jsmangis Loc: Peoria, IL

I recently received an e-mail from a potential client. The gentleman said he had seen my work on Model Mayhem and was impressed with my work. He told me that he had had nude photos of his wife done ten years ago and wanted to have me do an 'update'. He said he wanted the photos to be less 'vanilla' this time, and asked if he could join in on the 'action' near the end of the shoot. I told him I had no problem with his 'participation' and agreed to meet with him in person next week.

My question is how much should I charge for a session like this. I was thinking that $100 for the the studio time (my cost to rent), $200 for my time, $20 for the JPG images with my watermark on a memory stick, and $10/each for 8" x 10" prints if they want them. I am interested in any input you members of the Hogg may be able to give me.

Thank you in advance,
John Mangis

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

How many hours for the shoot?. $200 seems very low.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Exactly how or what did he say to you when he emailed you? It's my experience that people from Model Mayhem are looking for free photos most of the time for their modeling time. They get a few pictures of themselves, and you get experience as a nude model photographer. But if he started his conversation with regards to being a paying customer, then never mind what I just said and simply discuss this with him. At the very minimum you need to recoup money for studio time, drive time, gas etc...

Stardust Loc: Central Illinois

If I am reading correctly between the lines of code words, you may wish to shoot video too (and see if you can get a release to sell or publish). Need an assistant? <lol>

Seriously, why wouldn't you charge the same rate you have charged other shoots - does it cost different if people are clothed or not? Maybe additional charge for added person or if shoot goes over a set time limit?

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

It sounds like you're coming at this like a wedding or portrait photographer. This doesn't sound like a standard boudoir set. For explicit nude images, I think you're taking the wrong tack from a business standpoint.

I have a friend that swings both way, photographically speaking. He has separate business names, web sites, and watermarks for his boudoir business. You can't find his name anywhere on the boudoir site. He owns his own studio and doesn't do boudoir sets during his legit business's operating hours.

Is the studio a place that is going to allow them to do anything they want with each other? Some will, some won't, you need to know up front and if there are limits for the space, they need to know up front as well.

If this is a one-time deal, or you're just getting your feet wet charging for this type of work, I would quote them what you want for exclusive rights. Let them handle the printing. if you don't have the facilities to print the images yourself, the printing is going to be a hassle. Shoot the pictures, edit them, deliver them, and walk away. I don't think you want your watermark on explicit images if you're commercially involved in any other type of photography. Boudoir yes, explicit no.

BTW, don't ask for a release. It will be a selling point to your fee schedule that you have no legal way of using their images.

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

Now that is an interesting take on boudoir photography.

InfiniteISO Loc: The Carolinas, USA

You have to keep in mind that this guy is a working photographer who is making money every way he knows how. That includes things like student portraits, church directories, pet portraits, product and catalog work for the furniture industry, corporate event photography, etc. The guy works non-stop. The only thing he won't do is weddings.

He enjoys boudoir work when he can get it and he likes doing risque, fetish-oriented images. If he tried to promote both segments of his business side by side on a single website, he would likely alienate a large part of his client base. Boudoir is not even the right category for what he shoots. He's not doing implied nudes of 40-something moms in lingerie. He's shooting trussed-up, inked-out, 20-year-olds in leather with enough piercings to set off a metal detector at 20 feet. For him, the point of keeping things separate is linked to the revenue mix; he makes a ton more money doing non-boudoir photography.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Yes. You’re giving your time away.

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

I-ISO, I was yanking your chain on the use of the term “legitimate” to imply — by inference — that boudoir and similar photography is “illegitimate.” I fully understand the desire to keep legitimate/illegitimate businesses separate.

RogStrix Loc: UK

Cover your expenses at a minimum, (UNLESS the experience for you is a greater reward then the cost), and then add whatever you think you're worth and what you think they are willing to pay. Don't be greedy, and you'll get repeat work.

HOHIMER

For unprocessed JPG’s on a flash drive (no prints, no post);
$100/hour plus all actual expenses. (rent, travel, equipment, material, drives, etc.)
No water marks on images and no rights to images. (customer retains all rights)
Customer selected images for post processing at $100/hour actual post processing time.