How to set the price??

wud

Senior Member
I been photographing dogs for a long time, for friends and for fun - and of course because I love it. Recently I got 2 request to donate portraits of dogs to support some dog related causes - I instantly said yes and I was very proud. A couple of times I've been asked by strangers what it would cost to get pictures of their dog, and honestly I dont know.

How do I set a price?

I am shooting portraits in nature, think I will get between 10 and 15 pictures which are good enough to be given to the owner.

Been looking a lot on other photographers prices, but they are SO different. Also I want different pictures, different situations and different poses for one shoot (e.g. dog running, playing, portrait, looking at the world and so on).


This is just a short serie, only took 15 minutes to shoot, but maybe that will help you to help me :)

Labrador - a set on Flickr

Not saying that Im a pro, and dont want the price to be to expensive, just reasonably.
 
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RockyNH_RIP

Senior Member
I been photographing dogs for a long time, for friends and for fun - and of course because I love it. Recently I got 2 request to donate portraits of dogs to support some dog related causes - I instantly said yes and I was very proud. A couple of times I've been asked by strangers what it would cost to get pictures of their dog, and honestly I dont know.

How do I set a price?

I am shooting portraits in nature, think I will get between 10 and 15 pictures which are good enough to be given to the owner.

Been looking a lot on other photographers prices, but they are SO different. Also I want different pictures, different situations and different poses for one shoot (e.g. dog running, playing, portrait, looking at the world and so on).


This is just a short serie, only took 15 minutes to shoot, but maybe that will help you to help me :)

Labrador - a set on Flickr

Not saying that Im a pro, and dont want the price to be to expensive, just reasonably.

That is a very good question..... I will be interested in the answer!! I want to look at your photo shoot but flickr is blocked at work so I will take a gander tonight.

(I like pet shots too)

Pat in NH
 

wud

Senior Member
That is a very good question..... I will be interested in the answer!! I want to look at your photo shoot but flickr is blocked at work so I will take a gander tonight.

(I like pet shots too)

Pat in NH

Ah work block - its the pictures of the brown labrador, showed some of them in another thread. My new member, I think.

Sure hope to get an answer :)

 
If 20% of your customers complain about the price then it right..if no one complains put the price up ... ( Photo millionare friend with big big lab)

Add up all your costs ..then your time at $xx per hour ..add 50% for you missing something...thats it ....Take owner and dog to park ..take 150-200 shots show him the best ....
 

wud

Senior Member
If 20% of your customers complain about the price then it right..if no one complains put the price up ... ( Photo millionare friend with big big lab)

Add up all your costs ..then your time at $xx per hour ..add 50% for you missing something...thats it ....Take owner and dog to park ..take 150-200 shots show him the best ....

Hehe.

Still really missing the $xx per hour. In Denmark I find prices from 50$ to 270$. Not to mention the really hard to see through prizes, some photographers has so many "if's" that its almost impossible to figure out, what 5 portraits would cost.

I was thinking something in between 50 and 85$ for the whole shoot (including my editing time)?? And not a word about how many picture the petowner will get.
 

wud

Senior Member
Okay. I set the price for 52,83 $. Thats a more round number in danish valuta ;-)

For comparison, 1 liter of organic milk cost around 1,76 $. So either you can buy 30 litres of milk or you can get pictures of your dog...
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
This one's easy... I price "pet portraits" like I do "baby pictures": If you have a cute baby I work for about $50 an hour plus expenses.

If you have an ugly baby, I charge double.
 

wud

Senior Member
This one's easy... I price "pet portraits" like I do "baby pictures": If you have a cute baby I work for about $50 an hour plus expenses.

If you have an ugly baby, I charge double.

Happy to hear that. And haha on the ugly baby.... do you get kicked a lot by moms?? ;)

 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
... do you get kicked a lot by moms?? ​
Kicked, punched, beaten, stabbed, death threats on my voice mail. More than once I've had my car's brake lines cut and/or my food poisoned. I just assumed this was normal for every photographer...

In all seriousness the only reason I charge at all, when I do, is to keep people from asking me to do "professional" work for them. Seriously. I don't aspire to becoming a true, full-time professional photographer and I don't mind doing some things for friends and family but... When someone wants me to spend a significant portion of my day, or weekend, or what have you... Well, there simply comes a point where my time, which I value, becomes the over arching issue.

If people know I'm NOT willing to simply give away huge chunks of my time and effort for free, I tend to get far, far fewer requests to do so; which again, is fine by me. Even if I only charge, say $10, the fact they'll have to pay me AT ALL eliminates a LOT of these requests because people LOOOOOOVE getting stuff for free. When I do charge someone, it's more about covering my expenses and driving home the point that I do not do "professional" work for free. Everything pretty negotiable but again, my time is valuable to me. Not being a full-time professional also affords me the luxury of being able to decide if I want you as a "client" at all.
 
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wud

Senior Member
Kicked, punched, beaten, stabbed, death threats on my voice mail. More than once I've had my car's brake lines cut and/or my food poisoned. I just assumed this was normal for every photographer...

In all seriousness the only reason I charge at all, when I do, is to keep people from asking me to do "professional" work for them. Seriously. I don't aspire to becoming a true, full-time professional photographer and I don't mind doing some things for friends and family but... When someone wants me to spend a significant portion of my day, or weekend, or what have you there, well... There comes a point where my time, which I value, becomes the over arching issue. If people know I'm NOT willing to give huge chunks of my time and effort away for free, I tend to get far, far fewer requests to do so. Which is just fine by me. When I do charge someone, it's more about covering my expenses and driving home the point that I do not do "professional" work for free. Everything pretty negotiable but again, my time is valuable to me.

Haha, living on the edge.

I wont mind some jobs as long as it can stay as a hobby that I love, think I get very inspired working with new dogs/owners. But dont want to do it for free for total strangers.


 
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