what to charge for photos

Cruzini

Cruzini

Member
I don't do photography for clients as a rule. However local business has changed hands and needs some photos of their new products. I have got a couple of photographers that I trust to do the work. Both have asked the same question. How much? joking of course.
Because they have done small jobs, such as head-shot of business owner for a profile or something in the past, and not charged me I don't want to take liberties.

I would like to pay a going rate to keep the future a business relationship.
I will need 1 final shot of 16 products for their brochure.
I am happy to pay & charge clients same amount.
So what should I pay/charge??
 
The photographers should really giving you a price, not the other way round. ;)

Perhaps just get some quotes from other product photographers you don't know personally and see what the going business rate is, then charge the client that (or somewhere close).

*Edit*

Just as a ball-park figure I've seen photographers charging £600 per day for company headshots, essentially that's a small/medium-sized agency rate. It may be a little less than that if it's product photography (could be charged at half a day), but photography in general has a lot of overheads in terms of equipment, studio space and required knowledge.
 
Interestingly enough I have had my 2 local guys come back with very different figures.
a) £10 per image - minimum £150
b) £160 for a half day £250 full day
both require items delivered & collected. I thought both rates very reasonable.
 
As a heads up on the client though.
We priced the project on half day photography plus our work.
They agreed to our project price [based on 16 products as you see above]
However they have delivered just over 35 products to photograph. How annoying.

I will stick to project agreed rates and request confirmation on a new project price before beginning. Any tips on how to be a diplomat with a manufacturer such as this.
 
Cruzini said:
As a heads up on the client though.
We priced the project on half day photography plus our work.
They agreed to our project price [based on 16 products as you see above]
However they have delivered just over 35 products to photograph. How annoying.

I will stick to project agreed rates and request confirmation on a new project price before beginning. Any tips on how to be a diplomat with a manufacturer such as this.
Click to expand...

Just explain it how you've explained it for us. The cost was based on a max of 16 products, but the client has delivered over twice that amount. If they want all 35 photographing, you'll have to requote.

Presumably they were made aware of the 16 product limit?
 
As said assuming they were informed in writing of the limit to 16 items (edit: note I use items not products - see below) in the quote then I'd just explain to them as per the terms set out in the original contract (I have any changes could incur expenses clearly visible) that the price will increase to xyz due to the extra items. Then ask them how they would like to proceed.

I wouldn't put it past a company to try and pull a fast one like this so you should ALWAYS define the criteria of the price.

EDIT: just a thought... are they the same item but in different colours? Some companies don't class a different colour as a different product.
 
The more I think about the more annoyed I get. Our quotation is 'strictly for 16 items'.
When first I met the client they showed me some 100+ items*. They mentioned that in the future they would like all 35 new items to be photographed.
[*100+ i.e. 35 different clothing items lines in multiple colours.]

We clearly discussed 35 items would mean 35 photos/images required by the photographer.
They then asked for 16 items to be priced for. In my quote there is a breakdown between our cost of the brochures & a separate photographers cost (for 16 items).
I will now create a new quotation for the 35 items & ask for confirmation to proceed on that basis.
 
Man that sucks, since I've been dealing with mostly online clients I've been finding they are way more likely to try these things as its a lot easier without looking you in the eye.

Good luck
 
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