okay.. so i'm meeting with a client for a clothing line, what kind of parameters should i set.. how should i charge? per item? should i do it in their store? take the products home and shoot them there?... I think what i'm asking here is.. at the initial meeting what kinds of things should i put on the table as things that i require and what i should be delivering.. I've shot products before but have just taken them home and the shoot was pretty straight forward.. i'm kind of lost here.. I told the client over the phone my day rate, and they want to know what that includes... quite frankly I don't know what to include... help please!?
I just finished shooting a series of children's clothing. The client requires several child models with the products in an outdoor environment.
Hope this will help.
I wouldn't charge them per item, this will confuse the client and they could end up sending you a few items to keep their cost low while using pictures taken from somewhere else (usually from oversea manufacturer's catalog).
charge them a price per project, include how many pictures you will provide and how many hours of service. Make sure everything states in the contract. Make sure the price covers ALL your expense - from time for initial meeting to the cost of your travel time.
I don't usually shoot at client's office / factory - too much distraction. Unless they requested to be present at the photoshoot, I usually do my shoot behind the door.
I would give a set price for a specific number of items even if you charge a day rate. No way am I giving a day rate and be expected to do 5 days of work in one. If you don't have insurance to cover the clothes I would not leave the clients space.
catherine780 wrote:
are 50 products reasonable for a day's work?
That depends on what and how you're shooting. If they are tee shirts you are laying on a background and they don't have to be particularly neat, and you have an assistant to set up and tear down, yeah maybe you could shoot 50 pieces in a day.
But if they are high-fashion dresses that each need to be shot on a form, with twiddly details that have to be right, or wrinkles that have to be steamed out, you might not be able to do 10 per day.
This is where experience comes into play. And like so many other places, the first few always take much longer than the following because you're practicing.
Shooting a large quantity of anything also requires some logistics to ensure that every piece is shot and to match the catalog numbers to the frame numbers etc.
As I've said here before, I use a little different method of charging. I charge the customer by the day or half-day, but I specify how many pieces/views/setups I will deliver, so it's the equivalent of piece rate. I can do that because I know how many setups I can shoot in 1/2 day or a whole day.
Piece rate is fairest to the customer, because you aren't charging for your lack of expertise. Hourly rate is fairest to the photographer because you get paid, no matter how long it takes you. But the customer has to pay for your learning curve.
I suggest you go find some pieces similar to what you will be shooting for the client and practice in advance. That way you will have some clue about how many pieces you can do in a day, and you'll get your lighting etc. in order before you start on the customer's dime.
