Trying to figure out what to charge.

[shuedini]

I work full time at the local Sheriff's Office and I do photography on the side. The Sheriff approached me about doing some pictures for the agency. These pictures would include 72 individual head and shoulder portraits to be used on ID cards and they may also be used on the county website.

Of those 72, 26 of them will be done twice. Once in uniform and once in civilian clothing. Those 26 employees will also need to be on one large group shot which will be printed at somewhere around 30"x40" to be displayed at the agency.

I have the equipment needed to accomplish this, but I'm not sure where to even begin with what to charge for a project of this size. Up to this point the largest group I've taken pictures for was a family of 14, and even then I didn't do individual portraits.

Can anyone offer suggestions, like perhaps how much you would charge for something like this?

[NaKiD EyE]

tax payers are paying for it so... don't change him anything lol j/k

[amfoto1]

Well, it depends upon some other factors, too...

Will you be shooting in a studio? Or on location?

Will you be doing a lot of different shots of each person, or is it like a "seniors" shoot, one or two poses in front of a simple background? It sounds like a "DMV" or "mugshot" type shoot, largely... but they might go for something a little nicer for the website.

Can they work with you to organize it efficiently to all be done in one day, or will there need to be two or three or four different days or partial days?

How exactly do they intend to use the images? What will you need to provide to them? Digital files? Will you be having the printing done, or handing it over to them to print?

If you are doing the printing, you should find out the exact cost in advance and mark it up accordingly for your time and effort handling it.

Maybe quote a day rate for the shooting, provide them with a proof book to choose from, then a per image price depending upon whether it's going to be printed, put up on a website or whatever. Certainly there could be some discount involved, if for example they were licensing 72 images to put up on a website. Maybe the ID usage would be free.

Um... Since we're the taxpayers, we end up paying for it in the long run! ;)

[shuedini]

Well, it depends upon some other factors, too...

Will you be shooting in a studio? Or on location?
It will be done on location, in a public meeting room. That way the employees can come in from a certain time to a certain time.

Will you be doing a lot of different shots of each person, or is it like a "seniors" shoot, one or two poses in front of a simple background? It sounds like a "DMV" or "mugshot" type shoot, largely... but they might go for something a little nicer for the website.
It will be mostly "senior" style, head and shoulders. Where I will be doing a couple shots of each employee. Then there will be one large group shot of the jail staff.

Can they work with you to organize it efficiently to all be done in one day, or will there need to be two or three or four different days or partial days?
The Sheriff said that he wants it all done on one day.

How exactly do they intend to use the images? What will you need to provide to them? Digital files? Will you be having the printing done, or handing it over to them to print?
The images will be used on the county website. They will also be used for employee identifications. The only other thing will be a large 30x40 print of the jail staff that will hang in the public meeting room next to the image of the deputies that is already there. These images could also be used in the newspaper when they run stories involving a deputy or the Sheriff himself.

If you are doing the printing, you should find out the exact cost in advance and mark it up accordingly for your time and effort handling it.
I believe the only thing he wants me to print is going to be the 30x40 group image. And it will need to be on some kind of substrate so it can be framed (by the agency.)

Maybe quote a day rate for the shooting, provide them with a proof book to choose from, then a per image price depending upon whether it's going to be printed, put up on a website or whatever. Certainly there could be some discount involved, if for example they were licensing 72 images to put up on a website. Maybe the ID usage would be free.

Um... Since we're the taxpayers, we end up paying for it in the long run! ;)

Here is what I have figured...and what I think I'm going to propose to him for a price. This is based off of the figures that I normally charge someone who comes to me for pictures.

$150 - Session fee (includes 2 hours of shoot time and up to 5 people.)

$465 - 72 total employees + 26 jail staff (because he wants them in civilian clothes as well) - the 5 people that are included in the session fee. 93 "people" x $5 per extra person

$300 - 6 additional hours of work. ($50 per hour)

$125 - 30x40 print on mat board

$360 - CD with all the high resolution images with unlimited reproduction rights

So a total of $1,400. Do you guys think that sounds about right? Too high? Too low?

Out of that money I'm going to have to pay to have the 30x40 image printed and shipped. I'm also going to have to purchase an 8'x12' American flag to use as a background. I found one of those on ebay for around $60. And I think I should probably rent an 85mm lens. I have a 50mm and a 28-135...but I don't think those will be good enough for this project.

Their current pictures can be seen at http://www.clintoncountysheriff.com/current-officers/

[RGolfJ]

My personal opinion, as an employee of the Office, it sounds pretty high to me.

[Hogloff]

It sounds very high to me if the real need for the photos are for ID cards.

[shuedini]

Should I cut that number in half (like some kind of government rate?) Or should I just volunteer my time and services and only have the agency pay for the large print...at my cost?

Remember, this is going to be about an 8 hour ordeal. And that's not including the time spent at the computer.

These images will be used for more than just ID cards. They will be used on the county website as well. Not to mention that the Sheriff's Office would be able to use them, unrestricted, for whatever they might need them for.

I've seen on here time and time again where guys tell other photographers (professional or otherwise) to not just give their work away.

I do appreciate the feedback I've received thus far. But could anyone offer suggestions as to what they would charge. And perhaps an explanation of why they would charge that?

[airfrogusmc]

Should I cut that number in half (like some kind of government rate?) Or should I just volunteer my time and services and only have the agency pay for the large print...at my cost?

Remember, this is going to be about an 8 hour ordeal. And that's not including the time spent at the computer.

These images will be used for more than just ID cards. They will be used on the county website as well. Not to mention that the Sheriff's Office would be able to use them, unrestricted, for whatever they might need them for.

I've seen on here time and time again where guys tell other photographers (professional or otherwise) to not just give their work away.

I do appreciate the feedback I've received thus far. But could anyone offer suggestions as to what they would charge. And perhaps an explanation of why they would charge that?

Am I the only one that thinks thats to low by quit a bit? :confused:

[RGolfJ]

My main concern is that you work there. Is there an expectation from the Sheriff that it would not cost much for an employee to shoot it?

[airfrogusmc]

My main concern is that you work there. Is there an expectation from the Sheriff that it would not cost much for an employee to shoot it?

Unless photography is in your job description you should charge what they would have to pay anyone that would come in to do the job. Maybe cut them a bit of a break but if you don't do it they're going to have to get someone to do it, right?

[stagi]

I would charge very similar to that other than the 30x40 print my pricing would be more like $450. Other than that your pricing seems to be around what the market rate is (in my area) for something like this.

[airfrogusmc]

Your day rate for your time (you said it would be about 8 hours work) alone should be 1,400 plus all expenses and any prints, usage, PP, would be additional. $125 for a 30X40 is mounted is WAY to low.

[shuedini]

My main concern is that you work there. Is there an expectation from the Sheriff that it would not cost much for an employee to shoot it?
The Sheriff doesn't expect me to do this at a discounted rate. He is already aware of my standard prices. He hinted about wanting pictures done like this awhile ago and I gave him a business card so he could check out my site. The Sheriff knows that he wants quality work and he knows that he wants uniformity with the images that will be used on the county website.

Unless photography is in your job description you should charge what they would have to pay anyone that would come in to do the job. Maybe cut them a bit of a break but if you don't do it they're going to have to get someone to do it, right?
Photography definitely isn't in my job description there. And I thought that I was cutting him a bit of a break with the price of the CD with unlimited reproduction rights to the images. You're right, if he doesn't have me do the portraits, he's going to get quotes from other area photographers. I think he wants me to do them to "help out the small business." Plus having an in house photographer would be nice for the agency for other things as well...such as training exercises or charity events that they participate in.

I would charge very similar to that other than the 30x40 print my pricing would be more like $450. Other than that your pricing seems to be around what the market rate is (in my area) for something like this.
Thank you. May I ask where you would get something like this printed? I've found a couple of places online that print 30x40, but I've never used anyone other than Mpix or Adoramapix. And they don't print that large.

Your day rate for your time (you said it would be about 8 hours work) alone should be 1,400 plus all expenses and any prints, usage, PP, would be additional. $125 for a 30X40 is mounted is WAY to low.
Thanks! That's one reason I wanted to run these figures by other photographers before I turn in the quote. I didn't want to turn something in that will throw the Sheriff into immediate shock. But I also didn't want to turn something into him that was way too low and then be overwhelmed by the amount of work involved...without proper compensation.


Thank you to everyone who has responded so far. Any other ideas are more than welcome. I have another week or so before I have to turn in a final quote. I'd like to look for a good place to get the 30x40 print...so I can get a good price on that as well.

[Karl Johnston]

Just want to point something out; if you can't do the printing ..don't include it in your cost. If you cannot do something - don't say you can do it :)!
Depending on what the client wants (where will it be used?) you may want to consider that when searching for a place to do a 30x40" print on mat board.
30x40 is pretty darned big, and expensive in a lot of instances too .

http://gallerystreet.com/

Here's your cheapest and best bet, but you won't be able to do that size for as cheap as 125 and make any profit. Typically a print from a photographer should be marked up at least 200-400%.

Just judging by gallery street...which are reasonable as hell for reasons I can't understand..the initial price for a 30x40 archival print is $231-150 without being wrapped or mounted.

A 30x40 from me for a job like this (commercial) I could possibly do as low as 450, but that would be bare bone budget and i'd make very little profit. If they wanted a wrap or something like that the lowest I could go would be 600.

A project like this I would (being of limited experience myself, of course) charge a minimum of $1200 for the 1 day(8 hours) of shooting/post process/unlimited rights and then the extra amenities on top would be the prints, so the total may come out to be 1800-2000 by the time we're done. I think that's perfectly fair for a commercial stock and print job. Though that's me, up here, with my experience, in my market.