The pricing strategy may be one of the most important and trickiest aspects of your photography business. Setting a price tag on your work against the market is a strategic move. Check around your area and your specific branch of specialty as well as the photographer’s market and you will be able to establish a base rate as well as a ceiling rate for the type of work you offer against the existing market.
The basic pricing for event or advertising photography consists of a daily fee, creative fee, usage fee and miscellaneous expenses:
• Daily fee is the minimum base rate you charge for your time as well as your expenses with substantial revenue for a day’s work.
• Creative fee is the amount charged for your talent on top of the daily fee.
• Usage fee is an added fee charged for the type of usage required for the images you produce.
• Miscellaneous expenses are the out-of-pocket expenses related to the job you were contacted for plus a marginal percentage added to the price of any items as well as services used for the shoot such as extra gear, props, rentals, stylists, insurance and models.
For commissioned work that requires you to travel, you can add the travel and food costs as well other expenses required for the shoot. These may include accommodations, assistants, stylists, models, car rental, telephone, parking, and the like.
For the images that will be used for commercial purposes, you can include a royalty fee with a one time flat rate fee. These are best represented in coffee table books and magazines. Here an advance may be given to cover expenses and a royalty for each copy sold.
For clients that hire on the basis of retail photography, most photographers are hired with all inclusive rates. Such assignments include weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, etc. You can set a flat rate per hour. Usually you can require a non-refundable down payment to protect yourself from cancellations. You can also set a number on the size and prints of photographs per package.
Stock photographs are priced on a per photograph basis. Perceived value plays a large role in setting expectations for the value of an image and since this is subjective, it can range from a few cents to hundreds of dollars. Some factors that affect the pricing of stock photos are: budget range of a buyer, type of usage, rights upon being sold and the originality of the image. For example, a photograph used for a print advertising for a magazine with a circulation of 3 million will be priced differently from the same image used for a billboard seen on a freeway.
In any case, whatever your field in photography, always make sure that whatever way you price your work, you still make a profit from it. Pricing can be a challenge in the beginning but the more familiar you become with how the market works and how your services compare with those of other photographers, the better you can gauge a reasonable yet profitable price range.
Tags: photography services rates, pricing photography services
playground. The best way to learn about anything is to try something new each time. This will help you develop newfound techniques that you can apply in your art.
1. Get your gear – the tools of your trade will always depend on your budget, amount of space available, and the types of photographs you plan to specialize in or what your clients may require from you to take. It would be wise to start cataloging your work as soon as possible before it gets to be too much for you to handle, and do the same for all your equipment. It will take you at least a year for you to complete all the gear or equipment requirements you’ll need such as lenses, tripods, filters, flash, stands, etc. Try to minimize your purchases by determining the essentials before the luxuries such as expensive equipment you will hardly ever use during your photo shoots. Also try to make use of what office equipment you already have such as a computer, fax machine, scanner, printer and furniture. What you save on what you already have can go towards funding the expenses needed for more photography equipment.
force that will keep making your customers come back. This will also make it easier for you in the future since you might be given discounts if you patronize their services on a regular basis. In the beginning of your business, first impressions often last. Good and reliable suppliers will help keep your standards high and you will never compromise your work.
A remote control pan and tilt unit facilitates camera positioning through vertical tilt and horizontal panning and applications for such equipment can be used for its versatility in capturing aerial images for many much needed purposes. To name a few, media coverages, traffic reports, structural engineering needs, land developers, archeological site, field studies, residential developers and real estate agents, production companies and many more.
he market value for similar images so you can establish a fair price on your own. This will also give you an opportunity for some constructive critiquing. You can ask the people who visit your booth about what they think of you images and at the same time ask them what they are looking for.
images such as waterfalls and ocean waves. You can manipulate water into various forms and use in camera techniques to make it appear frozen or in a silky blur of motion. From large quantities of water to the merest raindrop, you can use this element to create your own unique niche that will define your work. 
It would be advantageous to be aware of competition and know the market value for your services. For example, set several packages per event, offer discount rates and added bonus shots that would make you a cut above the rest.
