What Do I Charge for a Portrait Session?

[Noah A]

If you're doing any kind of professional photography you should base your prices primarily on your cost of doing business. That means figure out your monthly overhead costs (film, processing, studio rent, equipment, insurance, assistants or other staff salaries, etc.). Then figure out how much you want to make per month as your salary. Add it all up, divide by the number of days per month you think you'll spend shooting and it'll become clear how much you need to make on those days. That should be your absolute minimum price. It's not worth working for less than it costs you to keep the doors open (even if those are metaphorical doors and you don't have a physical studio). You'd be better off spending those days promoting your business instead.

Even if it's just a sideline gig for you and you're not looking to start a serious business, it makes sense to do this basic business planning. You don't want to lose money and it's bad for the photo business when part-timers undercut other photographers who depend on photography to put food on the table. And, of course, you don't want to sell your own talent short.


After that you can do you market research.

[iml]

Interesting thread. I agree with Frank's post. Even though I make portraits for my own project, and therefore I can pick subjects who interest me and I have 100% control over the final image, doing the project has given me some openings to do some commercial LF portraiture. The people who are asking me have been initially interested because they are intrigued by the process - they may not know what LF is, but they know I use big old cameras, and they have seen enough of the results to know that the images look different to modern digital. More "serious", more "important", a bigger deal than what they are used to. So, price accordingly, at the top end of the market, or do it for free on the understanding that they are interesting subjects so you would like to shoot them, but either way, maintain as much control as possible over the session and the final images. Over the last couple of years of shooting LF portraits I have found that most people are happy to be strongly directed by someone they regard as an expert in an arcane technology, much more so than they would be with somebody waving a DSLR at them. And they mostly seem to really enjoy taking part in the whole experience. I've only had a couple of people who have been a bit difficult, and these have been people who seem to be uncomfortable with themselves anyway, probably not happy about the way they look, and nervous about any attempts to photograph them. Most people relax into it with no great problem, especially over a 30 minute or 1 hour session.

Ian

[sully75]

Thanks Frank. It sounds like you are speaking from experience. I appreciate your candor.

Bob

There's a lot more candor where that came from.

[Tin Can]

Good time to resurrect this thread

I have never charged anyone for photography

Before LF found me, I shot a lot of people at many events
and I won't charge anyone as I don't want a biz or income

[Corran]

IMO if you have the skills to make quality portraits (or any type of professional photography) you should charge appropriately. Free is simply taking advantage of you. Even friends. Friends who don't want to pay for services aren't good friends!

I'm not talking about casual snapshots but real sessions and significant time investment.

[otto.f]

My friend was a real estate agent and at the end of his working life he just asked clients to give him a honorarium that they found reasonable. It worked out very well!

[Tin Can]

Yes did that too

My friend was a real estate agent and at the end of his working life he just asked clients to give him a honorarium that they found reasonable. It worked out very well!

[Aashi]

Hi everyone
Determining the cost of a portrait session depends on several factors, including your level of experience, the amount of time and effort involved, and the market demand in your area.Networth

[jnantz]

Hi everyone
Determining the cost of a portrait session depends on several factors, including your level of experience, the amount of time and effort involved, and the market demand in your area.Networth

not anymore it doesn't, go onto Craigs list you will see what the going rate is ... about 100 bucks including images. and if an "experienced" photographer can't make the portrait a friend will and it might even be better. ( and free ). plus there is that filter that makes everyone look good so there's that too.. LOL.in a lot of instances photography by experienced photographers pretty much died 20 years ago and good enough has prevailed.

[Tin Can]

Before LF found me I shot NIKON DIGI

I forgot about all the Realtors I scheduled, as many as 10 at time lining up outside my studio for 10 minute slots

That lasted about a year as they soon made a studio at the big Chicago realtor

They required all beginner realtors to get Head Shots ASAP

Some came back for more!

$25 each, best money per hour I ever made in 1995