How do you set prices for this?

[Carol Chan]

Friend asked me to shoot her wedding. Here's what she wants:

Option to buy some prints directly from me.
A thumbnail printout of all the photos.
A CD or DVD of all the photos that I take (jpg only).

This is in addition to my services for photographing the wedding.

How do you break down such pricing?

Thanks.

[Michele]

Instead of doing a thumbnail printout, maybe she would go for a private page on a website to view them... Save you cost and her cost, but then you would just have to add some additional time for putting them up, but that won't take too long.

I have only done two weddings, so I am not very good at pricing just yet. I just figured out my own pricing and was doing both parties a favor so I charged quite low... Just enough to cover my time and cost...

Good luck!
Michele

[Song4themoon]

First of all, have you shot weddings before? That will certainly make a difference in pricing!
On top of that.. since it is a friend would you want to charge "full price" anyway or give part (or maybe all?) as a gift?

[jfrancho]

You will lose your "option" to sell additional prints if you provide full size .jpg files on that CD. Keep those sized for on screen viewing, or no more than ~800 pixels on the longest side. What you charge will based on your experience and market. I would expect to pay a rookie at least $750 + prints. Don't forget to mark up the prints - that's where you really get paid.

[Mark McCall]

I agree with Jenni....newbies can't command the prices that experienced photographers can....but how in the heck are you supposed to get the experience?

Make it easy Carol. Flat fee, by the hour.
I have hourly packages made up just for this purpose. I just rearranged my price list.
$750 per hour, flat fee, all jpgs on CD, 23 meg files each.
Easy.

[Song4themoon]

You get the experience by first starting to do one or two freebies and then charge only very little... as you get better you can start charging more

[Mark McCall]

Sorry Jenni, I was being sarcastic.
(hard to see sarcasm in typed words).

Your suggestion for Carol is exactly what we recommend.

[Song4themoon]

:

[dstegjas]

Carol,
I understand your pain in these matters. It is really hard to know what to charge when you factor in your experience and the prices of these services in the area you live in. Let alone the person wanting the pictures is a friend. Since wedding photography isn't my main source of income. This lets me do my pricing a little different then most. I charge a flat fee of $850 for the wedding and reception. My time limit on the reception is 4 hours. If they want engagement pictures they are $150 if I do the wedding and $250 if I don't.

They receive the Hi-Res edited pictures on a CD approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the wedding. I have the capability to do prints, I just choose not to. Like was mentioned above. Once you give them the CD of Hi-Res pictures. You won't hear from them again for prints. So if you are planning on making money on prints. Don't give them the files. To be honest, in my opinion it is just much easier to let them handle the prints.

How you decide to price this really depends on how good a friend this person is and what your comfort level is. All I can tell you is this. If you decide to either do this for free or charge a small amount. Go into it with the mindset that you are doing a top dollar event and you are charging accordingly. They deserve quality work and your best effort no matter what you decide to charge. Good luck and make sure to let us know how it turns out.

Jim

[gary]

what is your time , equiptment, and experience worth.my prices range from $4000 for limited coverage to $$25000.00 for eluxe set of bound albums for the bride. The better you sell the more your worth. I shoot raw and just sold the mother of the groom a 4 foot x 6 foot wall portrait. this impossible in jepeg.

[sharon_aitchison]

When photographing for friends, especially an event as huge as their wedding, it's a bit of pressure, in my experiences. I am NOT a professional photographer with a studio and high-end equipment. However, I've shot many very good wedding albums. My fee is $450, I'll throw in engagement photos for about $50, depending on how far I have to travel (these days, I'm not at all shy about tagging on an extra $20 if I have to travel outside of 30 miles round trip). For the $450 they get me for their day (added travel $$ if outside the 30-miles round trip), all digital shots edited and on a CD (or two CD's) and a DVD of what I decide is the favorites of the photos. I also post them to MPIX.com where they can order what they want from them or from the CD at their local developer. Once my $$$ is in hand, I also post an album on Yahoo, but not before. If it was a very good friend of mine, I might do it all for free, and I have done that and given them it for their wedding present. If they're not a best friend but a friend, I'd charge them 1/2, and still call if their wedding gift. ~Sharon

[Erick]

Do any of you have insurance or have the client sign a contract? I've been studying the available content on the net on how to get started doing this type of photography. There's a lot to consider, and probably more work than I realize but I also think it would be alot of fun.

[Mark McCall]

ALWAYS work with a contract. Nothing will keep you out of litigation better than a solid contract.

Yes, we have insurance.
If you join PPA, Professional Photographers of America, indemnifcation wedding insurance comes as part of your membership, which is about $350 a year.
Last year PPA paid out $400,000 worth of claims for PPA Members being sued, or threaned with lawsuit by prospective brides.

I haven't found an insurance company that could come close to coverage at that price.
PPA understands the business of photography, especially weddings, and makes the bride sign a confidentiality agreement upon dispute resolution.
In other words...she can't bash you to the public if she wants her insurance money.

[Erick]

for most of you who shoot for friends, or maybe do it a bit more informally? The idea of shooting weddings and making a bit of money doing it appeals. Having to worry about the business end of it doesn't. I maybe trying to have my cake and eat it too!