Need help with pricing...

I need some help figuring out a good hourly rate a possible photography opportunity I've been given.

I'm in the beginning stages of my career as a photographer. I take local band photographs in the Minneapolis area at their live shows. I have also worked with one band on promo shots, but I did that free of charge for the experience, and they turned out great. Right now I charge bands $40 for live shows (local original bands usually play 45 minute to hour long sets). I shoot digital (Canon 20D) so the band just gets a CD of all the pictures I take and they deal with making prints on their own.

I got an email today about a different opportunity and I would like some input on you think I should charge, whether I should include proofs in this situation, or just stick with the CD? Any comments or suggestions are welcome!! I'm new to this, and it seems like it could be a GREAT opportunity for me!

Here's the email I received [with names changed]

---- ---- ---- ----

Wendy,

Saw some of your pictures and really like them. Oh probably should introduce myself I am [name] I own [Blah Blah Management] I have a solo artist [artist name] just starting out and very talented and I would like to start having pictures taken of her for her website, promo pack and promotional things. As I have no idea when all those things will get done I would like to have pictures at least. Oct 3rd she is recording her demo and would like you to capture her in the studio I think it would be a great atmosphere for you to shoot. Two things I have to hurdle you accepting this and checking if the studio will let me bring in a photographer I am guessing if I just give a heads up to them they wouldn't care. Let me know what rate you have in mind and we'll go from there. Think about this to I want a in house photographer for [Blah Blah Management] to take pictures of my bands and artists right now I work with 5. Maybe we can come to some kind of agreement as we both are business people. Thanks for the time.

ok first... starting out or not, NEVER give out CD's of your images... you are loosing out on money selling prints.

thats fine if you want to shoot for $40/45 min set, take all the photos, run them thru photoshop to resize down to 600 on the long side and watermark the crap out of them... w/ a line diagnol thru the whole shot, not too thick, and your copyright info in the lower corner, legally speaking it must be in this format:

© 2005 Mike Panic

copyright / year / name or company name

this is their proof cd.. if they want ot use them ona website, flyer, cd, prints, etc... work out all those rates at a later date, there is a website that will help you calculae these rates

for the bla bla bla managment situation... i'd prob do the in studio / on lcoation thing for 2 hours for $250, each additional hour for $100, min is two hours, then give them a proof cd w/ how i described above... also make sure you put a text (.txt) file on the cd that has all your contact info and that these are for proof purposes only, not for printing, redistro, etc..

again, when the time comes for prints / websites / press, you can gather info basedon their needs for quotes... the price for the studio time is for your time / talent only, does not include any rights to the photographs, prints, etc... only your time and a proof cd

as for working as that label's photographer, great oppertunity, do NOT sell yourself cheap. if you tell them something like $40 / concert, you will NEVER get a pay raise and they will expect the world from you...

Great information! Thank you.

Another question: many times bands only use the photos for online promotion - I understand the use of the watermark through the photo is so they don't make prints themselves - but how do I go about charging them for for photos they want to use online, without a watermark through the center, only the copyright information in the corner?

Another question: many times bands only use the photos for online promotion - I understand the use of the watermark through the photo is so they don't make prints themselves - but how do I go about charging them for for photos they want to use online, without a watermark through the center, only the copyright information in the corner?

Photos that would be used on a website are going to be a low enough resolution that any prints made from them would have to be either really small or they're not going to look very good. I would have them pick the pictures they want and then resize them to the size they'll need for the website, or resized to 600 on the short side with a copyright notice in the corner.

What about pricing?

for that you need to find out how long they intend to use them, how many hits their site currently gets and how many they think it will get

Makes sense. Could you elaborate?

http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm