Shooting for Friends

[huntersdad]

One of wife's coworkers just got engaged. We are good friends with both her and her fiance. They have asked me to price out shooting some engagement pictures. I'm pretty comfortable doing these and they have seen my stuff before so no one's getting in over their head here.

My question is I'm starting to get requests from her coworkers to do child, family, engagement and wedding stuff. I've been pricing pretty cheap as I give them fully edited shots of all acceptable pics on a disc. I've been charging anywhere from $35-$75 (depending on drive) and producing about 30 pics per session (out of 45-60). All said and done the sessions are generally short and relatively easy.

I'm pretty comfortable doing this sort of photography but it's getting to the point that I think I need to charge a little more, especially this time as I will have to drive 2 hours each way for the shoot.

How do you guys price for friends? This is NOT my main source of income and I always make sure that there is a firm understanding of what you get and what you should expect.

[HastyPhoto]

Personally I charge between $100 to $200 for friends plus a small profit on prints. Really really good friends, I dont charge them for shooting, again just a very small profit to cover gas money if need be.

[MelindaG]

I only have one friend who gets free photography, but she promotes the hell out of my business and has been responsible for bringing in a ton of clients for me. All other friends/family get a 50% off rate for shooting. If it's a really good friend I 'give' them an engagement/baby shoot as their engagement/baby shower gift.

[mrbojangles13]

well are they your friends? or your friends friends? you said your friends coworkers were asking. if this is the case. charge them like they weren't friends.

[huntersdad]

They are my wife's coworkers and the guy is a hunting/fishing buddy.

[mrbojangles13]

oh thats a diff story lol. i must have misread the post

[snyderman]

2 hrs away = about 100 miles each way. Standard mileage rate @ 0.52 is $104 just in car expense. Four hours travel time, there and back, at a reasonable rate of $20/hour is another $80. You're already up to $184 in time and travel expenses and haven't taken a pic yet.

Gotta start charging for the time, effort and out-of-pocket expenses!

dave

[shphoto32]

You gotta charge something or else everybody who knows somebody will be expecting free pictures. You'll be the free photographer guy.

[spikeystitch]

My rates for friends are about $100 for 90 minutes and about 5-7 fully processed images. My rate then goes up 50% for referals or aquaintences. Mind you, this is only for portraits and I do next to no travel as it's all in the city. For close friends, well I usually have my camera with me everywhere so it's all practice, I get good looking people to take photos of and they get some stellar facebook photos.

I've had more people tell me I should charge more then I do but again, the market here is super competitive and I'm not sure at this point I'd bring in as many paying gigs as I have if I raised my prices right now.

Like others have posted, if you're travelling 4 hours I'd be charging for time, gas AND for the shoot. If someone likes your work enough, they will pay what you're asking.

[Mike30D]

Friends and family get 10% off of my wedding prices. Everything else they pay full price. Portrait sessions start at $150 and weddings start at $1350.

[mcorrea]

It depends, as a non written rule, I can offer free services for family or close friends, but not the products (digital, prints, etc.)

[sixsixfour]

Friends and family get 10% off of my wedding prices. Everything else they pay full price. Portrait sessions start at $150 and weddings start at $1350.

I do just about the same. Portrait sessions though I charge more.