Questions asked of client to determine assignment photography pricing.

[zepp]

It seems there is always one question I forget to ask the client when getting the specifics on a project so I' am in the process of generating an assignment checklist form. As I brainstorm here, I thought I would ask for other's input so I don't overlook something.

What questions do you ask to help you determine pricing for assignment photography and how do the answered questions effect your pricing?

Perhaps if there is enough good feedback, this will become a Sticky.

[CaptainTom]

What's your budget ?

If they won't say, or don't know, they are gonna be a problem.

If they low ball you, adios.
If their budget makes your eyeballs pop out, you can tailor your service to give them your full attention and skills and with a smile.

[STP Images]

.

[CaptainTom]

Great minds think alike....
It also helps that this is really a very important question.

[Craig]

One of my first questions is, what are the images going to be used for? The price for use of an image in a national ad campaign would be much higher than for an add in the local newspaper. About 30% of the people I deal with assume that they can use the images for multiple things (websites, brochures, prints, etc) for one price. That price can be worked out, as long as you know all the uses they have in mind for it. I did some product shots for the packaging of a national item. When we were negotiating the cost, the owner of the company didn't tell me that he planned to use the images on his website also. I had in writing the uses we had agreed on. I was able to go back to that and explain that he had not paid for that use, and I charged more for it.

[ndsimm]

How long will you require my services? Hourly? half day? full day?

approx. how many final images will you require?

Is this the first time you have needed this type of photography? what was the budget for this job last year?

[kachina]

What is the desired completion date for the project?

[CaptainTom]

Usage is important.
My job was to shoot what they wanted. It took a while, but this simple image
was selected, and they were pleased to get what they wanted. It is on a brochure with limited distribution in a limited area.

[zepp]

Some items I've come up with are:

Client Name
Business Name
Address
Contact Person
Phone: Cell: Email:
How will the images be used:
How many images do you need:
Media Details:
Image size and placement:
Print Circulation:
Rights Needed:
Duration of use:
How soon will the shoot be:
Shoot Location/s:
Location Contact:
Budget:
Project Description:

[adirty1]

budget
usage
length of run
how big is the image going to be
files needed (RAW or film) and do i need to do the retouching
media for files
working with an Ad director
need to shoot to lay out or not and if so do they have a moc up or can they make one
image count
my MUA my Stylist or yours
kraft services
location
travel is paid by and how arrangements are made and by whom
prints if needed

those are the main ones that can give me a really good idea of how long something is going to take and also give me a good idea if it's going to be a half day, day or more plus any travel time billed.

[Mira]

I know this is an older thread but I am trying to determine what I should charge for a project. It is a small medical clinic that needs shots of the drs/nurses at work for their website and marketing brochures and they want to do the shoot in two fairly short sessions (couple hours each). I am pretty at this sort of gig and have no idea where to start with a quote but I really think this could lead to more work...so, any suggestions??

[laawaaris]

mira, i would really appreciate this as well ... i have some idea of how to price certain things ... but there are so many different types of photography that you can do and everytime i encounter a new event or a new customer, i think to myself "hmm... i have no idea how i should i price this ..."

i suppose i am learning as i go along however, and people on the forum have provided lots of helpful hints as well

[bondarnes]

If you have an established hourly/day rate that would be the starting point. If you don't have one consider that for each hour shooting you will generally spend at least another hour or two doing post processing and other work for the project. Then with that established you will start adding the plus items. $$$ Base photography fee, plus $$ for hi-res files, plus assistants (if needed), plus travel (if needed), plus MUA (if needed), plus....... You get the idea.

[AndrewSA]

Good thread. I've always had a bit of a problem having a set pricing system for every kind of commercial shoot. For example, say my day rate is $1200 (8 hrs) and for a product shoot, it actually takes me 8 hours to complete the shoot as well as post production. So the client gets billed $1200 for 8 hours of work.

Say that same clients wants you to go on take a whole lot of pictures of a location and they will choose a few to use. The shoot only takes you 30 min and they are pretty straight shots, so not a whole lot of post production needed. If I charged the hourly rate for this kind of shoot it would be say $150. Certainly not really worth the effort there.

Now I know some photographers charge usage fees on top of the hourly rate. I try to feel out the client for this sort of thing prior to working with them. In a small market, with a majority of other photographers just charging an hourly rate, that's a tough sell. So assuming you are charging just a hourly rate, I will usually charge a per image fee on the latter situation.

Anyone doing it similar?