If you shoot professionally, do you charge friends?

Ha, I just noticed this is a 3 1/2 year old thread.

It's the same no matter what, though when it is reduced I often work for trade. I have a lot of friends, if they all expected discounts or free...I probably would never get paid

Karl Johnston wrote in post #12311844
It's the same no matter what, though when it is reduced I often work for trade. I have a lot of friends, if they all expected discounts or free...I probably would never get paid

I like to think that I become friends with most of my clients. So that means there are "friends" and there are "real friends." I gauge the possibility of a price break according to how expensive a gift I'd buy them if I weren't a photographer. If I would not buy them a $300 gift, then I would not give them a $300 discount.

My Friends are my best salesmen. They tell all thier friends about me. I get a lot of business because of my friends. So, I discount the heck out of any photography I do for them. Usually its at my cost. I have a hard time charging regular prices for my friends and they in turn have a hard time charging me regular prices when i need things. So we help each other out when we can. Thats what firends are supposed to do.

I occassionally make money on the side from my photography. Currently I'm working more on building my portfolio so I tend to be the one asking others to be in my pics. So I have an outstanding agreement with many of my models. They have modeled for me on numerous occassions over many years, sunny or rainy, hot or cold, 2 or 12 hours, no complaints. So once I start charging as the summer season will begin and I upgrade my camera, they will retain the right to ask for free shoots. Others, including family and friends, who were not there to help me get there will get fair pricing given their relation to me be they will get charged.

My personal 2 cents.

-Sacha

I don't charge friends, they offer the money willingly, something about being friends and wanting me to succeed in my business...

My brother is in furnace/air repair, he charges everyone for his services family or not.
Same for other relatives who are accountants and lawyers, Their time is money and they expect to get paid for their services.
Took me a while to catch on, but taking a few small business night courses straightened me out.
I will give relatives reasonable discounts, but no more freebees.

Photography is becoming a very devalued commodity by people just giving it away or changing next to nothing for images (ie: microstock)

When I'm out and about with friends, we don't work. We relax and enjoy what ever event we are at, or even if it's a dinner party. They don't lawyer, doctor, mechanic, manage, curate, teach and I don't even carry a P&S, it's one of the few times I don't carry a camera.

Outside of our get togethers, be fishing, a play, opera or just a tailgate party for the heck of it.

We all charge as normal outside the play time. Play is play, work is work.
Family just wished I would charge. I work them schlepping gear like crazy when it's a family shot, then they order and pay for their own print, ah at my cost but, they buy.

cdifoto wrote in post #4466170
Depends how sexy the friend is and how naked she'll get.

Haha, greatest reply to any question posted here. Good man.

On to the subject - it depends. I consider myself as only having 2 good friends and a girlfriend - and these people are constantly in front of my lens when i'm buggering around/practising/rehe​rsing a shoot etc., so obviously they get it all free. If they ever need a shoot done for real, I sortah owe them haha.

But with my 150+ 'aquaintences' (ie people that consider me a friend, but that I don't really have any stake in), then yes, generally I do. I'm shooting a mates wedding soon, and charging about 75% off what I usually would, but still getting enough to profit. I also shot a mate of my dads newborn child about a month ago and charged about 50% off.

I definitely give my aquaintences a discount, but I still definitely charge them. They would charge me if I needed their professional services, i'm sure.

Friends I charge, family I don't. But my family always exchanges services for free. If I have a plumbing problem I call my plumber cousin and he fixes it for free. If I need anroom painted I call my painter cousin. If I need my piano tuned I call my sister. So when they come to me asking for pics of their kids of course I'm going to do it for them for free! That's what family does.

Phil Light wrote in post #4466161
If/when you have friends, relatives, coworkers who have some type of event (weddings, birthday parties, senior pictures, graduations, etc.) that they would like photographed, and they ask you to shoot it, first of all, do you do it at all? If you do, do you charge them? If you charge them, do you give them a break on price?

I try to avoid doing work for friends especially weddings as that usually involves an unknown second party who I have never worked with that being ether the bride or groom, however if requested I will do the work and will try to cut them a better price but never mention that I did so.

Now if they don’t ask and the work doesn’t conflict with my schedule then there is possibility I will offer to do the work for free as a gift.

It is not something one can set in stone each situation must be weighed on it’s own merits.

Wayne