Pixtus - Photography Forum, Photographers, Photo Tips

movingex · **New Pricing Help Quick -** 03-26-2007, 03:43 PM

From an assistant director of public relations for a University . We are searching for a photographer to take photos of Joe Blow, an alumnus from our University who is a English teacher in at a school in your area . We would like a quote from you for this project. In your fee, please include travel, digital images that are 300 dpi at 8x10 (vertical and horizontal), and the time to either e-mail the images or burn them onto a disk and sending it via Fed-Ex. We would appreciate hearing from you ASAP.

The photos would be used on our Web site and in brochures we send to prospective students. We appreciate creative photos that are fresh, modern and reflect what the person does.

Anyone have any specific pricing suggestions on this? This would be my first time taking on this type of project. It looks like a lot of fun.

Thanks

peteg · 03-26-2007, 04:06 PM

Expenses (including delivery costs) + usage (factoring in what the local market is like)

Take a look at fotoquote for the Usage part of that formula. It's an industry standard and is included with Photoshelter plans. It sounds like this job could pay well enough to justify the extra expense ($140) of fotoquote, and then you would have it as a resource for future estimates.

Good luck

movingex · 03-26-2007, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peteg

Expenses (including delivery costs) + usage (factoring in what the local market is like)

Take a look at fotoquote for the Usage part of that formula. It's an industry standard and is included with Photoshelter plans. It sounds like this job could pay well enough to justify the extra expense ($140) of fotoquote, and then you would have it as a resource for future estimates.

Good luck

Thanks Pete,

But I'm hoping that someone can just give me a ballpark figure to go with. I am in the Dallas area.

Thanks

CaptainTom · 03-26-2007, 04:41 PM

half day rate plus mileage and out of pocket expenses. Limited usage rights only for the usage they indicated.

$300.00

boxofrocks · 03-26-2007, 04:55 PM

I think $300 may be cheap for a half day rate in the DFW area. As a point of reference, I made more than that for the one photo that appeared on the cover in this thread. Granted, it's a cover, but it's just a corporate mag.

You may have a hard time getting Fotoquote rates from a university, but you never know--they might be rolling in money. I'd start by asking them what they think they want to spend, so you can "tailor your deliverables to their budget".

LadyShutterBug · 03-26-2007, 05:37 PM

if it isn't terribly far from you, i'd go with the $300-350 range... basically it's a portrait session and you're giving them rights to use the photo in their stuff.

since you've never done this before, it's a bonus that you're going ot have tear sheets and sampes of where your work has been used commercially.

ShaneKislack · 03-26-2007, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by movingex

Thanks Pete,

But I'm hoping that someone can just give me a ballpark figure to go with. I am in the Dallas area.

Thanks

That might be the single worst business decision you'll ever make. How about this...$700.00 creative fee + $350 usage?

ShaneKislack · 03-26-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyShutterBug

if it isn't terribly far from you, i'd go with the $300-350 range... basically it's a portrait session and you're giving them rights to use the photo in their stuff.

since you've never done this before, it's a bonus that you're going ot have tear sheets and sampes of where your work has been used commercially.

It's not basically a portait session. I'm reading from their email they want something a little better than posed on a stool in front of dyed muslin. They want a shot with production value. Also, they aren't hanging it on their wall, they are looking to use the image for financial gain.

Never fall for the "credit line=money" jive. There is no way to assign a value to a credit line. And it would only help if it were going in front of someone that would generally need your service. People don't look in annual reports at credit lines to find photographers.

CaptainTom · 03-26-2007, 05:54 PM

If you ask $1,000 and they agree,,, absolutely great !!!
But, if they say they are going elsewhere, give them my number !!!

Competition and supply and demand should drive prices, not a list found on the internet somewhere.......

LadyShutterBug · 03-26-2007, 05:57 PM

90% of my portrait sessions or my clients are on location. i don't use muslins or stools for them.

financial gain or no, it needs to be a great stylized portrait of this guy. and maybe there will be some action shots (which i generally also get in my portrait sessions). so to me, it's basically a portrait session, which i charge $345 for.

i have shot for organizations/businesses looking to use a portrait in production for financial gain, and my work has been used in state and national publications with some nice circulation numbers.

this guy appears to have no experience in this particular arena, and if he wants to get a foot in the door, 350 is a nice number. if he can get more, then yippee, but it's a fine line when you have little experience and want to charge like someone who does.

ShaneKislack · 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyShutterBug

90% of my portrait sessions or my clients are on location. i don't use muslins or stools for them.

14 of the 26 portraits on your website are against muslin, one on a stool

Just picking on you.

Look, no one should ever gouge a customer, but $1K is reasonable for what they want it for. It's a university...they have it. Their only objection is that they don't think you deserve a grand.