How much to charge for shooting....

Hi all,

A coach, my friend, asked me to attend a table tennis event that will be soon upcoming and take photos there, and i think he is depending on me and maybe he will point out to me as a professional photographer in an facebook ad he will post before the event, and he told me to give quotation of what i am thinking about payment, so i am not sure at what rate or how much i should charge or ask, he wanted me to give him an answer very soon so he can prepare the payment before the event and give me later, so what do you think i should ask for?

Table tennis indoor, it can be for more than 5 or 6 hours maybe, i am thinking to take photos for 2-4 hours, not continuously but within that time length, if am excited more or not tired i can go up to 5 hours, also there is pp after i am done, how can you calculate your rate for this event or similar or any indoor sports shooting?

I know that i will carry my 1DX and 70-200II as my main combo, but what other lens if i need something wider or if i need better lens for action? i don't think i need anything longer than 70-200, but i am sure i need something wider definitely, 24-105L is great but not sure if the light conditions there allow me for f4 maximum wide open, i don't worry to go high if so, but i know i always like to use so high shutter speed to have best frozen action, and i am not sure if 24-105L will be the widest enough for me there as i sold my 16-35 already, i can carry 2 lenses as addition anyway and one more body for backup, but i have different collection of lenses that can be used indoor such as 135L and 85 1.8 and even 100 macro lens and 50 1.4 and Samyang 14 for fun.

I've shot two table tennis tournaments. You'll want the reach for the action, wider for awards and such.

6 hours @ $100.00 / hr, then double for the post work = $1,200 is a starting point for you.

TT is fast moving and generally dimly lit. Getting quality shots can be a challenge. Lots of emotion to be captured.

I'm not sure any of us have the knowledge of your local market to even make a reasonable guess.

Exactly, but I'm hoping tossing out some apples might help him price his oranges though.

$100 / hr? wow, i will be rich then.

I don't know if they can pay me more than $150 for 4 hours at least, but let's say i was thinking to ask them something around $50/hr, but i will check out with the coach, the coaches there taking about $20 / hr for their training sessions, so i don't know if they will think that photography isn't more expensive than training, what do you think? how i can answer him if he tell me why photography is more expensive than training when he do efforts in training and it is nearly non stop for whole hour while with photography i have breaks in each hour?

I will suggest $150 for 2-4 hours shooting for an amateur event. Let me also suggest using your 580 EX II with your 24-105 for awards ceremony etc.


Phil

Did he hire you as "I know a guy who takes pictures, I'll have him come and take photos for us and I'll throw him a few bucks so he doesn't feel like I'm using him".

Or did he hire you as "Hey, we need some great shots of our event...and I know a guy who does great photography...I need to get him to cover our event."


From what I'm reading...probably more the first. At that point...you probably just need to decide a bare minimum number that you want to walk away with.

It really doesn't matter what they charge for training...you're not training anyone.

When friends ask photographers to do some work for them, they typically fall into 2 categories - those who overpay because they don't want to insult their friend, and those who hope/expect freebies or highly discounted services because they are a friend.

This......

Plus....... the talent to use it to make quality pictures
Plus...

Equals..... a professional level rate.


If you're shooting snapshots for a cheap friend then yes, the $150 price point is about all you can expect.

Well, i talked with the coach again, and he told me that one part of the event was canceled, the kids playing, so now it is only the afternoon with adults or members classes, it means the duration will be less, and from his tune in his voice it is more like he is just want to invite me to play with them as i am a member and if i have time i can take photos here and there for 1 hour or so, and the ceremony he told me is not that much difficult even for them to take photos of, so it sounds like they are not expecting much to pay me, maybe even less than $100 for nearly 2 hours, i think it won't last longer than 3 hours and i won't take photos for whole 3 hours if so.

I gave him a rate not much but not bad as starter, will see his response later.

But good you gave me a base price so next time i can think about the rate i can ask, thank you very much!

Let us know how much you did get for shooting it.

Zivnuska wrote in post #17820938
Let us know how much you did get for shooting it.

Ok

It's been a month since your last post. How much did you get? The $1,200? $150? Less? More?

Zivnuska wrote in post #17864297
It's been a month since your last post. How much did you get? The $1,200? $150? Less? More?

Nothing worth at all, after all they wanted just to enjoy the time that day, they offer only a little discount for membership for next time i renew, and i really don't think i want to renew again in that place[academy club], i went there and played a bit but photographed more, but didn't take long time to take photos.

I knew i won't get anything worthy, but i went just to be part of that last day rumble they have for last year, and by taking photos i may get a chance some will recognize my work or effort and ask for me, that discount isn't something i care about but it is something if i will think to stay as a member there, the price of membership isn't expensive anyway.

Well, insulting photographers charges isn't something unusual in my country, there is a group in facebook and i am a member there where the admin and some members talking and joking about the charges they saw for photographers there in that big city, and i am a bit away from that big city [Dubai] where most of photography business are, so i can't expect much if they have same issue, in my country it is one of two things and third is much harder:

1. Hire models and big names by paying them fortunes so they give you back fame then you can start business by your own, but from where to get that fortune to pay them first place?

2. Become a big name in photography by miracle, and i don't know how i can be a big name in one day or one month, and the longer time i take to build my name, the more difficult and harder i can find market later when all aren't care about big names anymore

3. Luck, and this is the hardest part, as you don't know when luck is with you or not yet with you, i know some doing photography everyday and good way and they still suffer to have their own business or market, they get not much and try to survive with ti, while i know others they aren't any good photographer or known, they even rent gear from others, and i know one was asking me a lot and renting me, in sudden time they became a name in photography in my country, i don't believe that they are smarter in marketing or they know how to promote themselves, sometimes it is something you don't expect.

So, when that coach called me i feel it was part of luck or that i tried to promote myself a bit, why didn't he call another photographers? and they have a DSLR too even it is not much advanced as mine, but i have to think that any offer i may find i should take it until i can have clients or someone who can trust my work, if i keep refuse/reject all offers as those members or the admin in the FB group then we will always keep complaining and suffering about business and clients insulting us.

Consider pro-bono projects.