Product/event photography?

My wife is doing a soft rollout of a new photography business. She's currently focused on family portraits, maternity and bridals, and plans to expand into weddings within the next year. She's been contacted about doing corporate headshots, and has rates established for these various types of photography. Overall, we're pretty comfortable with her business plan.

Today she got a call from a potential client who saw her work and loves it. This person does home jewelry parties akin to Pampered Chef, and wants my wife to attend one as a hired photographer. Details are a little sketchy, but from what I'm getting this would be a mix of photojournalism, glamour and product photography for the purpose of said client using the images for promotional purposes.

What kinds of rates should she set for something like this? Is it comparable to any other types of photography, rate-wise? It's not as easy to check the competitions' rates for something niche like this as it would be for weddings. We know we'll need model releases in order for the client to use any shots for a brochure or online advertising, but do we need to get property releases as well for the jewelry? Any advice would be welcome!

Hourly would be easiest. I'd say $250/hour with a 2 hour minimum to make it worth the effort. I'm cheap though. Others might charge more.

cdifoto wrote in post #7699042
Hourly would be easiest. I'd say $250/hour with a 2 hour minimum to make it worth the effort. I'm cheap though. Others might charge more.

That is very unlikely to ever happen in this instance. It's for a one person business similar to tupperware parties. The chances of them paying well over $1,000 for some photography is very slim, on top of the photographer being able to do the shoot in 4 hours to keep it from going higher. Totally unrealistic for this type of client. They will go get Uncle Joe first, or buy a camera and try ti themselves For a corporate client, $250 is fairly realistic for the lower end. But for a home party client, not so.

I'd recommend she figure out her bottom end, and them offer something higher and negotiated from there. As a basis, the rates are somewhere below the $200-$500 corporate rates, and somewhere around 'free from uncle Joe'. Where you'll end up is any ones guess. Just make sure her costs are covered, and she generates some level of profit. If she has never done it before, she should also be prepared to put in a lot more time than she expects. Also, Jewelry is one of the hardest products to shoot correctly with regard to lighting to make them really sparkle and look great. She should also do this totally separate from a party, just because of the lighting involved, disruption from the guests, and her disruption to the party.

Yes, you will need model releases. You should also pay them for their time since others would be making money off their talents, unlike a TFP situation. You do not need a property release for the products unless you plan on licensing to third parties, or otherwise sell the images commercially. If its for your own portfolio, something written in your estimate allowing that use, and signed by the creator/maker of the jewelry is all you need.

sfaust wrote in post #7700070
That is very unlikely to ever happen in this instance. It's for a one person business similar to tupperware parties. The chances of them paying well over $1,000 for some photography is very slim, on top of the photographer being able to do the shoot in 4 hours to keep it from going higher.

Totally unrealistic for this type of client. They will go get Uncle Joe first, or buy a camera and try ti themselves

For a corporate client, $250 is fairly realistic for the lower end. But for a home party client, not so.

Hey I never said they'd pay it. I just said that's the rate I'd quote. An event is an event as far as I'm concerned...it doesn't matter to me what they get out of it in the end or how much money they have to spend. I know what my time is worth and the effort I put into each hour doesn't change.

It's the same for weddings. You can make 20,000 a year or 20 million a year. My rates don't go up or down based on your income.

cdifoto wrote in post #7700076
An event is an event as far as I'm concerned...it doesn't matter to me what they get out of it in the end or how much money they have to spend. I know what my time is worth and the effort I put into each hour doesn't change.

It's a lot different than an event, with product shots, models, etc., but I digress....

Exactly right, and I surely didn't mean to suggest otherwise. Rates are based on the work involved, skill set of the photographer, expenses, overhead, and market rates. It should never be based on what the client can afford or wants to pay.

It's always better for an established photographer to walk, then to bend to unrealistic pricing. In the end the photographer will make out far better by building a better clientele, than the few dollars they might have made, or lost.

For a newcomer, there are other tradeoffs that might have value. For them, its a much harder choice

sfaust wrote in post #7700351
It's a lot different than an event, with product shots, models, etc., but I digress....

Exactly right, and I surely didn't mean to suggest otherwise. Rates are based on the work involved, skill set of the photographer, expenses, overhead, and market rates. It should never be based on what the client can afford or wants to pay.

It's always better for an established photographer to walk, then to bend to unrealistic pricing. In the end the photographer will make out far better by building a better clientele, than the few dollars they might have made, or lost.

For a newcomer, there are other tradeoffs that might have value. For them, its a much harder choice

Well the exact details of the event are sketchy according to the OP. He'd obviously want to get more exacts to know for sure what he's getting himself into. But to me an event is an event and whatever I do within that event is neither here nor there.

Beyond that, we're in total agreement. Especially about doing the macro product photography separately.

cdifoto wrote in post #7700385
Beyond that, we're in total agreement.

We agree that we are in agreement regarding the status of our agreeing, correct

Agreed.

sfaust wrote in post #7700514
We agree that we are in agreement regarding the status of our agreeing, correct

NickSimcheck wrote in post #7700584
Agreed.

Seconded.