I need your opinion

[Abolsega25]

Last week I did a family session for one of my friends. I told them that the sitting fee was $50.00 which would include the 1 1/2 hour photo session, editing of pictures and an online gallery for them to view and purchase there pictures from. They had asked how much a cd of the edited pictures would be with printing rights, and I told them $100.00. Yesterday I got an e-mail from them asking me to wave the sitting fee and only charge them $50.00 for the cd of the images because according to them "thats what photographers do" and because I didn't bring and back drops.

I am a natural light on location photographer. All my photographs are taken outdoors at local parks, lakes and city landscapes. I told them this in advance but the really wanted an indoor shoot at there house, in front of their fireplace. Being a good friend I agreed to still do it for them.

Now, I don't know what to do. I am offended that they are asking for a lower rate, considering most photographers charge double what I charge ( with are living in D.C.). I am also offended because they have the option not to buy the disk and download single files for $5.00 each or order just prints. My print prices are super cheap a 4x6 cost $1.00, a 5x7 $3.00, a 8x10 $5.00 and so on.

What should I do? Should I stick to my price or give them a "one time deal" since its the holiday season and they are my good friends?

Please help me out. thank you

[BigMac65]

Well I am not a pro shooter and have never charged for any photos.....but I do own a business and when I qoute a price and customer agrees to it I DO NOT change the price after the work is done.....an agreement was made and your friend needs to man up here and pay you. Having said that if I mess up a qoute and the job turns out to me more work and or more product and I cannot get the margin of profit I had counted on I still hold to the qoute as agreed upon and eat my loss.....a deal is a deal in my world. Hope this helps...

[Mike367]

I would be pretty pissed, and try to find a polite way to make the following points:

I don't care what other photographers do; if they wanted someone else's work they should have hired someone else. They knew what I was providing, and at what price, when they hired me.

They chose the backdrop of their fireplace. What I didn't need and didn't bring is irrelevant. Again, if they wanted someone else's style. they should have hired someone else.

Maybe they should have gone to Walmart, if that was what they wanted.

[Sterling]

Rule number one when dealing with friends and family in any business venture: Never change the price once it is given. Change what you are giving them perhaps, but never adjust the price. If you do, your friends will wonder why you were trying to over charge them in the first place. Give them a special "friends and family" price to start with and turn down the business rather than negotiate that price. If you don't, you will lose in many ways.

[BexJarratt]

If I was you I would be offended by them asking you to drop your price so much, particularly after the shoot. That shows they don't appreciate how much work you've put in and you've compromised to meet their ideal, and it appears they've abusing your friendship. If I was you I'd phone them or go and see them (face to face/ voice to voice it will be harder for them to be so bullish) and say that you've already put a lot of work into making beautiful family portraits for them, but as you consider them very good friends you would be willing to give them mate's rates (as much as you're comfortable with, $20/20%?).

I got married in 2009 and hired a professional photographer, once we'd brought the album, a load of prints we asked to buy a disc of all the photos with print rights, we knew this was usually £200 but my husband asked if he would throw one in and I cringed at the thought of asking a photographer to discount their work by so much and that was after we'd spent thousands. He did sell it to us for £100, which was a bargain.

[Digidave]

Simply ask them to show you these Photographers that wave their sitting fees. I'll bet you anything that they charge quite a bit more & can afford the waver. Then explain to them that your prices are so cheap to begin with(because your being a friend) that you simply cannot afford to do this for them. You are already giving away your time at these prices.

[chalkie7]

They need to get in the real world! In your position, I wouldn't be too diplomatic at all to be honest...they're taking the p**s. You're prices are incredibly low to start with..I'm also assuming they have had sight of your work prior to the arranged shoot and therefore happy with quality levels. Do not bend to them one bit!

[windrider86]

People amaze me every single day. Stick to your guns, they are just trying to get something for nothing. And they call themselves your friends. humff

[NicoleScraps]

They don't sound like very good friends to me. Seems like they are trying to take advantage of you.

[Jim Poor]

Start charging reasonable rates and you won't attract dirt-bag clients.

Get paid in advance.

Tell them to shove it, and write it off to a learning experience.