how much to charge ???

[PeneStevens]

I've been asked to photograph a very casual wedding in september - they want a cheap alterative to a "real" photographer. ( i'm not sure if i should be insulted or not LOL)
i dont want to go overboard with my price, but i'm certainly not giving my time away for free either !!

the bride thinks that i'll be working for about 4-5 hours with no real formal shots and expects all the photos on a DVD.

i was thinking of charging $350 for the actual photography part of the day
$200 for all the editing (i'm guessing at least 2-3 hours here)
$25 for printing and binding an index type book of all the best photos
and $15-20 for a Lightscribe burnt DVD with her choice of photos from the index book.

any and all opinions would be most welcome

PS....am i right in thinking that 'real photographers' make most of their money with the sale of prints?
and that they don't usually give the negatives/digital files to the client??????

[TFord.LTTP]

I'm just getting started here so take everything with a grain of salt but thinking over a lot of the same stuff maybe it will apply. My first question though would be is this something that's more of a one off thing you can make a little scratch from or the beginning of something bigger?

If it's something bigger then I would consider the adage of work for full or work for free, don't work for cheap. A lot of what I'm finding is that this business is about perceived value when even someone that's not a "real" photographer can do it and working for cheap gets you nowhere. You undervalue yourself and others will as well after all.

Even if it's a one off sort of thing I'd still consider that to do it well you're going to spend far more time in preparation for the day, scouting the site, spending time with the couple, planning your shots, and your post work flow than on the day itself.

To me handing over a disc of the original files is akin to walking into Best Buy and buying one TV and then asking them to give you all the others of the same model so when yours breaks you don't have to go back to the store to get another. It's not to bilk the client but it's not that exaggerated of an analogy and would really be a ludicrous thing to expect. Essentially buying a print from you is buying a license to that image so even if it's just a hobby and you'll only use it for your flickr or portfolio that's still your art and your inventory and it has to be managed accordingly.

Also absolutely make sure they sign a contract or agreement outlining what they're getting for they're money and what you're obligated to, even if they happen to be friends. You read these forums enough and you'll see plenty of reasons why even casual shoots with good friends warrant something in writing.

[PeneStevens]

thanks for your input TFord.
i am trying to get 'something bigger' going with my photography, and a lot of people are starting to ask me to take photos for them, but they expect my fees to be really cheap or free (in the case of family and friends) !!!
I dont want to price myself out of a job, but i dont want to be doing it for next to nothing.

i had a look at some prices of other photographers offering a DVD only package starting at $700 for 2 hours.
it looks like the way to go for me - no hassels getting prints done etc.

thanks again