Photographer's remuneration

[dragon76]

Hi All, I am just wondering how much do photographers charge per hour or what other methods of remuneration do they use for shooting studio or outdoor portraits. Cheers Dean

[Andrew1]

There seems to be a wide variety of charges depending on your style, your reputation, and especially your location. A five hundred dollar job from an established pro will be closer to one hundred for someone without references. A five hundred dollar job in Brisbane may well be a thousand in Los Angeles.

It might be prudent to check out the market in Brisbane. Find a couple with the style you like and at a competency level similar to yours, or where you want to be, then call and get their rates.

[Shadowman]

Here's a link to what you should consider.

http://www.infoentrepreneurs.org/en/...ct-or-service/

[dragon76]

Thank you both for the info which is very helpful. I realised that I didn't have much info in my OP, I have a day job and photography is pure a hobby as I'm not trying to make a career out of it but a few people have been asking me to do some composite portrait works which I have done for a few of my close friends. I did prefer these people onto to professional venues but maybe they didn't like the pros' style and so they kept on asking. It's difficult to work out a reasonable amount as I don't know anyone in my city is doing this kind of work and obviously I don't want to overcharge but on the other hand, my Elinchrom strobes & modifiers in my studio didn't come cheap either. I will go through the info again and will try to workout something but if it's too much of a hassle, I won't take it on. Cheers Dean

[Steaphany]

I found this advice very useful when setting the sale price of my photography:

If You Can Afford Yourself, You're Too Cheap! Advice from Bambi Cantrell

[dennybeall]

Do some research and determine what others in your market are charging. Then triple it. If you get 1/3 as much business as them - you make the same amount with less work.....

[William W]

Hi All, I am just wondering how much do photographers charge per hour or what other methods of remuneration do they use for shooting studio or outdoor portraits. Cheers Dean

I do Commissioned Portraiture and charge a set fee for a Portrait sitting in Situ or Studio. If extensive travel is required that is factored in, but mostly the fee is the same, so, no, I do not charge by the hour: but I charge for the job to attain the results.

Typically for one to four people the commission fee would be in the range of $350 to $600 ex GST.

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. . . I'm not trying to make a career out of it but a few people have been asking me to do some composite portrait works which I have done for a few of my close friends. [B]I did prefer these people onto to professional venues but maybe they didn't like the pros' style and so they kept on asking.

That's different. And I am confused.

What do you mean exactly by Composite Portrait ?

Because that's a really specialized field of Portraiture and I don't know if anyone in Brisbane would be doing that.

The Photographer's 'style' would not enter into the equation as a Composite Portrait is a specific 'style' unto itself.

Maybe you mean Composite Imaging such as HDRI? (High Dynamic Range Imaging) which can be tricky with Portraits

WW

[dragon76]

That's different. And I am confused.

What do you mean exactly by Composite Portrait ?

Because that's a really specialized field of Portraiture and I don't know if anyone in Brisbane would be doing that.

The Photographer's 'style' would not enter into the equation as a Composite Portrait is a specific 'style' unto itself.

Maybe you mean Composite Imaging such as HDRI? (High Dynamic Range Imaging) which can be tricky with Portraits

WW

Firstly, thank you very much for the helpful info which is precisely what I wanted to know from a pro perspective. In regarding "composite portrait", yes, It would be like HDRI of a scenery background and portrait of a person in the foreground. Sometimes, I could do it all in one shot and most of the time, I have to do this in multiple shots and put them all into one final image. For example, a mate of mine is a big fan of the comics superhero Superman. A few months ago, he wanted a portrait of himself as the character (he's a body builder and has a realistic looking superman cosplay). So we sketched up an image of him leaping up from the water surface in the foreground and a few other elements in the background such as fortress of solitude, stormy sky etc. To accomplish this in one shot, he would have had to be suspended in mid air above the water surface (ie a lake or a pool) and I would also some how have to set my Ranger high enough to expose him properly for the shot. It was an impossible task (from my photography level perspective) so I went to a lake, threw a few rocks to create ripples and capture a few shots of that. I then replicated the lighting condition & perspective of the lake shot and took a few shots of him leaping up in a studio. I combined those 2 shots with some of my own stock photos to create one final image. Sorry for the long-winded explanation. I know this may sound a bit strange but I guess the stories they want to portray in these type of portraits mean much more than just the conventional glamour photos of themselves. I will ask to see if I can post one image here to make thing a bit clearer. Thanks Dean

[IzzieK]

Now this is getting interesting...I'd like to read the rest of conversation here...

[William W]

Now this is getting interesting...I'd like to read the rest of conversation here...

OK

** *

Firstly, thank you very much for the helpful info which is precisely what I wanted to know from a pro perspective.

You’re most welcome.

***

In regarding "composite portrait", yes, It would be like HDRI of a scenery background and portrait of a person in the foreground . . . most of the time, I have to do this in multiple shots and put them all into one final image. For example, a mate of mine is a big fan of the comics superhero Superman. A few months ago, he wanted a portrait of himself as the character (he's a body builder and has a realistic looking superman cosplay). Etc. . . . Sorry for the long-winded explanation. I know this may sound a bit strange but I guess the stories they want to portray in these type of portraits mean much more than just the conventional glamour photos of themselves. I will ask to see if I can post one image here to make thing a bit clearer.

FIRSTLY: do NOT apologize for the ‘long winded explanation’ – how am I (and others) expected to understand the question if you do not take the time and effort to explain the situation.

Secondly - it is NOT in any manner “strange”.

You are being asked to fulfil a specific Portraiture task: I do that all the time.

If you have the skills and also (importantly) THE INTEREST in doing it, then you could make a good team with your Subjects and make good work from that TEAMWORK.

***

Advice: I believe that one has to balance remuneration (i.e. MONEY) with LIFE EXPERIENCES.

I suggest that you ask yourself: "Will I get joy from this venture?"

"Will I learn stuff?"

If yes - then charge a fee that will cover your “time” at a reasonable rate and include the “time” for Post Production too.

If you want a money figure breakdown – I spend about two hours with a Portrait Client on a Shoot. I have already spent about 1½ hours with them preparing and planning. So let’s say I charge them $350 + GST for the shoot, then that about $50.00 per hour and that doesn’t include ant travel time and Post Processing time. I could not live and feed a family on six Portrait shoots per week. But I do Portraiture for love and not for money, so that might give you some better figures with which to work.

I would not be backward in telling your friends the breakdown – or even referring them to this thread and explaining that for HDRI you will probably spend three times as much time at the computer than on the shoot.

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For your information: “Composite Portraiture” is a very specific genre of Portraiture developed by Sir Francis Galton.

I have dabbled in this genre with Film quite a few years ago, and only because this genre of Portraiture was used as an adjunct for profiling criminal and oddment psychological behaviour and I made Composite Portraits for my (later to be) Wife’s thesis paper.

That’s why I was confused as to what you meant when you wrote: ‘composite portraiture’

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Good luck

WW

[mrinmoyvk]

Very nice info in all the posts.. looking for more as I just quoted for my first paid shoot.