Need a pros advice...

[Ryan_A]

I recently attended a good friends wedding. I am an amature who only a week prior to the wedding got my first SLR. I read a bit on the forum to know enough to stay out of the pros way. However, the person they hired to take the pics was a family friend of the Bride and I guess she didn't get any candid shots. So while she was busy staging each photo I was off shooting random things whenever I felt I wouldn't be in her way.

The grooms mom called me and told me that she enjoyed my pics a lot more and that the other ladies photos just looked to staged and the composition was a bit off. She mentioned that everyone was just too far away and the pictures didn't seem personal enough.

Now she wants me to give her some photos on a disk....Here is the need for advice...

I shot several hundred RAW files and I think that there are definately some keepers in there. I don't want to just give her a disk and have her make copies for whomever. The white balance will be off etc...they just need some attention to make them what they could be. This attention will take time. I am a full-time grad student that also teaches and time is stretched pretty thin.

Here is a link to some of the pictures: http://homepage.mac.com/ryan_a/Marchione_Wedding/
I have learned quite a bit since I posted this page some I am going to go back and crop some images in different ways and process the lighting and saturation a bit more...

How much should I charge for my time? I already made a page that they can look at but if they want prints that just opens up a new can of worms. I will have to process each of the pictures that they want and it could end up taking quite a bit of time to get all these done and printed.

Should I charge a per photo charge, hourly charge for the processing? I just don't know. I would appreciate some help..

Thanks for the replies.

Ryan

[SR071]

Easiest way would be to explain things as you have here, invite the mum round and you can go through your keeper folder, she selects the shots she wants.

Then you agree that each shot will take 10 minutes or so to process, and each shot perfected will be $xx

That way you're not wasting time PP all the shots, and she's happy as she's getting and paying for exactly what she's asked for.

[tim]

Friends and money don't mix, IMHO don't try and make a profit. Tell them you'll charge cost + maybe $2 per print (amount is your call) to cover the post processing required.

You have some nice images in there, a few are a bit soft but pretty good given your experience level :)

[Seefutlung]

Why do you desire to charge a friend for pictures of his/her wedding??? That I don't understand. I do understand lack of time and lack of money for printing supplies. I'd give her a CD as a wedding present and explain that it made take a month or so before you've completed your processing.

[llaamaboy]

Ryan ...
With photography you should either give it away, charge cost, charge retail.
Friends after the wedding are probably free, but it sounds like you might consiter going to the next step.

What Seefutlung said... its good advice. :D

[PIXI_666]

Id suggest giving them an order form, getting them to pick which ones they are and then ONLY add a couple of busk for each photo. eg a 4x6" costs you say 50c, ask for $1.50 or $2 - this way it is paying for postage and post processing - like what Tim said!
You weren't hired to take the photo's so i don't think you should be charging a lot of money for them - fair enough if you WERE their wedding photographer...but i think a couple of bucks per photo's should be enough to cover your costs.

I cant open the link you gave me :(

Del

[Ryan_A]

Thanks for the advice. I felt a little weird trying to ask for money anyways... I was actually thinking of taking the photos that I liked and having them printed in a photo album from iPhoto or aperture or something and giving it to them as a wedding gift, but I haven't seen the quality so I am not sure. Have any of you guys done that?

I would feel a little wierd charging a little bit but his mom seems like she might want quite a few. I was thinking about 2$ a pic would be good to cover shipping, printing etc... Like a couple of you said 'friends and money don't mix' and I feel that way also. That is why I posted this. I think I will just tell her that it will just take me some time.

Thanks for the replies!

[BLINN]

Ryan that sounds like a great idea. this is what I used to do for years, before I start charging people for it. Plus it build your portfoilio.

[PIXI_666]

yes your portfolio is a fantastic excuse to do this for free!!!

[Seefutlung]

^5, IMO you're doing the right thing. If money is in short supply (... like with what student isn't it...) then a nicely wrapped CD is still appropriate and the best wedding gift they would get ... a gift of your time and skill ... a gift that captured an important moment of their lives.

[BLINN]

Couldn't say it better Seefutlung

[llaamaboy]

Couldn't say it better Seefutlung

Yea ... the guy has a habit of doing that ... :D

[Stooge_UK]

My girl friend agreed I would photograph one of her friends wedding for her as they were not planiing to have a photographer there (just rely on friends photos). Should stree i am just a keen amateur.
After it was over we picked and printed the best photos, placed them in an album for them. They still maintain it was the best wedding present they got given.

(Becuase of this i have had a couple of her other friends ask me to do photos at there wedding, but in both cases I have managed to convince them to hire a pro and I have gone along and taken soemas well, for me the best of both worlds as I watched the pro carefully and learned more for the future)

[llaamaboy]

After it was over we picked and printed the best photos, placed them in an album for them. They still maintain it was the best wedding present they got given.


Warms the heart doesn't it?
You gave them something no one else can give.

The value of our images? In the really bad earthquake in the 90's in San Francisco, when people were give just minutes to get treasures out of the houses, they came out with photos more than jewelry ...

[Harry Settle]

Almost every answer given is right on the spot, IMHO. A couple of years ago I shot a 50th wedding anniversary for a friend, for free, and ended up making over $1500 off of it. Shot another one for the other set of parents this year, for free, and am up to $400 in residuals, so far. I have a young couple that has brand new twin girls that I shoot portraits of any time they want, for free (experience and practice), and I've made around $400 in residuals, Christmas cards etc. . .

[DAG123]

Warms the heart doesn't it?
You gave them something no one else can give.

The value of our images? In the really bad earthquake in the 90's in San Francisco, when people were give just minutes to get treasures out of the houses, they came out with photos more than jewelry ...

That is a great way to explain to a client why the cost might seem high. I am going to remember this line for when the occasion calls for it

Thanks!

[llaamaboy]

That is a great way to explain to a client why the cost might seem high. I am going to remember this line for when the occasion calls for it

Thanks!

We sell emotion, memories and a link to our heritage. Grand parents, you owe it to your grand kids to have your photo taken so they can relate the wonderful stories to their children ...