Prettym1k3
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Upload & Sell: Off
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ricardovaste wrote:
You see this is what I kind of feel like doing. Saying "6 hour minimum", or something to that effect. Or something like "you can have me for the day at X price". But when someone comes in and says 'we just want a couple of photographs' they're clearly expecting and wanting to pay very little, so it just feels like an uphill battle.
Perhaps if I enforce a longer 'minimum hours' I will force people to look more closely. Or run away. Perhaps the way I structure things isn't great though, as what I need to make is based around 10 hours coverage, so even if I start giving out 6-8 hour coverage I'd be making some money but I'd have to make up for the rest in other areas....Show more →
Knowing what you need to make, montearily speaking, is key to running your business. What are you costs? What is your overhead? How much time, total, will you spend per wedding (initial contact, phone, meetings, timeline formation, engagement session, editing, delivery, travel, wedding day shooting, editing, delivery, uploading, internet, computers, equipment, wear and tear, oil changes, gas, food, bandaids, batteries, and the list goes on and on).
But the more important question for me was, "What do I need to make it make it worth my while to be away from my family?" I already have a day job, and I miss tons of time with my son. Same with my wife. So if we're gone shooting on the weekends, proving to our son that to follow your dreams in your career is important, what do we need to make it put money towards child care, vacations, fun time, dinners out, taking him to the amusement park, and putting money aside for college and/or home repairs (to increase value on the home to use as equity when he goes to college).
Sorry, that was a little wordy, but once you calculate all of that out, you can show up to a wedding and know you didn't get ripped off.
I don't live off of my photography income, but I do need it. Childcare can't be paid by my wife's and my day jobs, so we need the income. But we don't go hungry with out. So that may change things for you. But I've always been of the opinion that I am offering what I feel is equitable (for both parties, myself and them), what is fair, what is reasonable, what is high quality, and what is joy-filled for both of us. And if they don't like what I'm offering, then I'm not the photographer for them. Plain and simple.
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