This sounds like a headache.

Sounds to me like a chance to market your services to 30 potential clients. Go into it with the realization that you have potential to sell to 30 prequalified buyers. They all want senior photos, they are all the same age. They will show the results to their parents. You show up in advance with all your gear and make a setup with lights and stuff that they don't normally see. After a bit of tutorial on what you are doing and why each light is placed where it is, you assembly line each girl through and give them some pointers on posing, arm placement, facial expressions, etc. They all mingle around and make funny faces at the subject. In the end, each one signs up with an email address so you can distribute each one a web sized portrait (with marketing materials) as an example of why you should do their portrait shoot.

carlh wrote in post #15622410
lol, great thread but the price is a bit OTT.

Who in their right mind would want to pay $450 for a few photos.

Id be charging more like $20 a person x 30 is STILL a decent days wage. ($600)

ROFL you gotta be kidding me.

Holster wrote in post #15623150
Thanks everyone for the great responses

What price to charge is not the issue for me here. expecting to get 13k for a days work doing rushed portrait work does not sound like a way to get a good name out for myself. I still have to hear from the main person organizing this party but if it turns out that it will be individual photography sessions for each girl I think it would be best to suggest they break down into smaller groups to get more time to create quality photographs. If they want mainly group photos I'm more inclined to accept.

reading the people say they will rattle off photos as quickly as they can makes me cringe... where do you get creativity. If they wanted that they could just ask any old uncle Joe with a camera to come and snap away for a couple hours.

I guess for me this is more about style and quality issues. Why lower my own standards of photography just to do a job. With my process of using available light I wouldn't be able to dedicate enough time to each girl and create something that BOTH myself and more importantly the customer are pleased with.

I really hope the photographers on here that shoot events don't handle their projects like some of the posts in this thread have stated.

Hire 3 additional photographers and have them under contract. Pay them $2750 each. You pay yourself $2750 and keep an additional $2500 for setting the deal up and doing whatever prints/etc. is needed for the packages.

That's 30 clients to 4 photographers.

Not even, but that's approximately 4 hours of shooting for each photog if you give each client a 30 minute session, which should be easily doable in one day.

Numenorean wrote in post #15625161
Hire 3 additional photographers and have them under contract. Pay them $2750 each. You pay yourself $2750 and keep an additional $2500 for setting the deal up and doing whatever prints/etc. is needed for the packages.

That's 30 clients to 4 photographers.

Not even, but that's approximately 4 hours of shooting for each photog if you give each client a 30 minute session, which should be easily doable in one day.

This assumes that all 30 of the girls [parents] are ready and willing to drop $450 for a 30-minute photo session. I don't think that was the intent of the party.

I'd like to see what happens to the 30-person guest list if the invitation includes "Please come to my party with $450 for your photo session."

nathancarter wrote in post #15627723
This assumes that all 30 of the girls [parents] are ready and willing to drop $450 for a 30-minute photo session. I don't think that was the intent of the party.

I'd like to see what happens to the 30-person guest list if the invitation includes "Please come to my party with $450 for your photo session."

Of course I'm assuming that. Someone was balking at how it could even be done. Very simple solution.

If they aren't willing to pay an appropriate amount, then I wouldn't take the job. If they are fine with basic photos with little choice and the fact that them and their 29 friends have senior photos that all look similar, then I suppose I could do that at $150/head. I wouldn't do it any cheaper personally. And that would be a very basic package at that and certainly wouldn't include digital copies.

nathancarter wrote in post #15627723
This assumes that all 30 of the girls [parents] are ready and willing to drop $450 for a 30-minute photo session. I don't think that was the intent of the party.

I'd like to see what happens to the 30-person guest list if the invitation includes "Please come to my party with $450 for your photo session."

I'm still waiting to hear from the main mother but If this is more of a group shot event I'm more than willing to work with them for a reasonable rate. If they are looking for a deal because I'm someone's son then I don't think it will work out.

My hope is that I can get a few individual sessions out of this. I'm not looking to just do whatever to get a quick buck off of my potential customer. Id rather they be happy with their photos. Senior sessions are kinda a big deal to HS girls around here.

Holster wrote in post #15623150
reading the people say they will rattle off photos as quickly as they can makes me cringe... where do you get creativity. If they wanted that they could just ask any old uncle Joe with a camera to come and snap away for a couple hours.

Doing event photography, or photobooths at weddings or similar, you set the backdrop & lighting at the start then yes, it may seem a bit stale and clinical, but you can rattle portraits at an alarming rate. To say it can't be creative is a little disingenuous.
I note you say you're a natural light photographer so this kind of option isn't really open to you, but I'd never take a job like this relying on natural light alone.

It sounds more like to me they want pics of a party, not an actual portrait session of each girl. You need to explain the logistics of how you work (your natural light... technique?), time constraints, and all that. If they're still adamant on shooting everyone, then you need to make it worth YOUR while. IMO, 20 bucks per girl is NOT worth your while, because when you finish shooting, you're going to be dealing with all 30 girls, AND their parents, AND post production, not to mention any prints they want to order.

Trust me, this will be work, a lot more work than just shooting during that day and "earning" 600 bucks, most of which will probably go to your expenses, taxes, and prints if you do any.

I'd up it to at *the very least* $150/girl. I'd definitely prefer $450.00, and it's about ballpark what I normally charge for a portrait session (not headshots).

Holster wrote in post #15632005
I don't know what I'm going to do until I get to hear more details about the shoot.

Might I ask a question?

Based upon your location, is it possible to do an outside shoot and if it is possible how much of a time window will you have to work with?

Wayne

Channel One wrote in post #15632077
Might I ask a question?

Based upon your location, is it possible to do an outside shoot and if it is possible how much of a time window will you have to work with?

Wayne

Well this would be something for the spring/summer months. These girls are all in their JR year still and the days will be much longer then. I would still be under a major time constraint if they want individuals but if they want group poses I could make that work a lot easier. Then maybe try to get a few of them to do FULL individual sessions with me at later dates. They sent me an inquiry now so they can plan ahead because 30 girls might have different schedules during the summer.

Logistics and planning are your biggest obstacles. You've ALREADY spent time on this, and your time is valuable.

I might have glossed over this, but what to you normally charge for a portrait session, one on one?

Holster wrote in post #15632104
I would still be under a major time constraint if they want individuals but if they want group poses I could make that work a lot easier.

Considering at a party they are more than likely going to migrate into groups anyhow, just start with the group the hosts daughter is in and run from there.

Just don’t get into something that puts you under pressure, effecting the quality of your work and I am sure you will do quite fine.

Wayne

Oh yes, and get paid up front.

Zansho wrote in post #15632160
Logistics and planning are your biggest obstacles. You've ALREADY spent time on this, and your time is valuable.

I might have glossed over this, but what to you normally charge for a portrait session, one on one?

I haven't posted it but I usually start pricing at $400 and then depending on customer needs and specifics it can change.

I can see both sides to this debate but I tend towards supporting glumpy's pov.

It maybe just that we tend to work in a similar high-volume, fast paced environment but I do not see why people believe that huge amounts of time need to be invested in every shoot - sure some can be trickier than others but if I couldn't get some pics that I'm happy with inside of 10 minutes with an individual then I'd be gutted and dissapointed in my failure.

I'd like to bet that when a big pop star goes for a photoshoot they don't allocate endless time for it and the photographer is under pressure to get the shot in the time available.

I think that this thread has brought both extremes of the photography game into direct conflict - i.e. Making Money Vs Its my Art and it is always interresting to see where people sit on that subject.

As I Brit I don't really get the Senior Photos thing as it not a big market sector over here and I guess that this impacts on my opinions. In doing HS proms over here I can turn a single or a couple around very quickly and the kids love the photos that they get.

It is "cookie cutter" photography at its best but it can be very profitable business if you are quick enough getting through the clients.