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03/01/2006 12:25:13 PM · #1 |
| Well i have been asked to do some weddings this year....and to do some Senior setting pictures.... well a total now on the weddings are 6 for the year and 3 for the senior.....i just need some tips, poses (pictures), how to shoot them, or just any ideas......im really excited im not charging an arm and a leg for them i think for the weddings im charging like $500 and im trying to come up with some kinda of package deal for the Senior thing.......thanks =) |
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03/01/2006 12:34:42 PM · #2 |
| My best advice is to search other people's work. That's what I do to get ideas. GL and congrats. |
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03/01/2006 12:53:07 PM · #3 |
tell me how you got all those weddings! I need more of them to pay my bills (or at least for my camera LOL)
Have you shot a wedding? Figure 20-40 hours of work beyond the 8 of the wedding day if you are doing an album. My last wedding had 420 raw captures - it just takes time to go thru them, do PP or cropping or special effects, etc, and then make an album or prints or both. hell, just toprint 4x6 proofs and put them in a proof album will cost you $80 and 4 or 5 hors of time (this is why i don't do proofs).
Seniors are easier, more profitable too. Different though - weddings you pretty much do your own thing, a few posed shots ("Look at me and smile"). Perhaps some directed poses with the b&g. HS Seniors are ALL posed by you and you usually have mom and perhaps a sibling or BF/GF watching. total time might be an hour, 90 minutes max often less (I go for more time myself)
SO you get 100-150 captures on the high end. I use mypublisher 6x9 softcover books for my proofs - cheap, fast, and the kids can take them to school and one page in there is my biz card! Also, a bit harder to scan and copy the images. Kids LOVE wallets - give them 50 or 100 and then charge $$ for more. 300 to 500 wallets are a normal sale. The trifold portfolio everyone uses can be had from TAP (taprell loomis) for $15, including box. It take 8 4x6 or 4 4x6 and 1 8x10 (depends on model). Popular item. Around here the average senior spends $400 to 600 on pics - the cost of materials is maybe $50-60 and 2 or 3 hours time.
Weddings are a lot of work, and you have no second chance to get the photos - if a senior's shots suck you can reshoot.
Don't do a wedding for $500 unless it is for portfolio/practice. man, I'm beginning to sound like all those other forum posters - I am cheap, but even at that most brides pick the middle package ($1200) - around here $2000 is the 'average' package. A lot depends on the album - illuma or asuka ($50, 120 respectively and up) or white glove ($950 and up) or a whole host of options in between. A traditional matted album with prints can COST you $450. So $500 is way cheap - especially for all the hours you have in it afterwards.
I use lumapix's fotofusion for album design - about 30 minutes a page, plus some PS time on some of the images. 20 to 24 pages - you do the math! The time adds up, fast.
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03/01/2006 01:29:13 PM · #4 |
If you would like, you can check out my website. I have a section on weddings, and at the bottomw of the main page... I have a current specials button. If you click that, it will show you what I chrage for seniors.
I have 5 weddings this year... no seniors, but I am hoping that will change soon. :)
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03/01/2006 01:39:51 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Seniors are easier, more profitable too.
SO you get 100-150 captures on the high end. I use mypublisher 6x9 softcover books for my proofs - cheap, fast, and the kids can take them to school and one page in there is my biz card! Also, a bit harder to scan and copy the images. Kids LOVE wallets - give them 50 or 100 and then charge $$ for more. 300 to 500 wallets are a normal sale. The trifold portfolio everyone uses can be had from TAP (taprell loomis) for $15, including box. It take 8 4x6 or 4 4x6 and 1 8x10 (depends on model). Popular item. Around here the average senior spends $400 to 600 on pics - the cost of materials is maybe $50-60 and 2 or 3 hours time.
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Do you have an example of the 6x9 softcover book that you use for your proofs? The proofs arent 6x9's are they? How does this make it harder to scan or copy? |
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03/02/2006 01:50:44 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by nsoroma79:
If you would like, you can check out my website. I have a section on weddings, and at the bottomw of the main page... I have a current specials button. If you click that, it will show you what I chrage for seniors.
I have 5 weddings this year... no seniors, but I am hoping that will change soon. :) |
Very Nice.....!!! i really need to get a Package thing to gether.... i like the way yours is set up and the prices are not to high....=) |
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03/02/2006 01:54:09 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Prof_Fate:
Don't do a wedding for $500 unless it is for portfolio/practice. man, I'm beginning to sound like all those other forum posters - I am cheap, but even at that most brides pick the middle package ($1200) - around here $2000 is the 'average' package. A lot depends on the album - illuma or asuka ($50, 120 respectively and up) or white glove ($950 and up) or a whole host of options in between. A traditional matted album with prints can COST you $450. So $500 is way cheap - especially for all the hours you have in it afterwards.
I use lumapix's fotofusion for album design - about 30 minutes a page, plus some PS time on some of the images. 20 to 24 pages - you do the math! The time adds up, fast. |
I know it is really Cheap....but i told them im not a professional.....but i am working hard to get that as my title..... most of them im just taking the pictures and letting them do the rest witht the negatives.....if they want me to do it then thats were ill add some extera fees.....im not offering and albums or anything yet. but im just trying to get off the ground and i think this is good for now......Thank you for the input....ill keep this all in mind |
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03/02/2006 01:59:47 PM · #8 |
Hi-ho,
For some advice of a sort, about half way down this web page, the link to the PDF called "WEDDING HAND GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNER"
//www.aljacobs.com/
Some of it's just in jest, but it's well worth the read..
Cheers, Me.
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03/02/2006 02:25:29 PM · #9 |
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03/02/2006 02:27:44 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Givemeashot:
I know it is really Cheap....but i told them im not a professional.....but i am working hard to get that as my title..... most of them im just taking the pictures and letting them do the rest witht the negatives.....if they want me to do it then thats were ill add some extera fees.....im not offering and albums or anything yet. but im just trying to get off the ground and i think this is good for now......Thank you for the input....ill keep this all in mind |
Ignore me, I'm a whore.
A friend emailed me to say that a HS girlfriend of hers was getting married in 3 weeks and they don't have a photographer, didn;t see the need in one (age 32 ish, may not be the first marriage - I have NO details). SOOOO, I email back - $400 including an album, 200 upfront and if they don't like the album pay no more (and get no album of course).
man the things you do when you have bills coming in and a free weekend LOL
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03/06/2006 12:37:59 PM · #11 |
| Where might i ask did you order the Senior Book looking thing....from the same web site?? |
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03/06/2006 12:49:57 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Givemeashot:
Well i have been asked to do some weddings this year....and to do some Senior setting pictures.... well a total now on the weddings are 6 for the year and 3 for the senior.....i just need some tips, poses (pictures), how to shoot them, or just any ideas......im really excited im not charging an arm and a leg for them i think for the weddings im charging like $500 and im trying to come up with some kinda of package deal for the Senior thing.......thanks =) |
Are the senior portraits male/female? What kind of "style" do these kids have? You'll want to take these into consideration. Also, you'll want more "formal" shots of them too. Jacket and tie for guys, dress for the girls, but I'd bet they'd enjoy styled images more than the "formals".
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03/06/2006 01:07:02 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Givemeashot:
Where might i ask did you order the Senior Book looking thing....from the same web site?? |
it's from this company //www.tap-usa.com/ My local pro store stocks some of their stuff so i just run over and pick one up when i need it. When my biz picks up i'll keep some of this stuff in stock.
you can get the TAP stuff and other items from //www.perfectiondistributing.com/ - order a catalog from their website.
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03/06/2006 01:20:44 PM · #14 |
Prof said:
tell me how you got all those weddings! I need more of them to pay my bills (or at least for my camera LOL) >>>>
You and me both!! At first, I was really mad at my sister for letting her mother-in-law pay a photographer to be at the wedding Saturday. But, I actually found having her there to be a learning experience, and I think she actually enjoyed having my brother and I around.
ONE thing that you might consider is working for a little less than the other photographers around until you establish your reputation. The girl who did my hair for the wedding was talking about just putting out disposable camreas at her wedding because photographers are so expensive. I told her not to do that because she'll end up paying over 100 bucks to have crappy pictures. I told her to call me, and yes it would be expensive, but I would charge less than every other photographer in town, and at the end she'd have good pictures. Someone said don't do a wedding for $500, but if you pocket $100-$150 of that, that's not bad for a day's work. I live in an extremely rural area (in case you can't tell from my pictures), and I think the photographers around here are missing out on a lot of work to be had from people who simply can't afford the $2000 *average* package. I've been seriously thinking about advertising myself saying, "Are you thinking about having disposable cameras at the most important event of your life? Don't do that. Call me. Yes, it will be expensive, but it won't be what other people will charge you," and thanks to my sister and a co-worker that got married, I can show people why they'd rather have me than grandma with a disposable.
Also, a family friend is releasing a cd on an independent label. He'll probably only sell a few hundred copies of the cd. Anyway, there was talk of having me shoot the album cover.
My son is going to be a senior, and I'm going to talk to the school about definitely doing HIS senior picture, but putting myself out there to do other kids' pictures who can't afford the guy who usually does the senior pictures. With all do respect to that guy, he is really good, but he's the most expensive photographer in this area.
Message edited by author 2006-03-06 13:33:32. |
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03/06/2006 01:25:22 PM · #15 |
Good Day - WOW - You guys talk of doing a wedding for $3000-00. Do you know how much Rand that is - we are looking at anything from R10 000 to R15 000. I do weddings for R3000-00. This includes 200 Film Photos (Developed and printed - Jumbo size), 400 Digital Photos (on Disk), Edited photos, All the aspects of the wedding gets photographed, a VCD, Enlargements and a Wedding Album.
Mostly I do weddings for free - Couple just cover my costs. Started charging recently. Do it as a hobby - me and the wife both do a wedding - this means the couple get two Photographers.
Check on "MY SITE" for some photos. Actually won a local Bride of the Year competition with one of my photos.
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03/06/2006 01:37:08 PM · #16 |
Does anyone know good places to order prints and/or books of your photos? I was just looking at my publisher and it looked pretty good but they don't support Macs. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Charles |
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03/06/2006 01:40:23 PM · #17 |
I should add for the expensive people MY family bought neither my little sister's nor my little brother's senior pictures, not even the proofs, because of the cost. I would say better than half my brother's class was in the same boat, or they only bought the proofs. So, if there are photographers out there who are willing to work for a little less, they are performing a public service.
Okay, if I were going to do a wedding, and give the happy couple a disk of the pictures, I would charge them more than I would if they were to buy the prints from me. If you give them a disk, you KNOW they're not going to come back to you and say, "You know grandma really likes this picture and would like to have a copy..." They're just going to print it out. |
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03/06/2006 01:46:04 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by ragamuffingirl:
I should add for the expensive people MY family bought neither my little sister's nor my little brother's senior pictures, not even the proofs, because of the cost. I would say better than half my brother's class was in the same boat, or they only bought the proofs. So, if there are photographers out there who are willing to work for a little less, they are performing a public service.
Okay, if I were going to do a wedding, and give the happy couple a disk of the pictures, I would charge them more than I would if they were to buy the prints from me. If you give them a disk, you KNOW they're not going to come back to you and say, "You know grandma really likes this picture and would like to have a copy..." They're just going to print it out. |
Thats true, but I don't care. They pay me to take their photos - they keep the negatives, disc etc. I did about 20 weddings up to now - I don't want to sit with 20 digital discs and 20 sets of negatives. They paid for it - they keep it.
Anuhow - Give some comments on this photo - taken at a recent wedding with a 3,2MP Fujifilm. Edited in Coral Draw Photo Paint
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03/06/2006 01:48:13 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by cfischl:
Does anyone know good places to order prints and/or books of your photos? I was just looking at my publisher and it looked pretty good but they don't support Macs. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Charles |
For Macs, I kinda dig on what you can order from iPhoto. You can do albums, calendars, cards, or single prints. Pretty nifty. |
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03/06/2006 01:51:26 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by ladyhawk22:
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For Macs, I kinda dig on what you can order from iPhoto. You can do albums, calendars, cards, or single prints. Pretty nifty. [/quote]
Which version of iPhoto do you have? They have come out iLife 05 and 06 since I bought my mac.
Message edited by author 2006-03-06 13:51:37. |
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03/06/2006 01:54:56 PM · #21 |
| I signed up for one made a sign on name and i had both places send me a Catalog=) |
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03/06/2006 01:57:48 PM · #22 |
There is a serious lack of knowledge on 'cover my costs' and '$150 is a good days pay for a wedding'
First, discounting my knowldedge and skill and assuming a monkey could take pictures as good as mine (possible...on some days anyway LOL) we have my time preparing for the wedding (batery charging, packing up, etc) travel time/gas, and probably time talking to them before the event. A couple of hours there.
6 to 8 hours at the wedding.
PP time...i spend 15-20 hours here. includes album labor.
Prints, albums - hard costs - $100 or so.
No you have to consider i have $2500 in camera/flash/ CF cards, a computer, PS, other software, the internet, etc - all these things cost me money, and will wear out. Figure $5000 in tools and it lasts 5 years (lenses longer, but everything else probably less). That's $1000 a year in equipment costs.
So to charge $500 and spend $100 on prints/album leaves $400 to cover 25-30 hours labor and equipment, taxes, insurance, utilities, car usage, etc. You're getting walmart wages. You cannot afford to improve your geear or education - this year I have enrolled in one seminar ($675 plus travel, daycare and food - at least no hotels!) and am getting a new main camera (so i have 2, one is backup/second body) for $1400. That $2000+ has to come from somewhere. and if the wedding customer benefits form that , they should pay for it.
SO i am about breaking even if that. I'd like to turn a profit - so i need more weddings!
As to finding them - advertising, word of mouth, i did a 2 day shoot for real low wages for valentines day to get free advertising (and experience).
What I am finding out to some extent, is what pros will tell you i fyou listen - some people just don't value photography. It's not they can't afford $1500 for a wedding photographer (ask how much they spend on booze, dj, food, dress, tuxes, etc). Hell, one local church charges $650 to use their sanctuary plus more for a minister! If they can pay $700+ for that church, they can pay for a photograopher and I;'ll throw in a church of my choice (-hey, that's an idea!)
If you can't make enough money, you cannot stay 'in business'. Simple fact. When you drop a lens, blow a flash, wear out a camera, you're outta business without the money to replace it, and replace it NOW.
I beleive there is a large body of business out there for low end (cost wise) photography. Walmart shows it. But then i work with a girl that was gonna use me, but changed her mind (her fiance she says) and they chose her senio HS photographer (for more money BTW) and went to walmart for engagement photos (a time issue she said) and she HATES thos photos.
you get what you pay for.
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03/06/2006 02:00:46 PM · #23 |
| I think for these first few weddings im doing i will just give them the disc.....1. i know not all are going to turn out....and 2. i really just need to get my feet wet and just do it for my protfolio. so for the 1st few i will give the disc but after i get some exp. under my belt..... ill keep the disc and start playing the game....plus im still looking were to print stuff ive heard H&H is good..... but that my out look for now....just make a little $$ wheil im still learning..... |
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03/06/2006 02:03:26 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Givemeashot:
I think for these first few weddings im doing i will just give them the disc.....1. i know not all are going to turn out....and 2. i really just need to get my feet wet and just do it for my protfolio. so for the 1st few i will give the disc but after i get some exp. under my belt..... ill keep the disc and start playing the game....plus im still looking were to print stuff ive heard H&H is good..... but that my out look for now....just make a little $$ wheil im still learning..... |
what is H&H? |
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03/06/2006 02:13:11 PM · #25 |
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