Ok, so this topic ended up relating primarily to, yet again, my "rates", with John, Chris et.al observing:
> > That's not a budget - it's a joke. > > > > four rolls of film, and expecting 100 shots? > > > > HAR!" Hmmm, now how do I respond? Well, it all started back in August when a local lady approached me and told me that she was starting up a kids clothing label. She was going to be developing a website, and would need about "18" photographs. Her budget was au$400. I told her immediately that, I would need to shoot at least 4 rolls to come up with the 18 that she would need, to allow her at least some choice etc. At this stage, it didn't include any studio work, this was JUST for the location stuff with the kids dressed in the clothes etc. The reasoning for my quote? Then, I had never done anything commercial at all. Fashion is an opportunity that I don't get to do very often out here, but it is the "root" of my photographic passions, I love to do it that much. Combine this with getting to shoot with the kids, and I get to double my fun. I felt awkward and fraudulent charging her too high a rate for something that I have little to no experience in, sooooo, I quoted her a rate of au$100 per roll of processed film. She would receive, as proofs, first run 5x7" prints, plus negs. To be honest, I was just covering my expenses, cause I would have done this entire shoot for free just to gain the experience and the exposure from her website. This lady has vision, and mark my words, her label is going to go places... au$100 per roll, is what I was then charging for my portrait sittings, so I just quoted her the same. Well, time passed, and there were delays at the manufacturers etc. My lady only received her final garment samples last week. Obviously my situation has now changed somewhat than what it was in August. I am now able to offer her digital services. Soooo, basically, I won't incur any processing/film costs that I had already factored into the original $400 and so, that in effect, is clear cut profit. I didn't want her to feel as though I was ripping her off, as she knows very well that I now wouldn't have to pay for film/processing, so instead I gave her more of my time. I still have another 2 or 3 days work to go. I know that this averages out at a very low hourly rate, but like I said, remember, I would have done this job for free, I love this type of work THAT much, and never get to do any of it out here where I am located. *eek* i just worked it out and it is like, $7.30 per hour of shooting time alone, that is without factoring in post-production, archiving, burning, etc... When she pays me the $400 in coming days, it will go straight to the seller of the camera, and so, really, she has assisted in enabling me with said camera, and for that I am very greatful. Add to this, the exposure that I am hoping to get from her website, and I feel that in this instance, I have truly been paid enough. You just cannot put a price on the value of a valid tear sheet/full website combination (but I am secretly hoping that the website is very well designed and doesn't look dodgy! although knowing this lady, I doubt that it would be done any other way than wonderfully, as she is very calculated about everything that she does)... To be able to refer someone to that site and say, "oh, yeah, btw, all of the photography on that site is mine..." would just be so fantastic... Secondly, she has already booked me for a second shoot for her fashion line that will be released in April, on the strengths of the images that I offered her the other day after my studio shooting. Sooooo, now I feel that I have painted myself into a corner (as warned by many of you already!), and now I am trying to work out how to increase my prices for the next shoot so that she still feels as though she is getting value for money, whilst paying more for it. If I were doing the same amount of work that I have done for this one, I would want the budget increased to around the $1500 for it to be "feasible" I would think, that way I would at least be making around au$25 per hour, something that I think is much more reasonable. (still too cheap by most of your standards, I know, but reasonable to me...). She is really appreciative that she got a great deal for the first time around and does expect it to increase somewhat - so I was thinking that I could maybe invoice her for the $400, but divide it out over a per hour basis so that she does actually see that I was only earning $7 per hour, which is less than the award wage for a Check-out Chic in these parts! So, that way when I invoice her for the next job, I can simply put 60 hours @ $25 per hour = $1500 . This is more inline with an average weekly wage, and I am sure that she would appreciate that, knowing that I put in well over an average weeks worth of work. What do you guys think? TIA, tan.
