates / pricing. Then, you're at least getting apples to apples responses. Example parameters: total hours, total images delivered, extent of processing, ownership of images, reuse of images, any travel requirements, any printing / framing, definition of project (real estate, HS graduation, something specific).

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I had a flat rate of $300 an hour.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

East Coast Weddings - $4,000 for complete wedding coverage with 2 photographers, images on disk, and album. Partial day coverage $400 per hour. Travel expenses TBD if needed.

autofocus Loc: North Central Connecticut

For me, this is an unanswerable question, and why do you want to know what they charge to shoot a job in California, or other area if you live, and work (assumed professionally) on LI? Just too many variables that will impact pricing, and none the less the market, and market conditions, competition, the skills and reputation of the photographer or company, services offered and rendered, wants and needs of the consumer, etc. It wouldn't be out of the question for wedding photography to be as much as $50,000 in Hollywood vs a wedding shot in the Ozarks for $1,000. So, again, what value would this information provide you with?

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

$500 per day plus $450 per photo plus $10 per Polaroids. Plus, plus, plus.
This was back in large view photography.

medphotog Loc: Witness protection land

Lessee, I guess as a federal employee I was at the low end of the scale. I "think" (and I'm too lazy to look it up) I ended up at ~$36.00 hour. Yes, ya'll got your tax dollars worth out of me. Never had to worry about copyrighting any of my work because it was government property either.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Glitch! I'll post later!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I have answered this question many times- online and in person, to many folks who want to enter the photography business. I should write it up and file it into my document so I can simply copy and paste my opinion.

YOU CAN NOT BASE TO PRICE SCHEDULE ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BUSINESS. YOU MUST DESIGN YOUR OWN BUSINESS PLAN!

Of course, your marketing research, another prerequisite of starting up a business, will reveal the "going rates" for a certain specialization in a specific geographic location, however, it is fair from a real basis on which to construct your price list or rate schedule. Know the "going prices" what are you gonna do? Undercut your competition? Bad idea- because once you go out for cheap, it's difficult;t to climb out of that reputation for low prices. Charge more than yo competition because you feel yo work is superior? It might work if you have the product and the marketing skills but it is nonetheless a haphazard approach without a real business plan. You can easily price yourself out of the market if you don't have a superior product, and service AND a well-targeted marketing and merchandising approach.

When you go into business for yourself, you are your most valuable employee and need to earn a living from your work. Your business has to earn a profit. Your fees must encompass your operating costs, overhead expenses, your cost of sales, and YOUR SALARY.

To begin constructing a business plan you need to make 2 lists You must list all yo personal expenses as per yo lifestyle and determine your eventual salary requirements. You need to les all your business expenses (EVERYTHING) rents or mortgage payments based on yo business premises or part of your home, insurances, telephone and communication costs, utilities, advertising and promotional expenses, office supplies and expenses, and additional employees or labour costs, association fees, educational expenses (seminars etc.), transportation, repair and maintenance of premise and equipment. These are your fixed expenses or OVERHEAD!

If you combine the total of both lists you will have some concept of the revenues you need to sustain your business and your own expenses. You will have to project how many jobs you will need and the portion of a percentage of yo overhead for each assigned. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COSTS OF SALES.

Cost of sales is the items or services you must buy, supply or outsource to complete any particular job. Items like outsourced prints, albums, picture frames, special mountings and finishes such as canvas prints, any assistant, stylists or makeup artists you need to supply, and any service or site you need to purchase on behalf of the client. Your time spent in editing, printing etc.

Havg all these figures and projections at your disposal will assist you in determining profit margins, and the viability of your product in your market, and become the foundation of your rates.

This may sound like a lot of work but it is only the financial mechanics of starting up a business. Marketing in far more complex and challenging and frankly, the most fun!

You mention distant geographic locations and markets as well as various specialties and disciplines. Combining someof these is not all that far-fetched. My own strategy for breaking into my own geographic area with a new service is to not necessarily stick with what all the locals are already doing. Introducing some in Long Island, NY. that women are successful with in Los Angeles, California may be a good approach. "New" is still one of the most powerful words in advertising. Peop are people and clients are clients and some differences may go over well and make for some that folks are willing to pay more to acquire.

Also "WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE" when it comes to specialization. "Real estate photography can be distorted quick pictures of houses for sale or excellent "architectural interior and exterior, well-staged photography of high-end properties. A "headshot" can be anything from a passport picture (mug shot) to a theatrical or modelling shot, to an executive portrait or an environmental portrait. How you describe yo services, and to whom yo market will help in determining your target market and your appropriate process. You need to deliver great work and find a market that can support your business plan.

A diversified business is a good concept, that is, offering more than one specialization if you can. This precludes slow seasons and cash flow disruptions.

Your business plan will reveal what you need to "make each day" or "make each week or month"- this allows you to monitor yo business and make any necessary changes to correct downward trends or to continue successful strategies. You will have to determine if you are going to be a high or low-volume business. Do you need to serve 10 clients to make your day or week or will one or two clients provide enough income?

Good luck! Much success!