NewzShooter Loc: Las Vegas, NV

Still trying to get some answers… my original question, in part was "What do you consider a fair rate today for different genres of photography such as portraits, weddings, pet, product, etc.?"

There's been a few responses to my original post no one has posted anything on RATES.

Anyone want to chime in on this?

OviedoPhotos

Interested to hear this myself, not sure why folks can't provide quotes.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Rates differ all across the world....they vary according to the photographer's needs and what he's willing to suffer.

There isn't a "one size fits all" answer to this.

The fair range is 1,500.00 per session, down to 25.00 per session.


I've seen both depending on market, and how "in demand" the photog is.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Because there's no "pat" answer.

The OP needs to know what they are willing to work for..how much they need per week to "make it" and how much the market where they live will bear, and finally, why anyone would come to them for portraiture instead of someone else.

DwsPV Loc: South Africa

Going to be interesting to see the comments. But I will give my input even if its from South Africa.

Photo work:
Portraits/weddings/engagement i.e. people - from $50/ hour.
Pets - half that.
Products - per item I have seen ranges from $15 to $100

Video work:
Anywhere from $50 to $250 per edited minute
Video has many more variables in terms of sound/lighting/location that all push the price up.

But then there is the "truck-n-tripod" crowd that will undercut this gracefully and mess up the industry even further.

You can pay more here, but then you are looking at more serious operators with multiple shooters, big studios etc on their side.

OviedoPhotos

I like the $50 per hour. My guess is that also includes travel time. I will advertise with that, perhaps saying a two hour minimum?

Thanks,
Ed

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

That doesn't make a lot of sense just to pick a number from someone you don't know in another country....does it?

I charge 100.00 per hour with a 3 hour minimum....now what?

What do you do?

Am I over charging?

Is the other poster under charging?


Are we both charging correctly for our respective markets?


Can you see that just pulling a number out of a hat doesn't make much sense?

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Because we don't know the OP's market, a better idea of what 'work' or 'product' we're supposed to 'quote' on, nor his knowledge, skills and abilities.

If you want a 'quote', then specify exactly what you're looking for, in what area.

For *me*, my current rate is $50/hour, 2 hour minimum, and a 200% markup on product. That's for on-location events and portraits.
And, I'm still a part-timer. I'll increase my rates when I've gotten better, especially at PP.

DwsPV Loc: South Africa

Rpavich and Ed,

I have to back rpavich here. And I should have added time to it. The $50 is the bottom end of the market, and they offer no extras!

- no prints, all on CD only.
- travel excluded
- minimum time is usually 4 hours.

IMHO, the rate should be closer to $150/hour. Anything less, I don't think you are paying for your equipment, home, life and training you put into it. Remember too, a three hour shoot probably means a day or more editing. Then you need to market yourself.

Ask the question - if you do one wedding x 3 hours @ $50 EVERY Saturday - can you live off $600 a month if that's your only income? I can't, and I don't think anyone can.

Rpavich, we earn about $500 a wedding, and I still feel that's not sufficient. Wedding season is for 7 months tops here in South Africa. So at $500 x 4 Saturdays x 7 months, even that does not cover the overheads. We have to rely on corporate/commercial as well, but so do the other gazillion photog's around us.

Ed, up the game and no, don't look at my numbers. See what you need to make to cover your time, equipment, training, marketing, insurance and everything else.

I have learnt the hard way........

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Do your customers live in mansions or flats? Do they get chauffeured to work in a limousine or a bus? Are you going to use a point and shoot or hire top of the line equipment? How much money do you think they have and what do you think you are worth?

Is that a big enough ball of string or just a little one?

remember you can fool "some of the people" ALL the time. or you can just be the fool.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

My rates are based on this, 100 USD per hour w/ one hour min. Price breaks are as follows, for 4 hours, 350 USD total, for 8 hours, 600 USD. Additional expenses are covered for travel, materials (if needed), and post processing (if it runs into excessive amounts of time).

My rates will vary depending on the client and the total amount of work that needs to be done. One particular project was bid at 7500 USD total. All said and done, I pocketed 5000. There was a total of three photos taken and one final image.

Conversely, I've worked for a beer and conversation with the contracting individual and kept the entire project under the 50 USD limit. It was done locally and within walking distance from home.

A friend of mine, primarily a wedding photographer, charged 50 USD to shoot a complete wedding. However, the contracting couple flew him and his wife to Czechoslovakia and paid living expenses, while there, for the wedding.

I've seen an advert for wedding photography for 10 USD/hr and wondered about the quality and sensitivity of the work.

One policy I set in place a few years ago is that whatever the rate, I require a 50% non-refundable retainer up front. This came from experience.
--Bob

RRS Loc: Not sure

Why are you asking? Are you thinking about going into business or do you have a wedding or something else that needs to be shot and you want to know what you should pay. I'll go back to your $3500 wedding and that's a dream.

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

I only shoot people 2 times a year(my chaplains and the other is a church event). I will never shoot a wedding because I am usually officaiting and yelling at those stupid photogs about flash. The mart photogs are not a problem because that know many indoor weddings do not allow fash during the ceremony and come prepared to shoot in those situations.

I have no clue about what rates could be charged. I am doing photography for the enjoyment of it, if I made a business that would remove this joy and add pressure/stress.

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

I have no idea what the going rates are, but I will give you interesting story from a long,long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Way back when people still used film and winding was a manual process, a friend of mine and I started a fledgling photography business in Baltimore. We figured to corner the market by doing things at rock-bottom prices. For months, we got absolutely no work. Then, figuring we had nothing to lose, we tripled the prices. Suddenly, we got work left and right. The moral of the story is that a lot of people our rates with hour skill. Interesting, huh?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

That happened to me, as well. I was selling work at a matter of 5-10USD per either 4x5 or 8x10. I was literally begging people to let me work for them. I was told to raise my prices. So, I did. I raised them to a ridiculous 100/hour min. 1 hour.

I had far more work and references too. So for what I would have done for 20USD I was now doing for 200USD. Same quality, same dedication, however, much more money.

Now with digital, even cellphones, people are more reluctant to want to pay that kind of fee. At the mention of needing photographs, I mention my pricing. After they tell me they'll just shoot them with their cell, I tell them not to contact me for post processing because they won't be able to afford it.
--Bob