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So when does semi pro become pro

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conexus
Posted 27/05/2011 - 00:09 Link
I have had a paying hobby for 2 years , it's bought me glass and will buy me a k5 in the next 2 months.
I currently ask for an investment of £450.00 for a wedding shoot this includes approx £100.00 cost for a photo album.
I make around £200.00 on additonal pictue sales on line.
At Christmas 2010 2 of my customers bought canvas prints for presents netiing me around £50.00 each
What are you guys dong and how are you charging
I apprcite this has a significant impact on those who do this for a sole living
Mike Court
K3, K7, 12 Pentax-17 pentax18-250, pentax50-135 2.8, tamron 16 - 70 2.8 18-55, pentaxc 50-200,pentax 50mm1.7,metz flash bowens 500 and studio stuff
conexus
Posted 27/05/2011 - 00:12 Link
I should add I have 10 forward appoinments
Mike Court
K3, K7, 12 Pentax-17 pentax18-250, pentax50-135 2.8, tamron 16 - 70 2.8 18-55, pentaxc 50-200,pentax 50mm1.7,metz flash bowens 500 and studio stuff
conexus
Posted 27/05/2011 - 00:35 Link
Interesting that no one has added any comments re charging
thoughton
Posted 27/05/2011 - 01:00 Link
When I got married 8 years ago I was quoted around £3000 for the wedding and £350 per album afterwards, this from a local youngish photographer connected to a local photography shop. Think you are underpricing yourself
Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
FlickrFluidrPPGStreetPortfolio site
Feel free to edit any of my posted photos! If I post a photo for critique, I want brutal honesty. If you don't like it, please say so and tell me why!
Smeggypants
Posted 27/05/2011 - 01:24 Link
thoughton wrote:
When I got married 8 years ago I was quoted around £3000 for the wedding and £350 per album afterwards, this from a local youngish photographer connected to a local photography shop. Think you are underpricing yourself

From what i've seen I agree.

for the full wedding preperations through to reception I've seen quotes average around £2,000
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
Smeggypants
Posted 27/05/2011 - 01:25 Link
conexus wrote:
Interesting that no one has added any comments re charging

Well it's only 26 minute after your OP.

Have you got an online portfolio/gallery of your work Mike?
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
Pentaxophile
Posted 27/05/2011 - 01:26 Link
Three grand, wow. I think my brother in law paid about 800 quid last year, mind you he was a friend he knows through ephotozine.
[link=https://500px.com/will_brealey/[/link]
Edited by Pentaxophile: 27/05/2011 - 01:28
pentaxian450
Posted 27/05/2011 - 01:56 Link
thoughton wrote:
When I got married 8 years ago I was quoted around £3000 for the wedding and £350 per album afterwards

There's more competition right now (due to more people using digital and calling themselves "photographers"), than eight years ago, so prices went down, which is one of the reasons I don't do too many weddings anymore.

And, eight years ago, quite a few wedding photographers were still working with films, which, due to processing, proofing and so on, generated more expenses to the photographer, which was then passed to the customer.
Yves (another one of those crazy Canucks)
cabstar
Posted 27/05/2011 - 02:10 Link
I was asked to quote a wedding for a friend a few weeks a go, friends rates I said £395. Answer wow your expensive.... So I don't even bother pitching for weddings. If people want all that stress for less than £500 then they are welcome to it...
Smeggypants
Posted 27/05/2011 - 02:16 Link
cabstar wrote:
I was asked to quote a wedding for a friend a few weeks a go, friends rates I said £395. Answer wow your expensive.... So I don't even bother pitching for weddings. If people want all that stress for less than £500 then they are welcome to it...

Which is why I have no aspirations to be a pro Photographer.
bretti_kivi
Posted 27/05/2011 - 06:17 Link
cabstar wrote:
I was asked to quote a wedding for a friend a few weeks a go, friends rates I said £395. Answer wow your expensive.... So I don't even bother pitching for weddings. If people want all that stress for less than £500 then they are welcome to it...

^^ this. If I do something for the company, then I do it because I can and want to and to refine further my rapid workflows and kit requirements. I'd be asking around the €1500 mark here.

Bret
my pics: link
my kit: K3, K5, K-01, DA 18-55, D-FA50 macro, Siggy 30/1.4, 100-300/f4, 70-200/2.8, Samsung 12-24/f4, Tamron 17-50, and lots of other bits.
jules
Posted 27/05/2011 - 06:32 Link
cabstar wrote:
I was asked to quote a wedding for a friend a few weeks a go, friends rates I said £395. Answer wow your expensive.... So I don't even bother pitching for weddings. If people want all that stress for less than £500 then they are welcome to it...

+1
Cheers Jules...

My viewfinder is 576,000,000 pixels.
My other viewfinder is 5.76,000,000.

www.exaggeratedperspectives.com
Tyr
Posted 27/05/2011 - 08:02 Link
Wow, that is low. Your costs won't add up at those prices and neither will time spent processing.

Once you have insurance, transport, equipment reinvestment, postage, materials, utilities, petty cash items, stationary, etc. you still need to add proper labour costing on top of that. It all adds up very quickly.

As the local market is my packages are about the middle of the road. I prefer portrait or other studio sessions as they are more fun and relaxed.

For our wedding we did really well as my wife's cousin is also a photographer. www.lukefonfara.com He did a very good job.
johnriley
Posted 27/05/2011 - 08:23 Link
Weddings are very hard work, so I do them selectively for clients I am sure will be OK. However, I charge a full rate according to distance, time expected and so on. The package is always the same and I make Photo Books, a story of the wedding in pictures in effect. If that appeals, you book, if not then there are other photographers.

I don't do many weddings, nor do I want to. I wouldn't do one for £450 as it's far too much hassle for that.
Best regards, John
ems82
Posted 27/05/2011 - 08:49 Link
My sister got married last september and she was charged 1750 from a friend of a friend . That was just the pics in church and images on a dvd plus she could choose I think it was 20 images for a albulm.
Emma
"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything." Aaron Siskind
Bodies K20D, LTL 3, K1000d
Lenses Pentax 50mm, Pentax 135mm, Tamron 70-300 macro

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