Free Session Contract or not?

[lynweber]

So I am wanting to offer a specific photo session for free to help get my name out there. This is my first of this kind and I want to know if i should have a contract and if so what should it say. I never have had a contract before because it has all been friends that i have done.

What kind of marketing should I do? I was thinking of flyers in a library and word of mouth.

[Jim Poor]

Contract: YES, friends, or not.

Free Session: BAD IDEA unless you are donating it to a cause you support already.

Contracts: "Business and Legal Forms for Photographers" good book.

[lynweber]

Originally Posted by Jim Poor

Free Session: BAD IDEA unless you are donating it to a cause you support already.

.

So you think i should charge for a session even if I dont have the experience? I mean i was going to charge for the print of course but for the actual session i wasnt just like a one time thing. I'm new and not very well known and I know I have to start somewhere? What should i charge then if not free?

[SusanH1970]

What a lot of people do when starting out/portfolio building is to set their price, but offer a "portfolio building discount". That way, once you are done portfolio building, you can stop offering the discount and not be considered "the free photographer". It's much harder to start charging people after doing sessions for free.

[lynweber]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

What a lot of people do when starting out/portfolio building .

So with that being mentioned about portfolios do I need to have a printed portfolio like a book or just a collection of printed photos that are really good? Do i just need a website like flickr or smugmug. What do you use and why?

I know off topic but something I am thinking about. I dont know how to create a website so something simple.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by lynweber

So with that being mentioned about portfolios do I need to have a printed portfolio like a book or just a collection of printed photos that are really good? Do i just need a website like flickr or smugmug. What do you use and why?

I know off topic but something I am thinking about. I dont know how to create a website so something simple.

Here is the place to start for information about building a portfolio. Just starting out you don't need to invest in a printed book, but put together something professional looking in a simple, tasteful album, using fairly large prints (at least 5x7, I use 8x10 in mine).

A website is always good. You don't need to spend a ton of money; there are plenty of places you can use that are very inexpensive. I use weebly, myself, but there are tons of others. A lot of people here use snugmug and others. I like weebly because it's very simple and all drag and drop and you really need no technical knowledge such as html. Eventually I will upgrade my site to something more custom, but for now this is working fine for me. I'm sure others can recommend other places to get a website, or you can simply use the search tool here.

Back to your original post - yes, definitely use a contract, or at the very least a model release!

Hope this helps.

[lynweber]

[QUOTE=SusanH1970;726045][URL="http://digital-photography-

Back to your original post - yes, definitely use a contract, or at the very least a model release!

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]

So do you have an example to start from.

[SusanH1970]

Here you go.

[lynweber]

So I have decided to heed your advice and charge for the session it will be $65 with the printed image (16x24).

Now I need something else. I am doing this just as a hobby I dont have any license or anything like that. I know I probably need a model release form. Anything else or do you think I can get by with just this?

[Jim Poor]

I can't speak for Indiana, but in my market $65 won't cover a print half that size for private portrature (my market is pets in the DC area).

A contract with a model release built in is essential.

You may or may not need a license. In my area, I don't need one. I also don't need a Federal Tax ID, but I have one because it makes certain things easier (like tax free prints from pro labs).