Hi, I hope this forum is ok to post this question.
I am a portrait photographer and live in a mountain town with a lot of farmers.
I have recently been asked to take some pictures of a prize cow.
This cow is worth around 25 grand and sperm is sold and you get the picture, this ain't just a cow.
The pictures will be used to post on the farmers web site and send outs.
I have no clue what to charge and do not want either one of us to get ripped off.
anyone have any experience with this?
I did an online search, but most sites do not post prices except one in Australia and he charges $300 for a 45 minute shoot with web images supplied.
any help would be appreciated, this job with be on the 30th.
The shoot will at his farm, which is local and it is of this one cow.
You cannot decide how much you charge depending on the worth of the cow. If I were you I would charge based on the number of settings and the photographs your client requires, your travel expenses, shooting time, special lighting systems or equipment if you required and so on. What you can do is you can decide on a fare price by looking at other portrait outdoor photography charges and decide on a price.
I guess what I mean , by mentioning the worth of the cow, is that this will not be a shot of a cow in a pasture.. so the value of the cow does influence the whole shoot.
I have a feeling there will be a lot of fussing to get the ears perked just right and the legs in correct position ect.
For instance, a picture of a girl can have many different prices, senior, engagement, bridal... and I understand this in human terms, but have no 'livestock' experience
Thank you for the good points, advice and comment!
RE:This cow is worth around 25 grand and sperm is sold and you get the picture, this ain't just a cow.
Susi, You are right, it's not a cow, if they are selling its sperm it's a bull!
Seriously, as others have said, the value of the animal has little to do with what you charge but more to do with the rights they want and how much it requires of you to produce the photo. One thing that it will require of you is to know what it is about the bull that makes it worth 25 thousand.
Depends too on how many poses your expected to cover. I mean, they might want to action shots if you get my drift :-)
I've not done bulls, but have shot Dogs for Dog breeders. The more expensive / important the dog, the more important the pose, expression and poise of the dog is. I've had folks go home with no photo because the dog was not happy enough to pose.
I charge about double to shoot a pedegree dog for commercial images, i.e. not just a cute pet photo for putting on the wall, it's for a poster / advertisement It's because i've to take more care and it takes a lot longer.
I'd guess 300 to 500 would be about right, I doubt you'll be in and out in an hour.....
Merv.
If you look thru some of the web sites for show cattle you can get an idea as to how the aminals are posed.. Generally they are looking for a side profile to show off the top line, and muscling if a beef breed. Bucking Bulls they might want an action shot but generally those are taken in competition.. By the way 25 K is nothing a top level bull will run you 100-500K and some more than that.
I have photographed horses (a lot of years ago) and know there are some very specific do and don't rules involved depending on the breed. Ask the owner, as mentioned above. You might want to post this on the Pro forum and some may be able to help you there.
