If you were in my shoes...

[chabooky386]

So I am doing an engagement party shoot for a close friend. The main photographer will be at the wedding and I told them I would rather them get someone with some more experience in their background. So they settled for the engagement party for me to shoot because they like the way I take pictures.

I am solely doing this for a friend and I told them I would do it for free. But, they said they would tip me for my time and pictures. I know for a fact they want to get these pictures printed. So my questions are...

1. Would you charge them for the pictures you printed and just add a lil to the total to get your fair share of money?

2. Would you sell them the pictures on a CD and let them print it themselves? If so, how much would you charge?

What do I do... I am quite lost...

[Rubi Jane]

For a close friend I'd shoot it for no charge and if they insisted in paying me I'd suggest they pick me up a gift card that I could buy some photo gear in whatever denomination they thought appropriate. You might get $50 or you might get $500. Either way I'd provide edited hi-res files on disk for them. If they wanted prints I'd charge my cost for the prints.

What are friends for? ;)

[michael_]

free but if they offer like lindsey said take the offer, prints charge costs

[dirtbiker]

I think Lindsey has the right idea here, plus it'll avoid putting your friendship in jeopardy. One other thing, the centrally justified text is quite hard to read. Good luck!

[chabooky386]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Charging for just the cost for the prints is what yall are saying right? So if it was $1 for the print yall would just charge em $1?

[Rubi Jane]

If the prints they ordered totaled $60 to me, I'd charge them $60.

[asysin2leads]

For a close friend I'd shoot it for no charge and if they insisted in paying me I'd suggest they pick me up a gift card that I could buy some photo gear in whatever denomination they thought appropriate. You might get $50 or you might get $500. Either way I'd provide edited hi-res files on disk for them. If they wanted prints I'd charge my cost for the prints.

What are friends for? ;)

This is very good advice. I never really thought about the gift card idea. Thanks for the tip.

[John Mireles]

I'd give the guy a disk and be done with it. Even though you'll be doing them a favor by only charging a buck, they won't see it that way. First, they'll want retouching done. Then the bride will complain because you took too long to deliver them, they weren't the right color, they should have been black and white. Then they'll want duplicate copies. Oh and you charged them too much. Once someone starts paying you money, no matter how little, they are your client and their expectations - and demands - go way up.

Never forget that no good deed goes unpunished. Shoot the photos and get out of the way.

John

[chabooky386]

I'd give the guy a disk and be done with it. Even though you'll be doing them a favor by only charging a buck, they won't see it that way. First, they'll want retouching done. Then the bride will complain because you took too long to deliver them, they weren't the right color, they should have been black and white. Then they'll want duplicate copies. Oh and you charged them too much. Once someone starts paying you money, no matter how little, they are your client and their expectations - and demands - go way up.

Never forget that no good deed goes unpunished. Shoot the photos and get out of the way.

John


Good input :)

[msjho]

will your assistant get a friendly tip? lol

[Francis Farmer]

this is what is killing professional photography

[michael_]

so you would charge a close friend?

[chabooky386]

so you would charge a close friend?


I would take a tip...

[jb_browneyes]

this is what is killing professional photography

No. He left the big job to the pro. THIS is whats teaching the aspiring.

[chabooky386]

No. He left the big job to the pro. THIS is whats teaching the aspiring.


At least someone understands :)