{"id":28061,"date":"2016-12-13T14:50:16","date_gmt":"2016-12-13T19:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=28061"},"modified":"2016-12-13T14:50:16","modified_gmt":"2016-12-13T19:50:16","slug":"help-much-charge-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/help-much-charge-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Help! How Much Should I Charge For My Photography?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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shutterstock.com\/goodluz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, you\u2019re all ready to be a photographer. You\u2019ve got your camera, you\u2019ve got some experience and know-how, maybe you\u2019ve even got a shiny new logo. Good for you! There\u2019s one more thing you need to do, though, to really be a photographer \u2013 you need to be paid for your work. Until you\u2019re paid, you\u2019re not a photographer, even if you\u2019re shooting shots Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/a> would have envied. Until you\u2019re paid, you are a hobbyist, a gifted amateur, a dabbler. After you get paid? Now you\u2019re a photographer!<\/p>\n

Some new photographers have trouble with how much to charge. But it\u2019s really very simple \u2013 economics 101 \u2013 balance supply and demand: Charge as much as the customers will pay but low enough that you\u2019ll still have to turn away some customers because of how busy you are.<\/p>\n

In practice, though, it\u2019s a little more complicated. And there are too many subjective factors for me to get specific on pricing, not least being the sheer number of photographic specialties there are, many of which have accepted pricing practices, and many of which vary wildly by location. But I can give you some questions that can help guide your thinking on this, and with a little experimentation you can probably figure out the right price point for you fairly easily.<\/p>\n

Are you confident in your work? Enough to charge for it?<\/strong> If you aren\u2019t, it\u2019s going to show. Make sure that you can look your client in the eye when you promise to deliver the job, and that you can still look him or her in the eye when you hand over the finished product. All photographers suffer from second, third, fourth, and fifth thoughts when they\u2019re evaluating their own work. A trusted and experienced mentor can be very helpful here, giving you an honest assessment of your skill level, and the confidence that you are at the level you think you are.<\/p>\n

Consider your business costs even before you take out any salary for yourself.\u00a0<\/strong>Yes, it\u2019s true that the economics of the customer play a large part in price setting, but there\u2019s another factor. You have to cover your costs and make enough profit to support yourself. Many beginners have another source of income and can run at a loss at the beginning, but that\u2019s not a long-term winning strategy. \u00a0Yes, in the age of digital your camera is probably a one-time startup cost (unless you\u2019re afflicted with the dreaded GAS<\/a>!), but here are some other costs you may not have thought of:<\/p>\n