Texas Photo Forum

LizG · 12:20 PM

A friend has contacted me about doing her brother's engagement and wedding photos.

Since I am just starting out in my business I am not sure what to charge, or even if I should do it.

If I did it, I would do it to help build my portfolio and also for the experience-not necessarily for the money (although there will be some expense involved on my part if I need to rent a second camera body, another lens, etc.) They are not interested in prints, but a CD and want to get their book made on their own.

It will at least be 1 hour for the engagement session, and at least 6 hours at the wedding (before, during, and after). I will need to rent a second camera body (as a backup and to have two cameras at the event, and maybe another lens), and have an assistant come with me.

Just not sure what to do.

w9ctm · 01-14-2010, 10:26 AM

My first suggestion would be to go to the Wedding Discussion section and read through all of the Stickies. If you still want to do the wedding, then you will at least have some kind of an idea of what you are going to be up against.
My next recommendation would be to have them find someone else do their wedding that has done several weddings before, and hopefully knows wha they are doing. Then perhaps you could shadow that photographer and figure out if shooting weddings is what you want to do. Or shadow some other photographers, or become a second and have shot many weddings as a second before you go out on your own. It is not nearly the same as shooting a few pictures of a couple having fun in the park. To do it right, you need some experience. I don't reccomend that anyone garner that experience by just shooting a wedding. Too much to know beforehand, and it is oh too easy to mess it up.

just my .02

CaptainTom · 01-14-2010, 10:28 AM

Do it for free. You get what you pay for so what have they got to lose ?

dmcantrell · 01-14-2010, 10:31 AM

Chuck has given really, really good advice.

Here's a Pricing Sticky in this forum

Here's a sticky about your first wedding in the wedding forum

LizG · 01-14-2010, 10:50 AM

I know, I am a little nervous because weddings are a whole different ball game.

Cajungaltx · 01-14-2010, 10:55 AM

My first 2 weddings I charged the couple $150/each.

That was for retouched, edited images on DVD.

My contract spelled out - specifically - that I was new, I had not done a wedding prior to this one (or had only done one) and that they understood this.

Fortunately, I knew my camera, and other than the fact that I shot the first wedding almost entirely with a 50/mm lens... *lol*...it was good.

They got great images... I got experience....

I covered my costs for travel, meals and Starbucks...and ate the time, lens rental, etc that I did.

ronocnikral · 01-14-2010, 11:42 AM

depends on what your objectives are.

if it's a hobby, whatever you charge will be looked at making money b/c you consider everything else is a sunk cost to you.

if you are in the game to make money, you will most likely find that you lost money on your first wedding.

but experience will key you in on what the true costs.

regardless of what other loons say on here, you should be collecting sales tax...

Howard Barlow · 01-14-2010, 01:25 PM

If you are going to do this as a business, assuming you are a competent photographer, set your rates as a serious professional. Pricing is part of establishing your public image, your perceived value. Also, if you start low, it is more difficult to raise prices to where you will want them. The people who get the low rates at first, will never pay your higher rates, as you have established your value to them.

brad · 01-14-2010, 01:30 PM

And remember....

No good deed goes unpunished. Your friend may say she doesn't expect greatness, but she still does. I've seen friendships ruined over less.

Also realize that the people who pay the least are often the ones that complain the most.

Not realizing these lessons soon enough is what thoroughly soured me on wedding photography.

w9ctm · 01-14-2010, 03:55 PM

"Also realize that the people who pay the least are often the ones that complain the most.

Not realizing these lessons soon enough is what thoroughly soured me on wedding photography."

You are sooo right Brad. The sooner I raised my prices, the sooner I got rid of the complainers.... Others I knew in the Wedding Video Business couldn't understand why I learned to like the wedding video business so much. (it's because they were shooting every weekend trying to make the same money I was making shooting one weekend a month...)

csa · 01-15-2010, 08:29 AM

Liz, you don't even mention the time in prep and post-production which will almost assuredly be given free but at least still considered.

LizG · 01-15-2010, 10:21 AM

Yes, I didn't include the hours in post-production that will take place-that is a given. This one will definately not be a money maker, nor did I ever count or expect it to be-but doing it for the sheer fact that I love photography, and of course for the experience.

Luckily I don't have to support myself with my photography. ;) I do it because it is my creative outlet and my passon.

ronocnikral · 01-15-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LizG

Yes, I didn't include the hours in post-production that will take place-that is a given. This one will definately not be a money maker, nor did I ever count or expect it to be-but doing it for the sheer fact that I love photography, and of course for the experience.

Luckily I don't have to support myself with my photography. ;) I do it because it is my creative outlet and my passon.

art for art's sake? there is one thing better than doing something you love, getting paid well for doing it.

either way, have fun and let us know how it goes.

LizG · 01-15-2010, 10:35 AM

Yes, that is my plan to make money at something I truly love!

Thanks everyone for the great comments/suggestions! I appreciate it!

tukaniray · 01-15-2010, 10:43 AM

Good luck with you wedding ...

For me, my first wedding I had the couple pay for my rentals and prints ... I took care of everything else. They were happy with that.

That way you get the equipment you need for the shoot and gain experience without feeling like you jipped them or they jipped you.

-Ray-

WarrenG · 03:28 PM

Brad was very right, the lower the budget, the greater the expectation...regardless of what they say now. There is a lot of good advice here, and as previously mentioned, there is a lot to wedding photography that has nothing to do with the actual photography. Understanding the rules of the venue, understanding how to overcome set-backs like delays to the ceremony, etc. If your renting equipment you will probably be unfamiliar with it (assuming it works 100% to begin with). Finding out there is a problem with rented gear during the middle of the formals when you are left with only 15 minutes to complete them because of a late start to the ceremony, is most certainly going to shake the confidence of almost any photographer. Are you familiar with how to have the bride and groom cut the cake and position their hands, etc? We are asked this a bunch where we are in venues where the corrdinator may be very busy or "MIA", and there are a plethora of other things that "come up" which are out of the ordinary.

Learning on the job is certainly a great experience, but never the less, when someone pays for a service there is a certain level of "expectation" that comes along with it. I might suggest that you have your friend pay the "costs" - rental gear and a tank of gas, and that you provide the photography as a "Wedding Gift" since you will be gaining experience from it and using it towards your portfolio.

Just my .02 cents. Good Luck

W

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