PhotoNat Loc: Santa Maria, CA

I was recently asked to consider doing casual, on location( not sure where yet) Senior Portaits for an acquaintance's son. I told her that I did not have much experience with taking portraits, only practice session for a photography class assignment. She said that's okay, if I don't do it, she will probably just take them with her phone camera. I'm not even sure she will be submitting them to his high school yearbook, since she said she will not be buying one. I did not think to ask about that. She said for me to come up with a price.

Since I have never done a paying Portrait Session before, my question is, does anyone have an idea of what I should charge for a session? I have a strong suspicion I will not be doing the prints, but will give her a flash drive or SD card with the prints on it. However, if I do the prints, would I just double the cost per print?

Any decent ideas on this would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
PhotoNat

Bill Gordon

I would think this depends on several factors. First, your relationship with this possible client. Second, the fact that you are an admitted novice at this, which you have shared with her. Third, the possibility that you should do this primarily for the experience and charge only enough to cover any costs, because of the second factor. Depending on how much I wanted the experience, I might charge nothing at all. Think of it as an opportunity to start building a portrait portfolio.

PhotoNat Loc: Santa Maria, CA

Thank you. And sorry, that was NOT supposed to say decent ideas, just ideas. Somehow I missed that typo. My phone sometimes inserts words it thinks I want to write that are incorrect, and I miss it before sending.
PhotoNat I

khorinek

Take the photos, edit what needs edited and give the photos to her on a thumb drive. Let her do the prints. Suggest your client take a few changes of clothes for variety, try to do it in the morning when the sun isn't so harsh or do it before noon or late afternoon. I would charge by the hour, estimate how many hours you will be at it. If it is for a friend, maybe do it for the experience and suggest dinner or a gift card.

SonyBug

I have done a lot of senior portraits, just for the experience. Most people wanted to pay me something. Most gave me a give card, $50 to $100. One neighbor who travels extensively on very high dollar trips gave me $25 for a full set of extended family photos in various locations, so don't be surprised what people will do.

I also did some for charity, raised $10 a portrait and about 250 portraits.

For your kind of situation, I would tell them it would be either 0 or $100. Supply them with printable shots on a thumb drive. Limit it to say, 10 printable shots, just the best or they will look at the others and think you supplied bad photos.

The main thing is to have fun. Your attitude will flow over them and if you are tense, they will be too. Have fun!!!

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

Please don't take this as a nasty response, just an analysis of this question and your situation.

You stated that you have no prior experience with portraiture except for a class project or exercise. You don't know where the location is- how are you gonna address the lighting? Do you know what she expects? If you don't do the work, she will do a selfie? She's not interested in her high school yearbook! Bad omen! Sounds to me that you are walking into a MESS! That is unless you set the ground rules in a nice way.
Disinterested kids make for difficult portrait subjects. When they are into it and really want something special, you will have an easier job. If she enjoys the session, that helps too! Tell her the session-is gonna be fun and she will look and feel like a fashion model! It's not like going to the dentist!

Here's the part you're not gonna like: You don't really know what you are doing (yet) and what you are in for and you want to charge money for this service?

She does not want you to print the images. Chances are she will take whatever media you supply and have the badly printed and blame you for the poor results OR she will never have the printed and she and her folks will have no memories of her senior year.

Here's an idea. Charge her a minimal fee for your time or suspend or wave the sitting fee and charge her a fair price for the prints he selects. Anywhere from 3 to 5 times cost may cover your time and yield a modest profit. If you really want to do this for the experience and to help your friend, this might be your best bet. This is called working on speculation- if the work is good and the client is pleased you stand to score a nice order. It's better to work this way than to charge a ridiculously low price and garner a reputation for lowball prices and someon who gives away the files with no real compensation.

If you want to start a portrait portfolio and perhaps start a small business- start off on the right foot. Random pricing based on unknown overhead factors, profit margins and an unbusinesslike public perception of your work and pricing is bad business.

What you should be concerned with now is lighting, posing, the possibility of needed retouching, etc.

PLEASE give theses folks you "professional" advice. Digital media, unprinted, ends up in cyberspace and not in the hands of parents, grand forks and loved ones. If she does not have a nice set of senior portraits and no year book she will regret it.

56 Years in the portrait biz and still working!

If you want to get more information on senior portraits, fined me in the "Advance and Professional Portraiture" section right here on UHH!I'll tell you how to get the kids involved and enthused!

Pep Talk- You are a creative person- you can not be replaced by a kid with a cellphone. Go in there and set them straight and gain their confidence and cooperation!

I hope this helps!

Najataagihe

E.L.. Shapiro,

Bravo!



Naja

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

I’d do it pro bono and chalk it up to experience. An option would be to let the friend pay whatever they want to if they like the results. I did a similar shoot for my granddaughter. I figured free was a good price for not knowing what I was doing. Oh yeah, and she’s family. 😉😉

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Or just run away... the issue is that you are basically experimenting in an area where you have little experience. The person has low expectations of what they can achieve on their own so they will look to you to produce better than their phone camera shot. You can probably do that.

If you all can have fun with it and you want to try it then do it. If so I would charge a very nominal fee to cover your gas or minor expenses. Write the rest off as learning on your part. If you do it for free you risk that free goods have little value to many people. Good luck...

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

Charging for a portrait session can be a dicey situation. Many people feel if they are paying, you have to photograph their way. Now you are limiting you style and technique. You really can't charge for that. Many times I will do portrait photographs of friends but I want them to look natural and comfortable rather than posed. In this case, I'm inclined not to charge my friends or acquaintances. Just make sure you have your name on the front in the lower portion of the photograph and the contact information on the back. If you relenquish photographs you give up a great deal more than the image.

May I offer a suggestion?

Most portraits are done top of head to chest, face on. IMHO, these are boring! Everybody looks the same and lacks imagination. Perhaps you might experiment and try something a little different. Take a portrait from head to shoulders. Don't include the person's chest or what they are wearing. Have them turn sightly away from the camera. Focus on their eyes and nose. If they are wearing glasses, have them take them off or wear them pince nez or at the top of one's nose. Take the shot with them smiling or talking perhaps telling you their name. It shows they have some character and give the photo some uniqueness.

Happy Shooting?

SonyBug

Haha, I just reread all these posts, and now have a greater understanding. When I say "Senior Portraits", I mean "portraits of old people"! Not High Schoolers. For high schoolers, I only ever did one, and it was a disaster. Disinterested people, and a mother that wanted her son to look like a movie star. RUN, RUN, RUN.

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

I picked up on "Senior Portraits". Give some consideration to what I posted.

roxiemarty Loc: Florida

As someone who has done school photography......yearbook photos, she will most likely NOT be able to submit whatever photos you or anyone else takes for the yearbook. Those are always under contract with the school photography company in your area that your school system has hired. Yearbook photos must be uniform. Same size heads, ect. I did not buy my own son''s Senior photos, because they were bad. But that is the one in the yearbook. But I did take the ones for our friends and family. Listen to E.L. Shapiro. He knows what he's talking about.

Carnpo Loc: North Carolina

I am not a pro. I was asked to take Senior Portraits a couple of years ago. I do not charge anything. Got on YouTube to learn what senior portraits are in modern times. After we finished her Dad insisted I take some money. I donated it to my favorite charity in her name. I look at these requests as an opportunity to learn. Only risks on either party is a loss of time. I had chosen a very unique location. The result was I got the best photos I have ever taken.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

I had a like experience when my stepdaughter asked me to take senior pictures of my grandson. I did not want the responsibility—-I am no pro.
But, I did my homework, learned a lot; and made some great images.
I also learned that I am a better photographer than I thought.