Your thoughts please

tofuboy wrote in post #2363635
One can't run a business successfully without accounting for the Cost of Doing Business in their pricing.

But the point is that I'm not running a business. I am pursuing a hobby for my own pleasure.

Let me for the sake of illustration push your argument beyond the ridiculuous:

I can't make a shot of a sunset and frame it, because I'll be losing money and undercutting the pros. After all - by doing it myself, and not buying from the pro, the pro is going out of business.

And further, it's easier for me to purchase a sunset print from somewhere. The quality is going to be higher, the picture will be better and I won't have to invest 6 grand, like I did in equipment. I have about 10 pictures hanging around on the walls. It means each of them is about 600 bucks.

Oh goodness - I'm losing money!

When you're doing photography as a hobby, there is no expectation of making money. This is the Business of Photography forum and It seems to me (I may be wrong), that the OP is looking at this from the perspective of a professional and are looking to set their prices with that in mind. Those prices being charged should take into account all the costs of doing business... not an hourly wage that could be made at another job.

To put hourly wages in perspective, the estimated full cost to my employer for having me as an employee was about 4x my yearly salary.

Hatch....just reading your initial post and digesting what you have written (and the way it is presented) I think you have gleaned the essence of a darned good beginning. I get the gut feeling that your personal standards are going to carry you through. In the long run, this is what will establish your reputation. Reputation is what everything is built on. Your pricing plan and deliverables appear quite sound.
Next step is to take action !