Quoting a Customer

[OneShot]

Ok Ive been asked to quote a Nursing home company on taking photos for them to put together virtual tours, so I would take shots of different rooms and sections of nursing homes, and providing them with the digital negatives. so say 20-50 photos per nursing home at 16 different nursing homes.

I dont know how much I should quote them, I do drag racing photography with 3 different people and my rate with them is $150 a day.


I would like to hear what others would charge for this.

[janikphoto]

wow, $150 per DAY?!? I was expecting you to say an hour... I charge corporate clients $200 per hour, but often give them a discounted flat day rate for eight hours of work. I would charge at LEAST $1600, assuming you'll spend an hour or two at each location and you need to do sixteen separate locations. Do NOT take less than a hundred bucks per location.

[ShaneKislack]

I think you're still low bidding it Jason...and you probably do too. I know you from the PDN boards. The $1600 fee you would normally quote is probably 1 location, 1 day, right? $1600 per day would not be out of line for quality work.

It would take at least 2 days...probably 3 or 4...to get to all the locations and photograph them. Then another day processing (yes I know they just want raw files, but you still have to download/backup/convert the files). I think this is a $8-10,000 job over the course of a week. Do I think you can get that? That's a whole 'nother story.

Of course, this is provided you are doing a quality job and lighting these rooms and giving options.

Heck, you can't hire an assistant for $150/day...

Have you asked them what their budget is? You'll find out real quick if they are serious about the job or not.

[janikphoto]

Originally Posted by ShaneKislack

I think you're still low bidding it Jason...and you probably do too. I know you from the PDN boards. The $1600 fee you would normally quote is probably 1 location, 1 day, right? $1600 per day would not be out of line for quality work.

It would take at least 2 days...probably 3 or 4...to get to all the locations and photograph them. Then another day processing (yes I know they just want raw files, but you still have to download/backup/convert the files). I think this is a $8-10,000 job over the course of a week. Do I think you can get that? That's a whole 'nother story.

Of course, this is provided you are doing a quality job and lighting these rooms and giving options.

Heck, you can't hire an assistant for $150/day...

Have you asked them what their budget is? You'll find out real quick if they are serious about the job or not.

Yeah, I noticed your name on this forum earlier today. And, yes, I WAS low-balling it. On purpose. I figured he probably won't be doing a big production on this gig, and can move quickly from one location to the next. Plus, I doubt the client will give more than $1500 to $2000 (but that is just a total guess, since I don't know the client).

I probably wouldn't take a whole week to shoot it, since it sounds like they don't need the pics to be all that technical. Maybe two or three days, assuming the locations permit quick driving from one to the next.

If I were billing them, it would wind up being a few grand. And you are probably right. I would still be under-charging in a perfect world...

[toverman]

Might be just semantics, but do you consider "digital negatives" as edited JPEGs or are you going to give them completely untouched files? If you will be editing them, even just a little, figure in your processing time, too. Also, where will the files be used? If only for virtual tours on the Web, they don't need high-res files and shouldn't get them. If they will also want them for publication or anything else, it makes the images more valuable (and they'd need higher-res images).

Make sure you have a contract with them before starting the work, specifying what they want and will use the images for, what you will provide and for what price. I would also ask for half the money up front to cover your costs, and then the other half upon delivery. Going to 16 different locations, even if only for a few hours each, is a lot of work!

As for the digital negs, I shoot in RAW and never even show clients my unedited files, much less provide them. I have done quick edits so that a couple can see their wedding photos online while still on their honeymoon, though.

[OneShot]

the 16 locations are spread out all over Houston from down near Galveston up past Conroe, so theres alot of driving involved, I also figured I would have to bring my alien bee to help with lighting. And no assistant. I would not be able to do it in a week, as Im not home for a week straight ever. I would have to do this inbetween races when I come home.

[Aric C. Hoek]

Do you ever shoot weddings? How much do you charge for your time at a 6 hour wedding? How long will this shoot take? I would at least charge a two hour minimum. Possibly a half day rate.

Then I would need to determine if they wanted unlimited reproduction rights or limited reproduction rights. How are you going to feel if you charge for one hour of your time and they print your image 1,000,000 times?

You need to know how they are going to use the image. Are you going to see your work on a billboard as you drive around town?

[CaptainTom]

I'll be happy to send them a quote if you like.

It will likely be at my day rate for a week.

$2500/day plus any unusual expenses X 7 days less 20% discount = $14,000

[ShaneKislack]

Aric, are you sure you put your reply in the right thread? I don't understand what you wrote as it pertains to the OT. I don't mean this rudely.

[dtscds]

Originally Posted by ShaneKislack

Aric, are you sure you put your reply in the right thread? I don't understand what you wrote as it pertains to the OT. I don't mean this rudely.

I think what Aric meant was to go by the rate you would charge per hour doing a wedding. Also figure in the reproduction rights. If they are going to want to use it extensively in advertisements then the price goes up accordingly.

Tough thing this pricing...

[janikphoto]

Originally Posted by dtscds

I think what Aric meant was to go by the rate you would charge per hour doing a wedding. Also figure in the reproduction rights. If they are going to want to use it extensively in advertisements then the price goes up accordingly.

Tough thing this pricing...

Yeah, I was reading it that way as well. I assume that's what he was getting at...

[Aric C. Hoek]

Sorry. Yes, that is what I was getting at. I was just trying to put things in perspective.

[OneShot]

I still dont know, I have to get some more info as to them using the images other then just the "virtual tour" and see what they say, Im thinking about $500 a building, that would be $8,000 total, Just dont think they will go for it.

My biggest problem is going to be having the time to do it, Im Pretty much gone untill december, I come home at the max for 5 days in a row here in there.

[janikphoto]

well, if you can't do it, you can't do it. discussion over.

[OneShot]

Just depends on the time frame they will have