40 head shots.........what should I charge them?

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/05/2009 02:15:02 PM · #1

I have been asked to take 40 portrait's of managers and directors of a local hospital for their annual report.
What should I charge? By the job or individual? The hospital is paying.
They will all be taken on the same day and I would supply them with a jpeg suitable for printing.
I have all equiptment necessary for the job.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

06/05/2009 02:53:21 PM · #2

what to charge?

first, ask them what they have budgeted?
if they have a budget and you find it reasonable, then take it.
if they have a budget and you think it's too low, tell them it's a little light.
they'll either give you more or not. then it's up to you to decide if it's worth it
if they don't have a budget, you're in a tough spot because
you're putting yourself in a position to be judged on price.

what's reasonable?
for something like that, you should get $2500 - $4000.
(in some places, $100/ea is light, unless you can shoot them all at once.)
it's a lot more involved than a few hours' worth of work.

if you're thinking $150-500, you're way, way, way too low.

on the other hand, if you're asking what to charge, then you have to ask why are they coming to you? maybe it's because they think you'll do it for $150-500, instead of the $2500 - $4000 that they were quoted by someone else ;-)

just my .02

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

06/05/2009 02:59:38 PM · #3

I'm really not qualified to answer, but I will, anyway ;-)

I would be asking for an hourly rate (whatever you think you're worth), and include shooting time as well as travel, set-up and post processing time in that.

That way, if you should end up having to stand around twiddling thumbs while it takes them forever to find the next person in line, you'll at least get paid to twiddle.

06/05/2009 03:06:04 PM · #4

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Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/05/2009 06:13:03 PM · #5

Thanks so far.
No budget and no idea what they can spend. They have an in house photographer but their not crazy about his work.
I did head shots for the local city council which they saw and liked. Thats why they called me.
They have never had these taken before.
I figure 20 minutes per person shooting, 20 minutes photoshopping and another 6-7 hours of travel, set-up and waiting.
Thats about 33 hours total @ $75 per hour = $2500.00 (or $62.50 per person). Reasonable???

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

06/05/2009 06:39:56 PM · #6

Originally posted by wdamman:

you're heading in the right direction.

a few things you'll need to balance out for yourself:

1) how does the $62.60/person compare to what you did for the city council?
2) there are three components for shoots like this: travel, creative work (including post-processing), and licensing. travel typically is half the creative rate. licensing depends on what their perceived usages are. the rub? some clients are looking for an all-in package price, some want it itemized. i've lost jobs because of the travel expense. the bottom line is, you have to be able to sell the job for what it's worth to you.

on one hand, $2500 is reasonable, but, slicing it up the way you did puts no value on their usage. what if you re-sliced it like this: 7 hours @$35/hr for travel, 30 minutes total per person @$75/person (assuming you get your photoshop dialed in and don't have to spend 20 minutes per hand editing). this takes you up to about $1800; whatever you do above that is the usage fee. same number, but more justifiable in a business sense (at least as how you look at it). as for the client, you may sell it to them as an all-in package, including usage, for $75 a person. or, you could start there and then offer them a 15% discount for the volume and the fact that it's all in one day.

two important things: one, don't sell yourself short. two, have a bottom number that is reasonable and must be met, or walk away. if the numbers won't work for you, the job will not be worth it in any shape or form.

good luck!

Zigomar

Fujifilm X100T

Lensbaby 2.0

06/05/2009 06:58:04 PM · #7

Originally posted by Skip:

what's reasonable?
for something like that, you should get $2500 - $4000.

It's really great if this is what people pay you to get photos of them, I usually have to beg people to shoot them ;-0

osimages

06/05/2009 08:34:15 PM · #8

My standard rate for something like this is $75 a head.

I usually do about 4 - 6 an hour. This price includes a retouched image of each individual of their choosing. All images are returned on a single CD to the client.

Lydia

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

06/05/2009 09:42:47 PM · #9

Tell them if they don't have insurance the price will be higher.

That's what they told me when I asked them about price. *grin*

06/08/2009 01:30:28 PM · #10

Thanks for everyone's help. I got the job!
Here is what I quoted,

QUOTE
40 Portrait Sittings with 15-25 shots per person and a minimum of 3 final proofs per person to pick from.
1 - 8" x 10" print for each person.
1 - 300 dpi digital image for print and 1 - 72 dpi digital image for internet use.
2 - 8 hour shooting days with assistant (15% discount if completed in 1 day) will be required.

PRICE
2 hours travel time.
2 hours set-up and tear-down of studio equipment.
13 hours shooting (40 portrait's @ 20 minutes each).
13 hours post-processing (40 portrait's @ 20 minutes each).
30 hours total @ $75 per hour $2250.00

Must be complete by June 30, 2009,
Hopefully this will create more opportunities in the hospital world.
Thanks again!

06/08/2009 02:00:38 PM · #11

Why would you give them a discount of $350 if you can get it done in one day?
Usually thats an incentive they would give you (an increase if done in 1 day)

Other than that, good deal.

What are you doing regarding the usage...is it restricted to specific uses (it should be) and how long do they have the rights to use the pictures?

Was that an estimate you gave them or the final numbers.

Message edited by author 2009-06-08 14:01:53.

06/08/2009 02:20:15 PM · #12

I figured that if I could complete in 1 day I would be spending less than the 20 minutes quoted per person.
I will have a restricted usage agreement, not sure how long yet.
She got the $2250 aproved so a final number.

Originally posted by ajdelaware:

06/08/2009 03:52:12 PM · #13

I would say going forward, make sure they realize that its an estimate, because now what if something happens where one of the clients can't make it on the 2 days you are there. Are you going to drive back out there, set up for a 3rd day, bring an assistant for a 3rd day? And not get compensated for that?

I think your price is pretty solid. I personally would charge $2250 + usage (and usage is a pretty arbitrary number and you can make htat whatever you want really, and offers you a ton of bargaining power).

The only reason I think of this stuff is because im fresh out of a business course where the prof pounded all this stuff into my head.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/08/2009 03:54:22 PM · #14

One other thing...whatever the life of the usage is, make sure you go into your calendar system and setup an alert for a month before it expires and a reminder to call them to schedule a new shoot, or to sign a new usage agreement.

I had a sales boss that always told us, by your 3rd year, 90% of your business should be renewals and upgrades of the clients you got your first year.

Prof_Fate

06/09/2009 10:03:11 AM · #15

Originally posted by wdamman:

What are you shooting? Execs don't have 20 minutes for a simple head shot. 5 mins max.
Are you shooting them all in one place or setting up someplace different for each one?
PS work...get it right in camera and there's no PS needed. These are head shots not DPC entires LOL. I can clean up an image in under 5 minutes.
Why so much travel time? Shoot everyone on the same day, or perhaps over 2 days. Do a scouting run so you get to see the location of the pics before the shoot day.

40 people to shoot should take 2 hours -if they're ready to go on time (probably not).

Corps are used to buying 'head shots' - $150 per for a hi res file and unlimited usage, usually they come to the studio for the shot and get 5 or so to choose from. So to go to them should cost more, but to shoot a lot like this deserves a discount as you've not got setup and workflow for each person individually, cutting the time by 1/2 perhaps.

Good luck!

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

06/15/2009 02:51:40 PM · #16

WoW!! I am selling up and moving to America ... I'll get rich :)))))

I do firm portraits on a weekly basis, it takes me 2 hours to shoot 60 people and about the same time again to process the lot (if the lighting set up is the same then batch processing works on most of them)

You are one lucky guy getting them to fall for that kind of offer.

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

06/15/2009 05:22:42 PM · #17

This is completely off topic, but every time I read the subject for this thread I have to laugh as it sounds like someone's an assassin and is getting paid to shoot 40 people in the head and how much he should charge.

Prof_Fate

06/18/2009 09:42:05 PM · #18

Originally posted by NathanW:

I get them same reaction when I tell people I shoot babies.

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

07/16/2009 08:08:50 AM · #19

so...how'd it all work out?